Who is responsible for what?
Students participating in the internship are responsible for satisfying expectations of both the program faculty and Career Services. The workplace is the classroom and students are required to become active participants from beginning to end. Students are expected to read and understand the internship course outline that has been established. In order to obtain a passing grade, students must successfully complete the course requirements. As internship opportunities cannot be guaranteed, students are also expected to actively participate in the process by applying to a variety of posted opportunities, including those offered in locations other than Calgary. Students who choose to be selective when applying to posted internship positions may ultimately be required to find their own opportunities. Use this checklist to ensure course requirements are met:
Preparing for the internship
- Attend pre-employment preparation classes and briefing sessions
- Complete the Work Experience Student Agreement form
- Once the internship pre-requisites have been successfully completed, declare your intention to do an internship to your internship coordinator
- Read the Work Experience Student Handbook for your program
- If you plan to identify your own position, contact your internship coordinator for details on the approval process
Once you have secured a internship
- Register for the course through the Registrar's Office
- Pay your fees within the designated time period
During your work term
- Complete the Job Start Verification form and submit it to your internship coordinator
- Complete the Student Feedback form and send a copy to your internship coordinator
- Make an appointment with your supervisor to discuss the mid-term evaluation form
- Ensure that the Employer Evaluation of Work Term Performance form (mid-term) is completed by your supervisor and a copy is sent to your internship coordinator
At or near the end of your internship experience
- Ensure that the Employer Evaluation of Work Term Performance form (final) is completed by your employer and a copy is sent to your internship coordinator
This checklist is intended to provide you with a "quick guide" to your responsibilities as an internship student. If at any point students experience issues/problems during the internship experience, contact with the internship coordinator and/or department faculty member should be initiated as soon as possible. The student is expected to follow the three-step process listed below:
Step 1:
Students who have concerns of an operational nature (e.g., job description, hours of work, remuneration, employer evaluation, etc.) are advised/coached to speak directly to the employer in an attempt to clarify and resolve concerns.
Step 2:
Where resolution has not been made or the student is uncomfortable in approaching the employer, the student is advised to call the internship coordinator directly to describe what has occurred and how the student has attempted to resolve it. The student must then be willing to provide specific information to the internship coordinator so that the coordinator is able to refer to these student concerns when speaking directly to the employer.
Step 3:
The internship coordinator will then initiate contact with the employer based on student concerns. If necessary, a three or four-way discussion (employer, student, internship coordinator, and department faculty member, dependent on the concern) would take place. If the student is not prepared to permit the internship coordinator to follow through in this manner, then the internship coordinator will not be able to formally respond to student concerns with the employer.
In some programs, failure to follow this three-step process could impact the grade the student receives for the internship course. Please consult your Student Handbook for specific program details.
- Interview and select students in a professional, ethical manner consistent with the policies of the internship program at Mount Royal University
- Determine monetary arrangements, employment status and terms of employment with the student
- Provide a challenging, professional work experience related to the student's academic studies
- Complete the Work Experience Safety Checklist form in conjunction with posting a position, in adherence with Mount Royal's Risk Services processes
- Provide an orientation to the workplace, including safety policies and procedures
- Provide an immediate supervisor to assist and monitor the student on the job
- Discuss work term/internship expectations with the student including tasks, projects, deadlines, policies, etc.
- Complete an evaluation of the student's work performance at the mid-term point and the end of the work term and discuss them with the student (Mount Royal provides the evaluation form); we also encourage employers to provide ongoing verbal feedback to the student
- Allow the internship coordinator and/or University faculty representative to conduct a brief mid-term visit either by telephone or in person
- Contact the internship coordinator if any questions or concerns arise
- Encourage the student to complete their program of study as intended
- Follow all safety rules and meet federal and provincial legislation, regulation and codes
What work experience employers can do if a student is not meeting expectations
- The student should be provided an opportunity to learn from the experience and to improve their performance. In this regard, the employer is encouraged to meet with the student to discuss the situation, clarify goals, provide guidance where necessary, and establish a timeline for improvement
- If the concern persists, the employer is asked to document the issue and to contact the internship coordinator for support and/or intervention. Subsequently, if the situation cannot be resolved satisfactorily, the employer has the right to terminate the student's work term
The department faculty member will:
- Determine students' eligibility to undertake an internship
- Explain the internship course to students
- Develop internship guidelines
- Outline the intended internship learning process
- Confer with the internship coordinator concerning specific student status issues, exemption requests and procedural interpretations
While faculty's primary focus is with students, the internship coordinator's focus is on the employer. Coordinators maintain positive employer relations by ensuring students are prepared for the workplace and overseeing employer-student management relationships. Written and verbal employer feedback is among the information regularly shared with faculty.
The internship coordinator will:
- Liaise with students, employers and University faculty and administration to promote and maintain work experience partnerships
- Provide industry-specific information and resources, professional development and pre-employment preparation, in collaboration with faculty, to help students prepare for and learn from their internship experiences
- Develop internship opportunities and maintain contact with employers throughout the year to ensure they have current information about the program
- Assist students with internship self marketing initiatives
- Assess the suitability of job opportunities in internship learning and confer with faculty if necessary
- Coordinate a competitive recruitment process for internship students
- Provide the faculty instructor with a copy of the job description and Job Start Verification form for each student placed
- Maintain employer-student relations during the hiring, employment and job performance evaluation process
- Conduct at least one on-site/telephone/video conference visit with the student's supervisor during the internship semester
- Notify department faculty member if any student/employer issues arise during the internship work term semester