Internship Policy

Adopted on Jan. 9, 2014, by the faculty.

The College encourages students to participate in internships that provide important learning opportunities to help them prepare for their careers.  Accordingly the College assists students in securing internships at for-profit businesses that meet either of the following criteria: 

• Internships for which students are paid for their efforts, in which case those students may participate in and contribute to the work of the company.
• Unpaid internships which are largely observational and training-oriented, for which the host company derives no substantive material benefit from the efforts of the intern, and which are consistent with guidelines established by the Department of Labor Wage and Hour Division:
  • The internship, even though it includes actual operation of the facilities of the employer, is similar to training which would be given in an educational environment;
  • The internship experience is for the benefit of the intern;
  • The intern does not displace regular employees, but works under close supervision of existing staff;
  • The employer that provides the training derives no immediate advantage from the activities of the intern; and on occasion its operations may actually be impeded;
  • The intern is not necessarily entitled to a job at the conclusion of the internship;
  • The employer and the intern understand that the intern is not entitled to wages for the time spent in the internship.

The College will allow students to earn academic credit for such an unpaid internship only when this is required by the host company.  Approval to register for credit must be obtained from the member of the sequence designated to grant such approval.

Only organizations whose internships are consistent with the above will be hosted or promoted by the College for the purpose of seeking students for internship positions.

Any organization offering an unpaid internship for which a student is required to receive academic credit will be required to sign a form in advance acknowledging awareness of and compliance with the six Wage and Hour guidelines stated above.  If reports indicate any such organization has signed the form but is not in compliance with those guidelines, the college will no longer host or promote that organization’s internship opportunities.

The College will assign a staff member to maintain records of internships in which students are involved, including, when possible, assessments of the experiences gained through the internships.

It is understood that students may also secure internships on their own for which the College has no responsibility.