CO-OP FACULTY HANDBOOK
• PURPOSE OF THE HANDBOOK
The following information is designed to provide faculty with in-depth knowledge about the policies and practices relating to Cooperative Education (Co-op) and Internships at Millersville University . While individual academic departments may have different or additional requirements, the Office of Community and Academic Partnerships ( CAP ) provides a central point of entrance and administration for students and employers.
The CAP Office provides an online orientation for students which explains what steps to follow to earn credit for a co-op or internship. We also provide guidelines and a job description form for employers. You can learn about these aspects of the program by clicking on Student – Online Orientation and by looking at the Employers section of our web site.
To learn about the faculty role click on:
• GOVERNANCE MANUAL STATEMENTS ON COOPERATIVE EDUCATION AND INTERNSHIPS
The following content in this section of the handbook is taken from the Millersville University Governance Manual and deals with: (A) The Cooperative Education Program, and (B) Cooperative Education/Internship Supervision: Student Supervisor's Responsibilities.
• Cooperative Education and Internship Program
Cooperative Education and Internships are educational options provided to students enrolled in participating departments. Theoretically, Cooperative Education is a learning approach that interweaves University studies with alternating semesters of paid work experience in industry, business, government or public service. An d theoretically an internship is A a single term unpaid assignment. Because so many of our students do a mixture we do not distinguish academically between a co-op and an internship. may also be selected . Both programs allow students to gain the opportunity to make informed decisions on career objectives, gain practical knowledge, receive academic credit, and earn income in the process. This learning is brought back to the classroom and helps to give the students' academic program a sense of reality and relatedness.
The Millersville student may begin to show his/her interest in the Cooperative Education /Internship program as early as the first semester, freshmen year. Sophomores and juniors (in some instances, seniors, too) are also highly encouraged to take the first steps to find out more about the program Cooperative Education .
At the discretion of the department, a maximum of 12 s.h. credit may be counted in the major or electives toward normal graduation requirements. Additional credits will be counted over and above the normal graduation requirements. All credits earned will be on a satisfactory/unsatisfactory basis. A Cooperative Education/Internship student may participate in a maximum of four cooperative education experiences.
The Cooperative Education /Internship program is optional for almost all Millersville majors. Students must, however, meet the following criteria for participation:
The cooperative education/internship experience provides a student with the opportunity to gain supervised experience in a work setting for which variable academic credit is assigned.
Each academic department participating in cooperative education will assign a Co-op/Internship Coordinator to administer the daily program operations.
All faculty members responsible for the supervision of co-op/intern students should attend an initial supervisors' orientation/training session and regularly scheduled faculty co-op/intern supervisors' meetings. To provide for consistency of program operation, the supervisors and the departments will work with the Cooperative Education Office Office of Community & Academic Partnership s ( CAP ) .
The development of cooperative education internship positions shall be the joint responsibility of the faculty and the Cooperative Education CAP Office. All faculty are encouraged to initiate new or expanded contacts for the development of additional cooperative education/internship experiences. Whenever faculty generated contacts have been successfully made, the Cooperative Education CAP Office will be informed so that the necessary follow-up work may be completed, and verification of potential co-op/intern sites may be made.
Introduction of the faculty member to the appropriate contact(s) including the potential co-op/intern's immediate employer supervisor, should normally be completed prior to any student's placement with the employer. It is the responsibility of the department coordinator to apprise his/her department of the conditions of student placement (assigned location, duration, work functions, and responsibilities) prior to approval of the student assignment by the department.
To prepare for each semester's supervisory load of cooperative education/internship students, the faculty supervisor needs to be sure that registration for the assignment has been completed. Each student must have an appropriate signed “Request for Special Study for Co-op Assignment Form” and must have registered for the appropriate cooperative education/internship course number. In addition, each student has completed the on-line orientation which outlines the student's and employer's responsibilities. If the department specifies any additional learning and performance objectives, the student must be provided a copy of objectives prior to the assignment.
