Bassett Internship Program
- Bassett Internship Program: Requirements for Credit Bearing Internships
- Unpaid For-Credit Internships
- Paid For-Credit Internships
- Field Studies
Professor Showalter, Director.
Randolph-Macon College’s commitment to the liberal arts includes a deep concern that our students find useful and satisfying careers following graduation. It is our conviction that the knowledge and skills acquired through a liberal arts education provide a sound basis for success in a wide range of professions. In an effort to enhance our students’ opportunities to test their skills and themselves outside the classroom, the college offers several opportunities which enable students to get on-the-job or field experience. Opportunities are in a wide range of career fields in Virginia, Washington, D.C. and other locations both domestic and international.
Bassett Internship Program: Requirements for Credit Bearing Internships
Bassett Academic internships at Randolph-Macon are credit-bearing three-hour courses, and each of the College's academic departments has the option of offering an academic internship course. While most students take their internships on a full-time basis during the January term or in summer school, some students complete internships on a part-time basis during either the fall or spring term. All Bassett Academic Internships carry Experiential Cross Area Requirement (CAR) credit.
Randolph-Macon has informal agreements with several businesses, government agencies, and social service organizations that will sponsor interns from the college. A special effort is made to match every intern with an appropriate placement site, and new placement options are solicited as needed. No sponsoring organization is asked to accept an intern whom it considers unprepared for the work, and no intern is expected to work in an inappropriate placement site.
Students are expected to take an active role in securing their internships and having them pre-approved. The type and level of this activity may vary from department to department and be substantially different depending on whether the internship is paid. Failure to respond to faculty supervisor and program requests during the placement process may result in removal from the program.
Students who wish to apply to the program should first meet with their advisor and their department's internship liaison. Interested students should start this process early, as some internships may take several months to arrange. Students must register for the appropriate course in the semester the internship is to be completed. After registration and once the internship placement is finalized, students must complete an on-line application form (found on MyMaconWeb) providing details of the intended internship, identifying the internship site and field supervisor as well as the faculty supervisor. This form will then be automatically forwarded to obtain necessary permissions. Students enrolled under an F-1 Visa will also need permission from the Office of International Education. The application is to be completed prior to the start date of the internship and within the application dates indicated on the web site, otherwise, no academic credit will be given. Some departments may have additional requirements for internship eligibility.
Transfer and International Exchange Students seeking internships prior to receiving a GPA at Randolph-Macon may seek a waiver of the GPA application requirement through the director of the program. These students must meet GPA requirements prior to the beginning of the internship.
The academic internship experience must be integrated with learning in an off-campus placement. The instructor must maintain periodic contact with the intern and his or her field supervisor during the internship. The instructor should also give reading and writing assignments that are appropriate to the student's internship experience including a reflective component in which the student will synthesize and integrate the information he/she has learned and the skills he/she has mastered. The instructor shall make the final evaluation of the student's performance. This evaluation shall include an evaluation of both the academic and the field components of the student's work.
Students will receive academic or experiential credit only for internships approved prior to the start of the internship experience and completed through Randolph-Macon. Students cannot receive credit for internships retroactively. Students may not receive academic or experiential credit in transfer with the exception of international internships completed through a program pre-approved by the Office of International Education (OIE), the Bassett Internship Program Director, and the chair of the department accepting credit.
Students are expected to arrange their own transportation to and from sites.
No student may take more than two internship or field study courses for credit. The college also offers several non-academic career development programs. (See the Edge Career Center.)
Unpaid For-Credit Internships
To qualify for admission to an academic Unpaid For-Credit Internship, a student must have completed 48 semester hours of course work prior to the beginning of the internship and have earned at least a 2.25 cumulative GPA at Randolph-Macon College at the time of application and at the start of the internship. GPA and credit hour requirements may be waived by the program director under exceptional circumstances. No student may receive salary, compensation, or wages from an academic internship course; violation of this rule will result in cancellation of credit. Satisfactory completion of a Bassett Academic Internship requires a minimum of 130 hours (160 recommended) working at the host site, a reflective daily journal, final written report, and satisfactory evaluation from the site supervisor. All credit bearing internships are subject to a course fee.
Paid For-Credit Internships
With prior approval, Paid internships may be eligible for three-hour academic course credit and Experiential Cross Area Requirement (CAR) credit.
To qualify for experiential credit a student must have completed 48 semester hours of course work prior to the beginning of the internship and be in good academic standing (not on academic probation) at the time of application and at the start of the internship. Registration and application procedures are similar to those for academic internship courses. Satisfactory completion of a paid internship requires a minimum of 130 hours (160 recommended) working at the host site, a reflective daily journal, final written report, and satisfactory evaluation from the site supervisor. All credit bearing internships are subject to a course fee.
Field Studies
A Field Study is an experiential learning course combining elements of workplace experience, observation, and research and each of the college's academic departments has the option of offering a Field Study course. Students are expected to work closely with a faculty field study supervisor to develop learning objectives and a plan of study appropriate to the discipline. Assignments may include a reflective journal, activity reports, and one or more directed research papers appropriate to the discipline. Workplace experience requirements should be similar to those of internships.