Dwight Greene’70 Internship for Diversity and Community Engagement
Guided by the Dean for Diversity and Student Engagement and the principles
of affirming identity, building community, and cultivating leadership, the Dwight
Greene ’70 Internship for Diversity and Community Engagement is designed to
hire one student every year who has demonstrated the knowledge, interpersonal
skills, and commitment to social justice and institutional advancement at Wesleyan
University and direct the student’s efforts towards fostering a sense of belonging
and well-being for all students at Wesleyan University.
The internship provides an opportunity to participate in the assessment,
programming, and analysis of several contemporary issues confronting higher
education in the United States.
As a valuable member of the office, the intern is expected to perform the duties
of the position with a high level of creativity, professional skill, confidentiality, and
personal integrity. The intern’s familiarity and professional skills in the areas of
higher education and social justice will be enhanced during the course of executing
the objectives and duties of the position.
Core Duties:
Assessment
• The intern will gather data about student participation in various academic
and co-curricular programs and services at Wesleyan University. In
prior years, interns have gathered data about concerns during individual
discussions with their peers and during community meetings and forums.
• The intern will be responsible for finding and collecting posts for the Campus
Climate Log and reaching out to salient students and organizations to
encourage them to post as well
• The intern will coordinate at least one community meeting or forum each
semester
Programming
• The intern will promote and/or participate in the core programs that are
sponsored (or co-sponsored) by the Office of the Dean for Diversity and
Student Engagement. Annual programs include: New Student Orientation –
Student of Color Reception and the Queer Reception (held in late August),
Dwight Greene Memorial Symposium and the Alumni of Color/Student of
Color Dinner and Recognition Ceremony (held in November), Dr. Martin
Luther King Jr. Symposium (held in February), and the Trustees of Color/
Student of Color Meeting (held in February). Additionally, the intern will
promote the use of the Campus Climate Log, the activities of the Dwight
Greene Internship for the Oral History Project, and the Wesleyan Diversity
Education Facilitators (WesDEFs).
• The intern may coordinate additional programs with the approval of the Dean
for Diversity. A modest budget ($25 per additional program, for a maximum of
4 programs per semester) is available for refreshments.
• By the 1st day of Fall classes, the intern must describe in an email to the
Dean for Diversity, any specific issues or goals related to higher education
and social justice that the intern wants to pursue during the course of the
year.
• The Dean and the intern will work together to identify a set of activities (core
programs and additional programs) that is mutually agreeable and attainable
within the structure and timeframe of the internship.
Analysis
• The intern will participate in semi-weekly meeting with the Dean for Diversity
to discuss the issues, programs, and services associated with higher
education and social justice at Wesleyan University.
• The intern will submit written analysis of some of the issues, programs,
and services (related to higher education and social justice) that students
experience at Wesleyan University. This may be done utilizing a blog.
• The intern will participate in the Making Excellence Inclusive (MEI) taskforce
Qualifications:
• This internship is open to students in their sophomore or junior year at
Wesleyan University
• Students who are interested in the position may contact the Dean for
Diversity at any time during the academic year. The Dean for Diversity seeks
students who have prior experience in leading student groups and in social
justice activism at Wesleyan University.
• The ideal candidate for the internship must be able to do the following:
o communicate effectively in person and in writing to a diverse audience
of people
o execute strong organizational and time management skills in order to
negotiate the multiple demands of being a student, an intern, and any
additional roles and responsibilities the student may have
o demonstrate maturity as the intern may participate in professional
meetings
o exercise discretion and confidentiality with student and university
information.
Payroll:
• The intern will submit payroll sheets (with hours worked and a short
description of activities) to the Dean for Diversity on a semi-weekly schedule
• The pay rate will be $10/hour for a maximum of 4 hours per week.
• The internship begins in late August and ends on May 1st. The intern and/
or the Dean may terminate the internship prior to May 1st if the student
and/or the Dean decide that either party is unable to fulfill the goals and
expectations of the internship.
Application:
1. State what you know about the Campus Climate Log, its presence on campus, and then state
some ways you would enhance its visibility and presence on campus if you were Dwight Greene Intern (250-400 words)
2. Talk about your previous experience working in a leadership role and/or experiences that
you believe make you uniquely qualified to work independently as a social justice advocate.
(250-500 words)
3. A large part of the Dwight Greene Internship is bringing important yet underrepresented
issues into the campus dialogue as well as consistent written correspondence. In no more
than 750 words, talk about a social justice issue that you care deeply about but feel isn’t
talked about as much as you’d like and describe its salience to Wesleyan’s campus.
Application due Monday April 22,
2013 to chosam@wesleyan.edu and/or
rjohnson01@wesleyan.edu