A departmental file should be established and housed in the department office for each cooperative education/internship student. The file should include:
• The department's copy of the Request for Co-op Assignment form
• A copy of the student's job description/responsibilities
• Midterm and final evaluations
• A log documenting all written correspondence, telephone consultations, and on-site visitation made, and
• Other information which may be needed by the department.
• Credit Load Determination
A college supervisor of cooperative education/internship students shall supervise a maximum of seventy-two (72) students during the academic year. When the academic faculty member carries a mixed load of teaching and supervision of cooperative education/internship students, the academic faculty member's workload shall be calculated on the basis of each cooperative education/internship student being equivalent to one-third (1/3) of an academic credit hour, regardless of how many credits each student is earning for the experience (see CBA). Supervisory assignments, full-time or part-time, will be approved by the department chairperson and the school dean.
3. Supervision Responsibilities
a. Employer
1. Provide the C o AP -op Office with a current detailed job description of work tasks to be performed prior to any student placement.
2. Expose the student to professional surroundings.
3. Have a genuine interest in the progressive development of student potential.
4. Continually guide the student towards increased responsibility.
5. With each additional work assignment, the student should be provided with increased responsibilities and new learning opportunities.
6. Meet with the student's faculty supervisor about the middle of the semester.
7. Prepare and return a final evaluation of student's performance approximately two weeks prior to student's departure date.
8. Confirm the student's co-op status with the employer's personnel department prior to rehiring of a co-op student.
9. Assist in identifying suitable housing and transportation during the co-op term if necessary/
10. Allow for student leave time to take care of University course registration matters.
11. Contact the C o-op AP Office at 717-872-3774 or the student's faculty supervisor immediately should any problems arise.
b. Student
1. Advise the CAP Office of employment interest early in the term preceding the intended co-op term. This also applies to any anticipated extension of a current co-op/intern assignment
2. Read and understand program expectations as outlined in the co-op brochure and handbook orientation guidelines.
3. a. Students of past co-op/internship assignments are expected to register for the appropriate co-op course number if they acceptance assignment from the same employer of a previous work assignment
b. Co-op job slots are reserved for registered co-op students only. Credit will not be given to students who return to a
co-op job without preregistering through the CAP Office and the Registrar's Office.
c. Make all arrangements to register for the upcoming semester's courses.
4. Register and pay tuition for the appropriate cooperative education course.
CO-OP 200 300 : Entry level cooperative education experience giving initial exposure to departmentally approved job
assignment. (1-6 s.h.)
CO-OP 3 4 00: Cooperative education assignment with increased work responsibility over the CO-OP 2 3 00 level.
Prereq: CO-OP 2 3 00 or equivalent. (1- 6 12 s.h.)
CO-OP 4 5 00: Cooperative education assignment with increased work responsibility over the CO-OP 3 4 00 Level.
Prereq: CO-OP 3 4 00 or equivalent. (1- 6 12 s.h.).
A course number may be repeated if a student wishes to complete the four allowed semesters.
CO-OP 500: Cooperative education assignment with increased work responsibility over the CO-OP 400 level.
Prereq: CO-OP 400 or equivalent. (1-12 s.h.).
Along with registration for the co-op, the student needs to pay the University fee, dormitory costs and meal tickets (for
those students continuing residence on the MU campus), and insurance.
5. Complete change-of-address form with both the Co-op Office and the Registrar's Office.
6. Confer with the C o-op AP Office to discuss employment expectations, living arrangements, and program requirements at least one
week before starting the co-op work experience.
7.
a. Conduct oneself in a professional manner on the job site.
b. Conform to employer's work schedule, office routine, etc.
8. Complete contracted work period.
9. Provide the academic department with a work report and the Co-op office with a copy.
10. Satisfactorily complete all academic requirements as stated in the Co-op Handbook Orientation , or as requested by the academic
department.
