MCPHERSON

COLLEGE

CAREER CONNECTIONS

Faculty/Student Packet

Credit

Student Name______

Career Connections at McPhersonCollege

General Information

Program Overview

The Career Connections program of McPhersonCollege is designed to provide the students with an opportunity to gain hands-on work experience in their major fields of study and to receive academic credit for that experience. Students involved in Career Connections should realize valuable educational gains not obtained in the classroom. This knowledge should, in turn, assist the student’s transition from the classroom to the job.

Important Note: Academic departments at McPhersonCollege are encouraged to help students develop Career Connections options consistent with institutional guidelines; however, all students considering Career Connections experiences should consult with their Faculty Advisor to determine whether or not their academic department has additional requirements or requirements different from those that follow.

The Options

The Internship Option: Internships are designed to provide students with the opportunity to enhance or gain actual working experience in their major fields of study and to receive college credit for that experience. Internships are normally reserved for Junior or Senior level students as the student is required to bring a set of skills into a productive employment setting. The Internship Option is course number 388 in all departments.

The Field Experience Option: Field experiences involve observation or participation in vocational and operational activities outside the classroom. Students, often participating without pay and for single term or less, may or may not bring specific skills to the experience. The Field Experience Option is course number 295 or 495 in all departments.

Eligible Experiences: In consultation with the Career Services Director, the Faculty Advisor must approve the student’s overall experiential learning plan. Any internship or field placement can make an acceptable Career Connections experience, as long as the student can demonstrate to the Faculty Advisor and the Career Services Director that it has the potential to make a significant educational contribution to his/her field of study. A student’s previous work experience, although personally valuable, doe not meet the Career Connections criteria of directed, independent, and career-related learning.

The Guidelines

Student Eligibility: To be eligible to enroll for a Career Connection’s option, a student must have completed 12 credit hours at McPherson College, or, if a transfer student, hold a junior classification or above, and must have a minimum cumulative GPA of 2.0. Student may be determined to be implacable at any time by either the Faculty Advisor or the Career Services Director. This may result in a student not being placed or termination of placement.

Academic Credit Guidelines: One (1) credit hour may be awarded for approximately 40 hours of relevant internship or field placement experience. Career Connections also requires the student to develop goal/strategy plans and reflective logs, in additions to other journals, papers, and projects as required by the Faculty Advisor and Career Services Director. Applications for internships and field experiences are due in the registrar’s office before the first day of the experience. Credit may be applied to the term in which the internship or field experience is taking place. A student may not receive more than four (4) hours of credit per semester or term for any kind of career connection’s experience unless otherwise approved by the Faculty Advisor, Career Services Director, and Provost. A maximum of ten (10) hours of credit earned through Career Connections experiences can count toward graduation—six (6) for part-time students.

Assessment: Students seeking credit will be required to journal their experience and submit two (2) work log summary reports that include appendices—items the student created or came in contact with. The work log summary reports, along with feedback from the employer and the performance appraisal will be the primary device used for grading the experience. (See assessment objectives worksheet.)

Career Connections at McPhersonCollege

Experience Checklist

Experience Application Form

Students are required to apply for all experiences in which credit is given

Employer Contract/Plan

The employer contract/plan is the agreed process, description and time line of the internship or field experience. Contracts will vary depending upon the experience. A sample has been provided for example purposes only.

Goal/Strategy Worksheet

Students will be responsible for stating their goals. Students will identify approximately two strategies for achieving each goal.

Work Log Summary Reports

The purpose of the work log summary report is to provide a format for learning and ensure that the student is thinking critically. The deliverable for internships and field experiences will be two (2) work log summary reports. The first summary report will be a simple one page summary of the first half of the experience. The second and final summary will generally be in the form of a 5 to 7 page written report. (Note: Each department is responsible for dictating the size of the report appropriate for the experience.) Each deliverable will be presented to the employer, Faculty Advisor, and Career Services Director. Work log summaries almost always include appendices. The appendices will be items that the student created and/or came in contact with while participating in the internship or field experience. Appendices will be appropriately sited in the Work Log Summary Reports. Example appendices may include, but are not limited to the following:

  • Spread Sheets
  • Employer Documents/Paper Work
  • Power Point or Other Presentation Deliverables
  • Employer Training Materials
  • Photos
  • Brochures
  • Business Cards
  • Web Links
  • Analysis Reports
  • Research Reports
  • Meeting Minutes

Clearance for Enrollment Form

Enrollment forms should be completed, signed, and submitted to the registrar. Please not that internships and field experiences should be in process during the term credit is to be granted.

Risk and Release Form

Due to liability reasons this form must be signed before the student is enrolled for credit.

Mid-PointCheck Form

The student and employer must review the progress of the experience and sign the enclosed Mid-PointCheck form.

Performance Appraisal Form

Upon completion of the experience, the employer will complete an appraisal form based upon the student’s performance.

