Running head: LDRS890-INTERNSHIP PROPOSAL

Acting Assistant Director of Admissions at Wayne State College:

LDRS 890 Internship Proposal
Amy Gade
Fort Hays State University

In Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for

LDRS 890: Internship
Dr. Brent Goertzen

LDRS 890-INTERNSHIP PROPOSAL

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Abstract

This paper serves as an internship proposal for an acting Assistant Director of Admissions at
Wayne State College in Wayne, Nebraska. The paper provides background on the organization of
Wayne State College, more specifically the organization of the Office of Admissions in which
the internship will take place. The author describes the needs within the Office, which lead to a
problem, of which the internship hopes to help fulfill. The literature review aims to present the
existing information on the topics of leading and implementing change within an organization.
Overarching objectives were determined, along with multiple action steps, to help meet the needs
of the organization. The author detailed project and learning outcomes expected from the
internship project, which should enhance both the organization and authors gain from the
internship process.

LDRS 890-INTERNSHIP PROPOSAL

Table of Contents
Background of the Organization....4
Assessment of the Need.4
Statement of the Problem...5
Review of Literature..6
Vision/Mission...10
Plan/Objective/Action Steps/Timeline...10
Project Outcomes/Measurement11
Learning Outcomes12
Works Cited...13

LDRS 890-INTERNSHIP PROPOSAL

Background of Organization
Wayne State College is a 4-year public institution of higher learning. Located in Wayne,
Nebraska, Wayne State College has an enrollment of approximately 3,500 students and offers
both undergraduate and graduate degree programs. The mission of Wayne State College is threefold with a focus on: Learning Excellence, Student Success, and Regional Service. The College
has a 5-member executive administration team, which includes the President, Vice President of
Administration and Finance, Vice President of Academic Affairs, Vice President and Dean of
Students, and Vice President of Development.
The Office of Admissions at Wayne State College is responsible for the recruitment and
admission of undergraduate and graduate students. The Office employs 11 full time staff,
including the Director of Admissions, two Coordinator of Admissions Services, two Office
Assistants, and six Admissions Representatives, as well as one part time Office Assistant. The
Office also staffs several student workers, including a 32-member campus tour guide teammember telecounselor team, and several work-study students.
Assessment of the Need
The Director of Admissions reports directly to the College President. In reporting to the
College President, the Director of Admissions is responsible for lead generation, inquiry,
applicant, and enrollment numbers, communication plans, recruitment and yield events, outreach
and marketing efforts, communication to the campus community and other constituents, new
initiatives and efforts, and direct supervision of all office staff. The Director of Admissions is
frequently involved in bigger picture conversations and meetings related to recruitment and
retention efforts of the College. Meetings and time away from the office are commonplace for
the Director of Admissions.

LDRS 890-INTERNSHIP PROPOSAL

In July of 2015, Wayne State College named a new President, Dr. Marysz Rames. Dr.
Rames brings many years of higher education experience and leadership to Wayne State College.
Having served in a comprehensive Vice President role at another institution prior to being named
to her role at WSC, Dr. Rames oversaw numerous divisions and initiatives, including, but not
limited to, enrollment management, student success, strategic planning, fundraising/fiscal
management, diversity and inclusion, collaborative partnerships, leadership development, and
increasing efficiency and effectiveness for students (Rames Named, 2015). Her experience
with enrollment management gives her added insight into recruitment and admissions functions.
Dr. Rames brings energy, drive, dedication, and high expectations. Her leadership is
capable of taking Wayne State College to a new level. With her involvement in recruitment,
admissions, and enrollment, comes questions, ideas, needs, and expectations. The Director of
Admissions is responsible for working with, for, and through Dr. Rames on such things. At the
same time, the Director of Admissions is working on additional projects to maximize recruitment
and retention efforts.
Statement of Problem
To allow for the necessary time and attention the Director of Admissions expects to need,
assistance in other areas could be of benefit to Wayne State College and the Office of
Admissions. Oversight of the daily operations, coordination of visit events, supervision of
recruitment staff, and other responsibilities are often the charge of an Assistant Director of
Admissions. Wayne State College does not currently have an Assistant Director of Admissions
position within the structure of the Office of Admission.
The addition of such position would also help create an additional rung on the quote
unquote advancement ladder in Office of Admissions at Wayne State College. Currently, the

LDRS 890-INTERNSHIP PROPOSAL

structure consists of Office Assistant, Admissions Representative, Coordinator of Admissions

