Requirements of Intern/Employeer

498 Syllabus

CATALOGUE DESCRIPTION

An on-the-job application of skills and theories learned in the classroom for students who have completed their sophomore year. Internships are with newspapers, public relations and advertising agencies, and with businesses, non-profit groups and government agencies.

PURPOSE

The objective of JRN 498 is to provide a variety of opportunities for hands-on experiences in the area of career interest. You are expected to apply your classroom training to practical situations. This offering also provides opportunities to build a portfolio and to add work experience to your resume. There is no text.

CLASS STRUCTURE

Internships during long semesters are arranged around other class commitments. Just as in the workplace, you may be asked to work longer or different hours to meet a deadline. Summer internships may be full or part-time, providing the minimum number of hours is met. (See Time Requirements, below.)

REQUIREMENTS & PROCEDURES

To receive credit for work experience, each student must meet the following requirements: o Be a journalism major or minor o Have junior or senior standing o Have at least a 2.5 GPA in journalism o Have completed at least 15 hours of journalism courses (Which must include JRN 130, 131, 180 and 320) o Successfully complete a basic skills test o Have published work o Be able to devote at least 180 hours over a 15-week long semester or during the summer

SUPERVISION, EVALUATION & GRADING

You will be directly supervised at the host organization by a designated supervisor. The supervising faculty member will be in regular contact with that individual, and you must, at intervals no greater than two weeks, submit to the coordinator a brief report on work done. You should also plan to attend a brief meeting with the coordinator at the mid-point and at the conclusion of the internship. At the conclusion of the internship, the host supervisor will submit a written evaluation of your work to the faculty coordinator. This evaluation will contain ratings on the following areas: knowledge of job, initiative, judgment, attitude, quality of work and quantity of work. You will complete a similar evaluation and will also submit a report on your experience and a log of hours spent at the internship. The final grade will be based on the host's evaluation, your self-evaluation and the faculty coordinator's evaluation of your biweekly and final reports. Ultimately, letter grades must be assigned to evaluations of course work. Under the definitions established by Sam Houston State University, students who receive the following letter grades are considered to have reached the level of attainment defining that letter. Thus, letter grades may be interpreted this way:

A= Excellent
B= Well above average
C= Average
D= Barely passing
F= Failure

ATTENDANCE

You should regard your internship just as you would a professional job. Excessive lateness or absences are not tolerated in the workplace and are not acceptable in an internship.

TIME REQUIREMENTS

Those accepting an internship will be expected to fulfill at least 12 hours of internship work each week of the 15-week semester for a MINIMUM total of 180 hours. For summer internships, the work load is expected to total at least 180 hours as arranged with the intern coordinator and the internship host.

(For applications and a complete internship packet, see the journalism coordinator.)

Value of internships

Internships provide an essential link between the classroom and workplace. A strong internship program is vital to the SHSU Journalism Program and is equally valuable to students and employers.

From SHSU's viewpoint, an active internship program is a good source of professional input and a way to keep a healthy mix of academe and hands-on experience in the Journalism Program.

From the student's view point, internships are essential to finding good jobs after graduation. Every step of the process offers valuable experience toward the goal of becoming a professional communicator.

From the employer's viewpoint, participation in an internship program helps discover and recruit the best new talent. Internships bring fresh, innovative people into businesses and help ensure the continuation of the profession.

Requirements

The university works with employers to ensure that each internship meets educational goals and provides a coordinator to monitor the internship and serve as a liaison between the school and the employer. This coordinator is responsible for evaluating and assigning a grade for the student's 3-hour class.

The employer must offer supervision and training for at least one-third of the total hours the student spends in the internship. The employer also must provide periodic feedback to the internship coordinator. (NOTE: Although payment is not required, it is highly recommended as it demonstrates the employer's commitment to the internship and provides an experience for the student that more closely approximates a real work situation. Also, from a practical standpoint, many students must pay some or most of their college expenses and an unpaid internship presents a very real financial hardship.)

The student must:
• Major or minor in journalism
• Have junior or senior standing
• Have a 2.5 GPA in journalism
• Have completed at least 15 hours of journalism courses
• Have published work
• Spend at least 180 hours over a 15-week-long semester or in the summer.

Evaluation

After the internship is approved and during the course of the semester, the student
• Keeps an informal journal to record experiences, reactions and
• Logs the number of hours spent in the internship
• Keeps samples and clips of work for a portfolio
• Submits to the SHSU internship coordinator a typed report every two weeks
• Meets with the SHSU internship coordinator (in person or by phone if necessary) at the midpoint of the internship.
• Sets up an end-of-semester meeting with the coordinator, at which the intern submits his or her professionally presented portfolio, a typed overview of the internship and a letter of advice for future interns with that business.

After providing a job description and contact information, the employer gives the coordinator an informal evaluation at the midpoint of the internship and completes a comprehensive written evaluation at the conclusion of the student's internship experience.