ITC Internship Handbook and Syllabus

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I register for the ITC Internship class?

First, you need to find an IT position you can use for internship credit. See FAQ #3 below and step 1 of the "ITC Internship Course Enrollment Steps" for more on that. Once you have a position see the section “ITC Internship Course Enrollment Steps” in the guidelines and policies section for detailed steps to get registered.

The ITC Internship course is not a course where you register and then you find or are placed at an internship. Instead, you take this course to receive credit for internship work experience so you need to have an internship position accepted before you register, this is why instructor approval is required to register.

The ITC Internship course is offered every term and, although it only shows a limited number of seats, the course will not fill up as we will expand the course as needed. You can also register for this course even after a term starts so there is not a rush to register for the course. See FAQ #6 for more details.

When am I ready to take the internship course?

We normally recommend that you start looking for internship positions anytime after you have completed the ITC 2000 PC Hardware & Software course. The ITC Internship course is offered every term (including summer) and you can also register for this course even after a term starts so as soon as you are hired for a position and have approval from the ITC internship supervisor you can start.

It’s easier to get hired if you have previous experience in IT. However, we realize this is not normally the case for students! Especially if you do not have previous experience you will probably find it easier to get hired if you have passed professional certification exams so that people know you have some knowledge, skills, and abilities in the IT area. The CompTIA A+ professional certification is a good place to start. If you’ve taken the ITC PC Hardware & Software course you should be well on your way to passing that certification. It’s suggested you contact your PC Hardware & Software instructor for advice on passing the certification and take some practice exams to help prepare you. If you already have the CompTIA A+ and have also completed all our CCNA courses passing the CCNA certification is another great way to show you know your way around even more complex IT systems.

How do I find an internship position?

You will find your internship position the same way you would find any job in the IT field. IHCC does not normally place students at internships, you will seek and find a suitable position yourself. It is strongly suggested you work with the IHCC Career Development office to review your resume, brush up on interview skills, and get tips on job searching https://www.inverhills.edu/careerdevelopment

We realize there are very few positions advertised specifically as internships in the IT field. Most IT jobs can be used for credit in the internship course. See details elsewhere in this handbook for specific requirements for positions.

Many ITC internship students are just getting into the IT field, in that case it is most likely that you will be looking for and hired into an IT Helpdesk type position. Those can work just fine for your internship as long as the position allow you to do a little bit of project work or job shadowing with other IT positions as well. In particular inside support positions (where you are providing support to other employees) usually have these kinds of opportunities, outside support positions (where you are providing support to customers of the company) usually do not allow for the required opportunities. See detailed position requirements in the Internship Guidelines and step 1 of the “ITC Internship Course Enrollment Steps” both of which are later in this handbook. Ask your IHCC ITC internship supervisor if you have questions about whether a specific job will meet the internship requirements.

When searching for job openings it is useful to know that there are not standardized names for IT positions across companies. Some companies have titles like “Service Desk Analyst I” while others call the same position “IT Support”, “PC Technician”, “Level I Support Analyst”, etc. So, if it at first appears there aren’t many open jobs try searching with some other terms and also be sure to read through job descriptions, even of jobs that have titles that don’t sound like what you’re looking for as they may still work.

Your first IT position might be a "contract" position with a defined length (such as 6 months) instead of an open-ended job you keep until you leave, are fired, etc. Those contract positions are often easier to get as they typically do not offer benefits and are great options for getting early career experience like with the internship.

Sometimes positions are advertised through a third party (not the company you will work for) sometimes called a recruiting firm, staffing agency, or headhunting firm. This is especially the case with entry level positions. In fact, you will often see the same position advertised by multiple different recruiting firms with slightly different language. These types positions can also work as internship positions and the recruiting firms can sometimes be of assistance in preparing you for interviews, etc. However, they can also sometimes lead you to apply for jobs which you’re really not qualified for just so they can get some credit for bringing in people to interview. Be sure you’re not letting them waste too much of your time.

