INTE 3901 – INTEGRATIVE STUDIES PRACTICUM / INTERNSHIP

 

 

Instructor:        Dr. Tom Barnett

Office:            Arts & Sciences Building 210-F

E-mail:            tombarnett@clayton.edu

Office Hours:    10-4pm Monday-Thursday.

 

Important dates and deadlines

You will be required to submit a total of (3) 3- page journal reports (single-spaced, 12 point font, 1 inch margins).  Journal reports should include 2 pages of detailed narrative accounts of daily duties and responsibilities (including a daily log of hours) along with a 1-page reflection of how daily duties and responsibilities contribute to learning objectives outlined in your learning agreement, relate to your overall career objective, and relate to courses/experiences you have had at CSU.  These reports are each due by noon on the following dates: September 16, October 21, and the Final Report is due on November 21.  

*****NOTE: 10/10 is the final deadline for withdrawal without academic penalty.

 

The Role of This Course in the Integrative Studies Degree Program

          A key element distinguishing the Integrative Studies Program at CSU from typical “general studies” majors at many other institutions is the requirement of a site-based internship.  The internship combines traditional academic content, with an emphasis on communication and critical thinking, and an experiential or service-learning component.

         

          The Integrative Studies Internship (INTE 3901) is the principal “experiential learning” component of the program and is normally taken during the senior year.  The placement site will be a professional work environment related to the career goals of the individual student.  Placement may be with for-profit, not-for-profit, or governmental

entities as appropriate.  Students pursuing American Humanics Certification can satisfy part of that program’s internship requirement while taking INTE 3901.  Internship supervisors in collaborating businesses or agencies must agree to create and supervise meaningful experiences that will allow student interns to observe and participate in job-related projects and activities that bear directly on the challenges of the modern workplace.  All final arrangements for the internship in INTE 3901 must be made through Ms. Bridgette McDonald, Associate Director of Career Services (678-466-5401, bmcdonald@clayton.edu  with the approval of the Integrative Studies Coordinator (Ms. Vangela Humphries, vangelahumphries@clayton.edu. 

 

Course Requirements

1.  Students must have identified an appropriate internship site, completed all necessary paperwork, and obtained the required approvals for the learning agreement (see above) no later than the schedule adjustment deadline.

 

2.  Students must spend a total of 150 hours during the semester engaged in activities associated with their internship.  (This means an average of 10 hours per week during fall or spring semesters or an average of 15 hours per week during the summer semester.)

 

3.  Students must activate their “csu” account, and should check it at least twice each week.  The course instructor will be sending important messages to the class via that account.  You should send your reports via e-mail as an MS Word attachment.

 

4.  Success in INTE 3901 demands a basic level of computer skill.  INTE 3901 requires that you are able to send and receive e-mail; that you have a basic understanding of word processing, including how to send a MS Word file via e-mail; that you are able to access and use Internet resources; and that you have a basic understanding of file management.  If you do not possess these skills prior to entry into the course, then you should enroll in an appropriate workshop offered by the Hub.  Information concerning these workshops can be found on the Hub homepage.

 

5.  Journal Entries.  Students must submit journal reports describing in detail their internship activities for the reporting period.  At a minimum, each entry should include two pages of narrative description of activities, assignments, projects, meetings, etc. (including a log of the time spent in these activities), plus a one page of reflection on what you learned through these experiences.  Each report must be a single-spaced Word document (12-point font, 1-inch margins) sent to the instructor by E-mail attachment.  Failure to submit reports in a timely manner will result in a lowering of the final course grade (depending on the severity of the problem).    

 

6.  Final Journal Report.   At the end of the semester, you must turn in a final report that includes a log of your total hours, a narrative report of daily duties and responsibilities for the last quarter and a reflection of your learning and growth throughout the internship experience. This Final Journal Report must be submitted in hard copy, because it will be kept as part of your Integrative Studies Program file.  (No binders, please—just staple all pages together.)  To ensure against loss or other delivery breakdowns, be sure to keep copies of all your journal entries, including the Final Journal Report. 

 

7.  Students will be responsible for ensuring that their internship site supervisor returns the “Employer Evaluation Form” within 1 week after it is received, so that the final course grade can take this information into account.

 

Course Grading

 

          75 % = Content and timely submission of the journal reports.

 

          25 % = Your Internship Supervisor’s report (using the “Employer Evaluation

Form”)

 

Failure to submit the weekly journal entries or the Final Journal Report will result in a course grade no higher than D.  Failure to submit any reports of any kind will result in a course grade of F (your Internship Supervisor’s Evaluation notwithstanding).