Internship Procedures

Select an internship which would further your knowledge and skills in aspects of oral, electronic, and/or written communication. It is not to be simply a job. It must employ skills and concepts you have learned in your communication course work. In addition, internships require that the organization provide further supervised training in agreed-upon communication areas. Pick up an internship packet in CF 295 or request a packet via email from Margie.Hovde@wwu.edu. Take the Memo to Supervisor (which describes our program) from this packet and contact the organization and your potential supervisor. Discuss the position and, working with that supervisor, complete the Internship Contract.
Complete the Internship Information Form and schedule an appointment with the internship advisor. Get his or her signature on the form. Your internship advisor will enter an override code for you. (You must then register yourself in the course.) Return 2 copies of the Contract and the Information Form to Margie Hovde in CF 295 who will begin an internship file for you. When your internship setup is completed, the department will mail evaluation forms to your supervisor who will complete and return them to the department office.
You will have several things to do for the academic portion of the internship:
1. Send your internship advisor a report biweekly (Weeks 2, 4, 6, 8, and 10) indicating:
  - tasks completed
  - evaluation of your own performance
  - comments on how you could improve performance
  - comments on the job situation in terms of your understanding of organizational communication
2. Be sure to use a header on these reports (date, name, W# and sequence number) These reports may be delivered to the advisor’s mailbox, mailed, or e-mailed. Send, or cc, a copy of each letter to the department as directed in your packet. These copies will be placed in your file.
3. Prepare a final paper describing your learning during the period of internship. Include reflections on what you’ve learned, the value of the internship on your education and implications of internships to the workforce.
  Prepare a portfolio of your work. Keep samples from the entire period of your internship. Document all written, audio, video work with any artifacts that illustrate your work.
4. If you are within 250 miles of Bellingham, you may be required to attend 2 mandatory internship meetings, the first in about week five of the quarter. Be prepared to report on your work experiences, evaluations, and insights. In Week Ten, you will turn in your paper, and your portfolio---even though your internship may continue beyond the quarter. (There may be situations where a later turn-in will be permitted. This should be discussed at the time the internship is approved by your internship advisor.)
5. Arrange a site visit with your on-site supervisor, your university advisor and yourself. Plan on a meeting of about 30-45 minutes. This visit should be arranged to occur between weeks 4 & 8 of the quarter for all interns within 250 miles of Bellingham.