Practicum Plan

Summer 2015
Kent State University
Higher Education and Student Personnel

Student Name:

Brandi Hoffman

Practicum Site:

Portland State University

Womens Resource Center (WRC)
1802 SW 10th Ave.
Portland, OR 97201

On-Site Supervisor: Virginia Martin

Assistant Director, WRC
Portland State University WRC
Phone: (503)-725-2790
Email: vmartin@pdx.edu

Virginia Martin

Brandi Hoffman

Assistant Director,
Womens Resource Center

M.Ed. Candidate, 2016

___________________________

_______________________

Date:
___________________________

Date:
________________________

General Description

Running Header: INTERNSHIP PLAN

A.) Introductory Statement
As a student in the Kent State Higher Education Administration and Student Personnel
Masters program I have the opportunity to expand my education experiences through
internships that play to the interests I have within the wider scope of university life. For my
internship experience during the summer of 2015, I have chosen to complete my internship
experience with the Womens Resource Center (WRC) of Portland State University (PSU). This
internship experience offers me various benefits and opportunities that are in line with my future
goals and aspirations in the field of Higher Education and Student Affairs. Many of these I will
discuss throughout the Internship Plan, as these goals served as my guidance in pursuing this
experience. The goals will continue to serve in this role throughout the summer term I am
working with PSU as well.
B.) Description of Internship and Students Career Path
The decision to pursue an internship with the PSU, WRC had a multitude of influencing
factors, both personal and professional. My personal interest was chiefly inspired from my desire
to live and work in the Pacific Northwest region of the country upon graduation. I have
consistently felt a need to live and work in this area post-graduation from the HIED program.
Prior to making a final choice to do so, I wanted to pursue an internship experience in the area to
allow my decision to be better informed and grounded in experience. I gravitated toward
working at PSU due to the unique urban setting of the university, the universitys goals and
mission as well as the student body that attends the university. Portland State offers a
phenomenal student experience that is grounded in community based partnerships, commitment
and advocacy that I find both intriguing and inspiring. As the university Values Statement
explains, The pursuit of our vision rests on our success in transforming undergraduate
education, our growing research programs, our strong collaboration with the community, and the
core values we hold. These values describe not only what PSU is now, but what it will be in the
future: Learning and Discovery, Access to Learning, A Climate of Mutual Respect, Openness and
Reflection and Community and Civic Engagement. I am excited to experience the close-knit
community ties that influence and strengthen so much of the work PSU does.
I was professionally influenced to pursue an internship specifically with the WRC because
of the original project I wanted to create. The ideal setting for implementation of my project is
(in my opinion) within a campus resource office of this type and one that focuses and serves the
needs of campus women. The work I will be doing fits into my career path because, while I have
a broad and wide ranging interest in many HIED focus areas, I specifically am drawn to Civic
Engagement, Leadership, Gender/Sexuality and Womens Resource work. While that list may
seem like a wide range in itself, I have continuously found overlap of these fields and the work
these professionals do as well as the goals they work to achieve on campus. I have found a great
intersection of my interests with the WRC of PSU, as I will have the chance to design a three
tiered program that hones in and addresses some of these topic areas. This internship is also
providing me with specific experience with Womens Centers which I have yet to train or work
within as of yet in my career.
C.)

Description of Purpose and Learning Objective

2

Running Header: INTERNSHIP PLAN

Statement of Purpose
My purpose in pursuing this internship can be pretty well understood by reading the
paragraphs of my, Description of the Internship, section of this plan. To word my purpose in a
more succinct way, the main influences that pushed me to inquire more about this opportunity in
the first place sprung from my overall desire to learn more about sexuality/gender issues,
diversity and advocacy work within the field of Higher Education. I have found again and again,
that my passions and underlying interests always seem to correlate to these functional areas and
the work these professionals do. My purpose is to fully work and create a project incorporating
all of these elements in one place to allow me to really spend time figuring out what it is about
these areas that drives me the most. Ultimately, this internship will provide me with a more
concrete and guided career path.
Learning Objectives (this list is subject to change)
a) Enacting the responsibilities of the WRC for the students, campus and clients that visit
the Center.
b) Learning the steps of original program creation through the process of; program
conception, collaboration, creation and implementation stages of an original program
idea, creating assessment and critiquing the created program.
c) Gain firsthand experience with the skill/use of storytelling.
a. Largely this is a skill that I find unique and necessary in the work I want to do in
the future. I would like to gain experience by hearing and practicing this in my
work and use this skill in the development of this project.
d) Become more comfortable with active advocacy efforts.
a. Ex: Interrupting oppressive language
e) Familiarity with the Northwestern area;
a. This is in relation to institutions in the region, the professional organizations in
the area, the opportunity of networking and connections made while in Portland,
etc.
Specific Activities & Special Projects
A.) On-going activities & Projects
i) Describe each planned on-going activity or project;
When researching the Womens Resource Center online I was looking for an opportunity
that would allow me to interact with students in a direct capacity (considering the summer
months this is not always possible with the low number of students on campus). I was fortunate
in regards to the timing of this internship considering the academic calendars of Kent State and
Portland State. I will be on campus (starting May 18th) for about a month while classes are in
session at PSU due to their trimester structure. I will be interacting with the students in the
capacities listed below from the WRCs internship webpage, as well other responsibilities or
interactions that may be possible due to timing and availability during my internship experience.
Examples Include:
Assisting with programs hosted at the Center
Attending/leading focus group meetings related to my internship project
3

