Internship Position Descriptions

POSITION DETAILS

Internship Host Department: Wolfstore

Work Schedule: Determined with supervisor

Hours Per Week: 10 Hours (approximately)

Wage/Salary: $14.20 / hr

Start Date: January 8, 2024

End Date: June 7, 2024

The Wolfstore serves the students, community, faculty and staff of Western Oregon University. The Wolfstore is committed to helping keep the costs of course materials low for students. We are institutionally run as a break-even operation, so we only succeed with the support of the students and staff at WOU. Besides textbooks and WOU gear, we also carry school and office supplies, art supplies, electronics (including headphones, cell phone and computer accessories, etc.), general interest books and reference materials, personal items (such as health and beauty aids, candy, gum, and snacks), and a variety of gifts, calendars, journals, and greeting cards.

Learning Objectives:

As a result of this internship, the intern will:

Have an understanding of the various financial components behind Western Oregon University’s operations

Gain familiarity with governmental accounting

Strengthen MS Excel skills

Learn how to evaluate project goals, timelines, and daily tasks to determine work priorities

Demonstrate professional verbal and written communication

Learning Activities:

The intern will achieve the above objectives by:

The intern will get exposure to the different financial aspects within the Wolfstore: Accounts Receivable, Accounts Payable, Preparing Daily Bank Deposits, and Reconciliation.

The intern will also be able to build relationships with various departments on campus through email communications and face-to-face interactions.

Required Qualifications:

Good interpersonal communication skills

Experience with MS Office and the Google Suite

Preferred Qualifications:

It is preferred that the candidate is wanting to receive an internship for academic credit

Interest in future careers in higher education, governmental, or non-profit work

Preference will also be given to students who have completed accounting courses, ie: BA211, BA212, BA213

Majors/Minors Desired: Majoring in Business or Accounting preferred, but not necessary

ADDITIONAL DETAILS

Program expectations and benefits: This position is part of the WOU Community Internship Program, learn more at: wou.edu/professional-pathways/wou-cip

Work schedule: approximately 10 hours a week. Funding for 200 hours total throughout the duration of the 2-term internship. Work schedule to be determined with the position’s supervisor. Interns do not work during Spring Break or finals week, unless agreed upon by the intern, supervisor, and Center for Professional Pathways staff.

Eligibility: We encourage all students, including Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) recipients and international students, to apply for this position. (This position does not require students be eligible for federal work-study)

POSITION DETAILS

Internship Host Department: Advancement & WOU Foundation

Work Schedule: Determined with supervisor

Hours Per Week: 10 Hours (approximately)

Wage/Salary: $14.20 / hr

Start Date: January 8, 2024

End Date: June 7, 2024

The Advancement & WOU Foundation exists to strengthen relationships and provide resources in order to serve and support the mission and vision of Western Oregon University. Advancement is responsible for donor relations, fund raising, prospect research, alumni relations, and the operation of the WOU Foundation. The purpose of this office is the cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship of alumni and other potential donors through their involvement with the University; research and preparation of grant and gift solicitations; management of gifts, grants, bequests and community relationships, including the state legislature. All campus units are affected by the results of the accomplishments of this office. Availability of scholarship funds directly affects the student population. The functions of this office are directly related to the mission of the University, which is to provide a quality program of higher education by promoting the University’s teaching, research, and community service programs, involving the Alumni and community in the activities of the University, and promoting aid for the university through private gifts.

The Campaign Stewardship Coordinator is crucial to successfully fulfilling University priorities in multiple ways. Firstly, this position will provide the intern the opportunity to create a dynamic communication plan to steward University donors. The intern will learn and understand the importance of communication and engagement of those donors who support the students and programs of WOU. Secondly, this hands-on experience will provide the intern with skills that are transferable to many different career fields. Most importantly, this work is vital in securing and retaining sustainable financial support for current and future students and programs of the university!

