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Engaging students through experiential learning

Internships have been identified by the AAC&U as a High Impact Practice that contributes to student learning and engagement.  The Academic Internship Program (AIP) facilitates opportunities relevant to students’ academic studies and career aspirations, and serves as a resource to University departments and programs seeking to integrate internships and other forms of experiential learning into the curriculum. We are continuously developing new partnerships and collaborations with departments and programs across campus.  

Recognizing faculty participation

Faculty oversight is a critical component of the academic internship. All students participating in AIP work with a faculty advisor who provides guidance in developing a research paper or project relevant to the internship experience.

We are grateful for the time and energy faculty commit to mentoring AIP students.  AIP faculty advisor participation is reported and recognized in the following ways:

  • AIP can provide a letter detailing participation as an AIP Faculty Advisor for inclusion in the faculty dossier.
  • Faculty listed as Instructors for AIP courses are included in departmental instructional activity reports. 
  • Faculty participation is reported periodically to department chairs.

The UC San Diego Undergraduate Council recommends faculty include their service as an AIP faculty advisor on their UCSD BioBib.  Contact AIP if you would like a list of students to whom you have served as AIP faculty advisor sent to you or your department.

Resources for departments & programs

To better serve students and departments, each AIP Counselor serves as advisor and liaison to specific majors.  Contact us for information and resources including:

  • Reports on AIP participation by your faculty and students for informational or academic review purposes
  • Info sessions or workshops for your students
  • Presentations or meetings with faculty or staff on academic internships and opportunities for partnership
  • Consultation and infrastructure to support the development new experiential learning programs or opportunities

More information