I am a current graduate student of museum science.  After we finish our
coursework, we are required to do either a thesis or a paid internship.  I
believe one of the reasons our internship must be paid is that it is assumed
that as a full-time paid staff member we will be given more responsibility
thus increasing the value of this experience.  Also, many graduate students
simply can not afford to relocate to work for free.  Hopefully, the museum
will feel that they are getting a great deal by having a newly trained
museum professional for a nominal, temporary salary.  The unwritten rule is
that we need to receive at least $1,000/month.  Providing housing can reduce
that slightly.  We must conduct an internship of at least a six-month
duration working 40 hr work weeks.

I am merely a student, I do not represent our museum.  But as many students
have had a difficult time finding appropriate paid internships this year, I
try to take every opportunity to plug the concept of paid interns.  Hiring
an intern benefits the profession, the student, and the host museum.

Katie Anderson
President
Museum Science Students Association
Texas Tech University

----------
>From: Robert Tabak <[log in to unmask]>
>To: [log in to unmask]
>Newsgroups: bit.listserv.museum-l
>Subject: Museum internships, paid and unpaid (US)
>Date: Wed, Dec 8, 1999, 9:39 AM
>

>As in many museums, internships are a way to give students experience and
>get some help with current projects on a limited budget.  I'm pretty clear
>about unpaid internships,which are legally a kind of volunteer status.  Does
>anyone have a handle on the legal aspects of payments for internships?  Is
>one bound by the minimum wage laws once one starts paying anything (beyond
>reimbursing commuting costs or other out of pocket expenses)?  Are there
>other issues to think about?  So far, our recent efforts to attract unpaid
>interns, listed at many area colleges large and small and through the web
>site of our local arts/culture council have had essentially no response.
>
>Robert Tabak
>Director of Programs
>Balch Institute for Ethnic Studies
>Philadelphia
>
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