Staff Editorial: Internship policy needs improvement

In 1749, in the city of Philadelphia, a man named Benjamin Franklin outlined his vision for the future of education in a journal. His concept was, according to Penn's Web site, as follows: "Unlike other American Colonial colleges, the new school would not focus on education for the clergy. Instead, it would prepare students for lives of business and public service."

Today, Franklin's idea of a practical education is alive and well, energetically realized in every aspect of University life. Well, almost every aspect. The simple fact is, when it comes to internships, perhaps the most important aspect of a practical education, Penn falls short of Franklin's original vision.

The fundamental problem is that Penn makes it practically impossible to receive course credit for internships in almost every case. The only exceptions are for students who pay to take particular internship courses or sign up for an independent study with a professor.

This is an unfortunate situation. As for the independent study aspect, it is unreasonable for professors to do more than one or two during any given semester, if they are able to participate at all. When professors do elect to do an independent study it is entirely a labor of love, as the University doesn't grant them any extra compensation.

As anyone who has gone through the process knows, the possibility of receiving course credit is often a prerequisite for an internship. This puts students in the impractical and uncomfortable position of having to get their advisors to falsely state that the student will receive credit, or forego the otherwise attainable internship altogether. Logistically, we understand that it is difficult to create and impose criteria to counteract the fact that not all internships are created equally (a student who lounges around her father's law firm, for example, should not receive credit). With thousands of students doing internships, monitoring them would be difficult, but worthwhile. This important aspect of our education needs attention.

Penn takes many opportunities to point out that it is, in the eyes of the administration, every inch Franklin's university. However, in the area of internships our administrators fall short, and we urge them to correct the problem.

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