Internship Resources

for Faculty & Staff

Join our Internship Community of Practice

Internship Community of Practice

Hiring an intern for your office?

Want to have a student intern work in your office/department but aren’t sure how to fund the experience?

The WOU Community Internship Program (WOU CIP) connects students to paid internships on-campus at no cost to your office/department. SLCD provides consultation on establishing a meaningful internship, guidelines, and training on the use of internship contracts and evaluations. If your department is interested in hosting an intern through WOU CIP, please submit an internship proposal for consideration by the WOU CIP advisory committee.

 More Information on WOU CIP

Want SLCD to talk to your students about the benefits of an internship?

Pick from our extensive menu of existing programming or suggest a new topic for your class. Below are highlighted presentations to help your students be successful in their internship search.

  • Finding and Preparing for an Internship ~ 50 minutes
  • Writing an Effective Resume/Cover Letter ~ 40-50 minutes
  • Interviewing Skills ~ 45 minutes
  • Networking/Informational Interviewing ~ 45 minutes
  • Professional Dress ~ 45 minutes
  • Using Social Media in Your Job and Internship Search ~ 45 minutes

Visit our in-class presentation page to view all of our offered presentation topics or submit a request now.

PRESENTATION REQUEST
SEARCH INTERNSHIPS
WOU CIP

Internships can truly enhance students’ education by expanding skill sets and exposure to real world situations. It is no longer a question of whether or not a student should do an internship during their college careers, but rather how many and where.  This page provides a number of resources for us as faculty and staff to support students in their preparation and search for internships, as well as information on how to hire an intern for your departments.

    What is an Internship?

    To ensure that an experience is educational, and thus eligible to be considered a legitimate internship by the National Association of Colleges and Employers definition, all the following criteria must be met:

    1. The experience must be an extension of the classroom: a learning experience that provides for applying the knowledge gained in the classroom. It must not be simply to advance the operations of the employer or be the work that a regular employee would routinely perform.
    2. The skills or knowledge learned must be transferable to other employment settings.
    3. The experience has a defined beginning and end, and a job description with desired qualifications.
    4. There are clearly defined learning objectives/goals related to the professional goals of the student’s academic coursework.
    5. There is supervision by a professional with expertise and educational and/or professional background in the field of the experience.
    6. There is routine feedback by the experienced supervisor. 
    7. There are resources, equipment, and facilities provided by the host employer that support learning objectives/goals.

    Benefits of an Internship

    Students
    • Gain exposure to real-world problems and issues that perhaps are not found in textbooks.
    • Cultivate adaptability and creativity in a dynamic world.
    • Increase marketability to employers. On average, only 30% of graduating seniors have job offers before graduation; however, after completing an internship, that figure rises to 58%.
    • Evaluate specific companies or specific careers prior to committing to full-time employment—a “try before you buy” type experience.
    • Ease transition from being a student to entering the workforce.
    • Increase opportunities within a company for faster advancement and growth.
    • Increase self-confidence in the workplace while developing an expanded network of associates and professionals.
    • Facilitate a higher starting salary than non-interns. In a recent study interns received, on average, $2,240 more than non-interns for starting salary.
    • Have resume-building experiences while applying academic concepts and principles.
    • Have opportunities to fund college education.
    • Have personal growth experiences and exposure to different job opportunities.
    • Have hands-on opportunities to work with equipment and technology that may not be available on campus.
    Department/University
    • Provides learning experiences that are more valuable than case studies and lectures.
    • Connects faculty to current trends within their professional field.
    • Develops more competitive and employable graduates.
    • Increases program credibility and student excellence as well as stronger ties with alumni in the professional fields.
    • Validates the university’s curriculum in a working environment.
    • Improves post-graduation statistics for the university.
    • May accelerate corporate fund-raising efforts.
    Internship Providers
    • Creates the opportunity to recruit future employees. (In one year, Hewlett Packard recruited 70% of its new hires from its pool of interns.)
    • Gives the opportunity to evaluate prospective employees virtually risk free.
    • Saves money since an intern receives less pay and fewer benefits than a full-time employee.
    • Functions as flexible, cost-effective work force without long-term commitments.
    • Frees up professional staff to pursue more creative projects.
    • Offers a year-round source of highly motivated pre-professionals.
    • Garners quality candidates for temporary or seasonal positions and short-term projects.
    • Brings new and innovative ideas to an employer.
    • Presents an excellent way to find new, energetic, and skilled employees who bring latest industry knowledge fresh from lectures and other campus resources.
    • Seamlessly converts student interns to full-time employees who can be immediately productive.
    • Strengthens the bond with the university and projects a favorable image in the community.
    • Allows the employer the opportunity to have an impact on molding the lives of students.

    Faculty Advisors Responsibilities

    • Faculty advisors are responsible for abiding by departmental internship policies, guiding students through the learning process, and supervising all assigned coursework, in addition to providing a final grade.
    • Faculty advisors will be expected to sign off on departmental internship forms before the student can register for the course.

    Faculty are frequently asked by students to help in making networking contacts during their search for internship opportunities. Alumni are a great resource, as well as any organizations or companies that your department works with on projects or invites into the classroom as guest speakers. CPP is here to support you and your students in making more connections outside of the classroom.

    Share Resources with Students

    CPP offers students a variety of career-related programs, events, and appointments that can help students in their internship preparation, search, and experience. Learn more below or contact our staff for additional details.

    Internships for Academic Credit

    Policies and procedures regarding internships for credit, are somewhat unique to each academic department at WOU. Most programs have a designated course of 1-12 available credits. The program or designated faculty member stipulates prerequisites as well as a process for creating learning outcomes, reflection and supervision. In order for an internship or an experiential learning activity to be eligible for academic credit, several individuals must work together: the student, faculty advisor, and the site supervisor. Below you will find general guidelines helpful in getting started.

    Internship Fund

    Through generous donations by benefactors on and off campus, WOU has funding available for students scheduled to participate in internships. This funding program is intended to alleviate the costs incurred by a student as a result of participating in an internship crucial to their career success. Typical costs may include clothing/shoes or transportation/gas.

    To learn more about eligibility requirements and the application process visit our Internship Fund page.

    Interested in donating to the fund? Please contact our office at 503-838-8432 or pathways@wou.edu

    Best Practices and Legal Resources

    Hire an Intern

    Sample Forms