Learning Objectives:

As a result of this internship, the intern will:

Aid in creating and executing a stewardship/communication plan as it relates to a Comprehensive Campaign

Strengthen their ability to communicate with a diverse population

Evaluate, organize and prioritize a stewardship plan, timelines, and daily tasks

Demonstrate professional verbal and written communication with colleagues, supervisors, alumni, donors and community partners

Develop team building and leadership skills

Learning Activities:

Participate in weekly meetings with the Development Officer of Annual Giving to discuss goals and outline project tasks and priorities

Work with and receive training from all members of the Advancement team

Actively work on gaining an understanding of the development process (Identification, Cultivation, Solicitation, Stewardship)

Learn how to use our Development CRM to fulfill and record the stewardship plan and communications

Participate in preparation for WOU Giving Day communications and learn how stewardship plays an essential role in the campaign process

Create and execute a personalized and impactful stewardship plan

Required Qualifications:

Desire to learn, take initiative, think creatively, set priorities, and meet deadlines

Good interpersonal communication and organizational skills

Able to keep a professional outlook on all assignments, understanding the importance of donor confidentiality

Currently enrolled at WOU

Preferred Qualifications:

Interest in development, fundraising, communication and building relationships.

Experience with Microsoft Office tools (Word, Excel, etc.)

Majors/Minors Desired: Open to all majors

ADDITIONAL DETAILS

Program expectations and benefits: This position is part of the WOU Community Internship Program, learn more at: wou.edu/professional-pathways/wou-cip

Work schedule: approximately 10 hours a week. Funding for 200 hours total throughout the duration of the 2-term internship. Work schedule to be determined with the position’s supervisor. Interns do not work during Spring Break or finals week, unless agreed upon by the intern, supervisor, and Center for Professional Pathways staff.

Eligibility: We encourage all students, including Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) recipients and international students, to apply for this position. (This position does not require students be eligible for federal work-study)

POSITION DETAILS

Internship Host Department: Art & Design

Work Schedule: Determined with supervisor

Hours Per Week: 10 Hours (approximately)

Wage/Salary: $14.20 / hr

Start Date: January 8, 2024

End Date: June 7, 2024

The exhibits program is housed within the Art and Design Department at WOU. The mission of the Art and Design Department is to foster critical and creative thinking, skill-building, and visual literacy. The exhibits program is also student-focused, with two main objectives: to engage students with professional artwork and artists through exhibits and programs such as lectures or workshops, and to provide students with real-world experience exhibiting their own artwork and working in campus galleries to curate, plan, install and de-install exhibitions.

Learning Objectives:

As a result of this internship, the intern will:

Gain an understanding of the behind-the-scenes work that goes into presenting professional gallery exhibitions.

Learn to install and present artwork using universal museum standards.

Practice mounting artwork (matting and framing) to prepare it for exhibition.

Develop organizational skills by helping to plan exhibits and activities for the new student gallery opening in ITC this fall.

Learning Activities:

Intern will help set-up and organize the tools and hardware to be used in the new student gallery.

Intern will attend weekly gallery staff meetings to help plan exhibits and activities for all campus galleries, especially the new student gallery space in ITC.

Intern will work with the gallery director to mat and frame artwork for exhibition.

Intern will assist the gallery staff (director, one faculty member and three student assistants) with installation in gallery spaces around campus.

Required Qualifications:

Familiarity with different types of art and art processes.

Ability to self-start and work independently.

Attention to detail with the ability to juggle many projects at one time.

Excellent communication skills and habits, in-person and online.

Preferred Qualifications:

Interest in galleries and/or museums.

Knowledge of design principles.

Experience working or building with hand tools.

Competent in basic math skills such as addition and subtraction of fractions and decimals.

Majors/Minors Desired: Art and Design preferred, but will consider any major.

ADDITIONAL DETAILS

Program expectations and benefits: This position is part of the WOU Community Internship Program, learn more at: wou.edu/professional-pathways/wou-cip

Work schedule: approximately 10 hours a week. Funding for 200 hours total throughout the duration of the 2-term internship. Work schedule to be determined with the position’s supervisor. Interns do not work during Spring Break or finals week, unless agreed upon by the intern, supervisor, and Center for Professional Pathways staff.

