Expectations for Interns and Employers
Expectations for Students | Expectations for Employers
Students
Student interns are expected to work a weekly set schedule—10 to 15 hours—at their internship, totaling 150 hours at the end of the semester. Hours should be arranged with the employer around students' class schedules and any other essential obligations. It is best to work out a consistent work schedule, perhaps twice a week for 5 hours each day, or 3 days per week for 3-4 hours each day. Obviously, students should expect many internships have periods in which required work loads and hours may vary accordingly. Work schedules should be set at the beginning of the internship and documented in the Internship Packet, and be reflected on the weekly time-sheets submitted.
Students are expected to maintain a professional attitude, appearance, and work ethic at all times. Interns must treat the internship very seriously, as you would with any other important career opportunity or class. Attendance, punctuality, dependability, good judgment, and maintaining a high quality of work are musts. Failure to adhere to these professional standards will result in either a poor/failing grade or in dismissal from an employer. You should report any problems immediately to the employer and/or to the UTSA Internship Coordinator, so that they may be resolved quickly.
Grades for the internship will be based on the following criteria:
- Your attendance and preparedness for the ONE GROUP meeting, and ONE "one-on-one" in my office
- Your level of work & participation at the internship
- Your professional, detailed, and well-organized weekly online journal, which you will submit on BlackBoard Learn
- Your professional and well-organized portfolio, which you will turn in at the end of the semester
- Your professionally presented Mid-term paper, i.e. a written internship progress report & assessment
- The Final Evaluation from your on-site internship supervisor
- Completed minimum of 150 hours on-site/contact hours by or on the last day of regularly scheduled classes—meaning, before "Study Days" & "Final Exams" begin (minimum 10 hours weekly onsite & maximum 15 hours weekly on site)
There will be ONE mandatory internship meeting at the beginning of the semester for enrolled interns. You will turn in your weekly journals of your activities during the semester. You will also create a portfolio of accomplishments, and write a mid-term paper detailing your progress as an intern.
Employers
Employers are expected to provide a stimulating, guided learning experience for our COM seniors. While certain skills and levels of proficiency may be expected of the student upon entry into the internship, the internship is a UTSA course designed to provide an applied learning experience for the communication major. Each host organization must provide the intern a supervisor to guide, oversee and assess the student's work. Students should be given as much responsibility as they can reasonably handle while enrolled in COM 4933. Interns should be exposed to the organization's culture and communication-based directives, and be involved in as many of these activities and opportunities as possible.
Employers are asked to work with students in forming a set schedule based on the UTSA Academic Calendar and respective semester of enrollment—i.e., work with their other on-campus classes and work-life balance—in order to provide an adequate amount of work for the student to meet their student learning outcomes and objectives. It is understood that workloads on projects may vary, but at minimum should total a minimum of 150 hours for the semester.
Employers are also asked to complete a final progress report/evaluation at the end of the semester, rating the student's professionalism, quality of work, and other aspects of performance. All employers are also asked to write a "To Whom it may Concern" letter of recommendation for the student at the end of the internship. Your evaluation and letter of recommendation become part of the final grade for the student. If at any time during the semester problems arise, please discuss them with the student and inform the Internship Coordinator immediately, so that problems may be resolved quickly. You may dismiss the student from employment should serious problems persist.
TO BECOME AN "APPROVED" COM 4933 Senior Capstone Internship Partner with the UTSA Dept. of Communication, first submit the Internship Proposal Below. Then, attend our annual COM Internship Partners' Symposium & Meeting from 3-5pm, FIRST FRIDAY IN AUGUST in the JPL Faculty Center, hosted by COM 4933 Internship Coordinator, Prof. Red Madden.