Career Connections at McPhersonCollege

Internship/Field Experience Application

Name:______

Address:______

______

Phone:( ) _____-______

Email:______

Number of Hours Available Each Week: ______

(Please attach a copy of your academic schedule)

Number of Credit Hours Requested: ______

Career Connections at McPhersonCollege

Goal/Strategy Worksheet

Student Name:______

Employer:______

Position:______

Goal 1:

Strategy A:______

______

______

Strategy B:______

______

______

Goal 2:

Strategy A:______

______

______

Strategy B:______

______

______

Goal 3:

Strategy A:______

______

______

Strategy B:______

______

______

Career Connections at McPhersonCollege

Writing Work Logs

The purpose of your work logs is to provide Faculty Advisors with an accurate picture of the effectiveness of the placement as well as ensure that students are thinking critically. Journals should include critical events and/or a summary of your activities. These journals will help you in the completion of the work log summaries described below. You will be required to submit two (2) work log summaries. The first summary will be due at the approximate mid-point of the experience and the second will be due upon completion of the experience. They will include any specific observations made during the experience as well as the following:

Work Log Summary 1

Due at Mid-point

(1 page summary)

  • Describe the activities in which you have participated during the first half of the experience.
  • How well does this experience seem to be progressing toward helping you meet your objectives? In what specific ways?
  • What do you feel you have achieved at this point in your placement experience, especially in the areas of personal, educational, and skill development?

Work Log Summary 2

Due upon Completion of Experience

(5 – 7 page paper with appendix—consult Faculty Advisor)

  • Describe the activities in which you have participated since your first log.
  • What do you feel you have gained in the Career Connections experience, in terms of personal, educational, and skill development, that you could not have acquired in a college setting?
  • In what ways did you find your college classes, faculty discussions, and career planning sessions helpful in preparing you for this Career Connections experience? In what ways were these sessions not helpful? Please be specific.
  • What career goals do you now have for yourself? In what ways has this Career Connections experience helped influence them?
  • In what ways could your Career Connections experience have been improved?

Career Connections at McPhersonCollege

Assessment Objectives

The purpose of assessment objectives is to give the Career Services Director and Faculty Advisor a frame work for assigning a grade.

  1. The student met all logistical requirements for the experience.
  2. Adequate time was spent in the field—approximately 40 hours per 1 credit hour.
  3. All forms were completed properly.
  4. Work logs were completed.
  5. Final paper and/or work log summary was completed.
  1. Student Learning
  • Work logs and final paper were evidence of the student’s effort to learn in a working environment.
  • Performance appraisal indicates student learning.
  1. Student Performance
  • Work logs and final paper indicate the student used their skills to be a productive employee.
  • Employer comments and marks in performance appraisal show the student to have been responsible and productive.
  1. Student Goals/Strategies
  • Were efforts made to achieve the student’s goals?
  • Did the student follow through with their outlined strategies?

Career Connections at McPhersonCollege

Career Experience Risk and Release Form

This is a legally binding document. Read it carefully before signing it.

Experience: ______

Student Name: ______

Experience Sponsor: ______

Address: ______

City, State, Zip: ______

As a condition of my being allowed to participate in the experience described above, I state and agree to the following:

I understand that participating in this experience may expose me to dangers and risks of various kinds.

Though the following list is incomplete, examples include:

  • Risks involved in travel (including, for example, the ordinary risks of travel by land, sea, or air; travel on poor roads; travel in areas where there is high danger of accidents or violence; and travel in or on damaged, unsuitable, inferior, poorly maintained, or poorly operated vehicles);
  • Dangers presented by lack of human, civil, and/or political rights, personal freedom, freedom of speech, freedom of association, and government accountability;
  • Dangers presented by official corruption, or by unfamiliar or arbitrarily enforced laws and regulations;
  • Dangers of loss of or damage to property through theft, negligence, accident, mishandling, or poor storage;
  • Dangers presented by poorly designed, poorly built, or poorly maintained buildings, public areas, and means of conveyance;
  • Dangers presented by disease, poor sanitation, environmental pollution, insects, parasites, contaminated food or water, poor medical care, or the unavailability of medical care;
  • Dangers presented by extreme weather conditions;
  • Dangers presented by unfamiliar or unfriendly climate conditions, vegetation, or animals;
  • The risk that the educational aspects of the experience may be inferior or otherwise not in accordance with my educational needs;
  • The danger that facilities afford limited or no access to persons with physical disabilities;
  • Dangers presented by users of drugs or alcohol;
  • Risks presented by unfamiliar social norms, such as rules governing relationships between the sexes;
  • Risks stemming from the inability to use the local language with fluency.

I acknowledge that I have received information on the above experience and have had an opportunity to consult with and to question knowledgeable McPhersonCollege faculty about the experience. I also understand and acknowledge that the information that I have received may be erroneous or significantly incomplete, or that such information, though correct when obtained, may become obsolete by the time experience takes place. I also understand that McPhersonCollege has no responsibility over the actions, or failure to act, of third parties over whom the College has no control, such as (for example) travel agencies, common carriers, private carriers, and hotels.

Understanding the dangers and risks listed above, I state that, despite such risks and dangers, I wish to participate in the experience described above. I acknowledge that my choice to participate in this experience is totally of my own free will.