The best way to find open jobs in IT is to “network”. Ask your friends, family, social media friends, etc. if they know of any open entry level IT positions. It never hurts to make a profile on job networking sites like LinkedIn as well. A good resource for looking for IT jobs is a job search website focused on the tech area. One example of such as site is https://www.dice.com It’s suggested that you upload your resume to these sites and you search the sites for jobs and apply to jobs. As mentioned above there are a lot of different titles for entry level IT jobs so you will probably need to search a lot of terms. Some suggested terms are:

  • Support

  • Technical Support

  • CompTIA A+

  • Helpdesk

  • Service Desk

What if I am unable to find a position titled intern or described as an internship?

No problem! We realize there are very few positions advertised specifically as internships in the IT field. Most IT jobs can be used for credit in the internship course. See details elsewhere in this handbook for specific requirements for positions. For advice on looking for a position see the above question.

What about jobs that list a requirement for a degree or experience?

You are encouraged to apply for jobs you think you’re qualified for even if they list a degree (2 year or 4 year) or experience as a requirement which you don’t have yet. In many cases these requirements are listed in the hopes they can get someone who has that qualification but that is often times wishful thinking on the part of employers. There is nothing about an entry level IT position, such as a helpdesk position, at most companies which requires a degree. Of course, you will be at an advantage if you do have a degree and apply. The same goes for experience or professional certifications. These things will give you a "leg up" during the hiring process but "requirements" are usually negotiable. If you don’t have a degree or previous experience it is helpful to have one or more professional certifications though. This is why you are strongly encouraged in your classes to complete professional certifications such as the CompTIA A+ and CCNA. Once you have these certifications you should certainly include them on your resume and applications/interviews.

What if I don’t have an internship position when classes start for the term or I won’t have 192 hours done by the end of the term?

This is why we require you have a position and receive approval before you are allowed to register for the internship course. Keep looking for a position. Internships are not like regular classes, we can register you for the internship course at any time during the semester, you do not need to register before the semester starts. As soon as you find and are hired for a position you can contact the ITC internship supervisor to get registered for the class even if it’s the middle of the semester.

We will normally register you for the course during the semester where the majority of your hours will be completed. This may mean that you start working at your internship even before you are registered for the course, that’s OK as long as you have cleared it with the ITC internship supervisor and have completed all the assignments as described in the Guidelines and Policies and Syllabus portions of the handbook.

If you get to the end of a semester which you are registered for the internship course and have been working at an internship but don’t have all your 192 hours or assignments completed yet you should contact your ITC internship supervisor. Our normal process is for you to request an "Incomplete" grade for the internship course, due to campus policy you must request and agree to the incomplete. You can then finish your hours and/or assignments and work with your ITC internship supervisor to get your final grade submitted and the course completed.

If you are unable to complete the internship within one semester after the semester in which you are registered for the internship you will fail the internship course and need to re-take it to complete the internship requirement.

Can I get credit for work I did in the past? What if I worked somewhere last summer and want to get internship credit for that work?

Sorry, no. You must contact the ITC internship supervisor, register for the class, and complete some of the assignments before you can begin counting your hours towards the internship. You then must do other assignments during the course of the 192 hours, and still others after the internship is over. You cannot do these assignments after the fact and need to collaborate with the ITC internship supervisor to get approval for your internship before you can count work towards the internship.

What if I already have a job and am unable to take an internship?

Our goal with the internship course is to launch or propel your career in IT so it is important to get real-world work experience in the IT field.

If you already work in the IT area (see the Internship Guidelines for details on what constitutes the IT area) it is possible that your existing job may be able to count for the internship. In this case you should read through the requirements in this handbook and then contact the ITC internship supervisor to discuss your situation and request approval to use your current job.

If you do not currently work in the IT field you probably will not be able to count your current job for the internship and will need to find an internship which meets the requirements in this handbook. We do normally require that internships are paid (more information later in this handbook) so the internship course may provide an opportunity to leave your current position and begin your IT career.

Finally, there is much flexibility in the internship program, while many students work 20-40 hours a week during their internship you don’t have to do this, it’s possible to complete the internship (over a longer period of time) working 5-10 hours a week if you have another job which you need to keep.

Internship Guidelines and Policies

Involvement in a professional field experience has significant value during your academic career. The practical application of classroom learning and practice gives meaning and fulfillment to formal education experienced and the world of full-time professional work.