Services, and Director of Admission roles. Restructuring of a current position to equate for an
Assistant Director of Admissions role would not only address current office needs by allowing
the delegation of particular responsibilities, but also potential future office needs by developing
an additional advancement rung for future generations of staff.
Review of Literature
Implementing the role of an Assistant Director in the Office of Admissions at Wayne
State College poses some challenge. First, this specific Assistant Director role at Wayne State
College would be somewhat new. While other offices on campus have had Assistant Directors
for quite some time, the Office of Admissions has been without since 2008. At that time, the role
was not structured to provide the degree of leadership and responsibilities that would likely be
necessary today. The process of implementing this revised role means change within the office.
Perhaps change to certain processes, reporting, and leadership could all be caused by the
implementation of an Assistant Director role.
Change is difficult in any regard. Change is often resisted. One way change is looked
upon more favorably is when it is talked about openly allowing those affected by it the
opportunity to participate in it. As Weisbord (2012) suggests, Lewin had found the core
principle of participation: we are more likely to carry out decisions we have helped make (p.
98). Lewin seemed to understand that elements of change cannot be implemented by managers
alone or resistance is likely to meet them at the door. Instead, he believed the tension of
organizational change could be reduced simply by involving those the change was most likely to
affect. By the author involving other Admissions staff in the development of the Assistant
Director of Admissions position, resistance to the change should diminish.

LDRS 890-INTERNSHIP PROPOSAL

It is through Lewins idea on participation as an element to reducing resistance to change

and many practical studies on this idea that he developed his famous three-phase process:
unfreezing, moving, and refreezing. Unfreezing is the process in which new information is
provided as a way to reduce the negativity toward proposed changes, while moving is the idea of
pushing along changes in attitude, values, structure, feelings, behavior, and refreezing is the
process of reaching a new norm that includes support for this new desired behavior (Weisbord,
2012, p. 101). Lewins process is the exact opposite of forcing change on people, because it a)
provides information which will help everyone see the reason for or benefit in the proposed
change, b) introduces the change in a way that allows it to be accepted in all regards, and c)
works through the acceptance of the changed situation offering support to enhance the changes
made. Changes proposed in this way should gain basic support of even those most resistant to
change.
Senge (2011) also believes that participation can reduce the tension of organizational
change. He supports participation at an even more crucial level: learning. He argues that the most
successful organizations will be those that encourage learning at all levels, instead of from the
ultra-traditional top-down. For Senge (2011), learning organizations take a systems approach to
thinking. This very holistic approach toward thinking allows for variety of ideas to come
forward, which in turn can help organizations avoid traditional learning or changes traps. As
suggested by Bapuji and Crossan (2004), traps include defaulting to whats familiar, only whats
known to have worked in the past, or more relative to whats already know, these traps can
diminish the success of the imposed change.
By involving additional office staff in the development of the Assistant Director job
description and responsibilities, they will not only be able to provide their perspective, but

LDRS 890-INTERNSHIP PROPOSAL

perhaps will also see benefit in the role being added to the office structure. Admissions
Representatives could provide the perspective of what added leadership they may need or desire.
Likewise, Office Assistants may be able to provide the perspective of the need for oversight of
daily operations. Including office staff in the generation of the job description and
responsibilities of an Assistant Director of Admissions allows for multiple perspectives,
justification of the need, and added buy in for this position.
To create a smooth and successful change within an organizational system, such as within
the Office of Admissions, strong leadership is also necessary throughout the course of change
implementation. Weisbord (2012) said that he really admired those leaders who were willing to
put themselves on the line taking risks, too. This type of leader is completely committed to the
changes and by willing to be on the front line of those changes just as they are asking their team
to be, this kind of leader is more successful in gaining buy in. Likewise, by being on the front
line of those changes with their team, they may better be able to identify potential conflicts and
diffuse those situations before they even happen.
Another key leadership requirement is someone who can read the rest of their team,
especially as it relates to their thoughts or opinions regarding the potential change. Weisbord
(2012) discussed a leaders ability to view each team member, department, or company as living
in a four-room apartment of contentment, denial, confusion, and renewal as it relates to change
(p. 326). A good leader recognizes the various stages in their team and is equipped to help team
members through those various phases to a place that will be most effective for the
implementation of productive change. Likewise, a strong leader would have likely already
thought of what things about this proposed change might cause hang-ups and how they might
better explain the purpose of those changes to reduce the tension surrounding it.

