Intern Supervisor Guidelines
Supervisors can expect a serious student who is interested in the best possible experience while in the nation's capital. Therefore it is important for an internship site supervisor to carefully plan and pace the intern's learning and work experience to help students hone the critical communication, analytical, teamwork, technical and other skills employers want over the course of the entire semester.
The Washington Center expects an internship site supervisor to:
- Adhere to the internship structure requirements , including providing a schedule of 32-36 hours a week composed of at least 80% substantive non-clerical work.
- Provide the intern with an orientation to the office and the intern’s position along with training the intern on the use of office equipment.
- Provide the intern with ample instructions for completing projects and all appropriate feedback thereon.
- Review and sign the intern’s final Individual Development Plan (IDP) by the stated due date.
- Participate in a minimum of one site visit in coordination with The Washington Center to discuss the intern’s performance and conduct additional meetings if requested.
- Work with the intern to establish and implement a work plan according to the intern’s Individual Development Plan (IDP) and that is in alignment with the Internship Site’s mission and needs.
- Allow flexibility to avoid scheduling conflicts with mandatory TWC events.
- Notify the intern’s program advisor in a timely and reasonable manner if any problems arise, particularly those that might result in the dismissal/termination of the intern.
- Provide written feedback and assessment of the intern’s work including a final grade, by the stated due dates, through the use of the intern’s mid-term assessment final evaluation.