Eligibility: We encourage all students, including Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) recipients and international students, to apply for this position. (This position does not require students be eligible for federal work-study)

POSITION DETAILS

Internship Host Department: Division of Education and Leadership

Work Schedule: Determined with supervisor

Hours Per Week: 10 Hours (approximately)

Wage/Salary: $14.20 / hr

Start Date: January 8, 2024

End Date: June 7, 2024

Campus Recreation at Western Oregon University is committed to providing students with the means to participate in recreation. Through this position we aim to expand our reach via marketing and program design. Campus Recreation is always aiming to progress with and in accordance to the overall university goals. We strive to develop leaders, increase participation in programs, assist with recruitment and retention in any way we can. We are planning to reach every student on campus through the creation of this internship by utilizing a robust strategy that begins with student staff and interns. Campus Recreation is hopeful this will turn into a yearly position that can allow students a direct path to graduate programs across the country. This again can assist in helping the university’s name to continue to develop.

Learning Objectives:

The student who earns this internship will develop skills in maintaining and developing social media platforms under supervision and guidelines. As well as, assist with program development across all areas of Campus Recreation. This position will be responsible for creating content through both print and digital marketing resources. Learning objective will be measured on a Bi-weekly bases.

Learning Activities:

The Marketing and Program Intern will have bi-weekly meetings with professionals, as well as, student staff. These meetings will be a time to promote, brainstorm and develop efficient marketing and program strategies that encourage health and wellness across campus. We have developed an additional bi weekly learning outcome progress report they are responsible for keeping. At the end that information will be analyzed and refined, similar to a practicum type reporting system for graduate students.

Required Qualifications:

A robust knowledge of social media platforms from Instagram to Snapchat and beyond.
Excellent communications skills are necessary, as well as, an ability to maintain professionalism across several environments.
Ability to use both Apple and Microsoft operating systems.

Preferred Qualifications:

Knowledge of print marketing and digital marketing design under any platform including but not limited to Canva, Adobe Photoshop and/or any other content creation software.

Majors/Minors Desired:

Open to all students who meet the above qualifications. Marketing, Business, Exercise Science, Community Health undergraduate path way.

ADDITIONAL DETAILS

Program expectations and benefits: This position is part of the WOU Community Internship Program, learn more at: wou.edu/professional-pathways/wou-cip

Work schedule: approximately 10 hours a week. Funding for 200 hours total throughout the duration of the 2-term internship. Work schedule to be determined with the position’s supervisor. Interns do not work during Spring Break or finals week, unless agreed upon by the intern, supervisor, and Center for Professional Pathways staff.

Eligibility: We encourage all students, including Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) recipients and international students, to apply for this position. (This position does not require students be eligible for federal work-study)

POSITION DETAILS

Internship Host Department: Biology

Work Schedule: Determined with supervisor

Hours Per Week: 10 Hours (approximately)

Wage/Salary: $14.20 / hr

Start Date: January 8, 2024

End Date: June 7, 2024

The Biology Programs mission is to provide students with foundation courses that present major concepts in biology and provide opportunities for science and non-science majors to experience laboratory experimentation. We are concerned that all students become comfortable with quantitative data analysis, interpretation of observations, and the evaluation and application of new information. We facilitate the mastering of concepts and methods through specialized courses that involve research – whether in terms of analyzing and understanding current literature in particular sub- disciplines or participating hands-on in original faculty-driven projects.

Learning Objectives:

As a result of this internship, the intern will:

Gain knowledge and skills in the topic of research ecology.

Gain knowledge about threatened and regionally significant habitats.