LDRS 890-INTERNSHIP PROPOSAL

Likewise, a key leadership requirement for supporting organizational change would be

someone willing to be inclusive. This type of leader is not necessarily concerned with being
right, or instructing people through a change, as much as their goal is helping others learn
(Weisbord, 2012, p. 329). To define leadership from a systems thinking and/or organizational
learning perspective, one would need to look at the leader from more of an encourager or
influencer role. Yukl (2009) states, Leaders can directly encourage and facilitate collective
learning by what they say and do, and they can indirectly influence it by implementing or
modifying relevant programs, systems, and structures (p. 50). Because this person actively
engages themselves in the system, they should be viewed as an active member of potential
change, not just the person facilitating it. This type of leader is willing to think broadly about the
work of their organization, while still taking a critical look at each component, and is not afraid
to ask tough questions. Likewise, a leader who encourages their staff to take a more broad view
of their daily work, its interconnection to the larger goal, and the function or purpose of their
work would likely be quite successful in a systems thinking and/or organizational learning type
of leadership.
Lastly, changes implemented today should have a vision of tomorrow in mind.
Continuity, as discussed in Darl Kolbs (2003) article entitled, Seeking Continuity Amidst
Organizational Change, is defined as, the connectedness over time among organizational efforts
and a sense or experience of ongoingness that links the past to the present and the present to
future hopes and ideas (p. 180). The idea of continuity seems like an important aspect to
remember when proposing any organizational change, but likely one that is often overlooked.
The restructuring of a current position, such as a Coordinator of Admissions Services in the
Office of Admissions at Wayne State College, into a new position, like an Assistant Director of

LDRS 890-INTERNSHIP PROPOSAL

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Admissions, not only addresses current and past issues, but also aims to present a solution that
works for the current time and hopefully into the future.
Vision/Mission
The vision for this project is a revised leadership structure within the Office of
Admissions at Wayne State College to include an Assistant Director of Admissions. Throughout
the internship phase, the author will further clarify the more specific needs of the organization
and how the restructuring of the Office to include the Assistant Director position could help
address those needs. The author plans to then identify the specific responsibilities of this position
and create a sample job description. By fulfilling the identified needs and accepting the identified
responsibilities, it is the authors hope that the need for and benefits from this position are
validated. Ultimately, the authors mission is to prove the value of an Assistant Director of
Admissions role, in hopes of a future promotion.
Plan/Objectives/Action Steps/Timeline
In order to address the needs of the Wayne State College Office of Admissions, the
creation of an Assistant Director of Admissions position could help to alleviate some of the
duties and responsibilities the Director of Admissions currently holds. Identified objectives that
fit into the scope of an internship project include management of the travel and recruitment
budgets and partial supervision of the Admissions Representatives, as well as the creation of an
Assistant Director of Admissions job description specific to the Wayne State College Office of
Admission. Additional action steps identified will help reach the larger objectives of the
internship project. While the scope of the internship is intended to fit within the course of a
semester, should the project prove beneficial, it is likely the objectives and action steps carry on
throughout the course of the academic year.
Objective 01: Create an Assistant Director of Admissions job description

LDRS 890-INTERNSHIP PROPOSAL

Action Step
(What):
Review national job
descriptions
Review state job
descriptions
Review WSC Assistant
Director job descriptions
Get insight on specific
responsibilities of
Assistant Director

11

Person Responsible
(Who):

How:

Date to be
Complete
d (When):

Search higheredjobs.com

Author

9/20/15

Contact other institutions

Author/Colleagues

10/1/15

Contact Human Resources

Author/Human Resources

10/1/15

Poll Admissions
Representatives/Director

Author/Admissions
Representatives/Director

10/1/15

Resources:
Higheredjobs.com
Colleagues at
other institutions
WSC Human
Resources
Admissions
Office staff

Communication:
Website
Email
Personal contact
Email/personal
contact

Objective 02: Manage travel/recruitment budget

Action Step
(What):

Person Responsible
(Who):

How:

Review current budget

Gain access from Director

Determine travel and

recruitment expenses

Breakdown expenses into

varying categories
Average current/past years
ordering expenses
Calculate hotel, gas, food,
and comp time expenses
Calculate recruitment
expenses for current class

Determine order budget

Determine travel cost per
Admissions Rep
Determine recruitment
cost per enrolled student

Date to be
Completed
(When):

Author/Director

10/1/15

Author/Director

10/1/15

Author

11/1/15

Author

12/1/15

Author

On-going

Resources:
Internal budget
documents
Internal budget
documents
Internal budget
documents
Internal budget
documents
Internal budget
documents

