Fellows & Partners: Getting Started
Fellow will have completed at least two years of doctoral studies. The exact nature of their methodological training will depend on their particular area of focus, but all will come with valuable skills and orientations that will support their work with partner organizations. At the same time, it is our hope that fellows will learn under the tutelage of their host organization. We consider the fellowship an experiential learning opportunity that will allow fellows to integrate academic learning with practical experience, develop specific professional skills, and even explore a career of interest.
For partner organizations to keep in mind
- The fellow can intern at your organization up to 20 hours a week during the academic year.
- All activities associated with your site (i.e. work retreats, staff meetings, etc.) count toward the 20 hours of the fellowship.
- Your fellow is also a graduate student working toward completing their degree. They will have classes, conference travel, research group meetings, etc. that demand time and attention.
Questions for the partner organization
- Will the fellow be expected to have their own computer or use one at the partnership site?
- Will the fellow be expected to have particular software on their computer? If so, will the partner provide them?
- If the fellow will be required to work with sensitive data, does the partner have a plan for maintaining data security?
- Will the fellow have access to a printer?
- Will the fellow have a physical space at your site?
- Who will supervise the fellow, including onboarding, assignment and management of tasks, feedback for improvement, etc? How often will that person meet with the fellow?
- How do you want the fellow to account for their time (i.e. Will there be a timesheet? How should the fellow document their time when they are not at your site?)
- What other types of supports will the fellow need to be successful?
Questions for the fellow
- Do you understand your assignments including processes and expectations?
- Do you know who you should talk to if you have questions, concerns, etc? Do you have regular meetings with that person?
- Do you have a clear understanding of your schedule and time commitments?
- Are you in regular and ongoing contact with your faculty adviser regarding the nature of your work and your learning?
- Do you understand the confidentiality requirements at your site?
- All clients served at your site have the right to privacy and to confidentiality of all records, verbal and written information, or information from a third party. While you may need to know certain private information for the purpose of your own academic learning or in order to complete an assigned task, this information is not to be shared with others outside your fellowship site except as required by law.
- E-mail, Twitter and Facebook are considered public media. Treat anything you write on email and social media as though it were publicly available.
- Information shared with peers, employees and supervisors through papers and classroom documents or discussions should avoid personal identifiers that might enable someone to con- nect the information with a specific client.
Questions for the faculty adviser
- Are you meeting with your student regularly, to ensure their success and scaffold their learning?
- Are you aware of the tasks in which the student is engaged at the partnership site?
- How might you be able to help the student tie their dissertation to the work done at the partnership site?
- Are you ensuring your student is making progress toward a doctoral degree at the same time as supporting partnership site work?