EXPL 205

EXPL 205 (summer) has an 240-hour internship requirement. All students electing to do a summer internship for credit will be part of a cohort of students assigned to one shared faculty member.

Faculty Member Responsibilities

  • Review previous syllabi and design an updated version.
  • Determine any additional reflective assignments beyond the required essay (e.g. weekly blog, daily journal, etc.), as well as conference calls, and include in the syllabus.
  • Refer students to meet with a CDO advisor to review job search materials. Prior to the CDO meeting, students should:
    • Prepare an updated resume and a draft of a cover letter for an internship of interest.
    • Complete the EXPL Learning Plan.
      (CDO advisor will mark on the shared class roster the completion status of both the CDO meeting and the document requirements. The faculty internship advisor will use this same class roster spreadsheet to track student progress over the internship experience.)
  • Review preliminary learning plans for each student provided by the CDO through a shared Google folder.
  • Conduct one on-campus class during the last week of April. In this class, review how this internship connects with the student’s academic and/or career goals; discuss the learning plan (shared by the CDO); clarify expectations for summer calls and daily/weekly reflections; review reflection paper guidelines.

Reflection Paper Considerations

  • Due at the end of September
  • A minimum of 1200 words and no more than 5 pages in length
  • To include the following:
    a. Introduction
    b. Description of work experience/projects/duties/site
    c. Internship connection to academic focus
    d. Academic insights gained from the internship
    e. Overall internship evaluation-reflection of personal and professional learning and growth
    f. Conclusion
  • Confirm student attendance in the shared class roster spreadsheet provided by the CDO. (This will be submitted to the Registrar’s Office by the CDO. Students will have an initial audit status until completing all requirements. Final transcript notation will be updated at the end of fall term.)
  • Hold a makeup session for any student who was not able to make the first class due to an internship offer being delayed.
  • Facilitate up to two summer conference calls with the cohort that encourage reflective practice regarding internship experiences and connections to student academic/professional inquiries and goals.
  • Contact the CDO over the summer if a student is having a problem with an internship that cannot easily be resolved.
  • Email students by Aug 31 to remind them to complete their reflective essay by mid-September.
  • Review final essays.
  • Note whether each student has completed all pre-requisites, meetings, internship hours, and reflection requirements on the Google spreadsheet provided by the CDO, and make a final .13 unit credit/no-credit determination.
  • Submit class roster with final credit determination to the Registrar (cc’ing CDO liaison) by mid-October.

EXPL 206

EXPL 206 (semester) has a 60-hour internship requirement and a 4 hours/week minimum. An interested student will consult with a faculty member and request they be the faculty of record for the course. Once a faculty member agrees to be the faculty internship advisor, they are encouraged to talk with the student periodically throughout the term about their experience and its connection to their academic/professional goals. Faculty also agree to meet with the student at the end of their internship and to review their reflective essay. Students will complete the CDO prerequisite meeting, attend scheduled meetings with their faculty internship advisor, and submit an essay for faculty review.

Faculty Member Responsibilities

  • Refer students to meet with a CDO advisor to review job search materials before the start of the internship. Prior to the meeting, students should:
    a. Prepare an updated resume and a draft of a cover letter for an internship of interest.
    b. Complete the EXPL Learning Plan.
    (CDO advisor will mark on the shared class roster the completion status of both the CDO meeting and the document requirements. The faculty internship advisor will use this same class roster spreadsheet to track student progress over the internship experience.)
  • Schedule a conversation with the student intern within the first two weeks of the semester, prior to the start of the internship, and after completion of their preliminary meeting with the CDO. Review how this internship connects with the student’s academic and/or career goals. Discuss the learning plan (provided by the CDO), and review expectations for reflection paper.

Reflection Paper Considerations

  • Due two weeks before the end of term
  • A minimum of 1200 words and no more than 5 pages in length
  • To include the following:
    a. Introduction
    b. Description of work experience/projects/duties/site
    c. Internship connection to academic focus
    d. Academic insights gained from the internship
    e. Overall internship evaluation-reflection of personal and professional learning and growth
    f. Conclusion
  • Record the date of this preliminary student meeting in the class roster Google spreadsheet provided by the CDO. (This will be submitted to the Registrar’s Office by the CDO after the second week of the semester. Students will have an initial audit status until completing all requirements. Final transcript notation will be updated at the end of the term.)
  • Check in with the student at least once throughout the semester to inquire about how their internship is going, and to hear midterm reflections.
  • Email student a month before the end of the semester to remind them to complete their reflective essay two weeks before the end of classes, and to schedule an internship debrief meeting with you.
  • Conduct an internship debrief conversation with the student by the end of the semester to review learning plan goals, and to discuss related topics. Questions to consider include:
    • How did this internship fit (or not) into student’s respective classes?
    • What was the most challenging aspect?
    • When considering their assumptions, values, and beliefs about the work and/or related issues going into the internship, how have they been challenged, changed or affirmed throughout the experience? (How has their work changed the way they think?)
    • What was their most memorable experience?
    • Was there anything that surprised them?
    • What skills did they (further) develop that will be applicable to their academics and/or professional future?
  • Review final essays.
  • Note whether the student completed all pre-requisites, meetings, internship hours, and reflection requirements on the Google spreadsheet provided by the CDO, and make a final .13 unit credit/no-credit determination.
  • Submit final credit determination to the Registrar (cc’ing CDO liaison) by date grades are due.

EXPL 206 Health Coach Internship 

Assistant Director for Career Development Josh Lisko for more information about this opportunity and for the faculty checklist.