Preparation for the Administrative Internship

The State University of New York at Buffalo, Cornell University, The University of Rochester, and Syracuse University joined forces with Ford Foundation support to provide a summer experience for administrative interns. The program's central focus was the development of educational leaders. Interns from each of the four universities were brought to Cornell University. Interns and professors from each university in the program were viewed as a social system, providing an opportunity for participants to diagnose their own social behavior. Two factors contributed to the process: the creation of an “open” climate to foster inquiry and a high degree of cooperation among staff and interns. The first two weeks of the summer experience were devoted to sensitivity training which accomplished several related objectives: more accurate perceptions of self; increased accuracy in perceiving the effect and affect of one's behavior on others; greater understanding of interaction between groups and inductively derived understanding of social and behavioral theories. An instrument for evaluation was prepared by the interns. Among the “high points” they identified, two items were most frequently and about evenly mentioned: sensitivity training and day‐to‐day relationships. The reactions of the interns as a whole was an affirmation of the experience as a meaningful contribution to their personal and professional growth.