Running Header: INTERNSHIP PLAN

Attending campus programs or educational events

Attending Center trainings or related training programs on hosted on the PSU campus
Attending or assisting with Community programs/partnered programs with PSU and
the Portland community
Engaging in research and helping create updated and effective PowerPoint
presentations for the WRC Action Teams to use as part of their curriculum. Topics
for these may include:
o Eco-feminism
o Love Your Body- Body Positivity
o Feminism 101

Basic Responsibilities (as described on the WRC webpage):

Attend volunteer/internship orientations and in-service trainings
Staff the front office by greeting those coming in, answering phones, making
appointments, and completing duties as they arise
Connecting students with resources
Creating a welcoming and encouraging environment for students to seek crisis services,
develop skills, and build community
Actively foster an environment that is inclusive, and work against any tendencies towards
exclusivity or cliquishness
Help create and maintain a welcoming space by caring for plants, tidying kitchen and
lounge, keeping library organized, tending to bulletin boards, etc.
Support volunteers as they learn the ropes, being new each term
Assess levels of urgency and provide resources when students are in crisis and accessing
interpersonal violence advocacy services.
Assess urgency and provide resources for students seeking support through our
Empowerment project serving non-traditional and returning students.
Spread the word about our events by distributing fliers, writing blog posts, visiting
classrooms and departments, tabling at events and orientations, and generally being an
ambassador for our work.
The biggest draws for me about working with the WRC for the summer was both the inoffice training and experience as well as the opportunity to bring my own interests and project
ideas to the table with the hopes of making them a reality. Below you will read the general
description of the special project option the WRC provides interns, as well as an outline of the
project I have agreed to work on specifically for the PSU Womens Resource Center this
summer.
Special Project (as described on the WRC webpage): In addition to providing referrals and
resources to WRC guests day to day, each Student Service Specialist will work on ONE special
project that benefits the WRC. There are several examples outlined, but practicum student can
also suggest an alternative project.

Running Header: INTERNSHIP PLAN

My main drive in developing this project is working with college women on the growth
of self-confidence, ultimately I aim to help build a strong sense of self both professionally and
personally through this project and its curriculum. I was inspired by my personal experiences to
work on a project that takes some of that broad umbrella of self-confidence to create a more
refined program or series addressing the issues that often affect or contradict a women feeling
confident. I am targeting career development because of the need for self-advocacy, selfunderstanding and above all confidence in self, when one applies for positions when graduating
from college. While my thoughts are broad now on this project at the present moment, I would
ideally want to focus on a few factors:

Relationships- establishing them, maintaining them and deciding when to leave them
in both the personal and professional realm
Perfectionism- the idea of this and how it impacts ability to take risk and develop a
strong sense of self in work.
Personality type- regarding, but not limited to, introversion & extroversion
Self-concept/identity- pulling from the idea of the Johari Window, what do you see
vs. what others see & incorporating positive self-reflection practices
Setting and maintaining goals- academically, personally and professionally
At the current time my Internship Supervisor and I have highlighted a few aspects of this
project. Below are some of the pieces that will be incorporated into the project:
This project will be designed for delivery in three tiers. Each level of the project
will be more intensive, detailed, and specific in the work it involves from the
student. It will be an advanced workshop setting.
Each tier workshop will last about 1-2 hours, and will be presented by a WRC
professional staff member during the fall 2015 semester.
The project will be marketed as an in-service for women to sign up to attend
within the Center.
I will be responsible for researching, designing and documenting all needed
materials and information to be used while presenting this in-service program.
I will provide the assessment materials needed to document and improve the
program design for future use and implementation in the Center.
ii) Describe how each relates to the objectives of the internship
In my opinion, each of my learning objectives fits well with the projects I will be
working to complete this summer in my internship. To restate my objectives;
Learning Objectives (this list can be a subject of change)
5

