POLIS 2132EX - Washington Congressional Internship

External - Summer - 2015

This course will enable a very small number of students to be placed with a member of the US Senate, Congress or with a Congressional Committee. Interns work full time with the Placement Provider in the US Congress. They perform administrative and substantive duties and receive unique access and educational perspectives into the US Congress. Selection into a Washington Internship Placement is made by application through the University of Adelaide, but final acceptance is by the Director of the Internship Program in Washington and ultimately by Placement Providers. The University of Adelaide cannot guarantee any student a place in the Washington Congressional Internships. Assessment will be negotiated with each successful candidate for placement. It will normally consist of a written report of approximately 8,000 words or equivalent. This may take the form of a policy brief prepared for the Congressional Office, or a series of shorter briefs with an overarching paper reflecting upon the processes and the outcomes.

Open All

Course Details

Course Code	POLIS 2132EX
Course	Washington Congressional Internship
Coordinating Unit	Politics and International Relations
Term	Summer
Level	Undergraduate
Location/s	External
Units	6
Contact	Variable internship placement in office of US Senator or member of Congress
Available for Study Abroad and Exchange	N
Prerequisites	36 Units of study from any Faculty including at least 12 Units at Advanced or Level II
Quota	expected enrolment 1-2 students only
Assessment	Refer to Course Description

Course Staff

Course Coordinator: Emeritus Professor Clement Macintyre

Course Timetable

The full timetable of all activities for this course can be accessed from Course Planner.

Course Learning Outcomes

After successful completion of this course, students will be able to:

1. work in a political environment;

2. demonstrate theoretical, critical and methodological knowledge of U.S. public policy issues in a practical form that mirrors post-university professional work;

3 develop, manage and complete a research project at an advanced level;

4. design policy briefs, design and deliver presentations and progress reports consistent with professional standards;

5. show an awareness of the ways in which contemporary professional, industry organisations, community and/or government agencies engage with politicians and help shape policy debates;

6. understand the ways in which humanities and social sciences research skills, methods, knowledge and information are relevant to post-university working life and advance career prospects and applications accordingly.

University Graduate Attributes

This course will provide students with an opportunity to develop the Graduate Attribute(s) specified below:

University Graduate Attribute	Course Learning Outcome(s)
Knowledge and understanding of the content and techniques of a chosen discipline at advanced levels that are internationally recognised.	1, 2, 3, 4, 5
The ability to locate, analyse, evaluate and synthesise information from a wide variety of sources in a planned and timely manner.	2, 3, 4
An ability to apply effective, creative and innovative solutions, both independently and cooperatively, to current and future problems.	2, 3, 4, 5
Skills of a high order in interpersonal understanding, teamwork and communication.	3, 4, 5
A proficiency in the appropriate use of contemporary technologies.	2, 4
A commitment to continuous learning and the capacity to maintain intellectual curiosity throughout life.	2, 3, 4, 6
A commitment to the highest standards of professional endeavour and the ability to take a leadership role in the community.	1, 4, 6
An awareness of ethical, social and cultural issues within a global context and their importance in the exercise of professional skills and responsibilities.	1, 4, 6

Learning Resources

Required Resources

Resources will vary. Students who have been selected for a Washington Internship will have a briefing meeting with a supervising academic before departure at which workloads and assessment expectations will be discussed and agreed. Resources for the work undertaken while on the placement will be provided by the Washington Congressional office.
Learning & Teaching Activities

Learning & Teaching Modes

As this is an overseas internship placement, there are no formal classes. Students will have a briefing meeting before departure, will maintain email correspondence with academic supervisor while in Washington and will have a formal post-placement meeting with academic supervisor upon return to Adelaide

Workload

The information below is provided as a guide to assist students in engaging appropriately with the course requirements.

The placements are full time through Jan-Feb in the calendar year following selection for the course.

Learning Activities Summary

Information available on enrolment.

The University's policy on Assessment for Coursework Programs is based on the following four principles:

Assessment must encourage and reinforce learning.
Assessment must enable robust and fair judgements about student performance.
Assessment practices must be fair and equitable to students and give them the opportunity to demonstrate what they have learned.
Assessment must maintain academic standards.

Assessment Summary

Final details for assessment will be discussed with each student prior to thier departure. Assessment will consist of two parts:

1. A writen reflection on the experience of the Washington Congressional placement. Approx. 1,500 words (weighted at 20%).

2. A Report that may be a comilation of briefing papers prepared during the placement or a long research paper based on one or moire critical policy areas that were the focus of work undertaken during the placement. Approx. 9,000 words (weighted at 80%).

Note that this course has been granted exemption from the requirement of the Assessment for Coursework Programs policy that no single component of assessment be greater than 70%.

Assessment Detail

See assessment summary.

Submission

Information available on enrolment.

Course Grading

Grades for your performance in this course will be awarded in accordance with the following scheme:

M10 (Coursework Mark Scheme)
Grade	Mark	Description
FNS		Fail No Submission
F	1-49	Fail
P	50-64	Pass
C	65-74	Credit
D	75-84	Distinction
HD	85-100	High Distinction
CN		Continuing
NFE		No Formal Examination
RP		Result Pending

Further details of the grades/results can be obtained from Examinations.

Grade Descriptors are available which provide a general guide to the standard of work that is expected at each grade level. More information at Assessment for Coursework Programs.

Final results for this course will be made available through Access Adelaide.

Student Feedback

The University places a high priority on approaches to learning and teaching that enhance the student experience. Feedback is sought from students in a variety of ways including on-going engagement with staff, the use of online discussion boards and the use of Student Experience of Learning and Teaching (SELT) surveys as well as GOS surveys and Program reviews.

SELTs are an important source of information to inform individual teaching practice, decisions about teaching duties, and course and program curriculum design. They enable the University to assess how effectively its learning environments and teaching practices facilitate student engagement and learning outcomes. Under the current SELT Policy (http://www.adelaide.edu.au/policies/101/) course SELTs are mandated and must be conducted at the conclusion of each term/semester/trimester for every course offering. Feedback on issues raised through course SELT surveys is made available to enrolled students through various resources (e.g. MyUni). In addition aggregated course SELT data is available.

Feedback will be available to students through either email correspondence or through skype by arrangement during the Washington placement.
Student Support
Details of the School Health and Safety policy can be found at: http://www.hss.adelaide.edu.au/historypolitics/ohs
Policies & Guidelines
This section contains links to relevant assessment-related policies and guidelines - all university policies.
Fraud Awareness

Students are reminded that in order to maintain the academic integrity of all programs and courses, the university has a zero-tolerance approach to students offering money or significant value goods or services to any staff member who is involved in their teaching or assessment. Students offering lecturers or tutors or professional staff anything more than a small token of appreciation is totally unacceptable, in any circumstances. Staff members are obliged to report all such incidents to their supervisor/manager, who will refer them for action under the university's student’s disciplinary procedures.

The University of Adelaide is committed to regular reviews of the courses and programs it offers to students. The University of Adelaide therefore reserves the right to discontinue or vary programs and courses without notice. Please read the important information contained in the disclaimer.

Authorised by:	Deputy Vice-Chancellor and Vice-President (Academic)
Maintained by:	Course Outlines Administrator