Creation of an Intensive Internship Program

Engineering Faculty Document No. 38-02

9 February 2005

To:  Engineering Faculty

From:  Cooperative Engineering Education Committee

Date:  9 February 2005

Subject:  Creation of an Intensive Internship Program and Courses

            The faculty of the Cooperative Engineering Education Committee has approved the creation of a certificate granting Intensive Internship Program detailed in the following document.  This program requires one extended work session of two consecutive University terms including a summer session.  This action is now submitted to the Engineering Faculty with a recommendation for approval.

______________________________________9 February 2005

Robert M. Stwalley III, Ph.D., P.E.

Director Cooperative Education Program and

Chairman Cooperative Engineering Education Committee

UNIVERSITY – INDUSTRY INTENSIVE INTERNSHIP

CERTIFICATE PROGRAM

            There have been several requests from industry and faculty to establish a single, longer, concentrated internship late within the undergraduate career.  The advantages of this schedule include the completion of more technical courses, the closer proximity of the student to permanent employment, and the ability to assign the student to a longer term, more demanding project.  This program would allow us to accommodate these desires and provide the students with recognition for having completed this intensive practical training process.  The Intensive Internship Program (IIP) is planned to address this potential niche in undergraduate professional practice.

            This program is designed to be a faculty and Board of Trustees approved, certificate granting program, similar to the present Cooperative Education Program.  The central office will qualify work session programs for the various interested employers and coordinate student recruitment procedures.  The program would only qualify employers who pay the students during their internship programs.  Students would be required to sign-up for two consecutive terms or work experience, and they would work for the same employer during both sessions.  Local departmental Faculty Co-Op Coordinators will also handle IIP students.  These students would be recruited during their junior year, and they would pay work experience fees while on the job, similar to Co-Op students.  The University will encourage the employers to pay all or a portion of the student’s work experience fees. The IIP program would accept students not on academic probation.  Students could begin participation at any time following their junior year.  Figure 1 illustrates the recommended alternative schedules.  Individual Faculty Coordinators shall have the authority to make exceptions to the recommended schedules for compelling academic reasons.  A single, comprehensive work experience report and employer and student evaluations would be required.  No academic credit would be given for participation in this program, but completion would lead to a certificate upon graduation titled “University – Industry Intensive Internship Program in Engineering”.  The certificate will identify the student’s employer, and this information will be transcript recorded.  Additionally, IIP students who complete the work experience overseas shall have an ‘International Experience’ endorsement added to their certificate.

Figure 1 – Potential Intensive Internship Program Schedules.

            To handle the issue of registration and certificate progress, it is recommended that the faculty approve the following variable title courses:

PPE 441  Intensive Internship I

Sem. 2, and SS.   Cr. (0)

For Intensive Internship Students Only.

Must have senior standing.

Professional practice with qualified employers within industry, government, or small business.

PPE 442  Intensive Internship II

Sem. 1, and SS.   Cr. (0)

For Intensive Internship Students Only.

Must have completed PPE 441 during previous term.

Professional practice with qualified employers within industry, government, or small business.