About the Position

The State Higher Education Executive Officers Association (SHEEO) seeks candidates for a paid internship for the summer of 2023. This internship is appropriate for students pursuing graduate study in higher education, public policy, public administration, and related fields. The ideal candidate will be a motivated, active learner interested in higher education policy and governance, policy analysis, and research methods. We are particularly interested in diverse applicants with an interest in higher education finance.

Interns will provide support to SHEEO’s research, data, and policy analysis efforts as they relate to the State Higher Education Finance (SHEF) project, and may assist with a variety of projects depending on the intern’s skills and interests, and SHEEO’s needs. Interns will also have the opportunity to attend the SHEEO Higher Education Policy Conference in Denver, CO, which we plan to hold in-person from August 7-10, 2023.

SHEEO seeks and strongly encourages individuals from historically underrepresented or marginalized groups to apply. The internship duration is flexible and will last for approximately eight to 12 weeks, beginning in May or early June. Interns may work remotely or in our Boulder, Colorado, office. A living stipend is available for those interested in relocating to Boulder for the summer. Interns are considered non-exempt employees and are paid $23 per hour and are expected to work approximately 20-37.5 hours per week, with schedules determined by mutual arrangement.

Duties and Responsibilities:

• Collect and analyze qualitative and quantitative data related to state and federal higher education finance or financial aid programs.
• Draft written materials including white papers, blog posts, memos, and issue briefs.
• Construct datasets and create data visualizations.
• Complete an independent research project using SHEEO data.

Qualifications and Experiences

SHEEO is seeking individuals with a combination the following backgrounds and qualifications:

• Currently enrolled in a graduate program in a related field, or completed a master’s degree in a related field within the last year.
• Completed graduated-level coursework in higher education, public policy, public administration, statistics, research methods, or a related field.
• Demonstrated interest in state or federal higher education finance.
• Enthusiasm for and curiosity about state higher education policy and evidence-informed policymaking.
• A commitment to advancing equity and student success in higher education.
• Experience working with large quantitative datasets, with knowledge of federal higher education datasets preferred.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite with advanced knowledge of Microsoft Excel.
• Excellent written and oral communication skills.

Goals of the SHEEO State Policy Internship ProgramThrough its summer internship program, SHEEO hopes to diversify future higher education policy practitioners, analysts, and researchers by:

• Advancing the involvement of traditionally underrepresented groups in higher education finance policy.
• Advancing equity and diversity in state higher education finance policy discussions.
• Increasing the skills and knowledge of those who aim to work within the state higher education finance policy field.
• Increasing the interest of current graduate students in state higher education finance policy.

Application Process:

The application deadline is February 27, 2023. Please apply through this website and include the following:

About the organization

The State Higher Education Executive Officers Association (SHEEO) serves the chief executives of statewide governing, policy, and coordinating boards of postsecondary education and their staffs. Founded in 1954, SHEEO promotes an environment that values higher education and its role in ensuring the equitable education of all Americans, regardless of race/ethnicity, gender, or socioeconomic factors. Together with its members, SHEEO aims to achieve this vision by equipping state higher education executive officers and their staffs with the tools to effectively advance the value of higher education, promoting public policies and academic practices that enable all Americans to achieve success in the 21st century, and serving as an advocate for state higher education leadership. Read more about SHEEO on our website: www.sheeo.org.

SHEEO is committed to providing equal employment opportunities and believes that recruiting and developing a diverse and inclusive staff is vital to the success of the organization.