THE COOPERATIVE EDUCATION PROGRAM IN TSD

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP78-04497A000100030029-4
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: S
• Document Page Count: 4
• Document Creation Date: December 9, 2016
• Document Release Date: September 28, 2000
• Sequence Number: 29
• Publication Date: February 19, 1969
• Content Type: MEMO

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SECRti
MONORANDUM FOR: The Deputy Director for Plans
30029-4
SUBJECT : The Cooperative Education Program in TSD
SUMV.ARY:
Pursuant to your request, this paper covers the purpoae
bnaground and procedures of TSD's -C6o9erative Education
Program. It disculses financial nod security factors,
evaluates the progress and concludes that the program has
merit for consideration by other elements of the -Clandestine
Service.
PURPOSE:
We look upon this program vs -a long-term rocruitment
effort designed to attract, the most promising technical uud
rclone candidates to TSD. The students and their univer-
sities look upon it. ne means to gain useful job experience
in laboratory facilitien which will give more meaning and
nlir;)One to academic studies. The. students also look upon
it as n means to .earn money while going to school, and it is ?
the happy continence of these three, diverse .objectives
which make student co-op programs possible.. .
11ACKGROUND:
We mtnxted to think seriously about using thin approach' -
in the latter half of 1966 because we found that other govern
rent agencies and the privnte sector (who have long employed
this device) were draining off many of the most promising
candidates. The originnl project wan approved in Uarch,
1V67, sot a ceiling of 16 students and provided the necessnry.
funds for their salaries. The mix is purposely flexible
nod reflects our recruitment needs. At present we are niming
for 10-12 students in the.field of physics/electronics, 3-4
in the field of chemistry. and 1-.2 in, the field of mechanics.
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The Cooperative Nue Hon Pz'oam in TOD
In 'la' screening and selection is carried. out on
sr by a senior officer of TOD accompanied by Mr.
of the Office of Personnel. Following
medical end security reviews* the student is brought on
board and is ansined to our laboratories 25X1A-'
South Building,
20 - 24 weeks per year with us, divided into two work
pOriOIS that alternate with academic studies. We, In turn,
have blocked out work Activities which roughly correspond
with his state of academic development.
SEC RITY:
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A primary quest on WAG whether or not we could reolve
the security problems attendant to having young people work-
ing with us only part of the time. We came to the conclusion
that the risks could be reduced to an acceptable level by
paying clone attention to the students while they wore here
loud by properly keeping in touch with them during their
academic periods. We make no bones about the fact that they
ore being employed by CIA and we insure that the students
are not used in any operational sense. Radical student
activities does not appear to be as serious a problem at
the technical chooln and our visits ,to the campuses have
not been marred by "incidents."
If:117 D5W
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SIMJECT : The Cooperative Education Program in TSI)
FINANCIAL:
Salary s Iles rvnge from GS 3 to 03 7, depending Upon
the student's level of academie development. In addition,
Wr PflY his travel. OXIII0R009 to and from Washington, and, wore
recently, we blIve made provisions for a cost of living
increment. Students assigned to South Building Can got
Rion, ve,y well on their salaries, but students assigned
25X1A to are hard-pressed to mate ends
meet. Public trncportnt1on and low-cost board snd room
facilities are not available in those areas, and we have
found it necessary to provide this latter group lifith au
increment of approximately $70.00 pet menth
f;TATUS gt% EV LUATION:
????tewV1.1*
We now have 11 students in the programt 2 in ChomAstry,
1 in Mechanics and 3 in Physics/Electronics. All of these
have completed one or more work periods with us. Two more
stndents aro about to arrive for their first work period
and we intend to fill the three remaining vacancies with
Electronic Engineering ntudents.
It in too early to toll whether the main purpose of ,
thin program, i.e., recruitment, will be realized. Two
or three of the students are ot the freshman level and .
'their potential cannot_ be discerned. Throe or four- otters. ,
havo'been here for two work periods, now, and we feel that
they are very able end promising- young mon. Two candidates .
wore rejected on medical -and security grounds -prior to?
entry end we have terminated one young man because we
were not impressed by his attitudes and work habits.
Several of our students are now at the junior level and,
In 12-18 months we will know whether we have succeeded,
in attracting them to Rn Agency career. ?In. the menn,-'. ?
time we can comment quite favorably on the. calibre of
this group., both in terms of acadomic excellence and .,.
suitability for employment. .We ere:vell-pleaed .with
them as premixing -young mem:: . ?
?
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: The Coopirntive Mucatton rogre
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Finally, from the dincuenions they have
follow stedentsr it appears that the laborate
wbIh we provide compares most favorably to the
provided by other employers.
C&)NCLSIONS:
4.11111110,4.1110. All??????????-....1?1
Althongh the program has boon singular y fr
we ve concluded that it in bett r not to. accept
at e freshman level. Over a period of tiee, 1111'
we expect to concentrate on three or four schools r
,the large number we new have represented.
While this report in based on the experience of a
technical divinion, it would appear that a similar program
ndostino :)ervice.
these programs have
the tchaica1 sohools, yet we
'al nr e co1.1eca 4.- particularly
ffairm and
it h
might be effective o1sowhor-
25X1A With the exception of
been confined primaril
would think that some libe
these devoted to area studios, international
languages would welcome a similar approach.
As a selection device we feel that this type of program
has obvious.advantaee. Ono can Study and get to know
Individual students relatively well before seeking to roe_
cruit them.- At the same time the student learns- enough,
about the nature of our work to provide.' a:goodybasia ,fok
peleettng a career in the Agency
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