Gain practice at keeping careful laboratory records and notes and organizing scientific specimens

Learn important data organization and analysis skills

Work as part of a research team

Better understand the interconnectivity of organisms in their ecosystems

Learning Activities:

During this internship the student intern will meet weekly with one or both supervisors for training and reporting on tasks and will also meet regularly with the other students conducting research as part of the Garry Oak Research Group. The intern will be trained in skills for specific tasks and then once proficient, will use those skills to analyze specimens. Possible tasks include processing invertebrate samples for biodiversity analysis using skills in taxonomy and anatomy, analysis of camera trap photographs of wildlife, analysis of audio files for oral markers of biodiversity, and analysis of oak tree samples. Through these experiences, the intern will:

Gain confidence and experience with laboratory skills for handling and analyzing preserved specimens as part of a long term ecological research project.

Learn to keep a detailed research notebook of their findings, conduct data entry and organization, and perform some basic analyses on the data.

Interact with the larger Garry Oak Ecological Research Group to better understand the collaborative nature of research.

Demonstrate an understanding of the standards that define ethical scientific behavior.

Required Qualifications:

Attention to detail, ability to use a dissecting or compound microscope for an extended period of time, some basic knowledge and interest in ecology.

Preferred Qualifications:

Successful completion of 300 or 400 level ecology courses with laboratory; experience using dichotomous keys; interest in a career in ecology, wildlife, habitat restoration, or similar.

Majors/Minors Desired: Biology or Science Education (Biology emphasis), but will consider other majors with the required qualifications.

ADDITIONAL DETAILS

Program expectations and benefits: This position is part of the WOU Community Internship Program, learn more at: wou.edu/professional-pathways/wou-cip

Work schedule: approximately 10 hours a week. Funding for 200 hours total throughout the duration of the 2-term internship. Work schedule to be determined with the position’s supervisor. Interns do not work during Spring Break or finals week, unless agreed upon by the intern, supervisor, and Center for Professional Pathways staff.

Eligibility: We encourage all students, including Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) recipients and international students, to apply for this position. (This position does not require students be eligible for federal work-study)

POSITION DETAILS

Internship Host Department: Division of Education and Leadership

Work Schedule: Determined with supervisor

Hours Per Week: 10 Hours (approximately)

Wage/Salary: $14.20 / hr

Start Date: January 8, 2024

End Date: June 7, 2024

The Education Advising Team within the Division of Education & Leadership (DEL) works with current and prospective students to recruit, advise, retain, and assist students through their academic journey and into the professional licensure program. Advisors meet one-on-one with students to help them navigate course registration, find campus resources, and work towards degree completion.

The Education advising team also plays a key role in recruiting students, including high school students, transfer students, and adult learners. Advisors regularly meet with all three of these groups to provide information about WOU, help students understand the degree and licensure requirements, and ensure that students know there is a place for them at WOU. This includes hosting an Aspiring Educators Day each spring, which brings students to campus at WOU for a day-long, immersive experience, including presentations, campus tours, and participating in courses and activities with WOU education faculty. Advisors also develop, organize, and lead orientation sessions for first-year and transfer students.

Learning Objectives:

As a result of this internship, the intern will:

Gain knowledge of advising and recruitment strategies and best practices

Gain valuable experience in drafting written communications and developing student-centered materials

Gain knowledge and training regarding the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA)

Student will develop and hone public speaking and presentation skills

Student will experience working as part of the advising team to deliver positive outcomes for students

Learning Activities:

The intern will achieve the above objectives by:

During the internship, the students will meet weekly with supervisors for training, reporting, and reviewing progress of ongoing projects.

Student will engage with the DEL advising team to help with outreach and recruiting of transfer students and adult learners

Student will work with supervisors to develop a social media strategy for recruitment

Student will develop print and digital marketing materials

Student will attending on-campus and online education recruitment events

Student will meet with potential students to guide them through the application process and be available to answer general questions about WOU

Student will assist in the planning and execution of recruitment events, such as the annual Aspiring Educators Day

Required Qualifications:

Comfortable with presenting to large and small groups

Good interpersonal skills

Demonstrated knowledge of social media platforms

Strong oral and written communication skills

Preferred Qualifications:

Minimum 3.0 Cumulative GPA

Knowledge of education programs/becoming a teacher

Ability to create and distribute information on social media

Interest in advising and/or recruiting in higher education or similar institutions

Bilingual in English and Spanish

Majors/Minors Desired: Education, Education Studies, Early Childhood Studies, Communication, Interdisciplinary Studies

ADDITIONAL DETAILS

Program expectations and benefits: This position is part of the WOU Community Internship Program, learn more at: wou.edu/professional-pathways/wou-cip

Work schedule: approximately 10 hours a week. Funding for 200 hours total throughout the duration of the 2-term internship. Work schedule to be determined with the position’s supervisor. Interns do not work during Spring Break or finals week, unless agreed upon by the intern, supervisor, and Center for Professional Pathways staff.

