BELOIT COLLEGE INTERNSHIP PROGRAMS

We encourage you to consider hiring a Beloit student through one of our Field Experience (internship) programs. If the position meets the requirements below, students may also elect to earn academic credit. Most internships are 10-12 hours per week (20-40 hours per week during summer months) and run September to December, January to May, or May to August. Internships may be part time, full time, paid, or unpaid. You determine the hours and salary. We have two internship cars available for students working with local employers.

TOP TEN REASONS TO HIRE A BELOIT COLLEGE INTERN

1. Get quick results. Student interns are capable of accomplishing significant work in terms of both quantity and quality, thereby freeing up staff time to focus on other projects.

2. Gain flexibility. Internship programs provide a year round source of highly motivated pre-professionals for short-term projects. You have a great deal of flexibility in terms of the length of an intern's employment: from one month to several months.

3. Get more done for less money. Unlike regular or temporary workers, interns are working as trainees primarily for educational purposes, so you are not required to provide pay or benefits. Some interns are paid, others are not. Also, pay may be creative, such as stipends, travel reimbursement, meals, etc. Interns may be the most flexible, cost-effective workforce any employer can access.

4. Contribute to your profession by being a part of training and preparing the future leaders in your field.

5. Bring new perspectives to old problems. An intern's enthusiasm and access to the latest research may net your organization substantial dividends. It can also help you to stay up to date on current thinking while giving you an opportunity to share your expertise on how theory or policy is put into actual practice.

6. Take a trial run. An internship program allows you to "try on" potential employees without the commitment of a new hire and without the typical costs associated with recruiting new employees.

7. Gain a competitive advantage recruiting entry-level staff. Employers report that internships are among the most effective recruiting tools, with 30 percent of their 2005 new college graduate hires coming from their own internship programs, according to the National Association of Colleges & Employers (NACE) 2006 Experiential Education Survey. (National Association of Colleges and Employers. 2006 Experiential Education Survey. Bethlehem, PA: 2006.) And why not? They are already trained, motivated, and loyal to the company resulting in lower recruiting costs, turnover, and training time.

8. Stay on the cutting edge. The 2006 Experiential Education Survey conducted by NACE indicated that 62.5% of new college hires had at least one internship by graduation and that 83.8% of employers have sponsored interns. That suggests a large number of employers have already discovered the strategic advantage of hiring interns.

9. Improve your community status. Developing an internship program will enhance any organization status in the community. It demonstrates a commitment to learning, teaching, and the development of a highly educated workforce.

10. Become a preferred partner. Once you have experienced success with an intern, students, faculty, and staff will quickly recognize this and be eager to contribute further to your organization. Often, this means getting the best candidates for future internships, future entry-level hires, and other forms of assistance. Former interns are literally a walking advertisement for your organization.

INTERNSHIP REQUIREMENTS

• A planned training experience in which goals are established by the intern and supervisor; progression toward the goals is reflected upon throughout the internship process.
• The position must be substantial in terms of the quality of work (not simply clerical) to provide students a chance to apply and expand upon their classroom learning.
• It must be paraprofessional in nature. That is, the student must be working off campus "at the side of" a professional. A professional position is one which is generally recognized as requiring a college degree.
• You must provide adequate training and on-going supervision on site.
• The position should relate to the student's career interests and goals.

If you're interested in hiring an intern, call the Office of Field and Career Services (FACS) or send an email that includes a job description, starting salary, hours, application procedures, and deadline date to facs@beloit.edu.

Students Getting Credit
Many students choose to get involved in internships as a means of gaining valuable work experience as well as having the experience noted on their transcript. Beloit offers students two options:

• Register the internship through FACS as a non-credit internship thereby saving on tuition fees but still receiving a transcript notation. The student must work at least 90 hours within the academic term.
• Register the internship through FACS as a for-credit internship. In this case, the student must complete an academic project approved by a faculty sponsor. Students may earn one unit of academic credit (equal to 3-5 university credits) for working 180 total hours. Or, they may elect to earn ½ unit for 90 hours of work.

Learning Goals
Our internship program is based on a planned reflective process. Each student begins their experience by developing a Statement of Purpose, which outlines their work/learning goals (at least five). Site supervisors are encouraged to provide assistance and feedback in developing these goals to ensure that they are realistic and measurable.

These goals are reviewed at a progress visit mid-way through the experience involving the student, a FACS staff member, and the site supervisor. This meeting provides an opportunity to review supervisor and student goals and expectations. When a face to face meeting is not possible, alternative arrangements can be made.

Upon completion of the internship, students write a Reflective Summary detailing what they have learned about themselves, the job/industry, and their relative success in achieving their goals.

Evaluation
Upon completion of the internship, we ask employers to complete a Supervisor Evaluation Form to evaluate the student's work performance. We encourage you to discuss this with the intern before submitting it to FACS. We also ask students to complete a Student Evaluation Form to evaluate their work site.

Additional Guidelines

• The employer is asked to provide in writing (through email, fax or mail) verification of the student hire and a job description. This may be given to the student or to FACS
• We encourage supervisors to provide ongoing feedback to interns as a way of communicating expectations and tracking progress
• The employer is responsible for adhering to state and federal labor laws and regulations and providing a safe environment in which the intern will work

INTERNSHIP PROGRAMS UNIQUE TO BELOIT COLLEGE

College-to-Work (CTW)
This exciting program is a collaboration between the 20 private colleges and universities in Wisconsin and the Wisconsin Foundation for Independent Colleges (WFIC). The foundation recruits companies and organizations for participation in the program which includes both a paid internship (average award of $1,500) along with a student scholarship (average award of $3,500). Costs for the program are shared between the Foundation and participating employers. A primary benefit of the program to employers is the opportunity to recruit top talent from all 20 of Wisconsin's private colleges and universities at the same time and at virtually no cost (to your recruiting budget) since WFIC coordinates publicity, application, and initial selection. To learn more about the program and find out how to become one of our partners, go to http://www.wficweb.org/4.html or call WFIC at (414) 273-5980.

Kemper Scholars Program
Beloit College is one of only 14 colleges and universities nationwide to be selected as a partnering institution in the Kemper Scholar Program. One first-year student from each of the 14 Kemper Scholar institutions is selected each year to participate in this prestigious program. Selection at Beloit College for the program begins in late fall term. Sponsored by the James S. Kemper Foundation of Chicago, Illinois, the Kemper Scholar Program prepares students for leadership and service. The Foundation believes that undergraduate study of the liberal arts is the best preparation for life and career; thus the program aims to promote education in the liberal arts while providing opportunities for career exploration and practical experience.

Scholarship
Kemper Scholars must maintain at least a 3.00 grade point average. They receive annual scholarships of $3,000-$8,000 during the sophomore, junior, and senior years of college. All Scholars receive a minimum award of $3,000/year; if there is financial need, they can receive as much as $8,000/year.

Summer Project Support
Kemper Scholars receive $6,000 stipends for work in major nonprofit organizations in Chicago during the summer following the sophomore year. After discussions with Foundation staff, Scholars are placed in full-time administrative positions where they can learn about financial management, organizational strategy, fund-raising, and non-profit administration. Scholars live together in furnished apartments and participate in a weekly seminar while having many opportunities to explore a major metropolitan area.

During the summer following the junior year, Scholars are eligible for summer independent project grants ranging from $2,000 to $6,000 (level of support depends on expenses associated with the internship or project). While the Scholars’ summer activities must relate to their educational or career goals, Scholars have great latitude in designing their summer projects. Typically they focus on a summer learning opportunity in an internship or another form of experiential learning.