Travis County Commissioners Court
July 24, 2007
Item 38
38. Consider and take appropriate action on request to partner with Austin community college for student internship program at center for public policy and political studies
>> good morning.
>> good morning.
>> what I did after a meeting with -- with Commissioner young and -- and Commissioner citizen todd and others, was to kind of sort of outline it, propose it as I saw it. In the middle of it I get some kind of personal points of how it is operating. I did have a chance to meet with the executive managers, there are several good things about this. One is that the intent is to try to match a real job at Travis County with an intern, the department head makes that call. Our hope that is the department head would be able to for fund the -- to fund the intern, internally. But I do ask as a kind of backup and earmark against allocated reserve in the amount of $20,000 in the event that a partner head has a demonstrated need which is to participate because of a real job opportunity. But simply doesn't have the money. We had human resources there. Transportation and natural, resources. Planning and budget were present. Danny -- representative, somebody from the justice and public safety, just in case the opportunity comes up. One of the directors of the program already has a program in place with the state legislature. That's been in place how long?
>> the program has been in place about 11 years.
>> right. I forget his name.
>> professor mullen.
>> he's the mayor of --
>> harker heights.
>> right outside of killeen. But is interested in learning about their program. So it's been working at a.c.c. And what they would like to do is match people interested in careers in government with real-life work opportunities now and they would like 15 interns to serve, they hope for $5,000 for the internship period, which is four months. And they are visiting with us and city of Austin.
>> yes, sir.
>> okay.
>> I didn't mean to take your steam.
>> you made a very good presentation.
>> and would the interns shadow the officials or department heads.
>> it's up to the person that they are working with. Let me explain just a little bit. The program that is in existence right now is the program approved by the coordinating board and the only one at a.c.c. Is for 15 students. It is for students in what is called a capstone program. Meaning students at the end of their major in government. But -- but the problem we have is that depending on how you figure it, students in attendance at campuses or all of our students, not all of our students attend campuses, between 67 and 75% of the student are part time meaning they work. So the students in this program have traditionally had an option to work six, 10 or 20 hours. Almost all of the students work six hours. Which means that they work five hours a week and then do an hour in class. That does not mean it hasn't been productive and exciting and popular as always in the legislature. What the mayor and I when we started setting up the center one of the very first things that we made a priority was to get a process where we could get money to get interns so they could work more than one hour a day in an intern environment. Because the students enjoy that, that's not the most productive way for them to learn about the programs that they are working in. We wanted to get them paid so they could work. Four hours a day, which is the kind of internships that I had when I worked for the state of Texas. Really learned something, be part of something that is more meaningful. That's what we have been trying to work on. That's the ideal in the program, always has been, very rarely at a.c.c. Has there been a student that can afford to do that without being compensated some way. We have been asking and working with the judge, with the sheriff, very fine about that -- about discussing this with us. Trying to get this done to try to see if we can get this compensated. Because we want to try to get students in a more meaningful environment. It's important we think, the whole idea of the center, we are not an academic organization, we are not -- we don't have, this is our only class environment is to get young people more deeply involved in government, not just to take the required courses that were there, three ranges and levels, we actually wanted hands on. This is the best opportunity, best way to do it. And -- and this is -- bruce and I made a priority from the time we set the thing up, it's something that we have talked to the sheriff about early on. He's been very supportive of very early on.
>> okay.
>> I would like to say that -- that I'm sitting here to let you know that I do support this program. I had an opportunity to experience this on at my former employer, Texas alcoholic beverage commission. We used interns, it was a ram that senator royce west had going on, we had them all over the state. A lot of those individuals that were part of this program after they graduated from college came into the public service. So I am very supportive of this program.
>> thank you.
>> I would like to have the first intern
>> [laughter]
>> I want an intern. I want the first one.
>> we also -- this be for the spring semester because of the way we are set up. Even with you all's approval it will take us a semester to get it in the catalog and set up within our organization. But we are working with you all and the city and anticipating being able to do it starting in the spring of '08.
