Sweet Briar College Career Services Center
Prothro Hall, 2nd Floor
P.O. Box 1096; tphillips@sbc.edu
Phone: 434-381-6151, Fax: 434-381-6396
Internship Handbook for Faculty
Introduction:
The Sweet Briar College Internship Program is coordinated by the Career Services office and the
academic departments and allows students to receive academic credit for supervised work
experience. The Career Services office is responsible for operations and program support. The
academic departments are responsible for supervision and evaluation of student learning.
Definition of an internship:
Sweet Briar College defines an internship as "“a form of experiential learning that integrates
knowledge and theory learned in the classroom with practical application and skills development in a
professional setting. Internships give students the opportunity to gain valuable applied
experience and make connections in professional fields they are considering for career paths; and give
employers the opportunity to guide and evaluate talent." - National Association of Colleges and
Employers (2011).
Benefits of internships to:
Sweet Briar College
 Develop relationships with employers leading to professional jobs and internship opportunities
 Enhance classroom discussions with real-world examples
 Support educational mission to serve the needs of individual learners by providing valuable
learning experiences outside of the classroom
Students
 Provide an opportunity to "test-drive" a career
 Develop specific skills and knowledge related to a career
 Develop a professional network
 Enhance marketability-for graduate school or jobs after SBC
 Increase relevance and enhance understanding of coursework
Internship site
 Year-round source of highly motivated pre-professionals
 Opportunity to experience the energy, new ideas, and special skills students bring to the
internship
 Proven, cost effective way to recruit and evaluate potential employees
 Opportunity to serve as a mentor and teach students specific skills and knowledge
Who is eligible to receive credit?
Current policy requires students have at least a cumulative GPA of 2.0 and major GPA of 2.0 to
receive academic credit. (MUST NOT be on academic probation.) Students must demonstrate a
readiness to intern and obtain approval from designated academic department internship
supervisor. Students must be enrolled at SBC at least one year prior to participating in an
internship. Students may intern the summer before their sophomore year. Students must have
obtained at least three semester hours of coursework in the field of study to which the internship is
related.
Credit hours for internship and general guidelines established by the College:
Note: This can vary between academic departments. Each department can establish its own
guidelines but they must be shaped within the general college guidelines that are outlined below.
If you have questions regarding your specific departmental requirements contact the Assistant
Director of Career Services.
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1-3 credits can be earned for an internship experience. The formula to be used in determining
the credits for an internship is 40 “contact hours” = 1 credit hour
Up to 3 credits can be graded for any combination of internship and field exploration
experience.
The maximum amount of credit for 1 internship is 6 credits, with prior faculty approval.
Internship credits will be graded on P/NC basis
No retroactive credits are allowed.
Internship credits MUST be registered for during the semester or semesters in which the
experience takes place
To receive credit, students must arrange for faculty approval and register with the Career
Services before beginning the on-site hours.
Students who fail to register in advance of their internships may not receive credit
Students may receive credit for two internships at the same site; however, the learning
objectives for each internship should be clearly differentiated
The faculty internship supervisor and the site supervisor should generally not be the same
person. Exceptions must be approved by the chair of the department
If a student is terminated from his/her internship, the faculty supervisor and department chair
will determine if any credit will be awarded after a discussion with the student and site
supervisor
Exceptions to any college policy may be made for legitimate reasons upon the recommendation
of the department chair and or faculty supervisor and the approval of the Career Service office
and Academic Dean.
Grades:
Note: This can vary between academic departments. Each department can establish its own
guidelines but they must be shaped within the general college guidelines that are outlined below.
If you have questions regarding your specific departmental requirements contact the Assistant
Director of Career Services.
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Internship credits will be graded on P/NC basis
Final grades are awarded by the faculty supervisor
Grade notification is sent by the faculty supervisor to the Registrar and is based on the
following:
o The assigned academic requirements, site supervisor’s evaluation, and the faculty
supervisor’s on-site evaluation (if possible)
What is the application process for a student intern?
 Clarify learning objectives and internship goals
 Meet with faculty advisor and the Career Services office to generate a list of potential
internship sites
 Prepare a resume and cover letter to send to the sites. Follow-up. Interview. Accept position
(Career Services office helps with this preparation.)
 Identify a Faculty Internship Supervisor, complete Internship for Academic Credit form,
Contact form, and Off-Campus Student Liability Agreement.
