Alumni Advisory Board Fund Drive
"Shape the Future Today"
Support Undergraduate Internships
Today’s job market is challenging. A company internship is a powerful tool to help students gain a competitive edge. With the current economic climate, many students cannot afford the luxury of an unpaid internship. With your help, we can provide these talented students a need-based stipend to help them build the foundation for their future success. The Alumni Advisory Board has already worked with the Psychology Department to create a Capstone Internship Seminar, which is offered during the fall semester. This allows students to receive course credit for their internship experience during the previous summer, and not pay tuition while participating in an unpaid internship. Our goal is to make unpaid internships more attractive to students by offering them some financial support.
| Mary Lee Henderson interned at the American Cancer Society Illinois Division in Chicago | |
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I was a Distinguished Events Planning Intern for the Distinguished Events Team. We spent three months planning a young professional event the Skyline Soiree at the River East Arts Center. I fundraised $2,000 fair market value in Silent Auction donations from restaurants and businesses in the Chicago area. I managed guest registration and room preparation for the Associate Board of Ambassadors meetings. I discussed strategic initiatives in a panel discussion with leaders of other non-profit organizations like Make A Wish Foundation, Juvenile Diabetes Association and Children’s Memorial Hospital. My internship was a great experience that has given me insight about how to conduct business professionally in an organization. It was fun to meet and work with new people for a shared goal. |
Support Cutting Edge Technology
Our goal is to create a multi-use classroom that uses cutting-edge technology that will allow students 1) to learn in an environment where the instructor can use a variety of multimedia tools to present the latest concepts, 2) to participate in video conferences using MeetingPlace, Skype, Instant Messenger or other VoIP software, and 3) to interact, collaborate, and share information easily as they work on projects or participate in lab meetings.
Powerful multimedia tools have been shown to enhance classroom learning. Leading universities have substituted transparencies and slides with computer-based video and audio technology allowing students to experience educational concepts at a depth previously unavailable in academia. Such technology allows instructors to captivate students as well as increase their comprehension and excitement. Due to the University’s budget constraints, the Psychology Department must have additional funding to meet this important need.
By modifying the multimedia-equipped classroom, we can significantly enhance its functionality. One modification is to provide students with a high-quality video camera and microphone. This will allow them to use a variety of voice-over internet protocol (VoIP) software to particpate in HD video conferences, create video resumes, or do virtual job interviews with companies both across the country and around the world.
The third goal is to allow students to collaborate on projects or participate in lab meetings or journal clubs more easily. Currently students will sit at a table and pass laptops around to show others their work or ideas or to share documents and web-based information. By purchasing furniture with integrated technology, such as Media:scape by Steelcase, we can reshape collaborations for group projects or interactions and active participation in lab meetings. Companies such as Steelcase have long-standing contracts with the university and offer substantial discounts on their products.