Change Agents for Equity: A Case Study Addressing Unpaid Internships

Career Level: Intermediate career services and university relations and recruiting professionals
Competency: Job and experiential learning opportunity development
Fee: $69 (member); $89 (nonmember);

Summary
Unpaid internships can perpetuate equity issues for college students in the workplace, and historically have placed significant burdens on women, low-income, and first-generation college students, which accounts for the majority of students who accept and complete them.

Hear how the School of Human Ecology (SoHE) at the University of Wisconsin-Madison (UW-Madison) assessed its own students' internships and used the results to advocate for changes that ensured all students received fair compensation for their required internship and research experiences.

Following this program, you will be able to:
- Describe the history and prevalence of uncompensated internships;
- Articulate strategies to address uncompensated internships; and
- Develop strategies to be change agents for equity in your own work with students.
Presenters

Sarah Fox, Internship & Employer Relations Manager, University of Wisconsin - Madison - School of Human Ecology
Sarah Fox is the Internship and Employer Relations Manager for the School of Human Ecology (SoHE) Advising & Career Center (SoHE) at the University of Wisconsin-Madison (UW). In this role she manages the required internship program, works with employers to develop new and exciting internship opportunities, and teaches all internship courses for SoHE. She holds a Master of Education degree in College Student Affairs Administration from the University of West Florida, and a Bachelor of Science degree in Retailing and Consumer Sciences from the University of Arizona. Sarah has worked in higher education for over 10 years focusing on high impact practices, career development, and community engagement. Prior to UW Sarah worked as an Associate Director of High Impact Practices and Experiential Learning, and also worked in Corporate America for Kohl’s and Walmart. Sarah has a passion for helping students identify who they are, where they want to go in their future career, and how to get there. Whether it’s exploring multiple internship opportunities or helping a student gain the confidence needed to approach employers at a career fair, she is there to support them throughout their journey.

Alicia Hazen, Assistant Dean & Career Services Director, University of Wisconsin - Madison - School of Human Ecology
Alicia Hazen is assistant dean and career services director in the School of Human Ecology (SoHE) at the University of Wisconsin-Madison (UW-Madison). She holds a Bachelor of Arts in communication arts from UW-Madison and a Master of Science in organizational leadership and change from Edgewood College. With nearly 20 years of experience at UW-Madison, Hazen leads SoHE's career readiness initiatives, overseeing career advising, internships, employer relations, and a three-course career development sequence for undergraduates. Having served as both a career adviser and instructor, Hazen pioneered SoHE's Internship Scholarship, Paid Internships Program, and mandatory one-credit online career and leadership development course. Her primary goal is to empower all SoHE students to identify and excel in career paths aligned with their interests, strengths, and skills.