Faculty and Staff

1. The experience must be an extension of the classroom: a learning experience that provides for applying the knowledge gained in the classroom. It must not be simply to advance the operations of the employer or be the work that a regular employee would routinely perform.
2. The skills or knowledge learned must be transferable to other employment settings.
3. The experience has a defined beginning and end, and a job description with desired qualifications.
4. There are clearly defined learning objectives/goals related to the professional goals of the student’s academic coursework.
5. There is supervision by a professional with expertise and educational and/or professional background in the field of the experience.
6. There is routine feedback by the experienced supervisor.
7. There are resources, equipment, and facilities provided by the host employer that support learning objectives/goals.

If these criteria are followed, it is the opinion of NACE that the experience can be considered a legitimate internship.

Academic internships may benefit the student by:

• Stimulate critical thinking and problem solving.
• Allow students to apply what they have been taught in practical situations.
• Help students demonstrate personal responsibility.
• Promote ethical insights.
• Develop oral and written communication skills.
• Increase discipline-based knowledge and understanding.
• Gain an appreciation of creative and decision-making processes in an applied setting.
• Function effectively in situations where teamwork is necessary.
• Develop self-discipline, self-reliance, and a professional attitude.
• Explore and clarify goals related to his/her academic major and potential career.
• Gain practical experience.
• Build skills in managing time and organizing tasks.
• Develop self-assessment skills.
• Establish a network of professional contacts, mentors, and potential references.

Faculty members that are supervising academic internships may also benefit by:

• Keep abreast of changing needs and issues within career fields.
• Interact with professionals in fields which students are preparing to enter.
• Evaluate curriculum and instruction.

Below are a few questions that should be considered when developing an internship course.

• What will be the minimum criteria students must meet in order to qualify for an internship? For example, most departments use such criteria as the following: (1) 2.5 overall GPA (2) 2.5 or 3.0 average in the major (3) completion of certain required basic courses.
• What grading options will be offered? A- F or Pass - Fail
• Which faculty members will be responsible for supervising interns?
• How many hours of internship can be applied to the major? Some departments allow to apply three hours of internship credit to the major. Any other credit must be used as elective hours. * What kinds of assessment techniques will be used?
• Will there be site visits? If no site visits are possible, how will you maintain contact with the intern and his or her site supervisor? * What should be included in the prospective intern’s academic plan?
• Will credit be allowed if the student earns a grade lower than “C”?
• What activities will be cause for termination of an intern? * What kind (if any) of exit interview/essay will the department require?
• What will be the course number? Check the course numbers used by other departments. It’s better if departments try finding a consensus on the course number for internships so it’s the same across the university.
• What kind of orientation will your department provide for interns before they go out to the internship site? * Have you developed a student handbook and/or checklist to guide students through the process (Career Services ).
• How will academic credit be awarded? Remember credit should not be for work already done. A common equivalency used on campus is 1 hour of academic credit for every 40 contact hours. That equivalency would result in the following ratios:
  • 3 credits, 120 contact hours
  • 6 credits, 240 contact hours
  • 9 credits, 360 contact hours
  • 12 credits, 480 contact hours
  • 15 credits, 600 contact hours

Intern Responsibilities:

• To begin the process by initiating contact with the internship coordinator in his/her college or department
• To use the available resources in the department and the office of Career Services to identify potential internship sites
• To write a resume, cover letter and other documents needed to apply for the internship
• Attend an orientation session that the academic department offers
• To develop a set of learning objectives
• To work with the internship site and an appropriate member of the teaching faculty to develop an academic plan that will achieve those learning objectives
• To arrange a work schedule with the internship site and register for the academic credit approved by the internship coordinator
• To insure all paperwork is signed and returned to the appropriate university office
• To act in a professional manner and in accordance with the judicial policies of the Radford University Student Handbook
• To perform internship duties punctually, carefully, and conscientiously
• To contact the faculty coordinator on a regularly scheduled basis, and if required, to meet with the faculty coordinator for an exit interview.

Faculty Coordinator Responsibilities:

• To assist students in developing learning objectives and an academic plan
• To verify the academic validity of the internship
• To establish academic criteria for evaluation of the student
• To maintain regularly scheduled contact with the student and the site during the course of the internship
• To provide internship sites with mid-term and final evaluation forms
• To evaluate academic projects completed as part of the internship
• To determine the intern’s final grade for the internship
• To work closely with the Office of Career Services to meet the students’ needs
• To provide appropriate documentation to the Office of Career Services for assessment and reporting purposes
• To maintain existing employer relationships and to cultivate any new employer relationships

Site Supervisor Responsibilities: 

• To provide students with an orientation
• To assist in the completion of the intern’s learning contract by offering suggestions regarding: Feasibility – Are the objectives defined by the student and faculty coordinator appropriate and achievable in light of the intern’s work role? Activities/Resources – What can be used to achieve each objective? Verification – In what specific ways can the student’s progress be identified and evaluated?
• To assign challenging tasks and projects that will promote the achievement of the student’s learning objectives.
• To provide positive and negative feedback to the intern on a regular basis.
• To complete an evaluation of the intern to detail progress and to assess the intern’s behavior, work skills, and attitudes.