Internship Program Guidelines Credit Internships

Transcription

1 Internship Program Guidelines Credit Internships 100 College Drive Allentown, PA Off Campus: (610) On Campus: 4648 Fax: (610)

2 Internship Objective An internship for credit is a supervised, semester-long, fall, spring or summer work experience for which pass/fail academic credit is granted. It is intended to serve as a meaningful practical supplement to classroom instruction and is done under the supervision of: 1. a Faculty Supervisor; 2. an On-Site Supervisor at the sponsoring organization; and 3. the Career Planning Center* * Clinical training and internships in Education (Student Teaching), Nursing, and Social Work are supervised and administrated separately by each respective department. Students enrolled in these programs should check with their department for the appropriate guidelines, procedures and requirements. Roles, Responsibilities and Definitions Student: Obtains the required internship forms from Career Planning Center including the Contract, Guidelines, and Statement of Intent. The Contract outlines the internship dates, hours, job description and written assignment in addition to all required signatures. Student must provide all information requested on the Contract, including signatures, before returning all forms to the Career Planning Center. Student completes all required assignments and submits directly to faculty supervisor by the deadlines specified. Academic Advisor: Advises and counsels students regarding internship site selections, avoidance of course overload and course prerequisites. Determines if the proposed internship meets the approval of the academic department and signs Internship Contract. Faculty Supervisor: Approves student s proposed internship site, credit hours and monitors student s progress through weekly or monthly meetings. Determines internship written assignment. Evaluates student s performance and assigns appropriate grade and signs Internship Contract. Site Supervisor: Provides orientation, supervision, and work projects to the student intern. Meets regularly with intern to provide direction and work progression and completes a mid-term and final Evaluation Form of student s performance. Provides job description to students so it can be handed in along with contract. Director of Career Planning: Provides administrative oversight of the Internship Program. Counsels and assists students with the application process including resume and interview preparation. Conducts Preparatory Seminar to prepare students for the internship experience. Assists students in the internship application process to secure an internship. Distributes, explains and monitors all required internship paperwork. Acts as a liaison between Faculty Supervisor, Student and Site Supervisor. Maintains contact with company sponsors and signs Internship Contract.

3 Prerequisites 1. Internships are open to all students attending Cedar Crest College who have completed their sophomore year and who have earned a minimum of 60 credits. If a student does not have a minimum of 60 credits, the department chair in the student s major must approve the internship. Transfer students must have completed at least one semester at Cedar Crest College. 2. A student must have a minimum cumulative G.P.A. of 2.0 and have completed the appropriate course work required by the nature of the internship. 3. It is highly recommended that students satisfy their departmental internship requirement no later than the semester before they anticipate graduating. (For example, students expecting to graduate in May of their senior year should complete their department s internship requirement no later than the end of the fall semester of their senior year.) Students must complete and submit an Internship Contract with the appropriate faculty approval and signatures, on or before the deadlines provided by the Career Planning Center. The deadline is November 30 th for Spring internships, April 29 th for summer and fall internships. However, if you are not leaving the Lehigh Valley for the summer, the deadline for fall internships is extended to August 11 th. If any of these dates falls on a Saturday or Sunday, the following Monday is the actual deadline date. These deadlines will be announced in several campus advertisement vehicles (i.e. This Week on the Crest, Career Planning Homepage, Campus TV and bulletin boards). 4. Students seeking to design their own internships must discuss their proposals with the appropriate faculty within their academic department. Procedures Step #1 A. Review Internship Guidelines on Career Planning Homepage B. Review Internship files in the Career Planning Center. C. Contact Director of Career Planning at ext or career@cedarcrest.edu with specific questions. D. Pick up required internship forms in the Career Planning Center. Step #2 A. Research internship sites. B. Prepare resume and cover letter. C. Contact potential internship sites. D. Interview potential sites and secure placement. Students may elect to pursue a self-designed internship with any employer(s) or sites(s) deemed appropriate by their academic advisor. Students are strongly encouraged to be creative and involved in designing and arranging internships that best suit their individual interests and career aspirations. Step #3 Students need to meet with their Academic Advisor to obtain approval of their internship plans and to discuss the number of credit hours they expect to earn for an internship. The Academic Advisor must signify his or her approval of the student s proposal by signing the Internship Contract.

