INTERNSHIPS

DATE: July 19, 2005

TO: Internship Sponsors and Potential Interns

FROM: Lay James Gibson,
Director, Internship Program
Department of Geography and Regional Development

RE: Guidelines for Internships

Note to Sponsors: Please see that all interns (and potential interns) get a copy of this letter.

In the early 1980s our internship program was small enough to be run informally. Long ago we reached the point where a more structured approach was called for. Let me take this opportunity to put a few thoughts, rules, and regulations on paper. I would suggest that you pass copies of this letter on to your interns to assure that all of us are working off of the same baseline assumptions.

1. The Department of Geography and Regional Development's Internship Program is open to all students interested in the overlapping areas of land-use planning, regional development, development planning and commercial/industrial real estate, community development, and other topics of interest to those in geography and regional development. The program is open to all majors - not just Geography or Regional Development majors.
2. In recent years many interns have worked with private sector firms although those wishing to work with public agencies are also enthusiastically welcomed.
3. Internships may be paid or unpaid. To date, the majority have been unpaid.
4. Internships are offered throughout the year. Students may enroll for credit during the fall and spring semesters and during winter session or any summer session.
5. Students must enroll for university credit when entering the internship program. Undergraduates will enroll in Geography 393; graduates will enroll in Geography 593. Students will typically enroll for 3-6 units of credit. Normally, students will be discouraged from offering more than six units of internship toward the 120 units usually required for an undergraduate degree.
6. Students will normally be expected to work 50 hours for each unit of credit. For example, students taking the course for three units might work 150 hours/semester or 10 hours/week during the 16 week semester. (Summer session students might work 30 hours/week for five weeks to earn three units.) Those working fewer hours/week will normally take an "I" and then finish their hours in the weeks which follow the summer session or semester in which they are enrolled.
7. The following grades are available for Geography 393/593: S (Superior), P (Passing), C (Average), D (Poor), E (Failure).
8. The exact way that internship credits are counted must be determined by the students' major advisor. In many cases, the units are counted as "upper division, nonbusiness" for BPA students.
9. Grades are based on a.) a written evaluation and recommendation from the supervisor in the sponsoring firm/agency and b.) an evaluation by the Director of the Internship Program, Department of Geography and Regional Development. The latter evaluation is based on 1.) a comprehensive oral report (supported by maps, reports, and other exhibits) which is made to the Director of Internship Program, Department of Geography and Regional Development or 2.) a 15-20 page (typed, double spaced) internship experience report which is submitted to the Director of the Internship Program. The oral report alternative is almost always the preferred alternative; the oral report is made during the exit interview session. Students who elect to write an internship experience report should plan on keeping a weekly log/journal of their activities to serve as the basis of their report.
10. Internships are advertised by fliers which are posted on various Harvill Building bulletin boards. There is a special internship bulletin board next to Room 454 in the Harvill Building. Internships advertised in this manner are "prequalified."
11. Students are responsible for arranging interviews and otherwise securing their internship. Students are urged to provide the sponsor with a resume when they go to an interview. Sponsors are expected to make a timely decision and to inform those not selected shortly after the interview.
12. At the start of the internship, students are encouraged to prepare a "memo of understanding" which serves as a letter of agreement between the student, Dr. Gibson, and the internship sponsor. The memorandum should cover such things as tasks to be completed, number of hours/week of service, and the duration of internship. The purpose of the memorandum is straightforward - we want to avoid misunderstandings. All students are encouraged to prepare an MOU; those taking internships which are not "prequalified" are required to offer an MOU.
13. The internship sponsor is asked to provide a letter of evaluation at the conclusion of the internship. Sponsors are welcome to recommend a grade (S, P, C, D, E) for the intern. (Whereas responsibility for awarding grades is mine, I very much want to hear from the internship sponsor).
14. All students who enroll for credit (and who do not submit the 15-20 page experience report) are required to participate in an exit interview (end-of-semester debriefing session). Dr. Gibson will meet with 8-10 students at a time; students should bring copies of their work and a letter of evaluation from their sponsor (letters can be mailed or hand-carried but they must be in Dr. Gibson's hands at the time of the meeting). Exit interviews are typically scheduled 2-3 weeks before the fall and spring semester finals. Students enrolled during summer sessions will do their exit interviews "by appointment" or at the end of the following fall semester unless other arrangements have been made with Dr. Gibson. Students who fail to sign up for an exit interview will receive a grade of I; this grade will be changed to an E if not made up within one year.
15. Students doing internships during the winter or summer must enroll for credit during the winter or summer. Check with the Summer Session Office to determine cost of units. Unlike fall and spring interns, summer interns are welcome to do their exit interviews "by appointment" on a one-on-one basis.
16. Students may find their own internships. This includes those who wish to do an internship home, e.g., during the summer. However, credit will not be awarded unless the internship is pre-approved in writing by Dr. Gibson. Students seeking pre-approval must submit an MOU to both Dr. Gibson and the proposed sponsor.