Communication:
Personal contact
Personal contact
Report to Director
Report to Director
Report to Director

Objective 03: Partially supervise Admissions Representatives

Action Step
(What):
Train new Admissions
Representatives
Shadow new Admissions
Representatives
Assist with travel
planning decisions
Learn comp time
regulations
Manage Admissions Reps
comp time

How:
Work with Director to
determine training topics
Sit in on daily and high
school visit presentations
Talk about travel schedules
Work with Director to
learn WSC/HR practices
Review Admissions Reps
monthly leave report

Person Responsible
(Who):

Date to be
Completed
(When):

Author/Director

On-going

Author/other veteran
Admissions staff

10/1/15

Author

On-going

Author/Director

10/1/15

Author/Director

On-going

Resources:
Internal training
materials
N/A
Internal territory
reports
Internal HR
documents
WSC monthly
leave report

Communication:
Personal contact
N/A
Report to Director
Personal contact
Personal contact with
Director

Project Outcomes/Measurement
Anticipated outcomes of this internship project include a greater understanding of an
Assistant Director of Admissions role, validation of the need for such role at Wayne State
College, and perhaps even the creation of such position. By researching Assistant Director of
Admissions roles both on the national and state levels, the author anticipates gaining a greater
understanding of the specific duties and responsibilities of this position. In working with the

LDRS 890-INTERNSHIP PROPOSAL

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Director of Admissions at Wayne State College to agree upon the specific responsibilities of the
author during the internship phase, it is assumed that the need for an Assistant Director role will
be validated. As the author fills this need during the internship phase, it is possible that benefits
will warrant the creation of this position in the organizational structure of the Office of
Admissions.
More measurable outcomes include the creation of a sample job description of an
Assistant Director at Wayne State College. This job description will match others at Wayne State
College, so should the need for the position be warranted during the internship phase, the
Director would have a prepared description to share with the President of the College. A more indepth knowledge of the varying budgetary expenses in the Office of Admissions will also be
gained during the internship phase. At the end of the internship phase, the author plans to share
with the Director of Admissions a general breakdown of travel, order, and recruitment expenses.
Understanding these expenses will help the office gain knowledge on the travel costs per
Admissions Representative and potentially the costs to recruit a single student to enroll at Wayne
State College. A stronger knowledge of these varying expenses will help with better budgetary
decisions in the future.
Learning Outcomes
There are many potential learning outcomes from this internship project, such as
increased knowledge on implementing change within an organizational setting and leading staff
through change within the organization. The author anticipates referencing theories on leading
and implementing organizational change and determining how best to put said theories into
practice within the scope of the internship project. Likewise, the author believes this internship
will challenge many personal strengths and weaknesses. Organizing budgets with extreme

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attention to detail and sharing knowledge and experiences through the training of new
Admissions Representatives will be new experiences that should align well with the authors
strengths. On the other hand, partially supervising professional staff members will likely
challenge the author to delegate tasks and responsibilities, a perceived area of weakness. In
addition, taking on more duties, roles, and responsibilities within the Office of Admissions will
not only challenge the authors management of time, but also allow for more involvement in the
big picture of recruitment and enrollment of new students.
Works Cited
Bapuji, H., & Crossan, M. (2004). From questions to answers: Reviewing organizational learning
research. Management Learning, 35(4), 397-417. Retrieved from
http://search.proquest.com/docview/209873445?accountid=27424
Kolb, D. G. (2003). Seeking Continuity Amidst Organizational Change: A Storytelling
Approach. Journal of Management Inquiry, 12(2), 180. Retrieved from
http://search.proquest.com/docview/203315238?accountid=27424
Rames Named President of Wayne State College. (2015, July 20). Retrieved from
https://www.wsc.edu/news/article/105/rames_named_president_of_wayne_state_college
Senge, P. M. (2011). Executive book summaries: The fifth discipline. Bristol, VT: Soundview.
Retrieved from
http://s3images.coroflot.com/user_files/individual_files/151185_Xna4lAblaAP5dGikJUR
gL5stL.pdf
Weisbord, M. R. (2012). Productive Workplaces: Dignity, Meaning, and Community in the 21st
Century. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.
Yukl, G. (2009). Leading organizational learning: Reflections on theory and research.
Leadership Quarterly, 20(1), 49-53. doi:10.1016/j.leadqua.2008.11.006.