The purpose of this internship experience is to augment formal classroom instruction and to provide you with an opportunity to carry out the concepts discussed during formal classroom instruction. It is a goal of the Inver Hills Community College ITC Internship program to prepare you for the IT workplace by introducing you to an environment where you can exhibit resourcefulness, effectively execute situational leadership, think critically, and use problem-solving to determine solutions to a variety of technology related challenges.

At least once during the course of your internship you will be visited by your supervising faculty member who will meet with your on-site supervisor at the same time at the site of employment. At the discretion of your supervising faculty member a second meeting may be required. Again, at the discretion of the supervising faculty member the first and/or followup meeting(s) may be conducted electronically (via video chat, telephone, etc.) It is generally desirable that at least one meeting must occur at the site of employment and in any event the student must participate from their primary work site unless extraordinary circumstances prevent this. At the end of the internship your on-site supervisor will be asked to complete an evaluation of you and return to your supervising faculty member.

Internships provide an invaluable addition to your curriculum. Not only do they give you an introduction to the world of work, they also enable you to apply specific skills and knowledge acquired in the classroom. This work experience, coupled with the on-site supervisor’s written evaluation, helps you carefully examine your career options within the information technology field.

The internship also provides you with an opportunity to learn new skills, both technical and interpersonal. Hopefully, an additional benefit for many interns will be the chance to create opportunities for future employment.

Specific Internship Guidelines

  • There must be at least 192 hours of workplace experience for a three credit internship course.

  • You may sign up for the internship course on a standard graded course or a pass/fail basis.

  • Internship grades will, at a minimum, be based on an expectations paper, a work journal, a post-internship report, the meeting(s) with you and your on-site supervisor, and your on-site supervisor’s written evaluation.

  • Except in very specific circumstances the US Department of Labor requires that interns be paid at least minimum wage by employers. Inver Hills Community College will not allow internships which do not meet US Department of Labor criteria. For more information see the US Department of Labor Wage and Hour Division Fact Sheet #71.

  • The internship must be in the IT career field. You do not need to work for an IT company, but do need to be working in an Information Technology position. It’s understood that not all of your work may fall into IT but the majority of your tasks during the 192 hours of the internship should fall into the IT area.

    • Example jobs which typically could be approved for internship credit: helpdesk/service desk, system administrator, network administrator, computer/network security administrator, CIO, managed services technician, computer/network consultant

    • Example jobs which typically would not count for internship credit: data entry, Microsoft Office work (Word/Excel/PowerPoint/Outlook), and work primarily in a computer software application or supporting a computer software application

    • See also the notes in the ITC Internship Course Enrollment Step #1 below

    • Contact the faculty supervisor with any questions about the suitability of a job as they are the ultimate determinator of whether a job will qualify for internship credit.

  • You must be able to work on at least one IT project involving collaboration with others in the IT department, project meetings, change management, etc. In some cases being able to shadow other IT department personnel working on projects may meet this requirement. Contact the instructor for any questions.

  • If it is determined that a job will not qualify for internship credit you may not be permitted to register for the internship course, receive a lower score in the internship course, receive up to one additional semester to find a job which does qualify and complete the coure, or fail the internship course depending on the specific circumstances and when it was discovered that a job will not meet the requirements and why/to what extent the job does not meet the requirements.

ITC Internship Course Enrollment Steps

  1. Find an employer willing to take you on as an intern, apply for, and be accepted to the position. The position does not have to be specifically advertised as an internship position but it must be an IT position (see guidelines above and the notes below) and the employer must be willing to assist in developing you as an employee and fulfilling their role in the internship.

    Except in very specific circumstances the US Department of Labor requires that interns be paid at least minimum wage by employers. Inver Hills Community College will not allow internships which do not meet US Department of Labor criteria. For more information see the US Department of Labor Wage and Hour Division Fact Sheet #71.
    Helpdesk work alone is not usually acceptable as an internship, though this can certainly be a large component of it. You are expected to participate in at least one bigger IT project which involves collaboration with others in the IT department, project meetings, change management, etc. or other such experiences above and beyond providing support. These types of opportunities usually exist for internal support but are uncommon in external support. In other words, if you are customer facing instead of employee facing the position may not be a good fit for an internship. If you have specific questions about whether a job would qualify as an internship discuss it with your faculty supervisor prior to signing up for the internship class.
    Call-center type work or remote support positions where the position is focused on support which is only conducted through phone or electronic means does not usually meet the requirements for an internship.