4 Step #4 Students must then identify and request a faculty member, in the same field of study as their proposed internship, to serve as their internship Faculty Supervisor. If an internship is done in a field other than your major, your current advisor must sign the contract; however, the faculty supervisor for the internship must be in the academic department related to the internship. Step #5 Whether a student pursues their own internship or seeks one listed with the Career Planning Center, an Internship Contract signed by the Academic Advisor, Faculty Supervisor and Career Planning Director is required before a student may begin an internship. The signature of the Faculty Supervisor will signify departmental approval of the student s internship plans. However, in special circumstances where a student is seeking more than the typical credit load for an internship, as illustrated in the chart below, the signatures of the student s Department Chair are also required on the Internship Contract. Summary of Signatures Required on Application & Contract Type of Internship >3-6 Credits Fall or Spring OR >3 Credits Summer Contract Signatures Academic Advisor Faculty Supervisor Department Chair Career Planning Center Step #6 Signed Internship Contract must be returned to the Career Planning Center for final approval before internship begins. Step #7 Students must register and pay for internship credits as they would for any course sponsored by the College. The Registrar will not accept registration for an internship without the completed Internship Contract. Students must complete all internship paperwork and registration forms before beginning to work at their internship site. They will not get credit for hours completed before a contract was approved.

5 Internship Requirements and Course Credit A standard internship is typically worth 3 credits. At the discretion of the faculty supervisor within the student s department, up to 6 credits may be awarded for an internship. However, no more than 6 credits may be granted unless pre-approved by the student s Department Chair and the Provost. An internship of more than 6 credits must consist of significant additional job responsibilities, projects and hours. Academic credit will be awarded for internships based on successful: 1. Completion of the number of contracted work hours. Credits are awarded based on the following number of minimum hours worked during a 15-week semester: 3 credits- a minimum total of 120 hours are required (10 hours/week) for weeks 6 credits- a minimum total of 240 hours are required (20 hours/week) for weeks 2. Completion of academic assignments as determined by the Faculty Supervisor in the Internship Contract. Assignments may include, but are not limited to a Weekly Journal, Final Paper and/or an Informational Interview. Unless otherwise stipulated by the Faculty Supervisor, all assignments are due to Faculty Supervisor on or before the completion of the internship. Summer Internships Students seeking summer internships are eligible for 3 6 credits. The minimum number of weeks required in a summer internship is 10 weeks. The student s Academic Department Chair and the Provost must approve summer internships of more than 3 credits. Internship Workshop All interns are encouraged to attend an Internship Workshop presented by the Career Planning Center. Other Restrictions Students are not permitted to enroll in an internship for credit with a current employer, performing similar job-related tasks, unless new learning projects are assigned. Students may only do one internship per semester. Students may elect to continue an internship beyond a single semester; however, to earn credit the internship must provide a new or different challenge. No retroactive credit can be given to a student seeking credit for a position already completed. No hours can be counted toward the internship until the Internship Contract has been approved and the student has registered for the internship credits. If a student leaves an internship for any reason, whether it is of their own free will or they are asked to leave by the internship site, they forfeit any hours completed and will be withdrawn by the Career Planning Center. If this occurs after the drop/add period, the student may not register for another internship during that semester.

