Juniors Michael Maskin and Sean Gunn this semester initiated a project to create a cooperative education (co-op) program at Tufts that would provide students with the opportunity to gain real-world work experience.
Gunn explained that he knows several students who have participated in Northeastern University's co-op program.
"I've seen [the Northeastern students] come out of the co-op process and the amount of confidence they have in their work and their ability ... is something that you don't see as widely spread in the Tufts population," he said.
Gunn said that although a Tufts education has made him confident that he can succeed in the working world, he has not yet had the chance to complete an internship. Without this experience, he feels that a vital part of his education is lacking.
The envisioned co-op program at Tufts would solve this problem by placing students into various jobs at companies and organizations in the local community, Maskin said. He hopes these businesses would then establish long-lasting relationships with Tufts and the co-op program, and keep spots open for Tufts students each semester.
"At Tufts, what our vision is is [the] engagement of Tufts in the community" he said. "So ideally, we'd go to businesses and organizations in Medford and Somerville and Boston and say, 'We have a large undergraduate population that's really looking to get work experience for themselves, but also to help you out.'"
Gunn added that the businesses involved in the program would not be limited to any specific field or career, and every department at Tufts would be involved.
"Ideally, every student would be able to find a placement that would match their interests," Maskin said.
Maskin explained that the ultimate goal is to get faculty and the administration involved in the project. As of now, however, Maskin and Gunn are focused on generating support among the student body. They hosted a general interest meeting (GIM) last Thursday night.
"The purpose of our GIM was to get students involved and to go to the administration and say, 'We have X amount of students who are really behind this idea. We think it's a really important and really exciting initiative,'" Maskin said.
About 20 students attended the GIM, according to Gunn, providing them with the opportunity to discuss elements of the program in depth and hear students' opinions.
Maskin added that in order to gather more student input, he and Gunn plan to hold another GIM this Thursday at 7 p.m. They also plan to create a formal executive board in the near future.
"[The e-board] is going to be open to all ages, so if there are freshmen and sophomores who want to have a leadership position, we encourage them to come out to our next meeting," Maskin said.
Maskin and Gunn agreed that the creation of a co-op program will be a lengthy process, emphasizing that others will have to continue the initiative after they graduate next year.
"We really don't want this to be forgotten in four years, and I don't think it will be," Gunn said. "I think this is big. I really think there is a lot of student excitement about this ... that's what motivates us, even though we are not going to be able to see the fruits of our work."
Dean of Academic Affairs for Arts and Sciences James Glaser said that the university admires what Northeastern has accomplished with its co-op program, but the administration does not plan on creating a co-op at this time.
"It's not something that we're discussing at present," Glaser told the Daily in an email. "And given how big the agenda is, I don't think it's likely to happen any time soon ... it's clear that a good co-op program requires a lot of planning and care and resources."