Running Header: INTERNSHIP PLAN

a) Enacting the responsibilities of the WRC for the students, campus and clients that visit
the Center.
b) Learning the steps of original program creation through the process of; program
conception, collaboration, creation and implementation stages of an original program
idea, creating assessment and critiquing the created program.
c) Gain firsthand experience with the skill/use of storytelling.
a. Largely this is a skill that I find unique and necessary in the work I want to do in
the future. I would like to gain experience by hearing and practicing this in my
work and use this skill in the development of this project.
d) Become more comfortable with active advocacy efforts.
b. Ex: Interrupting oppressive language
e) Familiarity with the Northwestern area;
c. This is in relation to institutions in the region, the professional organizations in
the area, the opportunity of networking and connections made while in Portland,
etc.
My involvement in the basic responsibilities for interns of the WRC largely
corresponds with Learning Objective A. The hands on opportunities, training and front desk
experience will be invaluable in my efforts to fully understand who, when, how and why campus
centers such as the WRC exists and who they exist to support. These tasks also serve to help me
better understand the larger picture of the puzzle that the WRC fits into. For this reason, I also
feel Learning Objective D fits well. I will spend time learning about how, why and what the
Center does in its efforts to stay relevant, connected and present in the campus community and
Portland community at large.
My special project responsibilities correspond wholly with Learning Objective A, B, C,
and D. I see Learning Objective A through the intentional research and creation of my project in
regards to the PSU community and by considering the most effective program I can create for the
Center in my short time working there. Learning Objective B, is the most applicable objective as
it is part of the entire reason I am there and the efforts I will be involved in. Learning Objective
C comes into play as I design and create the ideal implementation plan. This project idea came
from my personal experiences of struggling in the adjustment to graduate school immediately
following my undergraduate career. Each of the topics I plan to incorporate are things I have
grappled with throughout my semesters as a Kent State student. Experiencing the use of
storytelling inspired me to think about my struggles as a learning tool in the way I converse with
students about issues they may be dealing with. I know that Womens Centers often use this as a
tool to narrow in a macro topic to a micro and personal level. In my opinion the use of
storytelling makes information, presentations and conversations more rich and real. That is why I
plan to incorporate this element in some way. Learning Objective D, is linked with my project as
it a consideration in all efforts of the Center, and of the community of students I want to reach
through my efforts. Advocacy gives a voice to how to change and why to change. I also feel it
connects well with my storytelling objective nicely.
iii) Describe for each what skills or knowledge will be required, what skills or knowledge
are currently held by the Student, and what skills or knowledge will need to be
developed and how.
6

Running Header: INTERNSHIP PLAN

In an attempt to avoid redundancy, I will highlight briefly some of the main skills
needed/ that I have currently to be effective through this experience with the WRC. I
have already spent time discussing the skills I am hoping to gain and how this will
happen through the projects I will be a part of.
Overall, I feel the main skills/knowledge I will need to have/need to better refine are;

Effective communication skills

o Verbal/written communication, following up, expressing viewpoints
and ideas clearly, etc.
Organizational skills/time management
o Keeping track of newly created documents, email/contact information,
needed articles, establishing effective and do-able timelines for
completion of various tasks of the project, etc.
Creative ability to decide on how to approach, create and implement a project
such as this in a way that is tailored to the students I am serving.
The ability to think collaboratively and in a large scale/ also in a small skill
manner

b) Assessment and Record-keeping

i) Describe how the activities and projects, as well as the performance of the Student,
will be assessed;
Throughout my internship with the Womens Resource Center, Virginia Martin will be
serving as my internship supervisor. She and I will meet semi-frequently throughout my time in
the internship. During these meetings she will be able offer insight, direction and ideas in the
efforts of keeping with best practices and most effective programming for the Center. This will
allow her to offer critiques, ask questions and largely remain a point person in the establishment
of this project for the office. Throughout the internship we will be going over the required
assessment materials for the internship.
ii) Describe what records will be left by the Student upon departure.
The documents I will be leaving for the records of the Womens Resource Center will be
in the form of Google Documents and paper files (at request), that will be available for any
professional, student, or internship staff to review and make improvements to or to use in sync
with the project itself.
These files will include:
A curriculum for the center that holds;
o Description of the projects purpose, mission, objectives, and general background
information/research and thoughts for best practices in implementation of the
project

Running Header: INTERNSHIP PLAN

PowerPoint(s) containing notes of the main points, considerations, and information to use
in presentation for each of the slides for the three different project presentations
Resources needed for handouts, connections to online documents, or reading materials
that would be effective for students to review, etc.
Needed assessment materials
Marketing materials
All contact information for professionals/community members that become involved with
the program creation and implementation
A copy of my reflections of the entire internship experience, my completed program work
and thoughts for improvements and future ideas for the project will be left for the Center
staff.

c) Provide a weekly schedule of hours at the internship site and a list of the dates of any
major events or deadlines.
Hours
Schedule
Womens
Resource
Center
EHHSLearning
Community

Monday

Tuesday

Wednesday

Thursday

Friday

9:00am1:00pm

9:00am1:00pm

9:00am1:00pm

9:00am1:00pm

2:00pm6:00pm

2:00pm6:00pm

2:00pm5:00pm

2:00pm5:00pm

OFF
unless
needed
9:00am3:00pm

Time Line/Deadlines:
To Be Determined as of now.