UVA Student Affairs Internship

ORGANIZATION 

The Division of Student Affairs helps promote the intellectual, cultural, personal, and social development of students while enhancing their physical and psychological well-being. Student Affairs accomplishes this mission by: 

  • Supporting an environment that promotes students' intellectual inquiry and responsible decision-making.  
  • Providing programs and services that support students as they clarify personal values, develop personal identity, grow intellectually, build sound interpersonal relationships, and explore career directions.  
  • Providing assistance and services to promote diversity, cultural richness, and the full membership of all students.  
  • Responding to the different needs of students at their varying stages of intellectual, social, personal, and career development, noting particularly the differences between undergraduate and graduate students.  
  • Assisting students who may have needs related to factors such as minority status, disability, health, financial resources, or nontraditional status, among others.  
  • Preparing students to be informed and active citizens within our society.  
  • Teaching, conducting research, as well as training and supervising students who conduct activities on behalf of the division. 

SPONSOR 

Nicole Eramo, Assistant VP for Student Affairs, Office of the VP and Chief Student Affairs Officer 

PURPOSE 

The intern will learn about the needs of underrepresented students, particularly first generation and low-income students (FGLI), in the higher education environment. The internship will include providing direct support and assistance to this student population and may also include research and data collection regarding the needs of this population broadly and at the University, with an emphasis on using this information to make data-driven decisions that support the growth, development, and learning of this population of students. The intern will support FGLI students from across the University, including support of students engaged in special programs such as the Posse Scholars Program. The goals of the Posse scholarship are to “expand the pool from which top colleges and universities can recruit outstanding young leaders from diverse backgrounds, to help these institutions build more interactive campus environments so that they can be more welcoming for people from all backgrounds, and to ensure that Posse Scholars persist in their academic studies and graduate so they can take on leadership positions in the workforce.”  

CAREER DEVELOPMENT 

This internship will prepare interns for careers in any of the following: 

  • Faculty 
  • Non-profit 
  • Advocacy and Policy 
  • Student Affairs 
  • Advising and student support 

SKILLS DEVELOPMENT 

The intern will learn about the needs of underrepresented students in the higher education environment and will be trained in providing mentoring and support to these students. The intern will also sharpen their skills in research and data collection/analysis. This internship will provide experiences to develop and polish the following skills: 

  • Higher Education and Student Affairs 
  • Communication to diverse audiences 
  • Interdisciplinary team collaboration 
  • Knowledge of sector and networking 
  • Problem solving and analytical thinking 
  • Self and career management 
  • Thought leadership and innovation 
  • Teaching, mentoring and training 

RESPONSIBILITIES 

The intern will work in primary support of the Office of the VP and Chief Student Affairs Officer on projects relating to the development of programming and direct support for FGLI students. A professional staff member will provide oversight and be a referral point for training and development for the intern as they seek to provide resources and support to these students, including those in special programs such as the Posse Scholars.  

MENTORING PLAN 

The intern will have the opportunity to work independently, and with multiple professional staff members in Student Affairs. The intern's mentor will have regular meetings to support the knowledge, growth, and development of the intern. 

DESIRED QUALITIES 

The interns should: 

  • Meet regularly with supervisor and respond to feedback 
  • Possess an ability to work with sensitive and confidential information about students and potential peers  
  • Develop working relationships with a diverse set of stakeholders  
  • Be flexible, open to new experiences, and prepared to share honest feedback with colleagues  
  • Support the efforts of the Office of the VP to promote and celebrate Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion in all work representing the University and the Office 
  • Work on administrative tasks with attention to detail and prioritization of excellence  
  • Bring their full self to their work each day 

DURATION AND EFFORT 

In order to meet the goals outlined above, this internship may span multiple terms. The department will work with the student on setting a weekly schedule that is mutually agreed upon and meets the PhD+ internship expectation of up to 200 hours per semester. Additional hours may be available if the intern is willing and able to balance with the other demands of their program.  

FUNDING 

PhD+ interns will be paid bi-weekly wages up to $5000 per semester ($25 per hour for 200 hours per semester). 

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