Each year, the Panetta Institute offers the Congressional Internship Program for students selected from the 23 campuses of the California State University System and three private universities. SJSU will select one student from our campus to participate in the Fall 2015 program. This student must be an outstanding undergraduate (sophomore or junior) student, who will then be either a matriculating junior or senior during the period of the internship in Fall 2015. The selected student will participate in an extraordinary learning experience held at the Institute and in the nation’s capital. This opportunity is open to any student on campus. The announcement with application procedures is attached. Could you please circulate this to the chairs in your college? Students need to apply by February 20.
Lynne
Lynne Trulio, Ph.D.
Acting Associate Dean and Professor College of Social Science
Department of Environmental Studies
San Jose State University
One Washington Square Hall
San Jose, CA 95192-0107
Phone: (408) 924-5445
http://www.sjsu.edu/
http://www.sjsu.edu/depts/
PANETTA INSTITUTE – CONGRESSIONAL INTERNSHIP PROGRAM
ANNOUNCEMENT
On August 9, 2015, the Panetta Institute will begin the 17th annual Congressional Internship Program for students selected from the 23 campuses of the California State University System and three private universities. The program runs 13 weeks beginning with a two-week training session at the Panetta Institute followed by 11 weeks in Washington and ending on November 6, 2015. SJSU will be nominating an outstanding undergraduate (sophomore or junior) student, (who will then be either a matriculating junior or senior during the period of the internship in Fall 2015) for this program. This student will participate in an extraordinary learning experience held at the Institute and in the nation’s capital. The 20 units of the Institute’s Congressional Internship Program must be accepted as a component of the student’s transcript. To be selected, students meet these required criteria:
• be a matriculating student during the internship; • has not accumulated more than 120 credit semester units or 180 credit quarter units; • has not taken part in this program during previous years; • has exhibited superior academic achievement; • has demonstrated commitment to community and public service; • i s willing to accept entry level work assigned to unpaid assistants (interns); • is willing to take on assigned tasks and work hard; • has exemplary maturity and leadership abilities; • has demonstrated ability to be a good team member; • has excellent English written and oral skills, and clarity of speech appropriate for constituent phone calls and visits; • is willing to live in assigned group housing with other interns during the entire program; • is willing to submit a written essay stating the reasons for her/ his interest in the Panetta
Institute ‘s Congressional Internship Program, and the selection committee’s review of one of the student’s graded papers to ensure excellent English language proficiency; • has never been sanctioned under the California Code of Regulations, Title 5, Article 2
(Student Discipline), Section 41301; • is willing to undergo a background investigation;
• does not have chronic health challenges that would interfere with full participation in the program; • is a U.S. citizen; • is a California resident; and • at the time of the personal interview, is able to provide proof of health insurance that is compliant with the Affordable Care Act.
In addition, students are expected to: • make a total commitment to the program (e.g., no pursuit of other employment , no enrollment in LSAT , MCAT, GRE or other graduate school preparation classes and/or exams during the internship); • work full-time in a congressional office; • attend required seminars in Washington, D.C. (arranged by the Panetta Institute); • submit a brief weekly report to the Panetta Institute; • maintain a journal; and • write a twenty-page research paper.
Again, to emphasize, students must be enrolled in their junior or senior year when the program begins at the Panetta Institute for the fall term. Students who will have accumulated more than 120 credit semester units or 180 credit quarter units are ineligible.
Please let your students know about this extraordinary opportunity!
To apply, students need to send these materials to Dr. Lynne Trulio at lynne.trulio@sjsu.edu by Friday, February 20, 2015 (12:00 midnight): Complete college transcripts including community/junior college work and/or other college/university work; Resume; Two-page written essay stating the reasons for her/his interest in the Panetta Institute’s Congressional Internship Program; A copy of one of the student’s most recently graded papers (at least three pages long) with the professor’s comments and grade accompanying or written on the paper.
A review committee will select the student to be nominated from SJSU. That student will be informed of the decision the next week and will have an interview with the SJSU campus President, Dr. Mohammad Qayoumi, on Friday, February 27. The student must attend the interview that day.
Please direct any questions about the program to Dr. Trulio.