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Internship Policy

COMMUNICATION INTERNSHIP

CLASS POLICY -- COMM 4991

1.     Why do an internship?  The faculty highly recommend an internship for every student.  Among other advantages, internships provide (a) practical working experience, (b) skills in writing and operating communication technologies and current software packages, and (c) job contacts and references.  They help boost self-confidence, confirm or rule out career choices, and build a resume.  While some of the work an intern does is "gofer" (that is, "go for this, go for that") or "grunt" work, the experience can give an intern insider's knowledge of an organization/industry.  As a student-intern commented "Although my work at ...... could have been more challenging, I do realize how much I learned by being an active observer."

2.     Who can do an internship?  Communication majors who have completed at least 12 credit hours of 2000-level Communication courses may do an internship.  If you have some mitigating circumstances, see me.  You may repeat the internship once, with different job duties and a different supervisor.

3.     What kind of class credit can I get?   You can get a maximum of 3 credits by working 126 hours during the semester.  You may work fewer hours for fewer credits: 84 hours for 2 credits, or 42 hours for 1 credit.  Arrange your specific work schedule with your supervisor.

4.  What steps do I need to take? 

a.  Find an internship job. It is your responsibility to locate an internship site, apply and get accepted by the organization.  A letter introducing the internship program and describing the duties and responsibilities of prospective internship supervisors is available in Rm. 212.  Note that  internship supervisors are expected to sign an Internship Supervisor Contract.  This contract is mailed to supervisors after your register for COMM 4991 and provide us with the contact information for your supervisor.

b.  Get permission to take the course and register for COMM 4991.  COMM 4991 is a consent course.  After receiving consent from your adviser or our Internship Coordinator, it is your responsibility to register for COMM 4991 - the same way you would register for any other course.

c.  Complete Two Internship Application Forms.  After you have been accepted by an organization, it is your responsibility to apply for the internship course by filling out 2 Internship Application forms.  The form describes your internship objectives and proposed internship duties and gives the correct names and addresses for you and your supervisor.  (If you don't fill out the form, we cannot contact your supervisor and you will receive no grade for the course).  Submit the forms to our Internship Coordinator.  Students who want to intern at a site that has not been approved must wait for approval.  No approval can be given after you have begun work.  Students without an approved application form by the last day for adding or dropping courses will be dropped automatically from the course.

d.  Provide all relevant information on the contract in a timely fashion.

Supervisor Position/Title and Relevant Qualifications

It is essential that this section be completed accurately and thoroughly - especially if the internship site is not part of the approved list.  You supervisor must be a trained communication professional.  A trained communication professional has the ability to be a mentor.  This should be a mentoring experience.  Be sure to ask your supervisor all of his/her relevant communication qualifications and list them on the application.

Description of Internship Duties

It is acceptable for you to do some clerical work but "typing" and/or "filing" should not be your primary duties.  The majority of your time should be spent getting practical communication-related work experience.

Be sure to do your paperwork in a timely fashion.  You don't want to reach the last day of add/drop without having your application (two copies) filled out and your site approved by the internship coordinator.  If your site is not approved you may not have the time to select another site or register for another course.

5.     How do I choose an internship?   Think about what kind of job you want when you finish school.  What internship setting can give you the necessary skills?  (Often small organizations will let you do more.)  Where will you learn more about the industry?  What organization will give you tangible "products" (video tapes, news releases, etc.) that you can use in a "portfolio" when you job hunt?  Where can you make contacts that will help you get a job after graduation?  (If you want to work in a specific organization, make those contacts now.)  Is it possible that the internship can turn into a job later?  What will be impressive on your resume?

                If you are unsure of what you want to do, pick a career track to "test" and do an internship at that type of organization.  Finding out that you DON'T want to go into an area of communication is as informative as finding out that you love it; it is easier to switch career tracks now than later.  Remember, you can do a second internship later for a new experience.

6.     How do I locate an internship site?  To help you locate an organization, the COMM department has a list of pre-approved internship sites, available in the box outside Room 212.  The list contains the names, addresses, and phone numbers of several hundred organizations that have offered internship experiences to our students in the past. There is also an internship bulletin board outside Room 201 that will have the latest sites that are seeking interns.

                It is also possible to work at an organization that is not on the list.  Many students locate an internship site by using personal contacts (especially parents' acquaintances), phone directories to find organizations close to home, and even by calling well-known organizations  in New York, L.A., and other major centers.  Think big.  For example, we have had students at NBC, MTV, ESPN, and on the production crew of Mystic Pizza. The important criteria for new sites are: (a) your duties are significant and communication related (not sales, clerical, secretarial, or menial); and (b) your supervisor is qualified to mentor and teach you communication job-related skills.

7.     How is my grade determined?  By the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences rules, you will be assigned a grade of "S" (Satisfactory) or "U" (Unsatisfactory) for the internship. This grade will not be used in computing your GPA, but the credits will count toward graduation. At mid-term and at the end of the semester, your supervisor will be asked to fill out a form to evaluate your performance. These will be the primary evaluation that you will receive. If you receive an "Unsatisfactory" evaluation from your supervisor, you will be asked to discuss the evaluation with our Internship Coordinator. The final grade will be assigned by our Internship Coordinator, after taking into account both the site supervisor's evaluation and your comments.

8.     Do we have class meetings?  The first meeting will orient students to the internship experience and explain course requirements. This will be the only meeting for the semester.

9.     What if I am unhappy about the internship arrangement?  During the internship, if you find yourself being unfairly treated because of race, gender, religion, national origin, political view, or any other illegitimate reasons, you should contact our Internship Coordinator immediately. Wait for the faculty decision before continuing the internship.  For on-campus internships, you may contact the Office of Diversity and Equity directly or seek assistance from any of the institutions cited in the President's Policy on Harassment such as the Women's Center, the Office of the Dean of Students, etc.  The Office of Diversity and Equity is located in Wood Hall, Room 102, 241 Glenbrook Road, Unit 2175, Storrs, CT  06269-2175.  The telephone number is 486-2943.  University regulations require that you must file the complaint within 30 days after the discriminatory act.  For more information on the policies and procedures on harassment, consult the following sections in the Student Handbook refer to:  (a) "Discrimination and Complaint Procedures" (b) President's Policy on Harassment (for on-campus sites), and (c) "Protection of Students and Staff from Discrimination and Harassment During Off-Campus Experiences".

                If you feel your supervisor's evaluation performance is not fair (such as based on inadequate information), you can appeal to the instructor.  Your supervisor's evaluation is suggestive in determining your grade, and the instructor will not alter that part of the grade unless there is evidence of unfairness.

                If you do not like your supervisor or your job, stick with it and learn what you can.  Think about doing another internship later with a different focus.

 

   Revised June 2008