WSC Geography Internship Assignment
The following criteria apply to students registered for GEO 497 and superivised by Professor Bertolas.
Return to Internship in Geography main page.
1. You must be properly registered in GEO 497 for 3-6 credits. Regardless
of the number of credit hours, the Internship requires a minimum of 250 contact
hours, subject to scheduling by the host agency. Interns are responsible
for their own transportation, housing, and incidental expenses, plus the
appropriate tuition and fees. The host agency will establish the expected
mode of dress and decorum and students failing to adhere to those standards
may have their internship canceled or modified by the host agency or Dr.
Bertolas.
2. The Intern’s WSC GEO 497 grade is based on ALL of the following: Journal, Evaluation, Paper.
A. Journal: A
hand written or typed record of daily activities; may be in the form of a
dated notebook. However, interns are reminded to adhere to the agency
standards of confidentiality. If in doubt about what you are including,
ask the agency supervisor.
B. Evaluation: The intern will be evaluated via the agency's own performance evaluation form or by use of the WSC Geography Internship Evaluation Form,
available from Dr. Bertolas. Evaluation is done at the completion of
the internship, signed by the supervisor of the internship, and returned
to Dr. Bertolas.
C. Paper: This paper describes the mission and organizational structure of the agency,
details the intern’s responsibilities, and explains what projects and activities
the intern worked on (while still respecting confidentiality) as well as
the benefits of the internship to the intern. The paper will
be approximately 10-20 pages, typed, and include examples of work included as appropriate. The paper is due
within two weeks of the end of the internship.
3. Pay and benefits: Not
all private sector internships are paid positions, and public sector internships
often are unpaid or paid at a training wage level. Any pay and benefits
for interns are negotiated items between the intern and the host agency.
Interns are responsible for properly reporting their income on their taxes.
4. Confidentiality: Interns
are expected to adhere to the host agency standards of confidentiality, including in the journal and paper.
5. Communication: Interns
are required to keep Dr. Bertolas informed of their whereabouts, provide
a contact telephone number, and supply any changes of address or assignment.
Problems, if they arise, should be dealt with by the host agency supervisor
or, if appropriate, Dr. Bertolas. Students are advised
to familiarize themselves with the workplace rules and norms, and with the
WSC Student Handbook.