THE INTERNSHIP EXPERIENCE
Purpose and Importance of Internship
Students participate in an internship experience after completing their junior year of coursework, and after fulfilling their obligations for Fieldwork I and II. HTM 598– Internship is a required, credit-bearing course. The internship consists of a full-time position (40 hours per week) for a minimum of twelve weeks at an approved site. Ordinarily, students are not permitted to take additional courses or be employed outside the internship experience.
The internship must take place in a professional setting that is related to the degree and major as well as the career goals of the student. Ideally the internship should begin during the summer following the student's junior year (3-month internship) and be completed by the end of the fall term of the senior year. (6-month internship)
Entry into supervisory levels of the hotel, food service, private club or tourism field requires experience. Fieldwork I and II provide the student with the opportunity to gain curricular practical training in an occupation and help the student to better grasp classroom learning. The internship provides the student with another opportunity for curricular practical training. The internship also serves as a stepping-stone to permanent employment after graduation and assists the student in networking with professionals and organizations that can favorably influence future employment opportunities.
- Learning opportunities: The internship should be a real-life learning experience. Most students select an internship that 1) compliments their practical training to date, 2) helps them to advance their career objectives toward postgraduate management placements, and 3) provides an opportunity to complete an internship project in cooperation with the employer. Think about the career you want to begin upon graduation, and select an internship that will effectively support your marketability and employability in that career field.
- Compensation: Students often ask if they will be paid during their internship. Though the university does not interfere in compensation negotiations between the student and an employer, it is expected that students will be compensated at fair market rates for their internships. Students must consider compensation packages that include hourly wages and benefits such as housing or meals. Compensation is usually important to the student; however, compensation alone should not be used as the criterion for selecting an internship.
- Added value: This criterion may prove to be the most beneficial. In researching employers, consider what "added value" they are willing to include in your experience. Often employers overlook the personal learning advantage they can provide at no additional cost to their operation. By allowing the intern to shadow a manager for a day, participate in a month-end inventory, sit in on committee or weekly management meetings, or rotate to areas outside the standard assignment, the employer adds value to the internship experience. The list will differ for each employer and student, but the experience gained, the organizational politics learned, and the systemic structure experienced are all critical to professional maturation. Consider those employers who will substantially add value.
- Type of placement: Most internships are designed as either positional or rotational. The University has no requirement that it be one or the other; however, each type has particular advantages and disadvantages. Rotational internships allow the student to work in all departmental operations, in an organized sequence. Positional internships designate one specific job assignment for the entire internship. Ordinarily, students have no control over the employers' choice of a rotational or positional internship. Be open-minded when it comes to the type of internship.
Internship Policies
- Each student will participate in a professionally related experience of no fewer than 12 weeks and no longer than 26 weeks.
- The student must accept a position or assignment for which the responsibilities expand upon previous experience. Students will not be allowed to continue in a current position or repeat an experience for which they have already received Fieldwork I or II credit. Lateral assignments or cross training with a current employer will be considered.
- Previous work experience, especially unrelated or non-hospitality and tourism experience, is ineligible for consideration in satisfaction of this graduation requirement.
- Prior to the start of the internship, each student will develop a project of significance and list the professional objectives for the same as a basis for establishing an agreement between the internship coordinator, student, and employer.
- The internship site must be approved by the internship coordinator and be appropriate to the student's program of study.
- Internship is a paid work experience. However, during the internship, students are expected to commit hours to the completion of their internship project, for which they should not expect to be compensated. Nevertheless, a student may accept a stipend for services rendered, especially for food and lodging or travel expense reimbursement with regard to accomplishing the internship project, if the employer agrees to the same.
- The student accepts professional responsibility to fulfill the internship obligation as dictated in the Internship Placement Agreement. Failure to complete the internship subjects the student to a possible failing grade and/or a requirement to complete the course again.
- Each student will log internship experiences weekly. The logs are to be sent to the internship coordinator for evaluation. At the end of the experience, a comprehensive typewritten internship project will be submitted to the internship coordinator.
- The internship coordinator awards academic grades based on the results of the following: the qualitative and quantitative evaluations of professional performance by the employer, student, and coordinator; the completed internship project; and the student's success at achieving the objectives set forth in #4 of this agreement.
- The internship coordinator will communicate with the employer during the internship through appropriate visitation and meetings with the on-site supervisor. The coordinator will also meet with the student to discuss performance.
- The on-site supervisor will provide evaluation data concerning the student at predetermined times.
- Any member of the parties may terminate this agreement provided proper notice has been forwarded in writing to the internship coordinator. In the case of termination, the agreement will remain in existence for such a period so that the UNH student can make adequate provision for exit and return to campus.
If interested in an internship or in hosting interns, please contact Dr. James Murdy at 203.932.7413 or at jmurdy@newhaven.edu.
