Creation of an Internship Program

Engineering Faculty Document No. 40-02

9 February 2005

To:  Engineering Faculty

From:  Cooperative Engineering Education Committee

Date:  9 February 2005

Subject:  Creation of an Internship Program and Courses

            The faculty of the Cooperative Engineering Education Committee has approved the creation of a certificate granting Internship Program detailed in the following document.  This program would serve students completing two or three work experience sessions at different employers.  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 INTERNSHIP

CERTIFICATE PROGRAM

            There are several students whose needs will not be met by any of the other new programs or the traditional Co-Op program.  At present, these students are using unqualified internships to receive what Professional Practice they can secure.  While some of these experiences are good, others are scarcely better than menial summer jobs.  By adding university qualification to the process, we can improve the quality of these experiences for those students and provide them with recognition for having completed this practical training process.  The Internship Program (IP) 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 students during their internship programs.  Students would not be required to work for the same employer each work session.  Local departmental Faculty Co-Op Coordinators will also handle IP students.  These students would be recruited during their freshman or sophomore years, 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 IP program would accept students not on academic probation.  Students could begin participation at any time following their freshman year.  Figure 1 illustrates the various possible alternative schedules for three terms.  Figure 2 shows the analogous two term alternatives.  Individual Faculty Coordinators shall have the authority to make exceptions to the recommended schedules for compelling academic reasons.  However, no student will be encouraged to delay graduation to complete an Internship certificate program.  Comprehensive work experience reports 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.  Students that complete three sessions of experience would receive a certificate titled “University – Industry Internship (Three Term) Program in Engineering”.  Those students that complete two sessions would receive a certificate titled “University – Industry Internship (Two Term) Program in Engineering”.  The certificate will identify the student’s employers, and this information will be transcript recorded.  Additionally, IP students who complete a work experience session overseas shall have an ‘International Experience’ endorsement added to their certificate.   It is intended that students should be encouraged to get as much Professional Practice as is feasible for their individual situations, so this is established as a single program granting two different certificates depending upon the level of experience the student completes.  A student can only receive a single certificate.

Figure 1 – Potential Three Term Internship Program Schedules.

Figure 2 – Potential Two Term 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 151  Internship I

SS.   Cr. (0)

For Internship Students Only.

Must have at least sophomore standing.

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

PPE 252  Internship II

SS.   Cr. (0)

For Internship Students Only.

Must have completed PPE 151 during previous summer term.

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

PPE 353  Internship III

SS.   Cr. (0)

For Internship Students Only.

Must have completed PPE 252 during previous summer term.

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