    The MOU must include the following:

    • Sponsor's full contact information, e.g. name of firm, address phone, email, etc.; name and title of supervisor.
    • Brief description of sponsoring firms' primary function(s).
    • Brief description of interns' proposed activities/responsibilities.
    • Acknowledgement that enrollment in GEOG 393/593 will be concurrent with internship, e.g., that summer interns will enroll for credit during a summer session.
    • Acknowledgement that an exit interview or paper is required to receive credit.
    • Acknowledgement that the sponsor has been given a copy of "Guidelines for Internships" (7/12/05) and that the potential intern has reviewed these guidelines.
    • Student's name and full contact information including email.
    
    Please note that the approved MOU and a letter of evaluation from the sponsor must be submitted at the time of the exit interview or with the internship paper if this option is used.
17. Internships announced on the internship bulletin board by one of Dr. Gibson's fliers are "prequalified." Students may enroll without Dr. Gibson's permission (unless permission is required by the sponsor). However, it is always a good idea to touch base with Dr. Gibson. His phone (with voice mail) is (520) 621-7899 or his fax is (520) 621-7834. Students may arrange internships with other sponsors but all proposals of this sort must be approved by Dr. Gibson before students enroll in Geog 393 or 593 (see #16 above).

GETTING THE MOST OUT OF INTERNSHIPS

A Note to Interns and Internship Sponsors

The following appeared in the February 1998 issue of the (Association of American Geographers) Regional Development and Planning Specialty Group Newsletter. The newsletter is edited by Brian Sommers who got his Ph.D. in Geography at Arizona.

Getting the Most Out of Internship Experiences in Regional Development and Planning

In many programs internships serve as capstone experiences for the students. In a small department, the internship can supplement classroom instruction in subject areas too specific for the limited faculty resources. In larger departments, internships may help draw together the many courses that students take during their programs of study. In either case, internships provide students with practical experiences and contacts in the profession. They thus help build resumes and aid in job seeking. Although to a lesser degree, internships also carry benefits for professionals in the field and faculty who supervise the programs. As such, it is important that internships work at their best for all those involved.

At a recent joint conference of the Connecticut and Massachusetts Chapters of the American Planning Association a session was held concerning internships. The intent of the session was to bring together students, faculty, and professionals in a discussion of internships, their strengths, their weaknesses, and how to make them better for all involved. The sections below review the results of that discussion.

Thoughts for Interns

To maximize their experiences, students need to go into their internships with a few key thoughts in mind. While they are still students, the interns are expected to be ready to function within a professional environment. This means that they need to be ready academically and prepared to apply their knowledge in a meaningful way. However, as students, the interns should also be prepared to learn from their opportunities, make connections, and to hone their skills. The key thing to remember is that the interns of today hope to be the professionals of tomorrow. The internship experience should aid them in that transition.

Thoughts for the Professional

While the intern is a student, he/she is also a member of your staff and should be treated as such. The simple task of functioning in a professional work environment itself is an important educational experience for the intern. However, without a great deal of professional experience, the intern needs clear tasks and responsibilities. They also need prompt and informative feedback on their performance.

A good internship is one with activities which will make for meaningful educational opportunities and not simple "grunt work." Although the intern's work may be quite specific, it is also important for the student to understand the breadth of what goes on in a professional office. This can even include exposure to the reality of the political process (students often find this the most fascinating/depressing part of their internship).

As part of student instruction, the intern's supervisor should keep the university informed of the intern's progress (both good and not so good). The supervisor should also be prepared to write letters of recommendation for the interns. Just remember that you may be the only professional contact or professional experience the intern may have. Thus your letter can carry a great deal of weight (often more than those written by faculty).

Thoughts for the Faculty

As faculty, your job is to make sure that the internship experience is a meaningful one for both the students and professionals. You need to ensure that the internship functions as a quality learning experience for the students involved. For the professionals, you need to ensure that they receive interns who can function effectively given the requirements of the internship. Whether this is part of your faculty load or simply one of your outreach activities, the faculty member is the key element in ensuring the success of internship programs.

Brian J. Sommers (Central CT State University)
John R. Mullin (University of Massachusetts)

The authors would like to thank Michael Piscatelli (City of Springfield Planning Office) for his help in this effort.