CREDIT OR NON-CREDIT INTERNSHIP PROPOSAL GUIDELINES

College of the Atlantic is committed to "learning by doing." Internships provide students with opportunities to test their skills in the work force. Internships bridge the gap between academia and practice. Internship sponsors may act as mentors, role models, instructors, and important connections in one's future.

A proposal is the first step and an important aspect of an Internship experience. Internship proposals must be approved by the Internship Committee before the start date of the Internship.

Deadlines for proposals are listed in the back of the COA handbook and posted on the Internship Information Board near the Student Mailboxes.

Once your proposal has been approved by the Internship Committee, it constitutes a contract between you and the college. A letter from Jill Barlow-Kelley outlining the Internship program will be sent to your supervisor. A work performance evaluation form will be sent to your sponsor/supervisor as well. This evaluation discusses your general work habits and how well your performance met the supervisor's expectations.

Your Internship proposal and report will become part of your permanent record at COA. Therefore, it is important that all paperwork submitted to the Internship Committee be well organized, well-written, and neatly typed. Sample resumes and proposals are available in the Internship Office. The Writing Center is available to assist you with the writing requirements.

There are some reasons why the Internship Committee may decide that a proposed Internship is not acceptable for fulfillment of the degree requirement. These include:

• Excessive vagueness about the sponsorship and the work to be done
• Little opportunity for new insights because proposed Internship largely duplicates past experience/education
• Proposal for a course of study rather than a work experience (usually identified when separate academic credit is offered or when payment is to be made by the Intern to the enterprise rather than other way around)
• Doubts about the competence or stability of the proposed sponsorship and its readiness to provide guidance.

CONTENT GUIDELINES FOR INTERNSHIP PROPOSALS

• Current resume (samples and helpful hints available at Internship Office)
• Letter of Commitment from your supervisor - should include job description, amount of supervision, list of job tasks, integration of Intern's work with the mission of the sponsoring organization
• Information about the person or organization you are working for such as funding sources, mission statement, informational brochure
• Your mailing address while on Internship
• Name, title, full address, telephone number/email address of employer/supervisor
• Work schedule and dates of employment (10 weeks - 400 hours minimum)
• Compensation - wages, room and board, volunteer
• Objectives and Goals - what you expect to learn or accomplish from the experience, skills you want to gain. Six to eight are recommended. These are the criteria you will use to evaluate the experience in the Internship report.
• Describe why this experience should be part of your degree in Human Ecology
• Description of materials you which you will share at your Internship Presentation - journal, photographs, drawings, working plans
• Signature of COA Advisor(s) - Proposals will not be accepted without signature
• Business Office Signature

Please submit two copies of your proposal and resume to Jill Barlow-Kelley, Internship Program Director.