Academic Internship Organizations

Organization’s benefits and responsibilities

When we look at internships from a solution-based perspective, the primary needs of a small to medium sized business are:

  1. Effectively manage work flow to accomplish immediate objectives.
  2. Find new team members to help grow business objectives.

Setting up an internship program meets both needs simultaneously. 

  • 67.7% of 2007-08 interns were offered full-time positions.
  • 83.6% of these offers were accepted.
  • 35.3% of employers’ full-time, entry-level college hires came from their internship programs.

Benefits to Organizations

Benefits of Internship are:

  1. To prescreen our most ambitious and enthusiastic students – the kind who thrive of challenge.
  2. To evaluate temporary employees while deciding whether to make a permanent offer.
  3. An infusion of new ideas and methods.
  4. An excellent source of short term employees.
  5. The opportunity to train an employee in your particular methods and processes.
  6. Greater visibility on the University of WVSU campus.
  7. Participation in the educational process.
  8. Increased opportunities for technology transfer.
  9. Give back to community.
  10. Creates the opportunity to recruit future employees.
  11. Gives the opportunity to evaluate prospective employees virtually risk free.
  12. Saves money since an intern receives less pay and fewer benefits than a full-time employee.
  13. Functions as flexible, cost-effective work force without long-term commitments.
  14. Frees up professional staff to pursue more creative projects.
  15. Offers a year-round source of highly motivated paraprofessionals.
  16. Garners quality candidates for temporary or seasonal positions and short-term projects.
  17. Brings new and innovative ideas to an employer.
  18. Presents an excellent way to find new, energetic, and skilled employees who bring latest industry knowledge fresh from lectures and other campus resources.
  19. Seamlessly converts student interns to full-time employees who can be immediately productive.
  20. Strengthens the bond with the university and projects a favorable image in the community.
  21. Allows the employer the opportunity to have an impact on molding the lives of students.

Responsibilities of The Site Organization

Site Organization: An organization approved by the faculty supervisor and internship director who would provide opportunity for professional work experience for WVSU students. If applicable, financial provisions should be established prior to the beginning of the internship program between the student and the site organization.

The internship plays a vital part in the transition of the students from academic major to professionals. Through the internship, a student is provided with opportunities for “hands-on” experiences so that are based on the application of academic knowledge and expertise that can be applicable to real world problems. This type of exposure is unique and cannot be replicated in the classroom or library. These exceptional skills and work experiences should expand beyond the standard expectations of the ordinary employee and should be of a pre-professional nature, incorporating problem-solving applications when feasible and practicable.

The supervising business should be willing to:

  1. Provide diverse situations with as wide a range of job assignments, tasks and responsibilities as applicable and practicable to increase and extend the general understanding of the student intern. If possible, these experiences should be chosen to enhance and enforce particular strengths, talents, skills, and knowledge of the student intern.
  2. Assign a person as “site supervisor” to oversee the work of the student intern throughout the internship. This person should serve as a mentor for the student intern. The site supervisor does not have to be the person who hired the student or the person who owns the organization. However, the site supervisor should be a person who is knowledgeable about the daily operation of the organization and who is available to the student intern on a daily basis.
  3. Meet the internship requirement for the required clock hours.
  4. Complete the required paperwork including an evaluation of the intern’s work performance for midterm and final evaluation. Evaluations forms need to be completed before the midterm and before the conclusion of the internship. It is designed to reflect the quality of the internship experience as related  to the specific internship goals. It is advised that evaluation results be shared with the student interns so that they will become aware of their personal capabilities, strengths, and/or weaknesses. Then the faculty supervisor review these evaluations and post grades for the student’s course requirement.
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