Internship Process at ODU

Internship Process at ODU

 

Registration Process:

1. The student obtains an offer of employment for experiential learning.

2. The student wants/needs to obtain credit for this experience and must initiate the registration process.

3. The student obtains the Experiential Learning Registration Form and completes the information.

a. (FOR F1 VISA HOLDERS ONLY) The student obtains the CPT Advisor Recommendation Form and completes it this will include a signature from their faculty advisor.

4. Upon completion of the information, they will need to obtain signatures from relevant parties. The significance of each signature is indicated below:

a. Student Signature - Agreement to conduct the experience in good faith and in representation of the academic integrity of ODU.
b. Faculty Advisor Signature - Departmental recognition of the validity of the experiential learning opportunity as having curricular relevance.
c. (FOR F1 VISA HOLDERS ONLY) Office of International Education Signature - Verification that the international student is in compliance with governmental and institutional requirements.
d. Career Development Office Signature - Verification that the relevant forms are completed in their entirety and all relevant data is obtained. This step will serve as a point at which data will be aggregated for institutional reporting.

5. Career Development staff will send an email to the Registrar's Office asking for the student to be registered in the course. The completed form(s) will be attached, and all relevant parties will be CC'd.

6. The student begins the experience and course.


Best Practices/Course Recommendations:

• The Career Development Center has a 15–30-minute appointment type available to be scheduled in Handshake ("Experiential Learning Registration Appointment") for the express purpose of educating students (or faculty) on this process. We are also working with the Helpdesk to update our page on the university website to reflect this information.

• Course content will be copied into each section created in PantherLearn by the Online Education Team. This will make the transition to, and implementation of this process as streamlined as possible.

• Non-negotiable: The student cannot register for credit without completion of the registration form.

• The Learning Objectives Form should be completed between the student and site supervisor within the first 2 weeks of the experience.

• Important note on Evaluations: The validity and reliability of the data is significantly reduced without establishing two points of data. The initial evaluation will serve as the baseline and the final evaluation will serve as the measure.

o The Initial Student Evaluation of Experience should be completed within the first 2 weeks of a 16-week course.
o The Initial Supervisor Evaluation of Student should be completed by week 5 of a 16-week course (after the supervisor has had a chance to establish a relationship with the student).
o Both of the Final Evaluation Forms should be completed at the end of the course.

• Students and site supervisors are encouraged to schedule at least one 30-minute meeting per week to reflect upon and discuss progress towards goals or any issues that may have occurred during the work week.

• Students are encouraged to get in contact with Faculty Advisors, or the Career Development Center, with any questions that they have regarding the experience or if an issue occurs that they do not feel is appropriately taken up with their site supervisor.

• Career Development Center staff can be added to courses as a Graduate Assistant to make the process of obtaining submitted documents from PantherLearn more streamlined.


Post-Completion Process:

• All parties involved assist in the aggregation of completed documentation in the Career Development Center

• Career Development Center staff will compile data into one centralized database that will benefit institutional reporting.


Expected Outcomes Data:

• Where have students been engaging in experiential learning?

• How many students have undergone experiences?

• How well did ODU students perform in experiences as evidenced by NACE Career Competencies?

• What are employers’ recommendations for areas of curricular improvement that will support workforce development initiatives?

• How many students have undergone out-of-state experiences and where?

• Work Hours validation to support departmental accreditation standards.

• Compensation Data.

Work authorization that can be granted to F1 VISA holders by a Designated School Official from the Office of International Education. In order for this to be granted a student must have a valid offer of employment that has curricular relevance and occurs for a specific period of employment within the students' academic enrollment period.

Directly related to a student’s major field of study and is an integral part of the school’s established curriculum.

Utilized on a case-by-case basis in situations where a student plans to undergo an experience over the Summer semester and due to financial or academic constraints has course registration - and therefore credit and payment - delayed to the Fall semester. This cannot be granted retroactively.

NACE recognizes and promotes various experiential learning opportunities to help students develop valuable skills, competencies, and practical experience. These opportunities often include internships, co-ops, and other hands-on experiences that bridge the gap between classroom learning and real-world application.

The National Association of Colleges and Employers is the preeminent organization for research and outcomes data relating to the employment of the college educated. The data from this association is utilized by the vast majority of Career Services Departments across the nation.

These competencies represent the skills and behaviors that employers seek in new graduates to ensure a successful transition into the workplace. The identified list includes the following eight competencies: Career & Self-Development, Communication, Critical Thinking, Equity & Inclusion, Leadership, Professionalism, Teamwork, and Technology.