Academic Affairs Policy # 2040
Section 1. Policy
This university policy is established to govern and define the university-wide Academic Internship Program; however, this policy does not apply to practicums administered by professional academic programs within the university. Departments or programs may have additional requirements.
Section 2. Authority
This university policy is issued in accordance with state law and the Rules and Regulations of the Minnesota State Colleges and Universities System
Section 3. Effective Date
This university policy shall become effective upon the signature of the President and shall remain in effect until specifically revoked.
Section 4. Responsibility
The University respects faculty leadership and responsibility in the curriculum partnership and acknowledges that internships fall within the curriculum.
The responsibility for the administration of this university policy is assigned to the Center for Community-Based Learning.
Section 5. Purpose
This policy articulates areas of concern regarding academic internships in order to provide university-wide clarification.
Section 6. Definitions
An internship is one of Metropolitan State’s alternative learning strategies available to students. It is a for-credit, structured field experience in which a student acquires and applies knowledge and skills, while working in a responsible role within a community, business or government setting.
The Internship Faculty Liaison within each academic unit reviews the Internship Agreements for academic content and credit value and is responsible for the academic components of the internship. The Internship Faculty Liaison also has ultimate responsibility for determining and submitting the grade the student receives.
The Internship Evaluator is the person who completes the Learning Evaluation for the student's internship. Based on college/department guidelines, the faculty liaison may also be the internship evaluator.
The Internship Site Supervisor is located at the site or project where the student is doing the internship. The Site Supervisor certifies that the student has met internship responsibilities and depending on college/department guidelines may evaluate student performance and provide evidence of student performance to the Internship Evaluator and/or the Internship Faculty Liaison.
Section 7. Participation - Students
In order to register for an academic internship, participants must be Metropolitan State University alumni or current students with a minimum cumulative 2.0 GPA and be in good academic standing as defined in university Policy 2050 and procedure 205.
Upper division or graduate level credits are granted for all academic internships.
Registration for internships follows the alternative learning strategies deadlines, as outlined on the academic calendar.
The student must complete the internship within 180 days from the registration date, unless otherwise specified within the internship agreement.
Students must adhere to the appropriate college/department guidelines when applying and registering for, participating in and completing an internship.
Section 8. Participation - Faculty
Annually, each college dean compiles a list of resident faculty members to serve as the internship faculty liaison for the college and/or some departments. Every internship must have a faculty liaison that has responsibility for evaluating and grading based on the site supervisor’s report and any required deliverables.
Section 9. Grading
Internship credits are assessed in 40-hour increments: 3 credits = a minimum of 120 hours; 4 credits = a minimum of 160 hours.
All internships will be graded according to the specific college/department guidelines.
The grade will be submitted by the faculty liaison once the student has submitted all required college/department internship deliverables.
Section 10. Limitations
The student cannot be related (e.g., a parent, sibling, child, uncle, aunt, cousin, in-law), or share residence with, either the onsite supervisor/evaluator or the Metropolitan State faculty liaison.
If the internship is at Metropolitan State University, the internship supervisors may not be current undergraduate students at Metropolitan State University.
Section 11. Fees
Students registering for academic internships will be charged at the same tuition rate as any course or alternative learning strategy, based on the number of credits for which the student is enrolled.
There are no withdrawals and no refunds from internships.
Section 12. Intellectual Property
Any product created by a student receiving academic credit for an internship is the student’s work and may be used in their portfolio, but ownership of the product created during an internship for an organization may vary with the site. The student and organization should develop an agreement on ownership of intellectual property created as part of the internship prior to beginning the internship.
Section 13. Exceptions
College deans or an appointed designee may make exceptions to this policy.
Section 14. Review
This policy will be reviewed annually prior to fall semester, by the Center for Community-Based Learning Director and the Provost and Vice President, Academic Affairs.
Section 15. Signatures
Issued on this 30th day of November, 2011.
Gary Seiler, Interim Provost and Vice President, Academic Affairs
Sue K. Hammersmith