  2. Contact your faculty supervisor and provide them with your name, your star ID, the name of your employer, your job title and job description, and the name and contact information for your on-site supervisor. Once this information is received and the faculty supervisor has approved your internship they will create a permission for you in eServices so you can register for the ITC 2189 course.

    Your internship does not necessarily need to start and end at the same time as the regular college semester schedule. We can accommodate internships which start before one semester begins and/or end after a semester normally ends. Typically, you will be assigned the internship course during the semester in which the majority of the work will occur. Contact your faculty supervisor for additional details.

  3. Prior to the beginning of your internship period (the 192 hours for a three credit internship) you must complete a goals and expectations paper and submit it to your faculty supervisor as well as your on-site supervisor. For more information see the assignments section of this document.

    Although you can be working at the employer before writing the goals and expectations paper you need to write it and submit it to your faculty supervisor before you can begin counting the 192 hours minimum and begin keeping your work logs.

Employer Responsibilities

The employer plays a key role in preparing you for the professional world. As an intern, you will gain insight into the information technology profession in a way not often attainable through classroom experiences. The on-site supervisor will help guide you through a progression of experiences ranging from site orientation to assuming progressively greater responsibilities. The expected responsibilities of the employer include:

  1. Providing qualified supervision of the intern

  2. Determining, with the intern, the types of learning experiences that are mutually beneficial and rewarding.

  3. Preparing the firm’s employees for the arrival of the intern.

  4. Orienting the student to the mission, policies, programs, and services provided by the employer.

  5. Participation in at least one meeting with the supervising faculty member to review internship progress and the facilitation of hosting that meeting at the workplace. Participation in a second meeting with the supervising faculty member at the discretion of the faculty member.

  6. Integrating the intern, at all appropriate levels, as a fully functioning participant in the company’s activities, projects, programs, and services.

  7. Notifying the supervising faculty member promptly of any problems regarding the intern on the intern’s conduct which may adversely affect the intern, your company, or Inver Hills Community College.

  8. Evaluating the intern’s performance and the degree to which the intern meets stated goals and objectives, completion of a final written evaluation. See details in the assignments section below.

Intern Conduct

As an intern, you must accept the responsibilities and obligations of a professional staff member and adhere to the principles, practices, and policies of the organization. You will need to understand the nature of privacy, confidentiality, and human respect that are prime factors in the workplace. Even as an intern, you are also a representative of Inver Hills Community College and, as such are governed also by college policies and practices. A breach of conduct may have consequences detrimental to you, clients, employers, the ITC department, and the school.

It is expected that you will respect, acknowledge, and abide the policies set forth by your employer as well as by Inver Hills Community College. Any variance from these policies is cause for immediate concern, and could ultimately result in the termination of your employment, failure or removal from the internship, and/or legal action.

In all instances, you are expected to conduct yourself in a professional manner. That conduct should extend to writing reports, exchanging information, and interacting with staff and clients.

Assignments

The following section will describe the core required assignments for successful completion of the internship. Your faculty supervisor may have additional assignments or questions for you which you will be notified of at the time you are enrolled in the internship.

Goals and Expectations Paper

Prior to the beginning of your internship period (the 192 hours for a three credit internship), but not necessarily before beginning your work, you must complete a goals and expectations paper and submit it to your faculty supervisor as well as your on-site supervisor. This paper should be about three pages (double spaced) in length and should, at a minimum, include:

  • Your name, the name of the company where you’ll be interning, the dates your internship will start and is projected to end, and the name/contact information for your on-site supervisor

  • A description of the types of projects and work you expect to be doing as part of your internship

  • A description of the types of non-technical skills you expect will be important to a successful internship

  • A list and description of the broad goals you have for your internship. What do you hope to get out of the internship experience?

  • A list and description of any specific skills you would like to attain or improve upon as a result of your internship experience.