6 Exceptions to the Internship Requirement Department Chairs, in consultation with the Provost may elect to waive their department s internship requirement in special circumstances including, but not limited to, the following: 1. In instances where an internship requirement would present an undue hardship for the student. For example, in instances where the student has a physical, emotional, learning or language disability or handicap or a unique personal circumstance that would prevent them from either successfully obtaining, maintaining or completing the requirements of an internship. 2. Where the department deems a student to have already satisfied the practical experience requirement of an internship. For example, through completion of an independent study project requiring fieldwork. Internship Liability Liability for an internship experience can vary depending on the circumstances of the internship. Normally when you are involved with an internship where remuneration is received, you are considered an employee of the organization with which you are interning. As an employee you are covered by the liability insurance of your employer. Internships where remuneration is not received fall into two categories: academic credit received and academic credit not received. The college carries insurance to cover claims arising out of academic credit internship covering bodily injury or property damage. However, individual student liability is not covered where academic credit is not received. In these instances, students should consider obtaining a policy to cover their personal liability and/or check their homeowner insurance policy to see if it would cover their individual situation. No insurance is available for internships without academic credit. Updated 04/2011

7 INTERNSHIP CONTRACT - CREDIT Career Planning Center 100 College Drive, Allentown, PA FAX: (SPS 270) It is the student s responsibility to complete this form, obtain necessary signatures, and return to the Career Planning Center. Name Student ID# Major GPA Anticipated Graduation (Month/Year) Campus phone/ Box # Credits: 3 or 6 (Internships of more than 3 credits in the summer and 6 credits in the fall and spring must be preapproved by the Department Chair. Additional signatures may be required.) Circle One: Fall Spring Summer Year Circle One: Non-paid Paid Internship Site Supervisor s Name & Job Title Street Address City State Zip Code Phone Fax Intern Job Title Start Date End Date Total Weeks/hrs Description of Internship Please obtain a description of position duties from the Site Supervisor and attach to this contract on a separate page. A. Site Supervisor Responsibilities Provide a job description to student for approval by a faculty supervisor. Provide orientation, supervision, and work projects to student intern. Meet regularly with intern to provide feedback on performance, assessment of work accomplished, and direction for future tasks. Complete mid-term evaluation of intern s performance, discuss it with the intern, submit to CCC Career Planning Center. Complete final evaluation of intern s performance, discuss it with the intern, submit to CCC Career Planning Center. (Evaluations will be filed by the Career Planning Center at Cedar Crest College. Copies will not be distributed to the student) B. Faculty Supervisor Responsibilities Approve appropriateness of internship for the student s program & credit allocation. Determine learning outcomes of the internship experience.

8 Meet regularly with student to discuss work completed, professional experience gained, and problems encountered during the internship experience. At mid-semester and semester s end, meet with student to review site supervisor evaluation and discuss items important to the student s professional development Evaluate and assign final grade (letter grade or P/F credit). Rationale for awarding credit & method of evaluation: Assignment Due Date: C. Student Responsibilities After meeting with site supervisor and faculty supervisor, prepare description of internship and obtain necessary approvals. Read and agree to abide by Internship Guidelines set forth by the Career Planning Center. Complete MINIMUM of 120 hrs for 3 credits, 240 for 6 credits. This will consist of 12 weeks in the Fall and Spring semesters and 10 weeks in the Summer. (Forensic Science Program requires a minimum of 240 hours and 10 weeks in the summer). Complete and submit all assignments to the Faculty Supervisor as specified. Complete an evaluation form and submit to Career Planning Center. (Note: Credits granted on a pass/fail basis do not count as graded academic credits for graduation with honors or membership in academic honor societies.) D. Academic Advisor Responsibilities Advise and counsel student regarding departmental prerequisites and appropriate credit load. E. Career Planning Center Responsibilities Assist students in the internship application process. Coordinate the internship experience. Manage correspondence. Review student site evaluation forms. F. Signatures Student: Site Supervisor: Academic Advisor: Faculty Supervisor: Career Planning Director: Date: Date: Date: Date: Date: Section G is required for approval of internships over 3 credit hours in the summer and over 6 credit hours in the fall and spring. Additional signatures may be required. G. Department Chair Signature Department Chair: Date: Copies to: Registrar s Office, Faculty Supervisor, Director of Career Planning & Site Supervisor