 Obtain ALL necessary signatures. Turn in to the Career Services office for processing
 Establish regular contacts with Faculty Internship Supervisor
Approval of the internship site:
The department chair and faculty supervisor will approve or disapprove the students’ site based on
the following:
 Articulation between the student’s academic program or career goals and the site;
 Degree and quality of on-site supervision
 A conference with the student and advice from departmental faculty
 A determination that the work is related to the students major
Site visits:
Faculty Internship Supervisors are encouraged to make site visits if the internship site is located
within a short radius of Sweet Briar College.
Role and responsibilities of faculty/academic departments:
Each academic department must establish its own internship and field exploration policy shaped
within the general guidelines established by the College. As a minimum, this policy will include the
following:
 Whether they are allowed, encouraged or required for its majors
 How many credits may count towards graduation and towards the requirements of the
major (The maximum amount of internship credits for one degree at Sweet Briar College is
12 credits.)
 Departmental curriculum requirements which must be completed before students can
engage in such an experience
 Departmental evaluation procedures
 How the department handles site approval, and faculty monitoring of students
Responsibilities:
 Encourage students to participate in internships. Internships enhance learning by allowing
students to integrate theory and practice.
 Students completing internships often develop clearer career and academic goals.
 Courses become more relevant
 Refer students to the Career Services office. The office staff can help students to prepare for
an internship by clarifying objectives, preparing marketing tools and locating appropriate
sites.
 After a student has located a potential internship site, she may ask you to be the faculty
sponsor. If you agree to be sponsor, review and sign the student's paperwork (Internship
Academic Credit Form).
 Assist the student in establishing learning objectives
 Determine the modes of evaluation you will require, if any, in addition to the site supervisor
evaluation
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Establish regular meeting times with the student. Advocate for the student if problems
arise. Ask questions to ensure the objectives are being met
Evaluate the learning that has occurred during the internship.
Assign a pass or no pass grade.
Role of the Career Services Center:
The Career Services Center provides centralized coordination of internships experiences. The office
provides information and assistance for students, faculty and sites/employers, which include:
 Maintaining application and registration materials and student files, including site
supervisor evaluations, and faculty supervisor evaluations
 All administrative paperwork will be organized through the Career Services Center
 Assist students to prepare for internship by clarifying objectives, preparing marketing tools
and locating appropriate sites
 Publicizing information regarding internships for the college community and potential sites
 Identifying potential internship sites and maintaining information on those opportunities
 Providing related services to students, including resume assistance, career assessment and
planning, and internship information sessions
 Serving as a liaison and facilitate communication between students, faculty and sites
 Referring students to appropriate faculty who may serve as the student’s faculty supervisor
if the student has not yet decided
Role of the student:
 Initiates the planning process of an internship by meeting with the Assistant Director of
Career Services
 Contacts employers and interviews for internship opportunities
 Discusses the academic requirements with the faculty supervisor
 Meets the commitments set forth in the Academic Requirements
 Provides the necessary information and materials for evaluating the experience
 Ensures that required evaluations are submitted
 Seeks assistance from the faculty supervisor, site supervisor, and the Assistant Director of
Career Services to realize learning/working expectations
 Behaves in a professional manner and in accordance with the policies, procedures, and
calendar of the sponsoring organization. Failure to do this will result in a failing grade,
unquestioned
Role of the internship site:
 Provides information to the Assistant Director of Career Services regarding the workplace
and the student’s responsibilities
 Agrees to the objectives of the student set forth in the Internship for Academic Credit form
 Provides for on-going supervision and performance evaluation(s) of student
 Accommodates site visitations by Sweet Briar College faculty or staff
Warning signs:
Please be attuned to the following warning signs that an intern could be experiencing problems:
 Conflict between site supervisor and intern suggested in meetings/journal reflections
 Intern expresses dissatisfaction with work assignment, appears to be a "go-fer"
 Intern is missing work, classes, etc.
 Intern loses enthusiasm, experiences burnout, tries to juggle too many responsibilities
If you notice any of these warning signs, please address them with your intern and the faculty
supervisor and notify the Career Services office.
Additional resources available in the Career Services and Internship office:
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List of previous internship sites for each major
Sample academic requirements
Sample evaluations
Copies of correspondence sent to site supervisors
Please contact our office if you have questions:
Career Services Center
Tandilyn Phillips, Assistant Director
Sweet Briar College Prothro Hall, 2nd Floor
tphillips@sbc.edu
434-381-6465
July 2012