Whatcom Museum & Children's Museum

ANTH 470 Museology Studies
Course Description

Anthropology 470, Museology Studies, combines an internship program in a local museum with academic requirements set by the sponsoring professor. It is possible for students to intern at the Whatcom Museum of History and Art, the Whatcom Children's Museum, or the Lynden Pioneer Museum. At a student's initiative and with a sponsoring professor's permission, it is also possible to intern at other museums.

Each museum setting offers different experiences. Students working at the Whatcom Museum of History and Art are asked to choose a particular department in which to work. The Lynden Pioneer Museum has a variety of projects at any time. Opportunities also vary at the Whatcom Children's Museum based on current exhibits, activities, and projects. (See the links below to access information about each museum and their programs. There are also links to access the contract forms that must be printed out, completed, and submitted to museum personnel AND to the sponsoring professor.)

Students interested in internships at the Whatcom Museum should contact the museum department representative for a verbal approval first, and then set up an appointment with Tamera Tregoning at 676-6981 x229 to fill out security clearance paperwork. There is usually a two week turn around time for this clearance to be processed. Once the museum department representative obtains the security clearance, they will contact you to set up a time to fill out an Internship Registration Form and arrange your schedule for the quarter along with specific project work. A Security Clearance must be in place before you begin your internship.

Museums are working environments and interns are expected to perform duties assigned by museum personnel that are appropriate to the museum's current work. While students may, in some cases, express preferences, task assignment is ultimately each museum's prerogative. As an intern in a program designed to mutually benefit a museum and the student, a student can expect to perform at least three different kinds of tasks during a quarter (many students get to do more). Each student is entitled to a tour of his/her chosen museum with accompanying remarks about the integration of different areas, units, etc. In addition, students may be able to schedule time to experience museum programs as part of their internship.

Anth 470 is designed to expose students to the workings and issues of museums through "hands-on" experience, reading, and written work. The course may be repeated (with new content included in subsequent quarters) and taken for up to 10 credits. Repeating the course allows students the opportunity to broaden and/or deepen their museum experiences (for example, a student might work in two different departments over two quarters at the Whatcom Museum of History and Art). The more quarters an intern spends in a department or at a museum, the more complex the projects can become. While students may (with the approval of supervisory museum personnel) opt for as few as 3 credits a quarter, most supervisors prefer that students take the course for 4 or 5 credits in a quarter. Students should carefully consider their schedules for any quarter they propose to take Anth 470 since sustained periods at a museum are needed, as well as transportation time to get to and from a museum.

Students must have 40 credits in anthropology or be of Graduate status to take Anth 470. Due to the limited number of students that can be accepted for internships each quarter and a museum's own needs, students must receive approval of museum personnel in order to register for the course. It is preferable to get permission at least two weeks before the internship quarter since security measures may require advanced paperwork. Museums are under no obligation to accept any student. Additionally, a student's working relationship with a museum may be terminated if a student fails to perform competently and responsibly. A grade of Z would then be assigned. Students need to be aware that museums operate under deadlines and students' responsibilities must be completed appropriately.

Students are not expected to do museum work during finals week; however, if hours need to be made up for time missed during the quarter (due to illness, etc.), hours can be completed during finals week. In consultation with the museum supervisor of their internship, students should plan a weekly work schedule that adheres to the following requirements of hours completed by a quarter's end:

3 credits = 54 hours of museum work
4 credits = 72 hours of museum work
5 credits = 90 hours of museum work

Skills Acquisition

This course allows a student to participate in day to day interactions in a working environment. In addition to specific skills that a student may learn or practice (e.g. labeling, data entry, library research, educational presentations, etc.), students will also be required to take directives from supervisors, to complete tasks in a satisfactory and timely manner, and to successfully and responsibility work with supervisors and co-workers. In addition, students have a chance to reflect on museum issues by completing written exercises (or, for repeating interns, by writing a paper on a museum topic) and communicating their intern experiences in written form. Students are encouraged to ask supervisors for letters of recommendation for their portfolios if the skills they acquire and the responsibilities they undertake are deemed significant for their future endeavors.

Required Texts for the Course

First time interns: Introduction to Museum Work by G. Ellis Burcaw, third edition.
Cannibal Tours and Glass Boxes: The Anthropology of Museums, by Michael M. Ames
Second time interns: Exhibiting Cultures edited by Ivan Karp and Steven D. Lavine

A copy of each book is on reserve at Wilson Library and the Co-op Bookstore will carry copies of Introduction to Museum Work and Cannibal Tours and Glass Boxes. Students must make arrangements to order their own copies of Exhibiting Cultures through the Co-op Bookstore or in town.

90% of a student's final grade is based on museum supervisory evaluation (see museum evaluation form guidelines included with museums' materials). The sponsoring professor contacts the museum supervisor at the end of the quarter to collect the evaluation.

10% of the final grade is based on written work submitted to the sponsoring professor. ALL FIRST TIME INTERNS MUST COMPLETE THE BLACKBOARD COMPONENT OF THE COURSE.

Go to http://courses.wwu.edu

Once a student has gained verbal permission from the person who will act as the supervisor, he or she must contact the sponsoring professor by email with information that includes the student's official student number and the location (and department) of the internship to be pursued. The sponsoring professor will enter an override which will allow the student to register for the course as one would any other course. During the first week of the quarter or the first week of the internship (It is recommended that students begin the first week of the quarter in case hours are unexpectedly missed due to illness, a death in the family, etc.), the student must fill out the contract provided in this document. If the student and the supervisor have not previously discussed the student's schedule, it should be finalized during the first week of internship since a schedule of working hours is part of the contract. The student, the supervisor, and the sponsoring professor must all sign the contract, and it is the student's responsiblity to provide signed copies to both the supervisor and the sponsoring professor within the first or second week of the internship. If at any time during a quarter, a student needs to revise the contractual agreement, all parties (museum supervisor, sponsoring professor, and student) must agree on the changes.

Once registered for the course, a student will automatically be enrolled in the Blackboard component of the course. It should show up under "My Western" web page. Weekly reading assignments and essay questions (labelled as "quizzes") for first time interns will be posted on Blackboard. Answers are to be submitted by 3:00 on Friday of each week (beginning the FIRST WEEK OF THE QUARTER). During Fall Quarter, there is no assignment the week of Thanksgiving. Other announcements pertinent to interns may also appear on Blackboard.

A three page paper that summarizes a student's internship experiences and offers reflections and insights is required by noon Friday of Dead Week.

Second time interns also write a three page experience/reflections paper that is due by noon Friday of Dead Week. In addition, they read essays of their choice in Exhibiting Cultures and write a ten page paper that draws upon at least three of the essays for a topic that is explored via references to the readings and supplementary readings. For example, an exploration of the subject of authenticity or political considerations in exhibiting might be chosen. The paper is due by noon on Friday of the FIFTH WEEK of classes.

Third time interns also write a three page experience/reflections paper that is due by noon Friday of Dead Week. They also develop a topic for approval by the sponsoring professor that is discussed in a ten page paper, due by noon Friday of the FIFTH WEEK of classes.

Cooperating Museums

Lynden Pioneer Museum
Lynden Contacts
(For Lynden Pioneer Museum internship opportunities, please click the LPM link above.)

Whatcom Museum
Whatcom Contacts

Internship Opportunities

• Exhibitions
  
• Community Education
  
• Photo Archives
  
• Children's Museum

Whatcom Museum Internship Form required for Internship.