Rogers Summer Internship Program

One of the most compelling indicators of future success for Arts & Letters students is a summer internship. Internships provide a bridge between the formal skills students develop within Arts & Letters and the professional workplace; notably the ability to write, to analyze and absorb data, and to speak clearly and effectively. Employers value, and all but expect seniors to have at least one summer internship prior to hiring them.

The Rogers Summer Internship Program for Arts & Letters Majors was conceived with those thoughts in mind realizing that many industries in which A&L students wish to enter provide unpaid internships. An unpaid internship is often cost prohibitive to a student that needs some financial support to live and work in a city away from home. The Rogers Summer Internship Program is designed to aid those A&L students by providing a stipend to cover expenses incurred during the summer to support their experience.

Who is eligible?

  • To be eligible, students must be a current Notre Dame sophomore (rising junior during the summer of 2010) or junior (rising senior during the summer of 2010) with an Arts & Letters Major participating in an internship that meets the program criteria and have submitted all of the required documentation by the noted deadline.
  • Students are encouraged to utilize The Career Center and their Academic Departments’ services in their internship search and will receive support from faculty/staff with their internship search, but will need to obtain and be hired into their internship on their own accord.
  • Applicants may apply for the program during any of the deadline timeframes, although, applicant must possess an internship offer by the employer in order for a determination on acceptance into the program is made because funding is awarded for a specific internship experience.

Internship Criteria

  1. Employment on a full-time basis for a minimum of 8 weeks during the summer of 2010
  2. If Unpaid – eligible to receive up to $3,000 in expense reimbursement.
  3. If Paid – eligible to receive up to $1,000 in expense reimbursement.
  4. If International – eligible to receive up to $3,000 in expense reimbursement, with consideration for additional funds due to extenuating circumstances
  5. Duties must be consistent with the student’s level of education, related to their area of study and consistent with their career goals.
  6. Internship must involve working for an “organization” while being directed by a supervisor/mentor within that organization. The components of an internship should include the opportunity to grow intellectually thus enhancing skills developed through their Notre Dame education, develop knowledge and skills specific to a career or setting, provide a positive impact on the organization, explore career options, understand career pathways, and acquire professional skills.
  7. Volunteer programs are not eligible
  8. Internship may be in any industry
  9. Internship may be in any geographic location
  10. If applicant is applying for additional funding through other Notre Dame programs they must make note of that on their application. Additional funding may have an impact on the amount of money received by the Rogers Fund.

How do I apply?

Below are suggested steps for applying to the Rogers Fund. Before funds are approved and distributed, hard copies of the following documents must be completed and submitted to The Career Center office.

  1. Meet with The Career Center’s Program Director for Global Internship Initiatives, LoriAnn Edinborough. Set up a 30 minute appointment by calling 631-5200.
  2. Select and connect with an Arts & Letters Mentor to assist you in the process of compiling your written application submissions and identifying key learning criteria for your internship
  3. Complete the required documents listed below on-line, print them out and submit to The Career Center in 248 Flanner Hall.
  4. Intern Enrollment Form – completed by student
  5. Employer Verification Form – completed by employer
  6. Student Agreement/Waiver Form – completed by student
  7. Projected Summer Expense Report – completed by student indicating expenses and financial need, please include sourcing where applicable
  8. Personal Resume
  9. 1-2 page essay
    - describing your internship organization and position including roles and responsibilities,
    - how you will grow intellectually, thus enhancing skills developed through a Notre Dame education
    - specific learning objectives, focusing on how the internship will help you develop knowledge and skills specific to a career or setting, how this experience will help you to explore career options, understand career pathways and acquire work skills, e.g. communication, coping, teamwork, time management, interpersonal skills and goal setting.
    - Applicants should collaborate with their faculty mentor to complete their essay. Faculty mentor must sign off on the essay prior to submission.
  10. All applicants must read the Tax Implications Letter regarding receipt of this award and the affect it may have on your taxes.
  11. All applicants receiving financial aid should contact the Financial Aid office to evaluate the impact receiving of these funds may have on their financial aid package.

