Proposal

Nov. 4, 2013

Dear Dr. Joseph Banks:

Enclosed is a proposal for the creation of a social media internship position in the Caine College of the Arts.

I would like to set up a meeting to further discuss this proposal. As always, please feel free to contact me if you have any questions or if I can be of further assistance.

Together, I hope we can continue to work towards our student's success.

Sincerely,

Jeff Counts

Director of Production Services  

Jeff Counts

Production Services

Caine College of the Arts

4030 Old Main Hill,

Logan, UT 84322-4030

435-797-8022

Jon M. Huntsman School of Business

3500 Old Main Hill,

Logan, Ut 84322-4030

435-797-2272

Dear Dr. Joseph Banks,

We at Production Services at the Caine College of the Arts believe in the unique power of the arts to celebrate, illuminate, transform, and inspire the human spirit. In order to fulfill our mission, we have seen a growing need for a Social Media internship within our department. We propose the formulation of an internship and request that University credit be given to the undergraduate student selected for this position. We request that the Jon M. Huntsman School of Business offer four credit hours to the intern. The creation of this internship would give practical experience to a deserving and capable student,  promote interdepartmental communication, and increase participation in school events.

As the creation of this internship would foster the acquisition and use of modern skills, we can see that the Jon M. Huntsman School of Business would be interested in funding such a project. A business student would be able to gain practical experience in working with an organization. As that is the purpose of an internship, this arrangement would benefit both colleges at Utah State University.

There are many events performed and hosted by the Caine College of the Arts every year. Disappointingly, however, most are not attended to full capacity. We have seen a genuine interest in students to attend these events and support their fellow students, yet, there has not been an adequate effort made to inform them of the details necessary to attend these events. The creation of this internship would alleviate this problem.

One of the main goals of the school of business is to "be a career accelerator for our students." Students at the School of Business need opportunities to gain internship experience. Research conducted surrounding internships suggests that 77% of employers prefer to hire someone who has done work as an intern. A Social Media Internship would accelerate the ability to find a viable career for a student.

As placement rates after graduation increase, so do student satisfaction rates and their likelihood to donate funds to the college in the future. It is in the School of Business’s best interest, both short and long term  to offer this internship credit to a business student.

In creating this internship we, The Caine College of the Arts will provide the necessary workspace. This will include a desk with a computer, along with many other resources. Denise Albiston, Marketing Director, will be the supervisor over this position. We expect to offer this internship for a period of two semesters. Following the initial internship, and depending on the success we also expect to create a second position. With the creation of this internship we are sure to increase student knowledge, attendance, and support through social media while providing meaningful experience to a deserving business undergraduate.

Production Services at Caine College of the Arts “adopts innovative financial models and practices responsible stewardship of resources.” We are a dependable organization and have maintained a respectable reputation among the colleges here at Utah State University. Our concerts, exhibits, and theater performances are among the best in the country and  consistently receive awards.

This Social Media Internship would help us to reach a broader community of attendees and donors. Students from all colleges would be better engaged in the arts if they were better informed of the events hosted on campus. The Social Media Intern would create and maintain a Facebook page and  Twitter account in behalf of Production Services for Caine College of the Arts. Students could then be notified of upcoming events and would be more likely to participate in them.

If funded by the Jon M. Huntsman School of Business, this project would be supervised by Denise Albiston, Marketing Director for Production Services.

Our request that four credit hours be awarded to the intern is based on the standard found in Utah State University’s catalog that suggests internships be awarded one credit hour for every 75 hours of work up to a maximum of six credits per semester. Working for twenty hours per week for fifteen weeks, would satisfy that requirement.

Please contact me, Jeff Counts, Director of Production Services, if you have questions, would like more details, or would like to set up a meeting regarding this internship. I look forward to working alongside you as we help the students at Utah State University progress academically and professionally.

Thank you,

Jeff Counts

Director of Production Services

Caine College of the Arts

4030 Old Main Hill,

Logan, UT 84322-4030

435-797-8022

References:

Caine College of the Arts, (2013). About Us. Retrieved from:

www.cca.usu.edu/about

Caine College of the Arts (2012). Mission Statement and Goals. Retrieved from:

http://cca.usu.edu/about/mission.cfm

The City University of New York, (2013). Students--Obtain an Internship.  Retrieved from:

http://www.baruch.cuny.edu/careers/students/stu_internship.html

John M. Huntsman School of Business, (2013). About the School. Retrieved from:

http://huntsman.usu.edu/about/

Utah State University Catalog (2013). Retrieved from:

http://catalog.usu.edu