Internships and Academic Seminars

Guide for
Prospective Campus
Sponsors 2010
 Contents
The Washington Center ....................................................................................................... 3

Academic Quality . ............................................................................................................... 4

The Washington Center Advantage .................................................................................. 4

The Campus Sponsor ............................................................................................................ 5

Credit Arrangements ............................................................................................................ 5

Internship Program ............................................................................................................... 5

Suggestions for Additional Credits .................................................................................... 6

Grades and Evaluations ........................................................................................................ 6

Academic Seminars ............................................................................................................... 6

Billing and Fee Arrangements . ........................................................................................... 7

Billing and Fee Arrangements at Private Institutions . .................................................. 7

Billing and Fee Arrangements at Public Institutions ..................................................... 8

For More Information .......................................................................................................... 9

2  Guide for Prospective Campus Sponsors  •  The Washington Center 

Welcome
Whether your institution ultimately plans to affiliate with The Washington Center or not, you can
assist a student who would like to access the opportunities we offer by serving as his or her campus
sponsor in the short term. This guide will help you to become acquainted with our programs and to
understand the steps that will need to be taken in order to facilitate a student’s participation.
The Washington Center
The mission of The Washington Center for Internships and
Academic Seminars is to provide an integrated academic and
work experience to prepare college students and professionals
for lives of achievement and civic engagement.
An independent nonprofit educational organization that
enables students to earn college credit for full-time internship
centered academic terms and academic seminars, it is selected
by more colleges and universities as their Washington partner
than any other organization. Since its founding in 1975 by
William and Sheila Burke of the University of Massachusetts
at Amherst, The Washington Center has provided more
than 40,000 students, in all majors, with professional career
experiences and course work.
Students are placed, according to their interests, in
substantive, supervised internships in the government,
for-profit or nonprofit sectors as well as in international
organizations. They also participate in one of a dozen
thematically organized programs (for example, the Political
Leadership Program, the Science, Technology and Society
Program, or the Advocacy, Service and Arts Program); they
take an academic course, chosen from among 35 to 50 offered;
and they attend and take part in a range of events within the
Leadership Forum, including the President’s Lecture Series,
Public Policy Dialogues on Capitol Hill, panel discussions,
briefings, tours, workshops and other special activities.
The Washington Center also offers programs combining
short-term seminars in Washington, D.C. with internships
and academic courses abroad. Students may participate in one
of three ten-week programs in: London, England; Oxford,
England; and Sydney, Australia.
In addition to its semester- or term-long internship program,
The Washington Center offers a variety of one- and two-week-
long academic seminars that expose students to national and
world issues through interaction with policy-makers and
leaders in the public, private, and nonprofit sectors. Every four
years, special academic seminars are also offered on-site at
both the Democratic and Republican National Conventions.
The Washington Center offers cost-effective, high-quality
educational services designed to extend and complement
other on- and off-campus programs of higher education
institutions. More than 1,000 colleges and universities, large
and small, public and private, have taken advantage of these
services. The Washington Center’s 140 professional staff,
associated faculty and resident assistants provide students
with services customarily available on their campus as well as
educational experiences that utilize the wealth of resources in
the nation’s capital and other locations.
Funding is derived primarily from program and housing
fees paid by institutions, students or scholarship-providing
entities. This past year, we raised and distributed to our
students approximately $5 million in financial assistance.
On average, about 75 percent of Washington Center students
receive some form of financial assistance.
Business offices are currently located at 1333 16th Street,
N.W., just five blocks north of the White House and one
block north of Scott Circle. Our administrative headquarters
building is a turn-of-the-century mansion acquired in
2006 with the generous assistance of the Goldman Sachs
Foundation. Our Academic Center, containing five well
equipped classrooms, is adjacent. Student housing facilities
are located in professional-style apartment buildings in
suburban Maryland, the Arlington and Alexandria areas of
Northern Virginia and (beginning in fall 2010) the District
of Columbia.
Guide for Prospective Campus Sponsors  •  The Washington Center 3
 Academic Quality
The Washington Center recognizes that institutions awarding
academic credit for student participation in its programs
expect, at a minimum, the same level of quality that the
institution provides its students on campus. To ensure the
quality of offerings and to meet accreditation standards, the
senior vice presidents of The Washington Center keep abreast
of campus requirements and expectations. We work closely
with campus liaisons. Also, The Washington Center adheres
to academic policies and standards developed by its national
Liaison Advisory Board, a group composed of faculty and
administrators from affiliated campuses. Additional advice
on academic matters is provided by the Council of Presidents,
composed of the presidents of some of our leading institutions.
A complete membership list of Washington Center advisory
boards is available by request, as is a list of academic program
staff and their academic degrees.
The Washington Center Advantage
There are numerous reasons The Washington Center has
become the nation’s leading—and largest—provider of
internship-centered academic terms. In the interest of brevity,
a bulleted summary of some key ones follows:
• a 35-year record of, and national recognition for, providing
quality experiential education programs
• an alumni base of more than 40,000
• a distinguished, diverse, and engaged board of directors
• distinguished liaison and presidential advisory boards that
review the standards of Washington Center programming
• support from 140 professional staff, associated faculty and
resident assistants
• a comprehensive institutional relations program with over
1,000 colleges and universities nationwide and abroad
• a successful record of outreach to diverse groups and
individuals
• financial assistance from a wide variety of states, corporations,
foundations, internship sites and individual contributors,
providing approximately $5 million in financial assistance
awards yearly
• intern abroad programs in London, England; Oxford,
England; or Sydney Australia
• credit awarded through the student’s home institution, not by