Engineering Journal/Work Reflection Log

You must maintain an engineering journal or work reflection log with entries at least once per week. The log must be submitted in its entirety to your supervising faculty member at least once per month, one week before any meetings the faculty supervisor has with you and your on-site supervisor, and a final copy at the conclusion of the internship. You must have at least one substantial entry per week in your journal but may have more. You must continue with your engineering journal or work reflections until you have completed all other internship requirements (such as faculty supervisor meetings) even if that means you have more than 192 hours. A substantial entry is typically 2-3 paragraphs in length. Entries should include topics such as:

  • Assignments and responsibilities

  • Insights about professionalism

  • Discoveries about the needs and trends of the profession

  • Problems encountered and how they were dealt with

  • How internship expectations and goals are being met or the challenges of meeting them

Each journal entry should emphasize your reactions to and reflections of your work situation in addition to a summarized description of your activities.

  1. Record the date the entry is being made as well as the hours worked each day and a total for the week. Remember that your internship must include working a total of at least 192 hours.

  2. Describe a positive situation/comment, which happened at work this week, and why you think it happened.

  3. Describe an area of your current performance, which you could improve, and how you could do so.

  4. Evaluate your progress on meeting last week’s goals.

  5. Describe any problems or issues you are having at work, and what you could do about them.

  6. Did last week’s problems get resolved? How or why not?

  7. Describe any interesting interaction or conversations with your on-site supervisor or co-workers.

In addition to the description of your activities every other week you should reflect on a professional aspect of your work experience. This means the entries every other week should be a bit longer (typically 4-5 paragraphs). The following topics may assist you in completing this part of your journal entries:

  1. Interview Process - Reflect on the interview process for your internship. What aspects of the process were easiest and which were the most difficult for you? What did you find helpful or unexpected in the interview process and what would you do differently in the future?

  2. IT Careers - Research and identify major objectives of the IT department at the company and how the various positions within the IT department support those objectives. Focus on the differing types of careers available within the IT department and the knowledge, skills, abilities, education, and experience needed to achieve them.

  3. Interpersonal - Reflect on how you fit within the IT department and organization. What types of teams (intra-departmental or cross-departmental) have you gotten to work on and how has that experience been? What types of interactions with your colleagues have you had and how is your work environment?

  4. Current Events - Read enterprise IT trade magazines or news sites (such as ComputerWorld, NetworkWorld, etc.) on topics which impact the IT industry. Discuss these topics and current events in the world of IT with your on-site supervisor or another senior employee and reflect on how you believe your organization is addressing these trends and issues within the corporate environment.

  5. Problem Solving - Reflect on some of the work challenges you have faced and the progress you have made on overcoming them including next steps and how you might do things differently in the future.

  6. Management and Learning - Identify the different management styles you have experienced at the company (i.e. supporting, delegating, directing, and guiding). Explain a scenario showing how the management style was used, the skills you developed to work successfully in this management system, and what you learned from the experience.

  7. Project Management - Track your progress while working on a major project reflecting on the work you have completed as well as the project management process. Identify project management tasks which were helpful in successful completion of the project as well as those which could be improved upon.

Faculty Supervisor Meetings

You are responsible for coordinating with your supervising faculty member and your on-site supervisor to arrange at least one meeting during the course of your internship. This meeting must take place with you at your workplace and should occur about halfway through your required internship hours. At the discretion of your faculty supervisor you may need to arrange at least one more meeting.

Meetings may be held on-site in-person or by Internet video conference at the discretion of your faculty supervisor The meeting(s) must include you, your on-site supervisor, and your supervising faculty member unless your faculty supervisor has specially indicated otherwise. Both your faculty supervisor and your workplace supervisor typically have busy schedules so you should start planning and scheduling this meeting early!

The general purpose of these meetings is to review some of the content in your engineering journal, discuss how your internship is going, the technical and non-technical skills you are learning, and assess your growth in the internship process. You must continue making engineering journal or work reflection log entries until all required faculty supervisor meetings are complete and you have permission to move on to your reflection paper. Don’t forget to make sure a copy of your current engineering journal is submitted to your supervising faculty member about one week before any meeting.

