Making Them Count: Utilizing Student-Negotiated Curriculum for Archival Internships

The presentation presents an ongoing effort to add value to an existing archival internship program. To ensure that work-study experiences are as meaningful to students as possible, the session will explore the benefits of incorporating student voice into an archival internship's design by using student-negotiated curriculum.
Heavily drawing on critical pedagogy, student-negotiated curriculum seeks to disrupt traditional power relationships between students and instructors. It involves negotiating curriculum decisions with students instead of dictating what will or will not be done (Nation & Macalister, 2009). This practice has typically been used in classroom environments, but the present research reimagines the curriculum for undergraduate archival internships. (Brubaker 2012; Fitzpatrick, O'Grady, & O'Reilly, 2018; Gómez & Cortés-Jaramillo, 2019; Oruc, 2024). Consistent with the literature, using student-negotiated curriculum has resulted in more invested and motivated students. This year's interns have been more creative since implementing student-negotiated curriculum as a result of having the agency co-design their curriculum and being able to align their skills, academic interests, and career goals with their work experience.

Internships are a critical experience for archival students. This presentation focuses on how to make internships as beneficial and meaningful to students as possible. In doing so, archival professionals can ensure that these opportunities are available to a diverse population of students. Focusing on student voice and their experiences democratizes internships, which can lead to a more diverse profession.

Panel Discussion