>> I think this is a great idea. Working with a.c.c. Open its door to allow for such an adventure. But I -- I would like to also maybe if this is starting out to have a -- I guess maybe it's a pilot project per se. If there's any way that we can also include institutions. We have a -- we have a -- a st. Edward's, we have different other institutions here where we have children attending those schools, also. I just wants to wrap my arms all around a.c.c., you know, we have other kids in other institutions that may need opportunities such as this. So I think that we -- we may need to take that under consideration or if we have a program in existence, I'm not aware of it.
>> doesn't bother me the court says
>> [indiscernible] internalship proposal. If the department head doesn't find an intern, they are not obligated to do anything. The intern doesn't like the offered employment opportunity the intern is not obligated either. So it's a kind of -- both parties have to agree. The department is requested to find the money internally when I chatted with a couple of them, though, if you have a full-time position vacant, you really can't take that and have two interns and probably money left over because these interps don't get benefits, do they?
>>
>> in Travis County, it needs to be a real work opportunity, not a job creation to facilitate education. Nothing wrong with that, but a real job opportunity will be more meaningful for Travis County and the interns.
>> so it -- it kind of turns on whether we can implement this, and it been done in other places, so we should be able to do it. We have until January to get ready. We have a four month window there. The other thing is a.c.c. Would like for the money to be right here, but if there's another opportunity that we think is workable then -- then we present that to you, right.
>> > that's correct.
>> critical thing is we want to -- to be able to work at their internship, not work -- not do one hour of internship and then go flip hamburgers. We want the emphasis to be on the internship and not on the -- not on trying to figure out some other way to find money for -- for -- to be able to pay their tuition and books and all of that stuff. The internship becomes secondary. We want it to be the focus of their time, we want that to be the more meaningful learning experience for those kids.
>> it will be more meaningful for us to -- in regard to recruiting talent and government work, which is so important. I think that Commissioner Davis' point is well taken regarding huston tillotson and the various other educational programs around. I think another issue, another area that I think that would be really fruit tell, having gotten a public degree myself, the idea of excellence in government. If we can pull in some of the other schools that have government programs as well and -- I think a little -- a little competition injected into internship programs are very, very --
>> we are all in favor of that. What our
>> [indiscernible] did is our young folks are making choices at the beginning of their college education and we want to introduce them to government as a really good choice. Whether it's a career or as an avocation, he want them to have an experience, especially ones such as this are probably going to be making choices in county, state government and something they find exciting enjoyable rewarding, something they want to do as their finish their education. A lot of internships, some of the ones that I was involved in come later in your college education and then one internship that I did was in graduate school at the l.b.j. School. What we want to do is have them as the beginning so they see what their potential is. Down the road. Give them even more encouragement to make a decision about staying with it and finishing their four year degree and then going into perhaps county government and in the area, maybe they start out doing an internship. Maybe coming back for that department when they finish their degree plan.
>> you are asking us to commit to try to place eight.
>> yes, sir, eight students. Next spring working with the professor mullen on the basis that the students are satisfactory to you and that your department heads and sheriff's office, Commissioner, whoever is involved, find the student satisfactory, we would like you to place eight of them.
>> correct.
>> what's legal --
>> exactly.
>> move approval.
>> right now the coordinating board we can offer you a maximum of 15, but already eight right now.
>> > let me get beyond my paranoid self here. I would hope that this program is either a non-partisan or a bipartisan or I mean I -- I hi this is a great -- I think this is a great program. I don't care what party you are, I would like for you to learn government the process young people hey not just young people a lot of people need to understand what we all go through. So I just --
>> [multiple voices] I think it's a great deal and as long as it's not, you know, all of a sudden I have 15 people in a program and before I know it I see a bunch of people working in political races.
>> it's a non-partisan program.
>> occasionally I get a little paranoid.
>> in fairness the professor is a republican that's doing this.
>> he is?!!