These meetings typically last between 20-30 minutes. About 10-15 minutes will be primarily a discussion between you and the faculty supervisor and about 10-15 minutes will include your on-site supervisor. If the meeting is occurring in person any remaining time is an opportunity to show the faculty supervisor your workplace. If the intern or on site supervisor wishes to have some time alone with the faculty supervisor that can also be accommodated. If concerns are raised by the on-site or faculty supervisors additional meetings may be required.

End of Internship Reflection Paper

After completing your internship period (the 192 hours for a three credit internship as well as all required meetings with your faculty supervisor), but not necessarily before your last day of work, you must complete a reflection paper and submit it to your faculty supervisor as well as your on-site supervisor. This paper should be about 5-8 pages in length (double-spaced) and should, at a minimum, include:

  • Your name, the name of the company where you’ll be interning, the dates your internship started and is concluded, and the name/contact information for your on-site supervisor

  • An overall summary of your experience as an intern: things that surprised you, things that worked out about as you expected, things that challenged you, and an overall evaluation of the experience.

  • A summary of the main things you did throughout the internship, what did you spend most of your time doing? Look back at your goals and expectations paper and consider how what you ended up doing compares with what you thought you would be doing.

    • Be sure to mention what project(s) you worked on, who you worked with, or who you shadowed, etc.

  • A discussion of the non-technical skills you utilized as part of the internship and how important they were to the work environment. Were non-technical skills more or less important than you expected? Which skills were the most important and why?

  • Look back at your goals and expectations paper, how did you do at achieving the broad goals you set for the internship experience?

  • What new skills did you learn or improve as a result of your experience?

  • How do you feel your internship prepared you for the IT workplace?

  • What advice do you have for future internship students?

  • Describe your greatest accomplishment or success.

  • How well did your Inver Hills Community College classes prepare you for this internship, as related to specific technical skills, broad skills for learning about new technologies, and non-technical skills?

  • How have your academic and career goals been affected by your internship experience? How about your personal growth?

  • What new insights have you gained about the IT profession?

End of Internship Employer Performance Review

After completing your internship period (the 192 hours for a three credit internship as well as all required meetings with your faculty supervisor), but not necessarily before your last day of work, you must obtain and submit to your supervising faculty member a performance review by your employer.

The college does not proscribe a particular performance review form. We generally encourage employers to use the same process and forms used for their regular periodic employee evaluations. In the event a regular employee evaluation form is unavailable the employer may complete a generic employee evaluation form or provide a letter explaining areas of growth seen over the course of the internship as well as any notable areas for continued growth.

These evaluations may be sent directly from the employer to the supervising faculty member or may be given to the student to submit to the supervising faculty member. Note that for privacy purposes many employers prefer to give the evaluation to the student who can then release it to the faculty member.

Nondiscrimination Statement

Inver Hills Community College is a member of the Minnesota State Colleges and Universities System and an affirmative action, equal opportunity employer and educator. This information is available in an alternate format by calling 651-450-3508 or TTY/Minnesota Relay at 1-800-627-3529.

ITC-2189 Internship Syllabus

General Course Information

Prerequisite(s)

  • Permission of Instructor, Approved Position, Approval of Sponsor

Course Description

Provides a supervised work experience utilizing and extending the skills learned in ITC networking and security courses. The experience is intended to result in new learning and increased capabilities for the intern and the completion of authentic work for the sponsoring organization. Internships may be arranged upon the mutual agreement of the student, instructor and sponsoring organization. Internship depends on student qualifications and a successful interview for a particular position. Interns are required to abide by all policies governing employees and meet expectations of regular employment.

Required Resources

This course requires only the ITC department internship handbook. This handbook as well as additional information related to this course is posted on the ITC Info site (http://info.ihitc.net) and/or course D2L pages.

Course Outcomes

The student will be able to:

  • Develop a learning plan with specific objectives based on the role and duties of the defined position

  • Relate how classroom-based learning was applied in fulfilling the responsibilities encountered on the job

  • Specify new learning or enhanced skill sets that were acquired during the work experience

  • Evaluate their performance on the job and identify areas of strength and opportunities for improvement

Assignments and Grading

Assignments in this course will consist of a goals and expectations paper, an engineering journal/work reflection log, two faculty supervisor meetings, an end of internship performance review by your employer, and an end of internship paper. A detailed description of these assignments and their requirements can be found in the ITC Internship Student Handbook Guidelines and Policies section. Failure to turn in one or more of these assignments without approval from your instructor may result in an additional lack of participation penalty of up to 20% of your final course grade depending on the type of assignment not completed.