a third party or institution
4  TheWashingtonCenter Guide for Prospective Campus Sponsors  •  The Washington Center  The Washington Center
• no need for student to enroll in a potentially competing
institution
• students’ eligibility for financial aid and other considerations
such as election to honor societies and leadership awards
unaffected, as they remain enrolled on the home campus
• some or all of tuition income retained by home institution
• control of academic criteria and grading retained by home
institution
• opportunities for institutional advancement efforts tied
to civic engagement, public service and other institutional
priorities or programs served through affiliation
• reputation as an “honors” internship program
• provision of a strong peer group for students (the mean grade
point average of participants exceeds 3.3)
• contact with thousands of potential internship sites annually
• supervised internships that provide substantive, responsible
assignments that are tailored to students’ individual interests;
these are full-time “first-professional” experiences of the type
students increasingly seek
• a professional staff of program managers with graduate
degrees qualified to counsel, supervise and evaluate interns
• academic requirements for admission that include
a comprehensive application and essays for careful
consideration and placement
• special attention to early-deadline requests for highly
competitive placements including those that require
security clearances
• the Leadership Forum consisting of Public Policy Dialogues
on Capitol Hill, the President’s Lecture Series, and small
group activities - all of which complement the internship and
academic course and introduce students to prominent leaders
from the U.S. and other countries
• a portfolio system of learning that provides documentation
and analysis of the student’s experience and can be
customized to suit campus requirements; comprehensive
midterm and final evaluations also provided
• one- to two-week academic seminars that focus on
contemporary issues and leadership (eg. Inside Washington,
Camp David III, and National Security)
• supervised housing guaranteed for all Washington Center
program participants
• secure, convenient, professional-style housing, mostly in
Northern Virginia and suburban Maryland, with easy access
to shopping and Washington’s Metro subway system
• furnished apartments with fully-equipped kitchens, cable
television and other amenities
• full-time student services professionals and a resident assistant
staff with regular duty and on-call service hours
• association with a geographically diverse group from
both public and private institutions in the U.S., and with
international students from Canada, Mexico, China, Korea
and other parts of the world
• regularly scheduled social and cultural activities organized by
student services staff
The Campus Sponsor
An affiliation agreement, which establishes a campus
liaison, credit guidelines, and billing procedures for student
participation, is strongly recommended, as it extends
the opportunities of The Washington Center to all of
an institution’s students and sets reliable terms for their
participation. But The Washington Center welcomes
applicants from non-affiliated colleges and universities,
which may approve students for participation on an ad hoc
basis. The applications of these students must be approved
by a campus sponsor, who verifies that the student will
receive academic credit. If the student is accepted, it is the
campus sponsor who will subsequently receive the student’s
evaluations from The Washington Center. The sponsor may
evaluate and grant credit to the student directly, or may work
with other faculty and/or staff in doing so. Campus sponsors
often have positions such as director of the honors program,
associate dean of arts and science, director of internships
or cooperative education, director of career planning and
placement, or professor of political science, among others.
Credit Arrangements
The Washington Center has academic requirements
for student participation in our programs and provides
evaluations of student performance, but students’ home
institutions enroll them and provide academic credit. The
Washington Center provides specialized, professional staff
to place, supervise, and evaluate students. It also provides
substantial documentation of student performance in
the form of student portfolios, evaluations and grade
recommendations from site supervisors, program advisors
and course instructors. The institution, however, retains full
academic control, including the prerogative to determine
prerequisites, the amount and type of credits to be awarded,
the types of grades (pass/fail or letter grades) to be awarded,
and reporting requirements. The student’s application should
specify credit arrangements for the internship and academic
seminar programs.
The descriptions found below detailing how an institution
may award credit apply to our domestic internship progams.
For information on how credit might be structured for our
intern abroad programs, email internabroad@twc.edu.
Internship Program
Typically, colleges and universities award 12 to 15 credit hours
for successful completion of a 15-week semester and 9 to 12
credit hours for a 10-week quarter or summer term.
Some institutions award credit through multiple courses, which
may be of different types (major, elective, etc.) and for which
students may be awarded different grades. They distinguish
in doing so among the following components, often assigning
them the recommended amounts of credit indicated:
1. The full-time (32-36 hours per week) internship: 6-12 credits
recommended, depending upon the length of the term (10
weeks in the quarter or summer term or 15 weeks in the fall
or spring semester) and any additional campus requirements.
Specific responsibilities and assignments vary by internship
site, but all positions will be tailored to students’ interests and
goals, substantive in nature, and secured through the help of a
Washington Center program advisor.
2. The Washington Center evening course required of all interns:
3 credits. This course, taught by a qualified instructor with
an appropriate—in all but a few instances terminal—degree,
and university teaching experience, requires a combination
of regular attendance, active class participation, written work
(research paper, essays, examinations), and class projects.
Students are given a list of courses prior to arrival and
indicate their top choices. Classes meet up to 3 hours each
week. Classes are held in The Washington Center’s Academic
Center or other convenient locations, including nearby
university campuses.
Guide for Prospective Campus Sponsors  •  The Washington Center 5
 3. The Leadership Forum (a required half-day of academic
programming): 1-3 credits. This includes student attendance Sample One
at the President’s Lecture Series, Public Policy Dialogues on Internship 6 credit hours
Capitol Hill, , site visits, tours, panel discussions, briefings,
Course 3 credit hours
and other activities. The purpose of the Leadership Forum
is to help all students better understand the world of the Leadership Forum 3 credit hours
nation’s capital—its peoples and institutions, its political
Total 12 semester
processes, the issues debated and the policies forged there— credit hours
and the potential impact of these on the students’ future lives
as professionals and citizens. Students also develop a written
portfolio, which includes analyses and reflection on some of Sample Two
these activities and the internship, as well as other written Internship 9 credit hours
assignments.
Course 3 credit hours
The Washington Center is happy to provide course guides, Journal/Research 3 credit hours
program and course syllabi and sample portfolios to assist any Paper
institutions in determining the amount of credit they will
Total 15 semester
award.
credit hours