>> terrell smith, former state representative. We are delighted to have him on the board. We think that balance -- this is not r and d, this is about a job, a work ethic, it's about an opportunity to make one's -- oneself better as we have all done in this room it is not partisan at all.
>> [multiple voices]
>> I think that it's great --
>> I don't blame you for asking. Based on my history. But what I --
>> [laughter] no reason for us to play games. But the truth is that I've retired from that, the center is non-partisan. What we are trying to do here is help kids, I don't care what their politics are. What I want to do is spruce them to the process. Introduce them to the process. We don't ask, we don't care. We don't care what they choose to be when they come out of this, what they are when they go in. Like I say professor mullen a good friend, a very fine professor is and always has been a republican. I don't care about that either. And he doesn't care that I've always been a democrat. He's had a. Good program.he's excited aboutt that he has kids that can spend more than an hour a day in the program if we do this right.
>> I know that even that -- I won't deviate too much off of what's actually the language stated here as far as the agenda is concerned, however I just think that there is some excellent opportunities again I guess for you have to have a pool of persons not only from a.c.c. But I mentioned other colleges here. I would like to see when and if this gets on line those particular institutions be notified this is what we are going to do. Working with different governmental entities under internship basis. I just didn't want to shut that door on those opportunities. I want you all to understand that. That it should be all encompassing, all inclusive, just as the Commissioner said, partisan, republican democrat. But what we are talking about is being all inclusive with persons that are looking for opportunities. That's what we are talking about here.
>> is alfred stanley doing something with this? Where there's some moneys? I think that I even wrote a little check to him for this. Is this the same -- isn't this the same program?
>> yes.
>> okay.
>> we have been been charged to raise the money of the operations of this. And we are doing so, the private sector, we appreciate your check. And we will --
>> you are trying to hint that you may have another one.
>> there will always be another one. Judge, I would like to say something to you all and the Commissioners. You and the Commissioners. There is a phrase that we have all used, sometimes irresponsibly called good enough for government work. That's not true. There is no one sitting here elected or in this room appointed that works for county government that believes that. Is it true? Sometimes, is it true in the private sector, sometimes. But this is an opportunity, this is an opportunity to acquaint young adults with what can be a very valuable education. Learning what the real world is all about. Whether they wind up participating as -- as a government employee later on, or a private sector employee who participates more in government, what it means for all of us is a better quality of life as with live those in the central Texas area. But there are -- there are 34,000 students. At a.c.c. About 70% of those have to have a job and work, they are not full time, but they are contributing to society, bringing the other universities in as time goes on, as part of this program. I think it's a great idea.
>> it is.
>> yeah.
>> what I would say, is -- when I -- when I came to Austin in -- he won't give the year, it gives my age, but age 18, I had -- it wasn't called an internship. It was called a part-time job. But I had to have it to go to school. It was with the city of Austin. At the municipal court. I went on from that to be appointed to run that operation four and a half years later. By the city council. That was all as a result of an internship. Now, I went higher in life when I became county Commissioner of course. But --
>> very much higher.
>> very much higher.
>> [laughter]
>> but what it was for me was an opportunity to learn the impact that government has done properly on the citizens at large and I think that the opportunity that we have for those 34,000 students is -- over time is tremendous. How we frankly we relied upon the university of Texas for a lot of our economic development over the past decades. I think in the future decades that will turn more to -- to Austin community college because of our changing as it inevitably will, as these cycles go through. I think this is extremely important. I'm proud to share for standing up front for this program, being supportive, proud of you all for your comments today. I think that this is a good thing to do. I think that this is the start. I think that it will grow, I think we will all be better off.
>> now, if we hurry and vote, I think we may have enough support to get this done.
>> yes, sir.
>> this is to approve the program. We will need an agreement later on, right?
>> yes, sir.
>> any more necessary discussion? All in favor? That passes by unanimous vote.
>> thank all very much.
>> thank you.
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Last Modified:
Wednesday, July 25, 2007, 18:30 AM