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| Employer Information for Internships |
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| Internship Information |
St. Edward’s University recognizes the potential
derived from effective community and college collaboration
that mutually benefit the student and the participating
organization. In the Career Planning Office, we have a number
of internship programs that provide students with
the opportunity to supplement classroom training with
real-world experience.
The Career Planning Office, as well as some of the individual
schools, facilitate the academic credit-bearing internships.
Approximately 52% of SEU majors require an internship
experience for the degree plan. This pamphlet will
explore the various aspects of the internship experience
from the business or non-profit point of view including
paid vs. non-paid internships, benefits to your company,
benefits to the University, legal issues, the triangular
relationship of school:business:student, insurance,
civil rights, how to work effectively with an intern
and how to identify possible trouble spots.
This information is provided as a quick reference
to help your experience with an SEU intern be a positive
one. It is people such as you who make this experience
possible for our students and we want you to know
we are here to support you in any way as you start
on this exciting venture.
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| What is an Internship? |
An internship is a supervised, practical working
experience. The internship is conducted within organizations
and consists of actual working experiences related
to areas in the student’s major. Duties may include
researching, attending meetings, observing the work
process, fulfilling assigned tasks, reporting and
participating in team activities.
Some internships are paid, some are for academic credit
and some are for both pay and academic credit. If
the student elects to gain academic credit, it is
their responsibility to register with the University
for academic credit. This type of internship is usually
evaluated on a Pass/Fail basis and the instructor
will determine grade with input from the immediate
supervisor.
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| How will my
organization benefit? |
| Research shows that
companies who have interns experience increased productivity
and customer satisfaction, have lower turnover and
increased morale, and have cost reductions due to
improved performance. Employees directly involved
with interns increase their ability to adapt and integrate
new work practices and become more efficient at work
processes. One of our goals is to design a formal
education and training strategy that is intrinsically
linked to the company’s long range goals. For
example, students can review the company’s current
objectives, learn about future goals and write clear
long and short-term goals of how they can contribute
during their experience.
Over the past years, the use of internships as part
of the recruitment process has increased tremendously.
Employers report that interns are the best source
of new full-time employees. Already familiar with
your company, an intern can move into the role of
employee easier than a new hire.
Over the past years, the use of internships as part
of the recruitment process has increased tremendously.
Employers report that interns are the best source
of new full-time employees. Already familiar with
your company, an intern can move into the role of
employee easier than a new hire.
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| The
Legal Part – To pay or not to pay? |
The U.S. Department of
Labor has developed six criteria for identifying who
may be unpaid. These criteria include:
a. training, even though it includes actual operations
of the employer’s facilities, is similar to training
that would be given in a vocational school
b. training is for the benefit of the student
c. intern does not displace regular employees, but
works under the close observation of a regular employee
d. employer provides the training and derives no immediate
advantage from the activities of the student. Occasionally,
the operations may actually be impeded by the training
e. intern is not necessarily entitled to a job at
the conclusion of the training period
f. employer and the student understand that the student
is not entitled to wages for time spent training
While not all six factors have to be present for an
individual to be a trainee, experience should ultimately
look more like a training/learning experience than
a job.
Following are some points that generally hold true
for meeting the “trainee” or “intern”
criteria.
a. work is an integral part of the student’s
course of study
b. intern will receive credit for the work or the
work is required for graduation
c. intern must prepare a report of the internship
experience to submit to a faculty member
d. learning objectives are clearly defined
e. intern is in a shadowing/learning mode, not doing
the work of regular employees
f. there is an educational value to the work performed;
i.e. it related to the course the student is taking
in school
g. intern is supervised by a staff member
h. employer did not guarantee a job to the student
upon completion of the training or degree
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| The
Nature of the Triangular Relationship |
The relationship triangle illustrates
the between student, SEU, and business. Lets take a
look at the reciprocal duties inherent in this triangular
relationship.
What are the duties owed by
the institution and the worksite to the student?
a. access to an appropriate placement
b. placed in a reasonably safe environment
c. intern is given adequate supervision
d. intern is given the necessary tools and equipment
to perform intended services
e. internship is compensated with a financial incentive
and/or academic credit.
What are the duties owed by the student to the institution
and the worksite?
a. accurate information about his/her skills and experience
b. apprise of any physical or mental limitations so
that the student can competently carry out the work
assignments
c. meet the academic requirements of the program.
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What are the duties owed by the
institution to the worksite?
a. placement of the student is an appropriate assignment
b. informing the worksite of any known problems or
issues with the student,
c. providing necessary academic support and oversight.