Suggestions for Additional Credits
For any institution sending students to The Washington
Center during the academic year, the main goal should be to
put together a package of credits equal to at least the number
of credits that will allow the students to retain full-time status
and thus receive full financial aid and other considerations.
To accomplish this, some institutions “layer” an additional
requirement on top of those of The Washington Center.
Examples of institutional requirements that might earn
students additional credit include:
1. Research paper: 3-6 credits, depending upon length, research
required and other academic considerations. The research
paper is graded by a designated individual at the student’s
home institution. Institutions that require a long paper may
require their students to take The Washington Center’s
regularly-offered Research and Writing Seminar course in
place of, or in addition to, the usual required internship
course.
2. Academic journal: 3 credits. This is usually a structured
writing assignment that involves regular submissions
according to a predetermined schedule and submission at the
end of the internship to the appropriate institutional contact.
3. Case study: 1-3 credits. This is an in-depth examination
of an organization and its response to a problem, crisis, or
organizational change. Students may be required to conduct
informational interviews or examine original documentation
in order to complete the analysis.
Quarter and Summer Term credits can be adjusted
accordingly. Some institutions choose to fold credit granted
for the internship, academic course and Leadership Forum
(or any combination of those three) into one large block.
Regardless, many affiliates find it helpful to create a specific
course or set of courses for which Washington Center
participants register.
Grades and Evaluations
At the end of the term, the campus sponsor will receive
recommended grades for all student interns from the
institution, in addition to a copy of the portfolios.
Recommended grades are submitted by the internship
supervisor, the Washington Center program advisor and the
course professor.
Academic Seminars
The Washington Center’s academic seminars are one- to
two-week participatory learning programs that involve major
speakers, site visits, small group discussion sessions, workshops,
and other planned activities allowing students to explore
specific topics under the guidance of qualified faculty. Some
programs have additional components, such as fieldwork
assignments and mentor-for-a-day activities. Students are
required to attend and participate in seminar sessions, complete
reading assignments, keep a structured academic journal, and
prepare an essay.
Currently, The Washington Center offers academic seminars
each January, and in May and/or August.

