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January 21, 2000
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Volume 7, Number 9 |
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GENERAL |
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Arts & Science College joins pilot internship program
The U of S College of Arts and Science is doing its bit to break down the wall between the campus and the city, by joining in a pilot Work Experience Internship Program. Acting Assoc. Dean of Arts and Science Hans Michelmann says the program, launched Jan. 5 with the Saskatoon and District Chamber of Commerce and the Saskatchewan Department of Economic and Co-operative Development (SECD), will initially place six students in internships – five with SECD doing market intelligence, research, communications, and information management, and one with the Chamber, doing a study projecting future Saskatchewan health care costs. Michelmann credits Alan Thomarat, who was first with the Chamber and now with SECD, with pursuing the internship idea early, and seeing it through. Michelmann says department heads in Arts and Science "are very co-operative and very excited about prospects for the new project. The students will work for a full-term, gaining contacts and experience applying their university studies to the real world. They’ll receive no pay, but three credits for their troubles. For this pilot term, there will be students from the classes of Economics Profs. Bill Bishopp, Don Gilchrist, and Mobinul Huq, Geography Profs. Liisa Cormode and Jim Randall, and Political Studies Prof. Paul Kopas. Michelmann says in most cases, independent studies courses accommodated the students’ work term, but in one case a special course was designed. The Chamber of Commerce states, "Students have been assigned a project that is related to the expertise they have developed in their coursework ... The project and course requirements will include the collection of data and a report analysing the data." Michelmann says the impetus for the project came from The Chamber, and from Thomarat when he was there, who said there needs to be more of a link, so that employers begin to realize what excellent students we have in Saskatchewan. Michelmann added the College will do an evaluation of the pilot project as early as late-February, to analyse "how to structure things for next fall". He said the College believes this will be an ongoing program and will continue through next Fall and Winter terms. And he is personally looking forward to seeing how it works. "I’ve always been convinced our Arts and Science students are qualified for a whole range of jobs, and employers haven’t always believed that. "This is an opportunity to prove that a liberal arts education is valuable," Michelmann said.
For further information, visit the web site or contact communications@usask.ca
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Next issue of On Campus News: Friday, February 4
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