Eligibility: We encourage all students, including Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) recipients and international students, to apply for this position. (This position does not require students be eligible for federal work-study)

POSITION DETAILS

Internship Host Department: Politic, Policy & Administration / Social Sciences

Work Schedule: Determined with supervisor

Hours Per Week: 10 Hours (approximately)

Wage/Salary: $14.20 / hr

Start Date: January 8, 2024

End Date: June 7, 2024

The Department of Politics, Policy, and Administration’s Empowered Communities Project: Civic Engagement, Advocacy and Democracy promotes and facilitates opportunities for WOU students and members of the surrounding communities to participate in deliberative dialogue and engaged learning in order to cultivate stronger, more inclusive local communities. One of the goals of the Empowered Communities Project is to develop programming which creates opportunities for WOU students to learn about our democratic processes so that they know how to become actively engaged in their communities.

The intern will play a key role in the planning, coordination, and outreach for the “Using Your Voice” day and will be encouraged to take part in the various activities on the day of the event.

Learning Objectives:

As a result of this internship, the intern will:

The student will develop skills important in program planning, coordination, and outreach.

Develop interpersonal and written communication skills by gathering information from diverse sources and organizing the information into an effective marketing tool

Demonstrate research, communication and writing skills in creating program materials

Demonstrate the ability to obtain and process information from a diverse set of people (students, faculty, staff, supervisor)

Demonstrate the ability to plan, organize and prioritize work; and demonstrate the ability to draft, revise and finalize materials for outreach appeal

Learning Activities:

The intern will achieve the above objectives by:

Meeting weekly with the supervisor to receive assignments and guidance for how to meet those assignments and feedback on their work

Communicating with faculty and WOU staff to gather necessary information and training

Developing marketing/outreach materials

Developing timelines and tasks related to event coordination.

Required Qualifications:

Strong research, writing and communication skills

Ability to work independently and problem solve

Ability to communicate well with a diverse set of individuals (students, alumni, faculty and staff)

Junior or Senior standing

3.0 or higher GPA

Ability to plan, organize, and prioritize work tasks

Interest in social and political issues related to social justice and community advocacy

Preferred Qualifications:

Some experience with web design or cinematography preferred, but not necessary

Experience with event planning and marketing

Majors/Minors Desired: Open to all majors

ADDITIONAL DETAILS

Program expectations and benefits: This position is part of the WOU Community Internship Program, learn more at: wou.edu/professional-pathways/wou-cip

Work schedule: approximately 10 hours a week. Funding for 200 hours total throughout the duration of the 2-term internship. Work schedule to be determined with the position’s supervisor. Interns do not work during Spring Break or finals week, unless agreed upon by the intern, supervisor, and Center for Professional Pathways staff.

Eligibility: We encourage all students, including Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) recipients and international students, to apply for this position. (This position does not require students be eligible for federal work-study)

POSITION DETAILS

Internship Host Department: Center for Professional Pathways

Work Schedule: Determined with supervisor

Hours Per Week: 10 Hours (approximately)

Wage/Salary: $14.20 / hr

Start Date: January 8, 2024

End Date: June 7, 2024

The Center for Professional Pathways mission is to provide access to transformative experiences, education and counseling that advance student career development and benefit society. We are committed to the principles of experiential learning – the process of learning through experience, more specifically defined as “learning through reflection on doing.” As part of our office we offer experiential learning programming, including the WOU Community Internship Program and volunteerism. We are deeply involved in the support and advancement of experiential learning opportunities across campus.