6  TheWashingtonCenter Guide for Prospective Campus Sponsors  •  The Washington Center  The Washington Center
For a number of years, The Washington Center has been
presenting seminars entitled “Inside Washington” that focus
on politics, the presidency, the Congress, and the media.
During presidential election years, we usually offer a series
of seminars that focus on the presidential race, followed by
programs on-site at the Democratic and Republican National
Conventions and culminating with a special January program
on the presidential inauguration. International seminars,
including a recent series of offerings entitled Camp David III,
expose participants to Arab-Israeli peace negotiations and the
broader issue of conflict resolution.
For the 2010 seminar schedule, please visit our website at
www.twc.edu/seminars.
Most institutions award academic credit for successful
completion of an academic seminar as follows:
One-week seminar: 1-2 credits
Two-week seminar: 2-4 credits
Academic credit is awarded by most institutions based on the
evaluation provided by The Washington Center, as well as the
student’s completion of any additional requirements that the
institution deems appropriate (e.g. a research paper). Students
from semester schools sometimes register for these credits
in the fall or spring semester preceding or following the
academic seminar. The Washington Center does not require
students to enroll for academic credit for our academic
seminars. However, with the considerable work involved,
credit is appropriate and an option most students would
appreciate.
Billing and Fee Arrangements
There are three costs to consider in determining fee
arrangements for students participating in Washington
Center programs:
• Tuition or administrative fees charged by the college
or university
• Washington Center program fees
• Washington Center housing fees
Billing and Fee Arrangements at
Private Institutions
Most private institutions pay The Washington Center’s
program fees while charging the student regular college
or university tuition for the term or semester. At some
institutions, where tuition far exceeds The Washington
Center’s program fees, the institution pays both the program
and housing fees.
The examples that follow do not take into account any
financial assistance the student may receive from The
Washington Center, and reflect the costs associated with our
domestic internship programs (contact internabroad@twc.
edu for fees associated with our intern abroad programs):
Private College or
$13,135 per semester
University Tuition:
Washington Center 2010
$6,345
semester program fee:
Washington Center 2010
$4,550
semester housing fee:
Source for average tuition costs taken from www.collegeboard.com:
four-year private yearly tuition $26,273, semester rounded to
approximately $13,135.
Example 1:
The private institution charges the student tuition and
forwards the program fee to The Washington Center. The
institution retains the balance—in this case, $6,790. The
institution also collects the $4,550 housing fee from the
student and forwards it to The Washington Center.
Example 2:
The private institution collects tuition and forwards both the
program fee and the housing fee to The Washington Center,
retaining the difference of $2,240. In this case, the student
doesn’t pay for housing because the tuition covers both
program and housing costs.
Example 3:
The private institution charges the student tuition and
forwards the program fee only to The Washington Center.
The institution retains the balance—in this case, $6,790.
The Washington Center bills the student separately for the
housing costs.
Example 4:
The private institution collects tuition and standard room
cost for on-campus housing and forwards both program and
housing fees to The Washington Center. In this case, students
pay the same amount they would to stay on campus and the
institution retains a variable amount.
Guide for Prospective Campus Sponsors  •  The Washington Center 7
 Billing and Fee Arrangements at Example 3:

Public Institutions
Public institutions (where tuition is typically lower than
Washington Center fees) utilize a number of different options.
The examples that follow do not take into account any
financial assistance the student may receive from The
Washington Center, and reflect the costs associated with our
domestic internship programs (contact internabroad@twc.
edu for fees associated with our intern abroad programs):
Public College or
$3,510 per semester
University Tuition:
Washington Center 2010
$6,345
semester program fee:
Washington Center 2010
$4,500
semester housing fee:
Source for average tuition costs taken from www.collegeboard.com:
four-year public yearly tuition $7,020, semester rounded to
approximately $3,510
Example 1:
The public institution waives tuition, possibly after taking
out appropriate fees, and allows the student to pay The
Washington Center directly for program and housing fees.
In this case, the student pays the $6,345 and $4,500 directly,
less any applicable scholarships (which may be awarded from
TWC or forwarded by the institution).
The public institution charges regular tuition and pays The
Washington Center program fee, making up the difference
with institutional funds, in this case $2,835 (for example,
with honors funding or grant support). The full program
fee is then forwarded to The Washington Center. Either the
students are billed separately for housing or, as the billing
agent, the institution collects the tuition and Washington
Center housing and passes the full program and housing fees
to The Washington Center.
As you decide which of these or other possible models
best fits your institution, please keep in mind the financial
assistance ramifications of who is billed—the student or the
institution. Students on financial assistance may benefit from
the arrangement in which the institution is billed, because a
better record of the full expenses incurred is available to the
financial aid office.
Institutions are reminded that Washington Center summer
term fees, fees for the quarters, and fees for the academic
seminars are all lower than the semester fees set out above
(they are all listed in the 2010 program guide and on the
website, www.twc.edu).

