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CBE Internship Information for Employers
The internship program within the University of Wisconsin-River Falls’ (UWRF) College of Business and Economics (CBE) is an excellent example of a working partnership between employers and an institution of higher education. The integration of practical experience and academics creates a win-win situation for the employer, student, and university. CBE has long recognized the value of experiential learning to strengthen its academic programs. Employer participation is encouraged.
Internship periods are usually one semester or summer in length. Ideally, positions are established on an annual basis and filled by alternating students.
What is an Internship?
Benefits to the Employer
Responsibilities of the Employer
Guidelines for Employers Establishing a New Internship
Guidelines for Position Descriptions
For assistance in creating an internship partnership with UWRF-College of Business & Economics, please contact Carmen Croonquist, Internship Developer.
What is an Internship?
An internship is a carefully monitored work experience in which a student has intentional learning goals that enable him or her to apply their classroom knowledge to the workplace.
- Interns receive compensation for their contributions to the organization.
- Internships are part of CBE’s educational program, and are carefully monitored and evaluated by faculty for academic credit.
- CBE faculty has established learning goals for internships. This is an important aspect of an internship that distinguishes it from a short-term job. A high-quality internship experience should include analysis and decision-making, and at least one of the following:
- Job rotation
- Responsibility for special projects
- Assisting a manager in his or her duties
- Anything else that constitutes a significant learning experience
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Benefits to the Employer
- Internships provide a source of skilled, motivated pre-professionals.
- Interns offer fresh perspectives to old problems.
- Employers receive increased visibility for their organizations at UWRF.
- Internships allow professional staff increased freedom to pursue more creative projects.
- Internships provide a flexible, cost-effective work force not requiring a long-term employer commitment.
- Internships offer a cost-effective way to recruit, evaluate, train, and retain potential employees.
- Organizations can improve their access to diverse populations.
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Responsibilities of the Employer
- Provide a supervised internship experience related to a program offered by CBE.
- Provide a complete description relating to the position outlining the duties and responsibilities, scope of learning, hours of work, compensation, name of direct supervisor, and the process for applying for the internship. We can assist with this.
- Communicate with student employee regarding work schedules, supervision, safety regulations, appearance, personnel policies, and other procedures.
- Supervise and evaluate the work performance of the intern.
- Communicate with faculty internship coordinators for purposes of evaluation and program improvement, or in the case of dissatisfaction with student performance. Please refer to the specific forms that provide information about reporting any problems.
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Guidelines for Employers Establishing a New Internship
- Design an internship that fits your organization’s needs. Outline what you are hoping to achieve from having an intern. Ensure that there is commitment by your organization’s management to hire, train, supervise, and mentor interns.
- Draft a job description that clearly explains the duties and scope of learning for the intern.
- Determine the timeframe and amount of hours worked. Summers generally work best for most interns.
- Determine what you will pay the intern.
- Identify workspace for the intern, as well as any additional resources an intern needs to do his or her job.
- Determine the academic background and experience you desire.
- Determine who will have supervisory, training, and mentoring responsibility for the intern.
- Determine how the intern’s performance will be evaluated, and how feedback will be provided.
- Outline the recruitment and application process.
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Guidelines for Position Descriptions
CBE faculty must approve the internship for college credit. While the position description can be brief, some specifics are essential:
1. Duties & Scope of Learning
Since an internship is a learning experience, the job content should reflect this goal. The job description should address the level of anaylsis and decision-making an intern will have, and include at least one of the following:
- Job rotation
- Responsibility for special projects
- Assisting a manager in his or her duties
- Anything else that constitutes a significant learning experience
2. Academic Background/Experience/Skills Desired
- Indicate the preferred academic major, experience, and skills sought.
- If there is a GPA requirement, please list it.
3. Supervision
- Please include the name, title, email address, and phone number of the staff member who will be supervising the intern.
4. Salary & Benefits
- CBE internships are a paid work experience. Compensation should be fair, competitive, and commensurate with wages paid full-time for similar assignments with consideration for training and experience. Additional benefits are also determined by the employer.
- Housing arrangements are the responsibility of the student. Some employers provide assistance, which is appreciated.
5. Time Frame & Hours
- Include the starting and ending date of the internship, the amount of hours an intern will work per week, and the total hours for the internship.
6. Application Process
- Provide a detailed description outlining the process for applying for the internship, including the application deadline.
7. Employer Contact Information
- Please provide the name of the organization, the name and title of the hiring official, address, phone number, email address, and website.
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For assistance in creating an internship partnership with UWRF-College of Business & Economics, please contact Carmen Croonquist, Internship Developer.
College of Business & Economics
124 South Hall
715/425-3335
715/425-0707 (Fax)
Revised July, 2009
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