9 Internship Evaluation Form (Site Supervisor) Career Planning Center 100 College Drive, Allentown, PA fax: Mid-Term Final 3 Credits 6 Credits Other Spring Summer Fall Please complete this evaluation form for the intern listed below and return it to the Career Planning Center at Cedar Crest College. Thank you for your participation in our Internship Program. Intern Name: Internship Site: Site Supervisor: Please comment on the student s strengths and weaknesses: Please describe the types of projects and/or assignments the student has completed or will complete by the end of the internship: Please indicate the total number of hours the intern has worked to date: Would you hire this intern if a full-time position were available with your organization? Why or why not? Other comments or concerns that you would like to share: Please See Reverse Side for Scoring Rubric

10 Please Rate Student Intern by Circling the Appropriate Number Range 9-10 Represents professional and excellent work. There are no major areas of needed improvement and the student/intern exhibits an exceptional degree of responsibility, accuracy, motivation, and overall maturity. 7-8 Represents professional work, but there are minor areas of improvement needed. The intern exhibits an aboveaverage degree of responsibility, accuracy, and overall maturity. 5-6 Represents competent but average work. The intern does not exhibit a high degree of motivation and only does what they are asked to do. Communication skills are lacking and the intern could be more responsible and accurate in their assignments. 3-4 Represents unacceptable work. The intern lacks motivation, responsibility, and accuracy. Communication skills are lacking and the intern's work has to be continually double-checked and redone 1-2 Represents failure to meet the supervisor's minimum expectations in every area. Communication Professionalism Deadlines Engagement Contribution Direction/ Oversight Professional, error free, timely Exceptional dress & conduct with no ongoing guidance required; able to discern unspoken rules of conduct and dress Completed all work early, allowing time for revision; attended all meetings Extra effort, provided extra deliverables Exceeded expectations, contributed new ideas, provided additional deliverables, error free Able to work independently, creatively, curiously; good problem-solving Regular communication, minor errors Appropriate dress and conduct with occasional guidance required Missed no more than one meeting or deadline Varied engagement depending on schedule Deliverables exceeded expectations, professional, error free Needed occasional but minimal direction Met minimal expectations Appropriate dress and conduct with guidance Missed more than one meeting or deadline Met expectations Met expectations Needed lots of reminders & supervisor initiated contact skills A is a score greater than or equal to 51 B is a score ranging from C is a score ranging from 27-38/ On a P/F scale, 27 or more is a P D is a score ranging from F is a score of 15 or below Incomplete and unresponsive Inappropriate dress or significant, ongoing mentoring required to meet minimal standards Frequently missed meetings and deadlines Little interest, only completed required activities, reluctance to engage Multiple errors in work, volume below expectations Supervisor often concerned regarding the project Little or none Complaints or habitual inappropriate dress or behavior Incomplete work, multiple absences Attended but did not engage Work incomplete or not submitted Unable to meet objectives in internship environment Supervisor Signature Date