These assignments will also be used to verify that your internship meets the specific guidelines and requirements for internships in the ITC program as outlined in the ITC Internship Handbook. If your internship fails to meet one or more of the specific guidelines or requirements you should expect a substantially reduced grade on one or more of the assignments.

Grades for the course will be computed by weighting these assignments as well as a participation grade based on feedback from your employer and observations by your instructor:

Assignment Percentage of Final Grade

Goals and Expectations Paper

18%

Engineering Journal/Work Log

25%

Faculty-Supervisor Meetings

12%

End of Internship Paper

25%

Employer Feedback/Observations

20%

The instructor may round up based on student participation and individual improvement.

Grading Scale

Letter Grade Percentage Range Description

A

100%-90%

achievement that is outstanding relative to the level necessary to meet course requirements

B

89%-80%

achievement that is significantly above the level necessary to meet course requirements

C

79%-70%

achievement that meets the course requirements in every respect

D

69%-65%

achievement that is worthy of credit even though it fails to meet fully the course requirements

F

64%-0%

Represents failure and signifies that the work was either (1) completed but at a level of achievement that is not worthy of credit or (2) was not completed and there was no agreement between the instructor and the student that the student would be awarded an I (see also I)

N

Represents no credit and signifies that the work was either (1) completed but at a level of achievement that is not worthy of credit or (2) was not completed and there was no agreement between the instructor and the student that the student would be awarded an I (see also I)

I

Represents incomplete and is assigned at the discretion of the instructor when, due to extraordinary circumstances, e.g., hospitalization, a student is prevented from completing the work of the course on time. Requires a written agreement between instructor and student. Students must request an incomplete from the instructor.

Course and Campus Policies

Attendance

Students in this course are expected to follow the attendance policy of their employer. A student may receive a course grade of FN or NC after two consecutive weeks of unexcused absence at any time during the semester.

Substantial Changes to Your Internship

In the event of any substantial changes to your internship situation (before all requirements are met and assignments are turned in) you must contact your instructor as soon as possible and inform them of the change to work out how this may impact your ability to complete the internship course or what steps need to be taken. Examples of situations where you need to do this include:

  • You are laid off or terminated during the course of your internship.

  • Your position description or title changes during the course of your internship

  • You realize that you will not be able to meet one or more of the guidelines or requirements for the internship as described in the ITC Internship Handbook

Attendance

After the first class meeting formal attendance will not be taken; however, students are expected to arrive to class on time and participate in class. Students are expected to attend all sessions of each class in which they are enrolled. If attendance is a problem participation assignments may be given and included in the course grade. If an illness or emergency results in an absence, students should contact their instructors as soon as possible to determine if missed work can be completed. A student may receive a course grade of FN or NC after two consecutive weeks of unexcused absence at any time during the semester. Class attendance is defined as being physically present in the classroom. Online attendance is defined as having submitted an assignment, taken a quiz, or posted/made a course content-related comment on the discussion/chat board for the course in which the student is registered.

Use and Access to Technology

You will need daily access to a high-speed internet connection (DSL, cable modem, 4G, fiber, or equivalent) and a modern computer to successfully complete this course.

Academic Integrity (Plagiarism and Cheating)

Academic integrity is one of the most important values in higher education. This principle requires that each student’s work represents his or her own personal efforts and that the student acknowledges the intellectual contributions of others. The foundation for this principle is student academic honesty. IHCC students are expected to honor the requirements of the College Academic Integrity Policy. The following are some examples of unacceptable academic practices that will be viewed as policy violations.

For the purposes of this policy artificial intelligence (AI) systems such as ChatGPT or automatic summarization systems are "another person". As such they are prohibted unless authorized in advance by your instructor.

It is unacceptable to submit the work of another person as your own. If you quote, summarize, paraphrase, or use the ideas of another, you must accurately attribute that information. If you do not acknowledge the source, you are plagiarizing. Academic dishonesty also includes unauthorized collaboration on academic work; taking, acquiring, or using test materials without faculty permission; submitting the same assignment for multiple classes without instructor permission; taking an examination for another person and many other situations. If you are unsure whether you are plagiarizing or how to cite a source please ask an instructor or staff member for help prior to turning in the assignment.

