In the Bioinformatics Building, a student is peering into a microscope as she extracts DNA from a starfish, hoping to better understand the polymerase chain reaction.
Travel across University City Boulevard to the Foundation Building and find another student drafting a letter from Chancellor Dubois, asking 49er alumni to stay engaged and support the University.
Back in Woodward Hall, two more students are applying their tech skills to convert computer science labs from C++ to Java, improving the learning experience for about 700 students each year.
In Robinson Hall for the Performing Arts, discover a dance major who is researching a work by famous choreographer Paul Taylor that was never recorded and is in danger of falling into the cracks of time.
More and more undergraduates are choosing to spend their summers on campus under the supervision of faculty/staff mentors, performing all sorts of interesting projects: planning for the inaugural year of the Bonner Leaders service program, facilitating a bridge program for incoming students through Multicultural Academic Services, implementing marketing strategies to reach 7,000 students and 4,500 family members who flock to campus for SOAR and analyzing water samples from Charlotte’s Reedy Creek Watershed.
All of these experiences are happening as part of the Career Center’s University Professional Internship Program (UPIP), a three-year-old initiative that partners with University departments to design and fund new internships for undergraduates. Envisioned by Provost Joan Lorden, UPIP supports retention and success by providing students with on-campus paid employment, valuable career-related experiences under faculty/staff mentors, a network of peers committed to professional development and the possibility for academic credit.
More than 150 students hold a UPIP position during a given fall/spring semester, and about 35 students are currently working in a UPIP position this summer. A unique aspect of this program is the focus on personal development and developing a network for success. The UPIP program manager is a dedicated career advisor for the interns and organizes regular events to help them connect and grow, and interns are regularly exposed to research and projects across disciplines. The program manager also visits the interns in their work places and follows their progress, providing them with a constant reminder that UNC Charlotte cares about their success.
This past spring semester, UPIP interns provided feedback about their experiences. According to Carrie Silver, UPIP program manager, they value being included in the “real work” of the University and appreciate the mentorship they receive. In addition, they learn how to work as part of a team and how to succeed in a professional setting (a first for most of them).
One intern stated, “This internship has definitely influenced my thoughts about what to pursue in graduate school and broadened my interests beyond only major-related things.” Another said she found excitement in conducting research with her mentor, stating that this is an “awesome experience to have as an undergraduate.”
Peer-to-peer support and mentoring is a growing trend for these internships. Departments are now hosting interns who offer support in academic advising, career advising, technical skills and in-class support. These students expressed that the internship provided them a chance to have “an impact on incoming freshmen” and “help students grow and learn.”
The appreciation goes both ways; internship mentors have discovered the value of UPIP and some of the University’s high-achieving students.
Again, this past spring, mentors described their “UPIPers” as highly conscientious, self-starters, inquisitive, thoughtful learners, professional, dependable and stellar.
“As word continues to spread about UPIP, more and more positions are being designed to keep up with student demand,” said Silver. “We’ll keep designing until we’re satisfied that we have opportunities that interest all students, all across campus.”
To suggest an idea for an undergraduate intern, contact Carrie Silver at c.silver@uncc.edu or through upip.uncc.edu.