11 Student Statement of Intent This is to signify that I intend to participate in the Internship Program, that I have reviewed the Internship Program Guidelines; available in the Career Planning Center and that I fully understand the following statements and requirements. (If you have any questions regarding the statements below, please contact the Career Planning Center for clarification BEFORE signing this form): 1. In order to register to participate in the Internship Program, I must discuss my internship plans and the number of credit hours I propose to earn with my Academic Advisor and have him/her sign my Internship Contract. 2. I understand that, with the approval of my Academic Advisor, I may pursue a self-designed internship with employers or sites of my choosing. 3. I understand that I must submit an Internship Contract to Career Planning on or before the established deadlines. I understand that before I may begin an internship I must submit an Internship Contract, signed by the appropriate parties as outlined in the Internship Program Guidelines, to the Career Planning Center. You may not register for an Internship without this contract. 4. I will NOT change ANY of the terms of my Internship Contract, including the start and end dates, without prior approval of the Career Planning Center. Once a verbal agreement has been made and registration begun, Internships may not be withdrawn or dropped through the Registrar on my own initiative without prior approval from all signators and the Career Planning Center. 5. I agree to maintain regular communication with the Career Planning Center by checking my campus or my phone answering machine at least twice a week. In addition, I agree to check the CCC Info System on a regular basis for special announcements regarding the Internship Program. 6. I understand assignments are made by my Faculty Supervisor and that I must complete all assignments as they appear on my Internship Contract. 7. I understand I may attend an Internship Seminar sponsored by the Career Planning Center before I begin my internship. I further understand that if I miss this meeting it is my responsibility to check the Internship Program Guidelines, to make other arrangements to meet with the Director of Career Planning if I have any questions. 8. At the end of my internship I understand that all assignments made by my Faculty Supervisor are due directly to my Faculty Supervisor unless otherwise stipulated by my Faculty Supervisor. 9. I understand that I must give the Director of Career Planning my & phone contact and also follow-up on any internship matters that are sent to me. Student Signature and Phone Number/ (Required) Date

12 INTERNSHIP CONTRACT NON-CREDIT Career Planning Center 100 College Drive, Allentown, PA FAX: (SPS 270) It is the student s responsibility to complete this form, obtain necessary signatures, and return to the Career Planning Center. Name Student ID# Major GPA Anticipated Graduation (Month/Year) Campus phone/ Circle One: Fall Spring Summer Year Circle One: Non-paid Paid Box # Internship Site Supervisor s Name & Title Street Address City State Zip Code Phone Fax Intern Job Title Start Date End Date Total Weeks/hrs Description of Internship Please attach a description of the internship to this contract on a separate piece of paper. A. Student Responsibilities Prepare description of internship with site supervisor. Agree to abide by stipulations noted in Internship Guidelines set forth by the Career Planning Center. Complete hours as deemed appropriate by the site supervisor. B. Academic Advisor Responsibilities Advise and counsel student regarding departmental prerequisites and appropriate credit load. C. Career Planning Center Responsibilities Assist students in the internship application process. Coordinate the internship experience. Manage correspondence. E. Signatures Student Academic Advisor Career Planning Director Date Date Date Copies to: Academic Advisor & Director of Career Planning

13 Career Planning Center Student Evaluation of Internship Please complete the following questions. Your assistance will help us advise and inform students about their internship options in the future. Completed evaluations will be placed on file in the Career Planning Center so that students considering internships may review student comments and make informed decisions about what opportunities best suit their interests. In completing this form, if you prefer to remain anonymous, simply omit your name on this form. Your Name (optional) Date Internship Site City Department Type of Internship (i.e. marketing, accounting, business, social science, etc.) On Site-Supervisor Faculty Supervisor Your Phone Number (include only if you would be amenable to having other students call you to inquire about your internship experience) What semester did you do your internship (circle one) Summer Fall Spring Was it (circle one): Paid Unpaid Other (please explain) Was it (circle one): Credit Non-credit Briefly describe the responsibilities of the position. Please assess each item below using the following scale: 4=Excellent 3=Good 2=Fair 1=Poor Value of experience Skills learned Supervision provided Challenges of assignment(s) Appropriate workload Variety of Work Orientation of internship site Safety of site/environment Internship experience met my expectations What did you like most about this internship?

14 What did you like least about this internship? What kind of supervision did you receive from your on-site supervisor? regularly scheduled meetings other, please explain From your faculty supervisor? regularly-scheduled meetings other, please explain Did any issues arise during the internship in regard to job responsibilities? Yes No If yes, please describe: Would you recommend this internship site to other students? Yes No Please explain: Were you offered a full-time or part-time position by your internship employer? Yes No If yes, did you accept the offer? Yes No Please comment on any benefits you feel you have gained from this experience. Thank you very much for completing this evaluation! Please return to the Career Planning Center at completion of your internship experience.