Experiential Learning: doing to learn, not just learning to do 

By engaging your students in experiential learning opportunities, you’ll help them:

• Build their résumés and network with potential employers
  
• Gain real-world experience and decide on a major
  
• Explore new interests and learn more efficiently
  
• Become better students in the classroom
  
• Find more meaning in schoolwork

Information about INTERNSHIPS

Review the following expectations and credit-hour information, and contact your assistant dean with questions.

INTERNSHIP RESPONSIBILITIES
The STUDENT is responsible for:

• Securing both a placement site and a faculty sponsor (the internship placement can take a while to secure, and usually involves submitting a résumé, etc., so the process of searching for a placement site should be started several months before the desired start date).
• Ensuring the Learning Contract for Experiential Education is completed and submitted in a timely manner.
• Scheduling her/his hours appropriately so that the expected number of hours can be completed within a given semester.
• Carrying out the Job Requirements and Evaluation Requirements listed on the Learning Contract.

• Clearly stating expectations of the intern on the Learning Contract.
• Providing a wholly educational experience, especially if unpaid (i.e. no “grunt work” unrelated to the listed Job Requirements).
• Mentoring the student intern by giving her/him exposure to various aspects of a particular career and engaging her/him in meaningful work.
• Responding to requests for information from the student and/or faculty sponsor for the purpose of evaluating progress.

• Assisting with identifying potential placement sites as necessary.
• Working with student to identify appropriate Educational Objectives and Evaluation Requirements.
• Maintaining regular contact with both the student and the placement supervisor to ensure both parties are meeting expectations.
• Evaluating student work (may take placement supervisor evaluations into account or not), providing regular feedback, and assigning a grade.

• Therefore, a three-credit internship requires the completion of at least 135 hours on-site; six credits requires 270 hours.
• Up to six credits can be earned in a single semester for an internship experience.
• Time spent completing assignments listed in the Learning Contract under “Evaluation Requirements” does not count towards the 45 hours/credit.
  
  Additional resources

• To infuse your existing course with experiential learning, refer to the Experiential Learning Checklist and Activity Assessment for guidance. 
• To help your student locate potential placement sites, try contacting a community partner.
• Make sure all expectations have been recorded by completing the Learning Contract for Experiential Education (required) and the (optional) Partnership Checklist.
• Frame your journal requirements, encourage reflection, and evaluate changes in your student by using the Framework for Reflective Practice.
• A sampling of articles and other tools are available here or by contacting your assistant dean.