Thank you for your organization’s interest in offering internships! We’re certain this can be a positive experience for all involved.
Internship Setup
Internships offer students a “real world” experience in their chosen field of study. Working directly with a variety of organizations, the experience provides students the opportunity to actively learn while honing the skills needed to succeed in the rapidly changing industry. Logistically, Internships is a three-tiered relationship between the university Faculty Internship Advisor, the Internship Site Supervisor, and Romeal Watson, the internship coordinator for the university.
Once you are ready, here are the steps you take to create your internship experience:
Internships should be designed to professionally develop student learning by allowing them to apply their academic knowledge to their relative industry. Much of your role is to think of reasonable activities that you have for the student that will:
- Promote their learning within the industry.
- Equate a reasonable amount of work as it relates to the duties of a normal FTE.
- Our internship posting guide has tips for creating a great internship
National Guidelines & Policies
- US Department of Labor’s Fact Sheet #71: Internship Programs Under The Fair Labor Standards Act
- NACE – the National Association of Colleges & Employers, and a wealth of information.
- Position Statement on US Internships
- 15 Best Practices for Internship Programs.
Handshake is a modern career development platform where you can:
- Post jobs and internships
- Approve Internship submissions
- Get updates from EWU Career Center about upcoming events
- Browse career resources tailored to your interests
- Connect with Career Advisors in order to maximize your exposure.
Posting a job/internship to Handshake
- Enter your job and/or internship description.
- Visit support.joinhandshake.com if you need further instruction.
- Go to ewu.joinhandshake.com to create an account or login
- Complete your profile to personalize your experience.
- Click “Post a Job” located in the middle of the page, on the left column.
In order for the student to do an internship, they must complete an internship learning contract which allows them to get credit. Someone in your office will have to be assigned as the site supervisor and be available to help the student complete these forms.
Students need to discuss the following with their Site Supervisor before they are able to present their internship to their faculty internship advisor.
Among other things, these are the two main discussion points that need to be discussed with the intern:
- Internship Description: About the organization and what the internship entails.
- Learning Activities: What the student will specifically do as part of the internship.
Internships are a symbiotic relationship. Interns provide much-needed help to the organization, and in turn you provide valuable networking, training, and experience. The extent to which that relationship is cultivated, can greatly increase the level of support a student can provide.
The purpose of the evaluations is to identify the intern’s strengths and any areas needing improvement. Both the midterm and final evaluation forms are based on the SCANS skills and competencies from the U.S. Department of Labor.
The evaluation will be automatically sent to you, during the appropriate times, via email.
Best Practices
A well-planned internship program benefits your organization as well as providing a rich learning experience for students. For businesses positioned for substantial growth, it makes sense to employ interns who are a great source for a future workforce.
Make sure that the internship supervisor is accessible to the intern:
- Be prepared to answer questions.
- Offer feedback during the internship, not just at the end
- Be clear about your expectations – our students want to know how to do well in your organization.
Based on the tasks and projects that are needed, work with your staff to determine the foundational knowledge necessary progress in the internship.
The internship process requires that someone on staff takes on the role of the site supervisor.
A student earns their grade based on the internship criteria, and it’s the job of the site supervisor to provide feedback on student attainment of those learning objectives.
Where the intern will be stationed can assist in the way the interaction and learning develops.
For best result in hiring the best candidate(s), we often encourage incentivizing the internship, financial payment being the most ideal. We can also collaborate to form a stipend option as well.
Limited coverage is available at EWU. If the student knows what is covered, they can make the best decision about their options.
When the internship reaches its final weeks, try to end on a good note. Evaluate the intern’s performance to determine how they can best transition.
Besides a reference, here are some other examples:
- Celebrate.
- Clarify their strengths and what career tweaks they should consider.
- Help them add to/build a portfolio
- Introduce them to other opportunities.
- Discuss their plans.
- Alert them about the realities of transitioning to a career.
Insurance for Student Interns
Should students need professional coverage, we want to make it a priority that there are some options available.
If you have an unpaid intern, they are automatically covered by our volunteer insurance policy, CIMA. This insurance will cover workplace or auto accidents that occurred as a result of an internship task. If the student already has medical insurance, CIMA will not replace their existing coverage. However, CIMA may be able to cover expenses that their primary provider will not cover. This is not liability insurance. If the student intern needs liability insurance in addition to workplace Accident insurance, see section 2.
Our insurance brochure and coverage breakdown will provide insight on what EWU currently offers to students.
Should students need professional liability insurance, the students must purchase it on an individual basis.
Students can purchase the insurance plan at the EWU Marketplace.
More information and links can be found at https://inside.ewu.edu/rcp/intern/.
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EWU does not provide workplace accident insurance for paid internships, so interns will have to either use their own health insurance or purchase the optional health insurance from EWU. As a form of best practice, be sure to inform the intern if you provide coverage or are willing to make some available.
**Note, A Comprehensive Health and Wellness fee is automatically included in a students’ tuition, but only for limited medical services.
Any questions regarding these services can be sent to:
Casey Mowatt
Internship Coordinator
EWU Career Center
332 Pence Union Building
Cheney, WA 99004-2444
509.359.6933
cmowatt@ewu.edu