In this course, the first offense of plagiarism and/or cheating will result in a score of zero on the assignment, quiz or test and reporting of the incident to college administration. Further plagiarism and/or cheating may result in immediate failure of the course and additional consequences determined by college administration.

If you have cheated in other ITC courses that will count as your first offense. In other words, if you have cheated in ITC courses before cheating in this course may result in immediately failing the course and additional consequences determined by college administration.

All instances of cheating will be reported to the college administration. In addition, plagiarism and cheating are covered by the Student Code of Conduct. Please see the Catalog or IHCC website for details.

Withdrawing from the Course

Students must initiate requests for withdrawal from a course by filing the appropriate form with Enrollment Services. Students who stop attending classes without completing the withdrawal process may receive a grade of “F,” and are responsible for all tuition/fees associated with the course registration. The last day to withdraw from your course will be the date on which 80% of the course has elapsed. The last day to withdraw for each course can be viewed in E-Services by searching for the course at the following link: https://webproc.mnscu.edu/registration/search/basic.html?campusid=157. Click on the course title to view additional details about the course, including last day to withdraw.

There are limits as to the latest date you can withdraw from the course and still receive a refund as well as the last date to withdraw from the course at all. Please see the Add, Drop and Withdraw page on the IHCC website: https://inverhills.edu/Registration/AddDropWithdraw.aspx

E-mail Communications

Recognizing the value and efficiency of communication between faculty/staff and students through electronic mail Inver Hills Community College has designated e-mail as an official mode of communication. At the same time, email raises some issues concerning security and the identity of each individual in an email exchange. Therefore, students are asked to regularly check and utilize the email address they have registered with the college. If your email address has changed it is your responsibility to make sure the college has an up-to date email address where you can be contacted. You should check your email on a regular basis as course changes and communications may be sent by email.

Pass/Fail Grade Option

A student may elect to take a course on a pass/fail (P/F) grading basis by contacting the instructor within the first 5 business days of the semester, or within 1 business day of the start date for a course beginning after the first week of the semester. If the instructor approves, they will submit approval to the Enrollment Center. Not all courses are approved for students to elect the P/F grading method and there may be limits to the total number of classes which can be taken pass/fail in your degree or certificate program. Contact your instructor for details about what level of achievement in the course will be required to receive a pass in the course.

Access and Accommodations

Inver Hills values diversity and inclusion; we are committed to fostering mutual respect and full participation for all students. My goal is to create a learning environment that is equitable, inclusive and welcoming. If any aspects of instruction or course design result in barriers to your inclusion or learning, please notify me. The Office of Accessibility Resources (OAR) provides reasonable accommodations and assistive technologies for students who encounter barriers in the learning environment. Services are available to students with a wide range of disabilities including, but not limited to, physical disabilities, medical conditions, learning disabilities, attention deficit disorder, depression, and anxiety. If you have already registered with OAR and have your Letter of Accommodation, please meet with me early in the course to discuss, plan, and implement your accommodations in the course. For additional information, please contact OAR located within the Learning Center (L207), 651-450-3884, accessibilityresources@inverhills.edu or https://www.inverhills.edu/LearningSupport/AccessibilityResources/index.aspx

Religious Accommodation Statement

In accordance with federal and state laws, Inver Hills Community College is committed to a policy of free expression and respect for the diversity of beliefs, including religious observances, among our academic community. It is the policy of the college to provide reasonable accommodations for students when religious beliefs and/or observances conflict with classroom activities or course requirements.

It is the responsibility of students to notify instructors of the need for accommodation at the beginning of the course or as soon as a situation arises. If a mutually agreed accommodation is not made, a student may initiate a complaint. The procedure for filing a complaint is described in the Catalog and on the Inver Hills website. The complaint must be filed within 15 days of a denied accommodation request.

Updates to this Syllabus

The instructor reserves the right to modify and adjust this syllabus as needed during the course of this class. The most up to date version will always be available on the course website or from the instructor.

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