Learning Objectives:

As a result of this internship, the intern will be able to:

Identify experiential learning practices and programs on Western Oregon University’s campus and strategies for promoting initiatives
Understand foundations and best practices for experiential learning, volunteer and internship management, and guiding principles of career development
Describe effective high impact educational practices, applying common experiential learning frameworks
Evaluate project goals, timelines, and daily tasks to determine work priorities
Demonstrate professional verbal and written communication with students, University faculty and staff, and community partners
Develop team building and leadership skills
Write a persuasive resume and cover letter at the conclusion of the internship

Learning Activities:

The intern will:

Actively participate and contribute to Center for Professional Pathways Experiential Learning program staff meetings and events
Assist in the coordination of the advisory committees for the WOU Community Internship Program programs
Plan and develop orientations and trainings for CPP experiential learning programs
Develop personal and professional development goals
Meet weekly with supervisor to reflect on development goals and outline project tasks and priorities

Required Qualifications:

Passion for helping students
Desire to learn and grow
Good interpersonal communication skills and a friendly demeanor
Ability to think creatively
Self-motivated and willing to take initiative
Flexible schedule, including possible (occasional weekend availability)
Experience with MS Office and Google Suites

Preferred Qualifications:

Interest in higher education and student development

Majors/Minors Desired: Open to all majors

ADDITIONAL DETAILS

Program expectations and benefits: This position is part of the WOU Community Internship Program, learn more at: wou.edu/professional-pathways/wou-cip

Work schedule: approximately 10 hours a week. Funding for 200 hours total throughout the duration of the 2-term internship. Work schedule to be determined with the position’s supervisor. Interns do not work during Spring Break or finals week, unless agreed upon by the intern, supervisor, and Center for Professional Pathways staff.

Eligibility: We encourage all students, including Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) recipients and international students, to apply for this position. (This position does not require students be eligible for federal work-study)

POSITION DETAILS

Internship Host Department: Computer Science

Work Schedule: Determined with supervisor

Hours Per Week: 10 Hours (approximately)

Wage/Salary: $14.20 / hr

Start Date: January 8, 2024

End Date: June 7, 2024

The Computer Science Division is initiating a Computational Sciences Community of Practice (CSCP) for the 2023-2024 academic year. The purpose of the CSCP is to foster collaboration between external partners, faculty, and students, and to provide the opportunity for students in CSD programs and allied fields to experience working in a professional community. We anticipate that some CSCP activities will be funded in part through a 3 year grant from the National Science Foundation under the Enabling Partnerships to Increase Innovation Capacity (EPIIC) program. The goal of WOU’s EPIIC initiative is to increase external partnerships between faculty and industry so as to provide increased opportunities for experiential learning for students and to enhance WOU’s contribution to workforce development.

The goal of this internship is to develop the intern’s data wrangling and project management skills in a collaborative professional work environment. The intern will work closely with CSD program faculty, who will provide real hands-on projects and daily tasks around information management, data curation, and project management. The intern will be able to apply classroom-based knowledge to projects and gain essential skills needed to be career ready. It is anticipated that much of the collaborative work will be done in virtual environments including online meetings outside of regular business hours to accommodate partners working in other time zones.

Learning Objectives:

As a result of this internship, the intern will:

Create and maintain git-based data repositories that support on going projects,

Understand the research and development project lifecycle,

Gain experience participating in online asynchronous work groups that predominate in contemporary industry,

Explore how their computing related coursework is related to the practical work of research and development,

Evaluate project goals, timelines, and daily tasks to determine work priorities,

Demonstrate professional communication skills with colleagues and industry partners.

Learning Activities:

Meet weekly with a CSPC faculty mentor to review project status and work in progress

Participate in monthly CSPC meetings with WOU faculty and student, and attend regular online meetings with CSPC faculty, industry partners, external organizations, and partner academic institutions as part of ongoing CSPC projects.

The intern will receive training in setting up and using git repositories for archiving data, code, and analysis from CSPC initiatives, and will maintain Kanban dashboards for CSPC projects.

