Internship/Practicum

Description
Internship is one of the most important and unique courses within the Student Affairs Leadership and Practice program. It is designed to provide an integration of practical experience and academic learning in a setting similar to that in which the student expects to be employed. Furthermore, the seminar is intended to help students prepare for the transition from graduate student to a professional student affairs position following completion of the degree. Within this context, on-site supervision is provided by the site supervisor, and group processing of the experience is provided by the university instructor. The final course grade is determined by the university instructor with input from the site supervisor.

Internship Site
An appropriate site is one where the student can become familiar with a particular area of student affairs services and activities including direct work with the student population. It allows the student to obtain supervised experience in organization development and interaction with clientele appropriate to their program area (students, prospective students, parents, alumni, faculty, staff, and outside agencies, etc.) and provides the opportunity for participation in a wide range of professional resources and activities. The university instructor must approve all internship sites.

The variety of Internship placements is broad. A student may work in a university, college, community college or satellite campus placement. Students should discuss appropriate placements with his/her program coordinator prior to approaching a potential supervisor. Students must contact the potential supervisor to discuss the internship objectives, internship requirements and responsibilities, supervision, etc. The site must be appropriate and the site supervisor willing to agree to supervise the intern prior to approval of the placement by the program coordinator. The Internship Application must be submitted to the university program coordinator during the first week of the semester prior to beginning of Internship. The signed Training Agreement must be submitted to the university program coordinator prior to the beginning of Internship.

Students currently employed full-time, part-time or in graduate assistantships may use these sites (if appropriate) for 300 hours of their internship experience. The student must, however, perform responsibilities that are in addition to their current jobs and are appropriate to a professional position. The internship experience shoulf significantly extend the students experience in higher education and cannot be simply a repetition of the student’s normal job requirements.

Activities
Appropriate internship activities are those duties and responsibilities which a beginning Student Affairs professional would be expected to perform. At the beginning of the placement, the intern and site-supervisor will develop a list of goals and objectives unique to each intern and site. A minimum of 40% of the intern’s time must be spent in direct service activities. Direct service is defined as service to an individual student, group of students, professional colleagues or other professionals. This service may involve education, testing and assessment, advising, research, program development, and evaluation.

Internship Supervisor
The site should have a supervisor who is available to work with the student, who possesses certifications (i.e.: Master’s degree or higher degree) equivalent to that for which the student is preparing, and who has a minimum of two years of professional experience. The site supervisor must agree to the responsibilities required of all site supervisors before approval of the site and supervisor by the program coordinator.

Program Coordinator Responsibilities

Internship Site Supervisor Responsibilities

Student Responsibilities:
Professional experience: Spend a minimum of 600 hours at your internship site. Perform all assignments on-site in a responsible and professional manner. A weekly and semester log verifying your hours must be signed by student and site supervisor and submitted to the university supervisor.

List of expectations and responsibilities: This list should include the details of the internship arrangement. This is to be submitted the second class of the semester.

Site supervision: Receive minimum of one hour of face-to-face individual supervision from site supervisor each week during the semester that student is completing the 600 hours. Document these supervision hours on the internship log.

University supervision: Attend and actively participate in university internship group class and/or individual supervision every week, unless special arrangements have been pre- approved by university supervisor.

Liability insurance: Purchase professional liability insurance through a professional organization or through a private insurer. Student may not begin to collect hours until proof of insurance has been submitted to the university instructor.

Evaluation of professional experience and supervision: Be evaluated for on-site work by site supervisor and university instructor. Student must collect completed Mid-term and Final evaluations from each supervisor and submit them to your University internship supervisor by the due dates.

Attendance: Any student missing more than one unexcused absence from class or from the internship site will receive a “C” in the course. Students must receive a “B” or better in internship to graduate from the program.

Internship Assignments: Students will be assigned various course requirements such as developing a portfolio and presentations, reading and discussion assignments, etc.

Documentation: Students should keep a copy of all documents for their own files.