Wiki source for UTManualIntro
===Introduction===----
Welcome to Project Vote Smart! We are delighted to have you working with us toward our monumental goal. Our mission to provide voters with accurate, abundant, and relevant information would not be possible without the hard work of our interns. We appreciate the time and dedication you give to this project and we believe that this will be a rewarding and memorable internship experience.
Thousands of elected officials are sworn in to honor their promises and keep the public's trust. Unfortunately, we all know that some will not hold themselves to the high standard that the people deserve. The hyper-partisan political environment that exists today makes Project Vote Smart’s mission invaluable to the electorate.
Project Vote Smart is based in Montana at the Great Divide Ranch. Our [[http://www.votesmart.org/internships/ National Internship Program]] at our headquarters is very competitive in the summer; however, in the winter months few students are able or willing to go to the mountains of Montana. To keep the organization operating at full capacity throughout the year, the Project has opened a satellite office at the University of Texas at Austin. Our Austin office is housed in the University of Texas at Austin's [[http://communication.utexas.edu/strauss/ Annette Strauss Institute for Civic Life]], which is within the College of Communications. During the school year, students from the Austin area have the opportunity to participate in the Project’s mission and receive priority consideration when applying for our National Internship Program in Montana.
This office focuses on the Legislative Research Program, also referred to as Key Votes. Your primary task as an intern will be to conduct research into the legislative actions of the states. At times when the workload for current projects is low, we may ask for your assistance with the work of other departments within Project Vote Smart. With all of your assignments, you will be helping to strengthen democracy while gaining valuable experience (and, if desired, college credit). Take pride in the fact that you are helping us provide the American public with unbiased information about candidates, elected officials, and legislation.
We are very grateful for your contribution. We want to make your orientation and training at Project Vote Smart as smooth as possible. Please ask for help if needed and feel free to ask lots of questions throughout your internship.
The following pages will provide an overview of your tasks while working with us, as well as general information about the office that may be helpful. The policies, procedures, and guidelines detailed in the following pages have been approved by Project Vote Smart to cover all interns working at our office at the University of Texas at Austin. Each intern is expected to read, understand, be familiar with, and follow the contents of this manual. If you have any questions or concerns about our policies, please contact a member of the staff.
Welcome to Project Vote Smart! We are delighted to have you working with us toward our monumental goal. Our mission to provide voters with accurate, abundant, and relevant information would not be possible without the hard work of our interns. We appreciate the time and dedication you give to this project and we believe that this will be a rewarding and memorable internship experience.
Thousands of elected officials are sworn in to honor their promises and keep the public's trust. Unfortunately, we all know that some will not hold themselves to the high standard that the people deserve. The hyper-partisan political environment that exists today makes Project Vote Smart’s mission invaluable to the electorate.
Project Vote Smart is based in Montana at the Great Divide Ranch. Our [[http://www.votesmart.org/internships/ National Internship Program]] at our headquarters is very competitive in the summer; however, in the winter months few students are able or willing to go to the mountains of Montana. To keep the organization operating at full capacity throughout the year, the Project has opened a satellite office at the University of Texas at Austin. Our Austin office is housed in the University of Texas at Austin's [[http://communication.utexas.edu/strauss/ Annette Strauss Institute for Civic Life]], which is within the College of Communications. During the school year, students from the Austin area have the opportunity to participate in the Project’s mission and receive priority consideration when applying for our National Internship Program in Montana.
This office focuses on the Legislative Research Program, also referred to as Key Votes. Your primary task as an intern will be to conduct research into the legislative actions of the states. At times when the workload for current projects is low, we may ask for your assistance with the work of other departments within Project Vote Smart. With all of your assignments, you will be helping to strengthen democracy while gaining valuable experience (and, if desired, college credit). Take pride in the fact that you are helping us provide the American public with unbiased information about candidates, elected officials, and legislation.
We are very grateful for your contribution. We want to make your orientation and training at Project Vote Smart as smooth as possible. Please ask for help if needed and feel free to ask lots of questions throughout your internship.
The following pages will provide an overview of your tasks while working with us, as well as general information about the office that may be helpful. The policies, procedures, and guidelines detailed in the following pages have been approved by Project Vote Smart to cover all interns working at our office at the University of Texas at Austin. Each intern is expected to read, understand, be familiar with, and follow the contents of this manual. If you have any questions or concerns about our policies, please contact a member of the staff.
