Preparing to be a WISP Sponsor
1. Sponsors submit project descriptions on-line or by email to Sharon Irwin, WISP Project Coordinator, on or before Friday, September 26, 2008.
See: Writing a Project Description and Sample Project Descriptions
2. WISP will compile an on-line listing of all project descriptions, and
web authentication will be required to access the system. Interested
students learn about the program and receive more information
with instructions in early October. This is Round One (of two).
3. Students have two weeks to contact sponsors, interview with sponsors, and submit completed applications.
See: Suggestions for Interviewing Students
4. Sponsors have the same two weeks to interview students and submit their preferences to the WISP office.
5. Sponsors and prospective interns submit top choices to the WISP office indicating with whom they'd most like to work.
- Sponsors email Sharon Irwin the following:
- Total number of students that contacted you for an interview.
- Total number of interns interviewed. If you did not interview any students, please indicate that as well.
- Intern ranking, in order of preference, of those with whom you would like to work.
- How many interns you would like to sponsor.
- Comments - these help us with the matching process. Comments are not required and if included need not be lengthy.
- Interns indicate their top choices on their applications and bring them to the WISP office.
6. An internship selection committee matches prospective interns with sponsors, trying to match everyone with their first or second choice.
7. Matched sponsors and interns are notified in late October.
8. A second round of interviewing, matching, and notification follows in November for those internships that were not matched and/or for newly added internship opportunities. This is Round Two.
NOTE: If you will not be on campus for Round One interviewing, we suggest that your project description be part of Round Two.
9. Matched sponsors and interns are notified in late November.
10. Internships begin the first week of January (unless the intern is a sophomore and arrangements have been made to work spring and summer terms).
- WISP pays interns an hourly wage of up to 10 hours/week for 10 weeks @ $8.00/hour for two terms.
- Any sponsor willing to financially support their intern, please contact WISP. Your generosity enables more students to participate. Sponsors interested in taking a second intern are asked to support that intern's wages ($1600 maximum) from their own funding.
After matching, expectations for sponsors
(and/or assistant sponsors)
- Contact your intern before fall term ends to initiate the relationship. The internship work begins with the start of winter term in January and continues through May (sophomores can work any two terms between winter and summer that works with them and the sponsor).
- Contact the WISP office if you are having any issues that could affect the intern's ability to meet and complete internship expectations.
- New sponsors and assistant sponsors should plan to attend the January orientation dinner.
- Sign a biweekly student time sheet for interns who are expected to work 8 – 10 hours per week. The WISP office will process and track all time sheets.
- Guide interns in developing a culminating poster of their work to be presented at the annual Karen E. Wetterhahn Science Symposium in May and prepare interns to communicate their work to a lay audience.
- Complete program evaluations at the conclusion of the internship.
Advice from past sponsors
- Take care during the interview process to assess compatibility, commitment, and motivation.
- Make interns feel welcome and comfortable at the start with your specific disciplinary culture; make them feel a part of your lab group.
- Think through students' roles and responsibilities beforehand. Recognize that first year students have unique needs that differ from slightly older, more established students. First year students are often challenged by time management, over commitment, and unrealistic expectations.
- Mentor your intern: cultivate a relationship beyond lab supervising; take interest in their academic foundation year at Dartmouth, as well as their future in science.
- Recognize that a student's maturity level and work ethic can override their limited experience.
- Involve student in a credible research project or experience adapted to the student's level of ability (a project can usually be identified within your existing research). The "project" should not be completely independent; mainstreaming an intern's learning within your research is a good model. An internship should have clear objectives and outcomes.
- Articulate realistic expectations with an intern and be flexible to the need for adjusting those expectations over time. "Realistic" means expectations that fit the student as well as the sponsor.
- Communicate regularly and clearly with an intern about expectations, progress, and encouragement; be a good listener. Give and ask for feedback.
- Spend at least 2 hours per week (or 20% of their lab time) in direct contact with an intern instructing, advising, coaching, giving feedback, and talking about science in general; involve an "assistant sponsor" for day-to-day supervision.
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"Design project around student's interests - helps to insure that they have a stake in the project; help to meet their long range goals, ask them how much they feel they can do. I'm always surprised and impressed by the capabilities of Dartmouth undergrads."
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"Look for someone who is not only smart, but seems mature and knows how to focus and work."
- "Set realistic goals and trust in an intern's ability to do well."
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The Internship is Underway
This page was last updated on February 17, 2009
Questions or feedback concerning this page can be sent to the WISP Webmaster.
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