Designing Quality Internships

Before you proceed:
•    Which academic discipline do you think would provide students with the skills you need to complete the work?  What are the minimum skills a student would need to succeed?
•    Do you have the time/bandwidth to mentor the intern?  Interns often need training and nurturing before they can be independent contributors.
•    Would the internship role you are envisioning provide enough hours to offer meaningful work that will grow in complexity over the internship?  As a base, 100 hours is a solid minimum number of hours for an internship. Would the internship last a quarter?  Longer?
•    How would you pay your intern, and how much?
o    Offering paid internships are always best practice.  Compensation helps students defray costs, places value on the work they do, and motivates students to apply for opportunities. Employers must comply with federal and state wage and safety regulations for paid and unpaid internships. If offering an unpaid internship, the opportunity must pass the Primary Beneficiary guidelines set out by the Department of Labor.
•    Would you be open for the student to earn credit for the internship?  If so, your internship must align with the academic calendar and students must register for a course.  
Once you have gone through a thorough consideration of the value of the internship you have in mind, the following steps will help you design a quality internship experience.
Write & Post your Position
•    Write a clear position description that includes minimum qualifications, potential learning outcomes, beginning and ending dates (should last 1 – 3 quarters), weekly hour expectations, a list of primary responsibilities, and compensation. 
•    Make sure duties are no more than 1/3 low level clerical tasks; include steps toward advanced responsibilities over time.  
o    Flexibility with variable student abilities and schedules is important.
•    Determine the application process and submission materials (resume, cover letter, etc.)
•    When complete, post the internship position on Handshake.
Onboarding
•    Have a workstation prepared and the necessary equipment for the student on day one.
•    Provide an orientation of the position, the department, and expectations for work performance.
•    Introduce intern to other staff in adjacent departments they will work with.
•    Assign a permanent supervisor/mentor; a backup mentor for the intern is a good idea.
•    Discuss learning objectives for the internship that address student areas of study/interest.
•    Schedule consistent, regular meetings during the first 4-6 weeks of the internship.
•    Encourage questions with gradual movement toward independence.
Evaluation
•    Offer constructive feedback frequently during the internship.
•    Provide a formal written evaluation once or twice during the internship.
o    If your intern is enrolled in a CWE course, evaluations will be conducted as part of their required assignments.
•    Identify areas of student strength and areas for improvement
•    Assess progress over time and recommend next steps for career path.
Reflection
•    Provide the intern with an opportunity to write about or present their thoughts on the internship at or toward the end of the experience.
•    Schedule an exit interview for feedback from the intern on the value of the internship experience. This feedback allows you to continually improve the internship.