FOR INTERNATIONAL INTERNSHIPS
If your internship is abroad, you must also complete and submit the following document with your application documents AND send the document to the Office of International Studies,154 Hurley Hall:
Application for University Sponsored International Travel and University Student Waiver Form

Additional Notre Dame websites and information to address before traveling abroad include:

  • Read the International Travel Information through Risk Management
  • Ensure that your personal health insurance policies cover international travel. The University offers additional policies through Risk Management at the site listed above.
  • When traveling abroad make sure you have addressed any health issues by visiting the Notre Dame Travel Abroad Nurse at the Health Services.
  • When accepting an international internship ensure that you have addressed all VISA and Work authorization requirements with your prospective employer and applicable government agencies.
  • For additional insights into understanding different cultures and living abroad please visit http://nd.edu/~ndabroad/

How much funding is available?

  • A maximum amount of up to $3,000 is available to each recipient of an unpaid internship. The stipend expense reimbursement will be based upon the submitted, projected travel and temporary living expenses associated with participating in the internship.
  • A maximum amount of up to $2,000 in expense reimbursement is available to each recipient of a paid internship. These funds will be used to reimburse expenses incurred as a result of a high cost of living while participating in an internship such as housing, food, transportation.
  • For student participating in either a paid or unpaid international internship consideration will be given for additional funds due to extensive expenses.

Application Dates/Deadlines

  • Applications will be accepted from November 15, 2009 through March 31, 2010 according to the three deadline time frames listed below
  • Applicants can apply without having received an offer/accepted a position, but determination will not be made until applicant has received an offer with the intent to accept as funding is awarded based upon a specific internship
  • Awards will be made for each time frame within two weeks of the deadline. Applicants will receive either an acceptance, waitlist or denial status

Fall Deadline: November 15, 2009 – December 21, 2009
Winter Deadline: January 1, 2010 – February 12, 2010
Spring Deadline: February 22, 2010 – March 31, 2010

What is the selection process?

  • All required paperwork must be completed and received in The Career Center by 5:00 pm of the designated deadline date to be considered for funding.
  • Funding is not guaranteed until the approval process has been completed and awarded by the Rogers Summer Internship Program Committee.
  • Selections and notification will be announced based upon the previously noted schedule.
  • Applicants will be selected based upon the
    - Quality of the experience related to their career goals.
    - Quality of essay in describing the value of the experience as related to their career goals.

Additional Guidelines

  1. Students will only be able to receive a Rogers Internship stipend one summer during their tenure as a Notre Dame student
  2. Once accepted into the program the recipient’s responsibilities include:
  3. Represent Notre Dame by engaging in your internship at the highest level of performance and to follow student conduct guidelines as written in duLac.
  4. After the summer internship is completed, submit a reflection paper (2-3 pages) outlining how your internship related to your curriculum, its intrinsic value, the impact it will have on your future career plans, whether it was an impetus to changing your career plans, how valuable the funding was to the experience, and any suggestions to improving the funding program. This document should be written in collaboration with your mentor, with them signing off on the paper. Due October 1, 2010. (Reflection papers will be provided to the donor)
  5. Recipients will be invited to attend a Fall 2010 reception to collectively discuss the value of the program.
  6. Recipients will be required to provide future career updates in order to track and calculate the impact this funding program had on student success.
  7. Rogers Funding will be provided in two payments over the summer. One at the beginning of the internship and one on or about July 1, 2010
  8. Rogers Stipends are meant to cover travel and temporary living expenses related to their internship with stated employer. They are not considered payment for work for the employer or service to Notre Dame.
  9. If a student fails to complete the agreed internship, it is the student’s responsibility to notify GII and return unused expense monies.
  10. While students may choose to apply to all programs that are applicable to their eligibility, funding will only be received from one of the five available programs during the summer.
  11. Rogers funded internships may be eligible for credit.

The University and The Rogers Summer Internship Program for Arts & Letters Majors may add to, delete or amend these policies at any time. Any updates will be posted on The Career Center website and it is the applicant’s responsibility to review an changes at this location.