The Daily Bulletin Archive

At its April 10, 2020, meeting, the College Senate voted in favor of a revision to the DOPS Policy on Submission Guidelines for Internship Courses, Policy No. IV.02.02, presented by the College Senate Curriculum Committee.                                                                             

BUFFALO STATE COLLEGE
DIRECTORY OF POLICY STATEMENTS
Policy Number: IV.02.02                                                                      
Date: September 1981
SUBJECT: Submission Guidelines for Internship Course Proposal

In accordance with DOPS policy I:04:01 and 2016 SUNY Internships and Co-ops Guidelines an internship is a credit-bearing or non-credit bearing applied learning experience where a student receives structured workplace activities that align with their major or area of interest. Internship courses should be designed with the following guiding principles in mind:

1. Internship courses are designed to include three distinct parties: the student, faculty member, and a site supervisor
2. Internship courses provide an opportunity for a field experience to supplement and complement the academic programs of the college
3. Students work on learning outcomes in a workplace setting with the site supervisor and are also assessed and monitored by a faculty member
4. Internship courses provide a structure for responding to field experiences in the educational program of the student

Undergraduate Courses

The minimum required GPA for an undergraduate student to register for an internship course is 2.0. The prefix and code number to be used by any department proposing to offer an internship course will be:  XXX 488 as per DOPS policy I:04:01.

Graduate Courses

The minimum required GPA for a graduate student to register in an internship course is 3.0. The preferred prefix and code number is XXX 688.

Development of Internship Course Proposals

Each new or revised internship proposal must include all information that would be included in a new or revised course proposal. In addition to using the CSCC form and processes, the following components should be included in the appropriate section of the course proposal:  (1) a written learning agreement between the student, faculty supervisor, and the site supervisor that specifies all roles and responsibilities regarding academic objectives, field experience objectives, and the relationship between the academic and field experience components, and (2) mechanisms for preparation, orientation / training, continuous improvement, and structured self-reflection. The catalog description should list the course as per the following example: XXX 488 – Internship 1–15 credits.

Review of Internship Course Proposals

Internship course proposal will be reviewed by the guidelines provided by DOPS policy IV:02:00 on new and revised course proposals.

Credit Hours

Per Directory of Policy Statements I:10:00 internship courses can be 1 – 15 credit hours per semester that are determined by the department and approved by the CSCC. Recommended minimum hours:

1. Field work on the site – 30 - 40 hours per unit of credit
2. Academic component – 5 – 10 hours per unit of credit

It should be noted that positions in which the student receives a stipend or a salary may also be credit bearing. However, the rights of individual departments to impose their own policies concerning credit for a paid internship is recognized.

An individual student will be permitted to apply a maximum of fifteen (15) credit hours toward the baccalaureate degree.

Conversion:

Departments which now offer/require internships should bring them into compliance with the current guidelines. To determine the level of revision, refer to DOPS policy IV.09.00 “Course Number Change”. Student teaching and field work in education is not under the jurisdiction of this policy for internships, but follows the policies and regulations set forth by the state for educator preparation programs.

Reference:

State University of New York, University Faculty Senate, Internship Guide Subcommittee of the UFS Undergraduate Academic Program and Policies Committee, Internships and Co-ops: A Guide for Planning, Implementation, and Assessment (2016), https://www.suny.edu/media/suny/content-assets/documents/applied-learning/Internship-Guide-FINAL-(3.22.16).pdf.

I hereby accept the recommendation of the College Senate and charge the provost with responsibility for overseeing the implementation of this policy change and for communicating the change to the campus community.