Thirty-six Penn State students packed their bags late this summer, looking forward to a fall semester of study and work experience in the nation's capital. But too many of them ended up spending a few weeks sitting around waiting for the organizers to get their act together.

The Penn State Washington program promises students they will spend the semester working on internships four days a week, while taking Penn State classes on Thursdays.

But when students arrived this year, many found that program organizers hadn't yet arranged the promised internships.

Some students only began working in late September. Others, frustrated by not gaining the experience they anticipated, went out to find their own positions.

This wasn't the first time it happened, either.

Penn State is responsible for having the internships lined up before students arrive. When students wrote their tuition checks and made their decisions to be away from State College for the semester, that's what they expected.

The students who spent part of their first month waiting for jobs missed out on some of the unique educational experience they signed up for. Established in 1995, this program is not new. Penn State should have the details worked out and the timing down by now.

Organizers blamed Sept. 11 as one reason the internships were so delayed this year, citing extensive background checks that some companies now require. This seems a weak excuse. If some jobs do require these checks, which the faculty said can take several weeks, then why didn't Penn State start the paperwork earlier during the summer?

Organizers knew the students were coming; they shouldn't have waited until the last minute.

We hope the problems and frustrations this year's students dealt with will serve as lessons to improve the program for next year's class.

The Penn State Washington program has much promise to be an enriching and educational experience for students.

An even bigger draw is the university's promise to arrange housing, schedule the classes -- and organize the jobs.

Don't let what's otherwise a great program be hurt by such logistical problems.