Example 2:
The public institution charges regular tuition, then forwards
it to The Washington Center in partial payment of the
student’s program fee. The rest of the program fee, in this case
$2,835, is paid by the student, as is the fee for Washington
Center housing. The student pays $3,510 to the institution
and the institution pays $3,510 to The Washington Center.
Either The Washington Center bills the student directly
for the remainder of the program and housing fees (less any
applicable scholarships) or the institution, as the billing agent,
collects this additional amount from the student and sends it
to The Washington Center.

8  TheWashingtonCenter Guide for Prospective Campus Sponsors  •  The Washington Center  The Washington Center
Financial Assistance
Since students are receiving credit from their home
institutions, students enrolled in Washington Center
programs should also be able to maintain federal and state
financial aid that they receive during any semester or term
spent at their home institution. Students who are eligible to
receive financial aid should consult their school’s office of
financial aid to consider whether the costs of an internship in
Washington would qualify them for higher levels of financial
assistance. Also, students who receive federal work-study
funds may be eligible to continue that assistance if they
receive matching funding from The Washington Center, as it
is a nonprofit organization.
The Washington Center offers financial assistance for
students who meet certain eligibility requirements. Financial
assistance awards are often applied towards Washington
Center housing and may come from a variety of sources
that include regional scholarship funds, grants, financial
assistance from the internship placement, etc. Most awards
toward housing are not cumulative; only the highest award
from any one source will be granted, and it is contingent
upon successful completion, with a “C” or higher, of all
components of The Washington Center program including
the internship, the portfolio and the academic course.
Students will lose their financial assistance if they are expelled
from a Washington Center program for any serious violation
of The Washington Center’s Code of Student Conduct.
Financial assistance policies and awards are subject to change
without notice. The Washington Center makes every effort,
however, to keep prospective students apprised of current
policies and awards.
Prospective campus sponsors and interested students should
contact The Washington Center’s Institutional Relations
office for more information about available financial
assistance opportunities.
When calculating student costs for the internship program,
please keep in mind that there may be a savings through
reduced cost of student books and by a recommended waiver
of general college or university fees. Also, given sufficient
notice, financial aid offices may qualify students for higher
levels of financial aid because of higher housing costs in
Washington.
There is a $60 non-refundable application fee and a $300
non-refundable housing reservation fee. Students should
expect living expenses (for food, Metro, laundry, etc.) of
approximately $150 a week.
The Washington Center is pleased to assist interested
institutions in raising additional scholarship funds specifically
for their students through development and alumni offices,
university foundations, state or regional corporations, and
other resources. For more information, please contact the
Office of Institutional Relations.
For More Information
The Washington Center hopes that you find this guide useful.
If you have any questions about The Washington Center’s
programs, need additional information or assistance, or wish
to order any Washington Center publications, please contact
the Office of Institutional Relations at (202) 238-7948; toll-
free: (800) 486-8921; Fax: (202) 238-7700; website: http://
www.twc.edu; email: info@twc.edu

Occasionally, academic seminars funded by a corporate

sponsor may offer full or partial scholarships. Generally,
however, financial assistance is not available for these shorter-
term programs.
Financial assistance opportunities may be available through
arrangements between The Washington Center and
government agencies or other funding sources. In situations
in which a student is guaranteed a housing award, and one
of these sources is providing the student scholarship, that
funding goes first to The Washington Center up to the
amount of the guaranteed award. Any amount over the cost
of housing is applied next to the balance of the student’s
Washington Center bill. If any amount remains at that point,
it is given to the student usually in two equal installments:
one after the midterm and one after the end of the term once
it has been determined that the student has successfully
completed the program with a grade of “C” or higher.

Guide for Prospective Campus Sponsors  •  The Washington Center 9