An architectural internship should be structured in such a way as to eliminate hardship on the intern, rather putting the burden on the employer to teach and mentor, as well as pay interns. Too often IDP forms are filled out and signed, when in fact the intern's experience is that of office gopher or computer drafter. I am a strong advocate of accrediting/monitoring all firms that take interns. This would establish a minimum criteria for the education of an architect once they leave academe. Additionally, individuals within the firms whose responsibility it is to teach/instruct could themselves be mentored as teachers, again ensuring that the intern is being taught in such a way as to maximize their learning.

The University of Hawaii has established an exemplary model entitled their "practicum", wherein faculty within the University travel to offices where their graduate students are placed to do their professional practica. The faculty meet with the principals of the firm and with their students to quantitatively and qualitatively assess the student's exposure to varied aspects of practice and to the firm's teaching abilities and learning environment. This academic model could serve as a paradigm for the aforementioned office internship accreditation or monitoring. I believe that teaching practitioners to teach would qualitatively improve the nature of internship.