Trying to get academic credit for work outside of Whitman College has proven time and time again to be a difficult task for deserving students. The number of Whitties who participate in some enriching internships and jobs are a lot more than you think. Unfortunately, these people are unable to transform their hard work into credits that could bring them closer to graduation. Instead, they’re being held back from the rest of the progressing pack of college students across the nation.
You’ve probably heard the saying that college is a stepping stone toward your future. But what happens when that stepping stone’s support falls through? It creates an even greater jump toward that next stone and leaves you hanging.
Most internships offered nationwide are unpaid, but because we live in a country where slavery is illegal, compensation must be given for all the work an intern puts in. Awarding academic credit has been the form of compensation that employers like to provide for interns. All that is involved on their end is an agreement with a faculty advisor from the intern’s school basically saying that the student can put their work efforts toward major or graduation requirements.
Sounds simple, right? Sure…if the Whitman staff and faculty size was 10 times larger. Awarding academic credit requires faculty members to devote a good portion of their summer towards advising students who are interning at the time. Constant communication, homework, frequent papers and meetings with advisers are often required at most schools for students to get credit. This gives them the ability to prove that their work has some academic enrichment qualities that are up to the school’s standards. There’s no doubt that we have some of the best faculty members the higher education system can offer, but who’s going to put in the time and energy into a program that could potentially bring in hundreds of active Whitman students in who are seeking credit for the work they do during the summer?
Job competition is becoming fiercer and a college education is no longer the new standard for obtaining a good job. In order to stand out from the rest of the job hungry population, one must already have experience and connections established before hopping on to the professional stepping-stone. Internships give students that foot in the door.
Perhaps the school’s staff and faculty members have a firmer belief in undergraduate education than us students do. We’re essentially going to school here to make our way towards grad school. Liberal arts provide us with a wide range of knowledge about academic areas that may not necessarily relate to a specific career. In larger, state schools, for example, specific majors are pretty common. They really mold students into the working people they’ll be right after graduation. This is probably why internships are actually required at these schools. When all is said and done, we may have the knowledge, but it’s the experience that could get us through the door and into the career we’ve been dreaming of.
The hard work that our talented debate team and sports teams put forth deserve the credit they get. There are also other students who put the same amount of hard work into activities such as ASWC and the Whitman Pioneer. However, it’s not possible to get credit as an Editor-in-Chief or student body president. How about an English or Politics credit? Could the school offer journalism classes? The least we could do is create an open conversation among students, staff and faculty about what our options could be.
As for study abroad programs, a frequent problem that the office runs into with the Registrar is awarding credits for certain classes. The Washington Semester Program for American University offers internship opportunities for journalism. If a student wants to spend a semester in our nation’s capital that may be one extra semester the student has to stay after the time of their expected graduation since the time in Washington was pretty much time wasted. Sure, the experience may be wonderful but, without compensation, a student is left having to pay more than he or she expected. And let’s be honest here, Whitman isn’t getting any cheaper.
Under the discretion of the Registrar of course, not all internships should allow a student to receive credit. It obviously must follow the academic standards this school has set for its students. In a competitive job-market, it is in the school’s best interest to put the students’ best interests on the table. Allowing a student to take on what may be their foot in the door gives he or she the opportunity of a lifetime. A serious consideration of this option would be a good start.
That stepping stone may not be there for us now, but let’s hope it surfaces so we can keep up with the rest of the world.