11. Plan for campus housing accommodations for the following semester prior to leaving campus for co-op/internship assignment.
Confirm all campus housing with the Dean of Resident Life Office .
12. Contact the C o-op AP Office at 717-872- 3312 3774 immediately or the student's faculty supervisor should any problem arise.
Graduating seniors should transfer appropriate co-op file materials to senior credential folder. Transferred materials will be
governed by the prevailing Career Services credential policy. All non-transferred materials will be maintained for only three years
beyond graduation.
c. Department Coordinator
1. Administers departmental co-op /intern program services to students.
2. Cooperates with the C o-op AP Office in matters pertaining to the Cooperative Education/Internship Program at Millersville
University.
3. Approves potential co-op/.intern job sites and maintains a departmental file listing for student and faculty use.
4. Establishes departmental guidelines to direct da l i ly operational procedures and determines which University-wide forms and
procedures would provide maximum efficiency for department use.
5. Approves potential co-op/intern students who enter a candidate pool for possible placement.
6. Assigns a faculty supervisor (pending Dean's approval) to a student matched with an employer. Completes and expedites
requisite paperwork (including regular load or overload assignment and determination of cost). Maintains department file on
each student completing a co-op/intern assignment.
7. Monitors grade reporting by faculty supervisors.
8. Verifies that the faculty supervisor has met the conditions and responsibilities of a Co-op/Intern Supervisor.
9. Assists in the development and maintenance of a qualified student applicant pool through departmental mailing to academic
majors and faculty.
10. Whenever possible, initiates new or expended contacts for the development of additional cooperative education/internship
experiences.
d. Faculty Supervisor
2. Keeps and makes appropriate entries in the departmental file.
3. Accumulates a minimum of five contacts with the student during his/her co-op/intern experience. Meetings with the student
should occur on at least three separate occasions, one of which must be an on-site visit preferably around mid-semester.
4. Completes mid-semester on-site visitation responsibilities including a rating/review of the student's work performance-and
consultation with the student and his/her immediate employer supervisor.
5. Collects all student assignments and evaluations, and based on this material and student contact, determines and reports the
student's grade to the Registrar's Office.
6. Whenever possible, initiates new or expanded contacts for the development of additional cooperative education/internship
opportunities.
7. Whenever possible, assists the student with registration and other liaisons with campus offices.
III ADVISING STUDENTS
It is wise to advise students to start the process early so they have time to develop a quality resume and are able meet deadlines for positions that are very competitive and/or require security clearances .
1. Advise students to start the process early so they can:
a. develop a quality resume and get references if necessary.
b. attend job readiness workshops presented by Career Services if needed.
c. be competitive for top jobs with early deadlines.
d. allow enough time to obtain clearances needed for some governmental and educational positions.
e. register before the next semester begins.
2. Advise students about the program's flexibility
a. students can work full-time or part-time for at least 15 hours for a week
b. students can work in Millersville, at their home town or while they study abroad.
c. student can work during the Fall or Spring semesters. All three summer sessions count as one semester earning a
minimum of three credits per experience.
3. Advise the students to make the most of this opportunity.
a. use the job search process to explore options in their major/minor – explore jobs in CAP Line (our database of more than
1500 jobs is a great career development tool), info interviews, network.
b. develop meaningful learning objectives. (It's more than “just a job”).
c. journal (read questions in paper)
d. ask questions, observe.
4. Advise students that a co-op or internship is an investment in their future; well worth the time and tuition.
D. Supervising the students
1. Your Requirements
a. Five Contacts
Suggested Timeline
1. when student registers for credit discuss job description.
2. reality check about 3 weeks into job. Is student doing what job description said?
3. site visit about mid-term. Observe student at work, meet with supervisor with and without student. Discuss
strengths and weaknesses, curriculum fit.
4. Review site visit and how student meeting learning objectives.
5. Put experience into perspective and review paper.