Sponsor Ownership
If sponsoring departments are paying for the intern they will want to have ownership over it. If they do not want ownership, then the internship will not succeed because one of the key players—quite likely—does not care enough. The difference between ownership and management should be made clear. Sponsors need to own and control the project direction, including the purpose of the project, the boundaries of the work and the deliverables. However, this is different from having the day-to-day management and mentoring responsibilities of helping students set their course of action, assisting in problem solving and advising on strategies for achieving goals.
The following are some of the best strategies for ensuring that sponsors feel they have adequate ownership over the internships:
- Seek sponsors' input when drafting the work plan and setting the salary, but be sure to provide suggestions.
- Invite sponsors to participate in the intern interview and selection process, but be prepared for them to not have the time to do so.
- Establish an intern steering committee, consisting of all the departmental staff who wish to be involved in the internship. Facilitate these meetings in a style that clearly invites the sponsoring department to shape the evolution of the work.
- Let the sponsor choose where the intern will be located. If you have been able to secure your own student internship program location, you can offer this but let the sponsor choose.