What are the duties owed by the worksite to the
Institution?
a. accurate description of the nature and requirements
of the assignments
b. provision of adequate resources for the performance
of the assigned work,
c. provide in a reasonably safe environment
d. provide adequate supervision
e. possible compensation
f. an adequate opportunity for the student to meet
academic requirements.
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| Civil
Rights |
| Every institution receiving
federal assistance in any form is covered under Sec.
601 of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, Title IX of the
Educational Amendments of 1972 and Title III of the
Age Discrimination Act of 1975. These acts state:
No person in the Unites
States shall, on the basis of sex, or on the basis
of age or on the ground of race, color or national
origin, be excluded from participation
in, be denied the benefits of, or be subjected to
discrimination under any program or activity
receiving federal financial assistance.
An internship is a program or activity of the University.
There is an absolute obligation on the part of the
institution not to discriminate against “protected
classes”. What is discrimination in this context
of SEU?
a. keeping a person out of an internship (explicit
discrimination)
b. letting others in (implicit discrimination)
c. favorable treatment
d. unfavorable treatment
e. hostile environment, (physical, mental or harassment)
This is an issue that is the University’s responsibility
under federal law and is independent of any obligations
on part of the worksite. This duty is not delegated
to the worksite but assumed by St. Edward’s University.
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| Insurance |
The scope of insurance
coverage is defined by the specific terms of the contract
of insurance. Coverage is based on the nature of the
loss, who is injured and the express terms of coverage.
The first level of insurance should always be that
of the worksite with the institutional insurance as
a back up. Student insurance should not be relied
upon with the sole exception of coverage for medical
expenses when the institution knows such coverage
is in effect.
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| How
can the site supervisor work most effectively with an
intern? |
| The process of communication, rewards,
motivation and completion will add substance for your
intern. Following is an explanation of each of the
above issues.
Clear communication starts with clarifying
the intern’s role, usually through the internship
learning agreement. Establishing job responsibilities,
setting long and short-term goals, and regular work
hours is a good starting place. Regular meetings with
your intern can be a time to discuss new and past
assignments, answer questions, and discuss dynamics
of the organization. Giving the intern the opportunity
to attend meetings and staff are opportunities for
him/her to observe professionals at work. Usually
it is best to start the experience somewhat structured
and ease off as you both become more comfortable.
Remember that interns need to receive regular descriptive
feedback on their progress. Are they meeting expectations?
Let them know! If problems do occur, speak directly
to the intern and in private, using it as a learning
experience. Your way of dealing with the situation
can have a major impact on your intern. If you are
unsure about how to deal with a particular situation
call the Internship Coordinator at St. Edward’s
University who can offer support and advice.
Rewards. No rules exist in this area, but supervisors
are encouraged to use creativity in rewarding interns
for work well done. Some suggestions we know work
well include noting the intern’s name on any
finished product to give them recognition, giving
them the opportunity to attend a professional workshop,
letting them meet the administration, board members
or VIPs.
Also, writing about them in the company newsletter
and adding their name to the telephone list facilitates
a sense of belonging. Put their picture on your staff
bulletin board with a description of why they are
at your company. These are a few tried and true means
to the end, if you come up with others, let us know!
Motivation. Challenge the intern and show respect
for his/her talents and abilities. Make sure they
have a designated workspace to call their own. Tell
the intern about various assignments which are ongoing
and ask for their input. A fresh perspective can sometimes
really help. Interns, like all of us, like to feel
as though they are making a contribution. A big motivator
is to select and organize assignments so that progress
is easily observable. Finally, help the intern see
the big picture and how their job relates to the overall
goals of the organization.
Completion. Businesses, schools and interns
must plan for an ending date from the beginning. It
is important to allow for realistic guideline for
completing projects and then transferring them to
other personnel. A good way to end the internship
is by holding some form of celebration. This is a
comfortable mean s of recognizing the completion of
the internship and helps the intern with a sense of
accomplishment and closure.
Possible trouble spots. Most internships run
smoothly. When the internship is clearly grounded
concerning job specifics, and there is ongoing contact
between the supervisor and the intern, major problems
rarely occur. However, even in the best-planned internships
some problems can arise.
Below is a checklist of warning signs to watch:
a. intimations of conflict between supervisor and
intern
b. intimations of conflict between intern and colleagues
c. a preponderance of “gopher” work which
leave the intern frustrated (we know that this goes
with any job, but it should not be the focus of
the assignment)
d. student lack of responsibility (missing work,
coming in late, not finishing work on time or doing
work poorly)
e. bringing personal and emotional problems to work
f. sexual harassment of the intern or by the intern
g. burnout brought on by overwork at the internship
site, their “real” job, school work, children,
etc
It is imperative that any/all warning signs be addressed
in an appropriate, professional and timely manner.
If the concerns/behavior continues, all parties
will meet and form a corrective solution.
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