Internships
Philosophy
The
academic internship program at CSU provides an opportunity
for mutually beneficial, long-term relationships between
the university and partners in businesses and other organizations.
CSU students will benefit from valuable, real-world experience
and our partners will benefit from the fresh insights and
work contributions of the interns. The on-going dialogue
between CSU professors and officials from sponsoring organizations
will also be mutually beneficial.
University
Requirements
Academic
internships provide students with three (3) hours of credit
and valuable experience in one or more of the functional
areas of business, environmental management, or economics.
Student interns work directly with an employer to enhance
their academic experience by applying the concepts and
techniques that they have learned in class. Interns must
have junior status (61 semester hours) and at least a 2.75
GPR.
Following
is a summary of the requirements for satisfactory completion
of a business, economics, or environmental management internship:
1.
A university representative will visit the work site prior
to the placement of any interns with the organization.
This visit is not required in cases where the internship
is nationally recognized (e.g. FBI summer internships or
nationally recognized corporate internships).
2.
The student will be required to work at least 112 hours.
3.
The supervising professor will assign a paper, five or
more pages in length, to complement the on-the-job experience.
4.
The student will meet with the supervising professor at
least four (4) times during the semester to discuss work
performance, research and progress on the assigned paper.
5.
The supervising professor will communicate with the employer
a minimum of three (3) times during the semester to discuss
the student’s performance and ways that the internship
experience might be enhanced. This communication can be
by telephone, personal visit, or electronic means depending
upon the particular internship.
The
student’s grade will be based on workplace performance
and completion of any assignments given by the professor.
A grade of pass or fail will be awarded.
Employer
Responsibilities
The
employer will provide a valuable work experience in a safe
environment for the student. If the employer experiences
difficulty in working with the student, the employer will
contact the supervising professor immediately. Specific
employer responsibilities include:
1.
Developing a job description for the internship and discussing
it with the supervising professor and the student intern.
The employer and professor will discuss job requirements
prior to assigning an intern to a position.
2.
Engaging in an on-going dialogue with the professor to
ensure that the internship meets the needs of the employer,
the university, and the student.
3.
Supervising and training the student intern.
4.
Providing an assessment of the student interns performance
to the supervising professor.
Student
Responsibilities
The
student intern’s responsibilities include, but are
not limited to:
1.
Reporting to the internship on time, as agreed upon with
the faculty advisor, employer, and immediate supervisor.
2.
Abiding by all employer policies regarding dress and
professional conduct.
3.
Meeting with the employer as required to discuss responsibilities
and
performance.
4.
Communicating regularly with the faculty advisor.
5.
Being a good representative of Charleston Southern University
and the School of Business.