Required Qualifications:

Working knowledge of MS Office or equivalent applications

Interest in working with data

Desire to learn, take initiative, think creatively, set priorities, and meet deadlines

Good interpersonal communication and organizational skills

Preferred Qualifications:

Experience writing/reviewing python code

Experience working from the command line in any operating system

Experience working with databases

Experience creating and maintaining websites

Majors/Minors Desired: Open to all majors

ADDITIONAL DETAILS

Program expectations and benefits: This position is part of the WOU Community Internship Program, learn more at: wou.edu/professional-pathways/wou-cip

Work schedule: approximately 10 hours a week. Funding for 200 hours total throughout the duration of the 2-term internship. Work schedule to be determined with the position’s supervisor. Interns do not work during Spring Break or finals week, unless agreed upon by the intern, supervisor, and Center for Professional Pathways staff.

Eligibility: We encourage all students, including Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) recipients and international students, to apply for this position. (This position does not require students be eligible for federal work-study)

POSITION DETAILS

Internship Host Department: Division of Education and Leadership / WOUFT

Work Schedule: Determined with supervisor

Hours Per Week: 10 Hours (approximately)

Wage/Salary: $14.20 / hr

Start Date: January 8, 2024

End Date: June 7, 2024

Western Oregon Federation of Teachers (WOUFT, the faculty union) and WOU 082 (SEIU, the classified staff union) are labor unions at WOU that serve both faculty and staff to understand, discharge and negotiate the contract with administration. We provide services to help our constituents understand their employment contracts, seek help when their contract is in dispute, negotiate the contract to improve working conditions, and work with administration to understand and improve labor practices that affect those who work at Western Oregon University in these represented positions.

Learning Objectives:

As a result of this internship, the intern will learn more about the labor movement and Unions on college campuses for both staff and faculty; develop and improve professional verbal and written communication skills in a professional setting; develop time management and scheduling skills as they help to coordinate meetings; help the staff and faculty unions to make stronger connections with student leadership so that we are more aware of how to advocate for students; and advocate for higher education in the legislature as we lobby for more investment in higher education.

Learning Activities:

As a result of this internship, the intern will learn more about the labor movement and Unions on college campuses for both staff and faculty; develop and improve professional verbal and written communication skills in a professional setting; develop time management and scheduling skills as they help to coordinate meetings; help the staff and faculty unions to make stronger connections with student leadership so that we are more aware of how to advocate for students; and advocate for higher education in the legislature as we lobby for more investment in higher education.

Intern will conduct research on the labor movement in higher education, learning more about SEIU and AFT and the ways that they are working on college campuses to advocate for students’ and worker’s rights.

Intern will attend planning meetings with the presidents for WOUFT and WOU 082, and will attend regularly scheduled meetings with the faculty staff union executive councils; intern will also attend bargaining sessions and learn more about contract negotiations.

Intern will research student needs that intersect with labor advocacy and help us design member outreach that helps us to center our work in student perspectives.

Intern will present at meetings on their research about student perspectives, present at lobby days, and work with us to advocate for TRUs.

Required Qualifications:

Experience with student outreach and interviews; familiarity and ability to do research on student needs at WOU and how they intersect with the unions at WOU
Interest in political outreach and lobbying with legislators for University needs

Preferred Qualifications:

Proficiency with Google Documents and organizing Google folders and drives to help us update our records keeping systems and public records.

Majors/Minors Desired: Open to all majors

ADDITIONAL DETAILS

Program expectations and benefits: This position is part of the WOU Community Internship Program, learn more at: wou.edu/professional-pathways/wou-cip

Work schedule: approximately 10 hours a week. Funding for 200 hours total throughout the duration of the 2-term internship. Work schedule to be determined with the position’s supervisor. Interns do not work during Spring Break or finals week, unless agreed upon by the intern, supervisor, and Center for Professional Pathways staff.

Eligibility: We encourage all students, including Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) recipients and international students, to apply for this position. (This position does not require students be eligible for federal work-study)