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“An internship is any carefully monitored work or service experience in which an individual has intentional learning goals and reflects actively on what he or she is learning throughout the experience” (The National Society for Experiential Education). Internships are viewed as being an integral part of a student’s academic program. The Rollins Academic Internship Program enhances students’ internship experience through in-depth reflection and critical analysis of the work environment. Students are encouraged to take advantage of the numerous internship opportunities approved for academic credit through the Center for Career & Life Planning (CCLP). With the appropriate consents, students also have the option of developing their own internships locally, at home, or abroad for academic credit. In addition, students can earn academic credit for structured, study abroad internships approved through the CCLP and Office of International Programs. Again, all internships for academic credit must be pre-approved and no credit will be granted retroactively.
The Center for Career & Life Planning will coordinate the academic internship registration process, as well as provide internship search and registration support for students. Additionally, the CCLP will support students with career-related questions, issues, and assignments during the course of their academic internship. The faculty instructor will oversee the internship orientation, intern timesheet tracking, and course assignments, including reflective journals, establishing learning outcomes, major connection assignments, research, evaluations, and the final reflection paper. The Associate Dean of Academics will oversee the academic internship program in collaboration with the CCLP, and will coordinate faculty instructors.
Eligibility
In order to be eligible for the Academic Internship Program (AIP), a student must have earned a minimum of 30 (thirty) semester hours of credit and not be on academic or judicial probation during the semester in which they are enrolled for the internship. Students may enroll in one (1) academic internship per semester, and a maximum of four (4) semester hours of credit may be earned for any internship in a single semester. A student who completes the same internship multiple terms may only receive academic credit for that internship during one (1) term. A maximum of 12 (twelve) semester hours of internship credit may be applied towards graduation. Appeals to these academic policies should be submitted to the Academic Appeals Committee through the Thomas P. Johnson Student Resource Center.
Registration
A student may enroll in an academic internship during a regular semester (fall or spring) or during the summer. A student may earn two, three, or four (2, 3, or 4) semester hours of academic credit for an internship. Each credit hour requires a minimum of 40 hours of work at the internship site within the dates of the semester. Students should register their academic internship experience in Foxlink by the published registration deadline for each semester. If the internship has not previously been approved for academic credit, the approval will be granted or denied through the internship registration process. All forms and published deadlines may be found on the Center for Career & Life Planning website www.rollins.edu/careercenter.
Course Requirements
A designated faculty member supervises students enrolled in academic internships. This individual maintains contact with both the student and the host organization, and makes decisions regarding the granting of credit at the end of each semester. The requirements for the successful completion of an internship include, attending a mandatory orientation, working a minimum of 40 hours per semester hour earned, and submitting comprehensive reflection assignments that include: writing reflective journals, establishing learning objectives, submitting evaluations, and a final paper. The summer internship course requires a matriculation fee. The semester dates for summer academic internships will be set in collaboration between the internship instructors and the CCLP. The dates begin as early as the day after commencement and last a minimum of nine (9) weeks. All credit requirements for summer internships must be completed within the designated course period.
Interdisciplinary, Major or Minor Credit
Students may earn interdisciplinary, major, or minor credit by completing an academic internship. Many students choose to complete internships for interdisciplinary credit that does not fulfill major or minor requirements. The grade for an internship is either credit or no-credit (CR/NC) and is listed on the student’ s transcript as INTN (or a departmental prefix) 397: Internship.
To receive interdisciplinary credit for an internship, the student’s Faculty Advisor will be notified by the CCLP to ensure that they are aware their advisee will be completing an internship for academic credit. To receive major or minor credit for an internship, the Department Chair/Department Internship Representative will need to submit approval. Departments approving internships for major or minor credit should adhere to the minimum standards of the Academic Internship Program. The Department Chair/Department Internship Representative should review the internship job description before approving the internship. The Department Chair/Department Internship Representative have the option to add supplemental requirements in order for the student to receive credit. These additions to the internship syllabus must be communicated both to the student and the Associate Dean of Academics prior to starting the internship. Students who earn credit in the major or minor are typically registered for four (4) semester hours. An internship that is declined for major or minor credit may still be approved for interdisciplinary credit that counts towards students’ general elective requirements.
Approval of Transfer Credit
Internships taken pass/fail (P/F) or credit/no-credit (CR/NC) at other institutions will be awarded academic credit only if certain criteria are met. These criteria are as follows. 1) The internship must be pre-approved by the CCLP. 2) The internship course must have a written syllabus stating that it is an academic course, not just a work experience. 3) The requirements for receiving credit must be specified. 4) There must be an academic advisor/internship instructor assigned to the student who will provide continual check-ins with the intern during the semester. 5) There must be a minimum of 40 hours of work for each credit hour earned. 6) A maximum of four (4) credit hours will be accepted for credit. 7) The student must establish learning objectives, and those objectives must be evaluated throughout the semester by both the student and the academic advisor/internship instructor to insure that the internship is progressing. 8) A final project must be required. This project could be a paper or a portfolio assessment of the internship experience. The project should stress the learning aspect of the internship and include an assessment of the learning objectives. A journal alone will not be acceptable. The project must be submitted to the Associate Dean of Academics for evaluation. 9) The student must receive a satisfactory written evaluation from the internship site. 10) The student must complete all requirements as stated in the syllabus, and must submit a copy of the final project/ paper and written evaluation to the Associate Dean of Academics before transfer credit will be approved.
**Note: Transfer credit exceptions will be made for international internships that have received prior approval by the Office of International Programs and the Center for Career & Life Planning.
For more information, the Center for Career & Life Planning, 407-646-2195.
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