Department of Health and Human Performance

Part I: The Internship -- An Overview

A. Introduction

An internship is an important part of the educational process and is intended to integrate classroom concepts and on-the-job roles and activities. It is an active learning process which serves to bridge a student's academic present with their professional future.

This document is a guide to assist the student in understanding the procedures as well as the expectations and evaluation process involved in seeking and completing an optimal internship in their professional area.

B. Definitions

1. Internship:
   

   A full-time pre-professional field experience extending from 10 to 16 weeks in length with a minimum of twenty (20) contact hours per week.

2. Agency:
   

   The organization or institution which offers services and/or the facility.

3. Agency Supervisor:
   

   The agency employee who is responsible for the on-site orientation, guidance and direction of the student while the field work is being completed.

4. Faculty Supervisor:
   

   A Kinesiology faculty member who is assigned to monitor and evaluate the student's progress and to provide guidance and support to the student and the agency.

C. Purpose and Objectives of the Internship

• Purpose:
  The internship is that part of the student's professional preparation which provides them with a variety of experiences in the delivery of services while under the guidance and supervision of qualified personnel. The student is guided through experiences which provide opportunities to apply academic knowledge and to learn the roles and responsibilities of a practitioner.
  
  The student will develop the ability to organize and direct a plan of action. The student will learn the why, where, and by what means delivery of services takes place within the agency.
  
  Through the field experience, the student will improve their ability to work within the agency's organizational structure and with the public.
  
  If the student is employed by the agency PRIOR TO the start of the internship, the agency/student must provide evidence that the internship responsibilities will be distinctly different from the student's current 'job description'.
  
  
• Objectives:
  

  The following objectives have been identified as the means by which the above purpose may be gained.

  To provide the student with:
  1. Opportunities to recognize theory in practice.
  2. Experiences which use a variety of methods and activities to reach a stated objective.
  3. Opportunities to gain experience in conducting assigned activities that are part of the agency's program.
  4. Experiences which refine communication skills with co-workers as well as the client/general public.
  5. Experiences which develop the ability to analyze and interpret situations with which they may be confronted.
  6. Opportunities to become effective in management and program planning.
  7. Experiences which develop poise, self-confidence and leadership.
  8. Opportunities for the student to evaluate his/her effectiveness as a practitioner and to identify personal strengths and weaknesses.
  9. Experiences which instill responsibility to agency policies and to procedures.
  10. Experiences that develop desirable personal characteristics and positive relationships with others.
  11. An opportunity to define a personal and professional philosophy in an agency environment.
  12. Experiences which develop professional interest, attitudes and involvement.