|
Internships at UW-Green Bay
A General Guide and Overview for
Organizations with Intern Needs
This guide has been developed
by Career Services at UW-Green Bay in an effort to respond to common
questions from organizations and employers in the community about
internships involving UW-Green Bay students. Specific issues not
answered in this guide may be directed to the Director of Career
Services through contact methods below:
Linda Peacock-Landrum
Director, Career Services
UW-Green Bay
2420 Nicolet Drive
Green Bay, WI 54311-7001
920-465-2163
peacockl@uwgb.edu
If you would like a print-friendly
version of this guide,
click Internship Guide
for Employers: PDF
Format
What's the difference between
an internship and a job?
The National
Society for Experiential Education defines an internship as "a carefully
monitored work or volunteer experience in which an individual has
intentional learning goals and reflects actively on what he or she is
learning throughout the experience."
In a
typical entry-level job, an employee receives training to perform the
tasks necessary for the position, and then the employee is expected to
carry out the duties as assigned, preferably with little supervision. In
an internship, however, interns bring "intentional learning goals" that
support their academic and career interests. Interns are asked to
reflect actively on their experience. This means that interns will often
have more questions than a typical employee before, during, and after
the internship. This reflection helps make the internship more
meaningful, while connecting the on-site experience to the student's
academic training.
How many hours per week can a
student intern perform work during an internship?
Interns work on
average of 10-20 hours per week. Some interns may work more or less
hours depending on the exact need of the organization. In most cases
students do have some flexibility to schedule hours around class times
to meet the needs of the organization. Many times students are asked to
work full-time during breaks and summers (40 hours per week).
Are internships on-going or
for a fixed period of time – one semester?
Many organizations
will have an internship that is for a fixed period of time - 1
semester. It is a regular occurring need that exists in part to provide
solid experience to students and support the need of the organization.
A different student is then recruited to replace the current intern each
semester or each year. Other organizations have on-going internships
and the student works continually until the student chooses to leave,
the organization requests the student leave (rarely happens) or most
likely, the student graduates from UW-Green Bay.
Do all students receive
academic credit for internships?
Students may
choose to complete an internship for academic credit. A
small number of academic programs require students to complete
internship which includes Social Work, Education and Nursing based on
specific certification requirements. To receive academic credit a
student has additional academic requirements to complete with a faculty
member that supervises the experience in addition to the on-site
responsibilities. Internships can range from 1-12 credits. The amount
of credit is often determined by the number of hours spent at the site.
Typically a 3 credit internship is received and a student must complete
10 hours per week on-site for the semester to total 150 hours. There
are some exceptions to that average - but not many.
If a student receives
academic credit, does the organization have additional responsibilities
as a host/supervising site?
The site
supervisor at the organization should sign the credit form before the
student submits it to the Registrar's Office at UW-Green Bay to receive
credit. (The internship form for credit is available at
http://www.uwgb.edu/careers/PDF%20Files/Internship_Proposal_Form.pdf
). If a student intern has noted that he/she is receiving credit for
the experience, it is recommended that the host organization ask about
official university paperwork that needs to be completed. In most
cases, but not all, the site supervisor at the organization may be asked
to complete an evaluation of the student by the faculty member assigned
to the student’s internship. The evaluation may be electronic or
paper-based. On-site performance and evaluation of the student by the
site is not the sole factor considered in the grade received for the
internship experience. Rarely will a faculty member make a site visit
to see the student intern during her/his experience.
Can a student repeat an
internship or continue in an internship after credit is awarded?
Students may
continue in the same internship beyond one semester, but they are not
able to receive additional credit for the same experience with the same
organization. Students may receive additional internship credit for
different internships with the same organization or with different
organizations.
Can students be paid for
internships and receive academic credit?
Yes - if a student
is paid, technically the student is an employee of the organization.
The student may opt to receive credit as well. This is the student’s
choice and not regulated by the University.
If a student is not paid, it
is recommended that an organization require the student to complete the
experience for credit to ensure accountability. It would the
organization's choice to have an unpaid intern that is not receiving
credit. It is also recommended that if a student is not paid, that the
student be required to enroll for the credit prior to beginning the
experience with the organization.
If interns are paid, is there
a standard or average wage they receive?
On average student
interns earn $7.00 - $16.00 per hour. The rate varies depending on the
internship and the technical area/expertise of the student. Many
accounting students and computer science students are on the high end of
the range receiving as much as $16.00 or more per hour. Most students
earn from $9.00 to $11.00 per hour. Some students at nonprofit
organizations and businesses receive a flat stipend instead of an hourly
wage. The organization wants to provide some compensation, but cannot
provide a true hourly wage. Many students have earned $500 to $750 as a
stipend and others have received as low as $300 and as high as $1000.
An organization should check with internal human resources professional
or payroll professional to see if there are any concerns about providing
a stipend in lieu of an hourly wage for interns.
How are internships
promoted/distributed to students at UW-Green Bay?
Many faculty
members, advisors and staff in Career Services promote the value of
internships and encourage students to engage is such practical, hands-on
learning experiences. However with a few exceptions, a student’s choice
to complete an internship is voluntary and at her/his own initiative.
In an effort to minimize the number of individuals an organization needs
to connect with about internships, the organization can coordinate this
effort with Career Services at UW-Green Bay. Internships are posted in
an online system – Phoenix Recruitment On-line/PRO for students to
access 24/7. A weekly internship email is sent to juniors and seniors
highlighting new internships posted. Students may post resumes online
in PRO for employers to access directly as well as for Career Services
staff to forward to organizations with intern needs. Each semester
Career Services coordinates a Job and Internship Fair for organizations
to promote opportunities directly to students. Annually the fall event
is held the first Wednesday in October and the spring event is held the
first Wednesday in March. On-campus interviews can be arranged and held
at UW-Green Bay. In addition, staff in Career Services will also
connect with designated internship coordinators in each academic unit to
request assistance in promoting internships to UW-Green Bay students.
Is a specific form needed to
post an internship at UW-Green Bay?
An organization in
need of an intern may mail, fax or email a complete position description
to Career Services. The organization may also request access to the
UW-Green Bay online system, PRO, to post internships directly and
complete a search of students seeking internships. Access to PRO can be
obtained at this URL –
https://myinterfase.com/uwgb/employer. Printable forms or web forms
are available to submit the information and are located here -
http://www.uwgb.edu/careers/List_Positions.htm#FT_Intern.
|