Having read and understood the above, I hereby totally release McPherson College, and its employees and agents, from any liability for any injuries, losses, or damages whatsoever that I may suffer in connections with the experience described above. Though the following list of claims released is incomplete, examples of claims to which this release applies include:

  • Claim for bodily injury to me.
  • Claims for my death.
  • Claims for any medical condition, illness, or disease I may suffer, and for any related medical or other expenses.
  • Claims arising from poor or non-existent medical care.
  • Claims for loss of property or damage to property, including (without limitation) money.
  • Claims arising by reason of delays in travel.
  • Claims for wrongful detention, false arrest, false imprisonment, hardship, inconvenience, discomfort, physical pain or suffering, or mental pain or suffering.
  • Claims that the experience was different from or of a lower quality than what I expected.
  • Claims for uncomfortable or otherwise poor accommodations, or for unavailability of accommodations.
  • Claims arising from any fraud, negligence, or other misconduct by any travel agent, carrier, hotelkeeper, or anyone else in the travel or hospitality industries.

I understand that this release means that, if I die or suffer injury or property loss connections with the experience, I will have no right to receive money or any other compensation from McPhersonCollege or from any of its employees or agents.

I also agree that, if any court decides that any part of this Risk and Release Form cannot be legally enforced, the remainder of this form will remain in full force and effect.

I also acknowledge that no oral representations or statements by the College or its representatives will have no effect of altering this Risk and Release Form in any way.

I also understand and agree that, if I suffer any bodily injury (however severe, and whether or not it results in death) in connection with the experience described above, McPhersonCollege has not agreed to pay any money or compensation whatsoever to me or to anyone else, or for my benefit. For example, I understand that McPhersonCollege does not agree to pay any of my medical bills, and that I and/or my insurance company, and not McPhersonCollege, will be solely responsible for paying such bills.

I HAVE READ THE DOCUMENT ABOVE AND UNDERSTAND IT. I AM 18 YEARS OF AGE OR OLDER. I HAVE HAD AN OPPORTUNITY TO DISCUSS THIS DOCUMENT WITH A REPRESENTATIVE OF MCPHERSONCOLLEGE. I UNDERSTAND THAT THIS IS A LEGALLY BINDING DOCUMENT AND THAT, IF I SIGN IT, I WILL BE BOUND BY IT. I UNDERSTAND THAT MCPHERSONCOLLEGE WILL BE RELYING ON THE STATEMENTS CONTAINED IN THIS DOCUMENT, AND THAT, IF I DID NOT SIGN THIS DOCUMENT, I WOULD NOT BE ALLOWED TO PARTICIPATE IN THE EXPERIENCE DESCRIBED ABOVE. I AM SIGNING THIS DOCUMENT OF MY OWN FREE WILL.

______

Student Date

______

Witness Date

Career Connections at McPhersonCollege

Mid-PointReview Form

Student Name: ______Department: ______

Employer/Field Placement Agency: ______

Job Title: ______Length of time in present position: _____

Date of review: ______

INSTRUCTIONS: Please circle YES or NO to each question, explain if necessary, sign and return to Career Services.

Is this experience progressing in achieving the mutual goals that were set prior to the experience? YES NO

Are there issues that need addressed with the student or Career Services Director? If YES, please explain. YES NO

______

Employer SignatureDate

______

Student SignatureDate

Career Connections at McPhersonCollege

Performance Appraisal

Student Name: ______Department: ______

Employer/Field Placement Agency: ______

Job Title: ______Length of time in present position: _____

Date of review: ______Date of last review: ______

INSTRUCTIONS

  1. Review student’s performance for the entire period; try to refrain from basing judgments on recent or isolated events only. Disregard your general impression of the student and concentrate on rating one factor at a time.
  1. Consider the student on the basis of the standards expected to be met for the job the student is assigned based on the length of time in the job. Rate the student on how well the requirements of the job are fulfilled.
  1. Place a check in the box that summarizes the student’s performance in that factor since the last appraisal (or date of involvement if this is the student’s first review).
  1. Keep in mind that the relative importance of the factors will vary according to the position.
  1. After rating the student on each factor, enter appropriate comments to support your rating.

Career Connections at McPhersonCollege

Performance Appraisal

Part I

Rate the student by checking the appropriate box and enter comments to support the rating directly below:

Job Knowledge / Outstanding / Very Good / Good / Fair / Unsatisfactory
Does the student solve problems? / / / / /
The adequacy of the student's skills.
Student's understanding of normal
job requirements. / Comments:
Student's understanding of related
functions.
Student's efforts to keep skills
current.
Organizing Ability / Outstanding / Very Good / Good / Fair / Unsatisfactory
Student's establishment of effective / / / / /
job priorities.
Student's performance with time
limits. / Comments:
The efficicient use of time.
The simultaneous handling of
several assignments.
Student's use of a planned, thorough
approach to problems.
Initiative / Outstanding / Very Good / Good / Fair / Unsatisfactory
Is student soundly assertive in / / / / /
thoughts and actions?
Does student take responsibility or
must it be given? / Comments:
Student's efforts in the face of
obstacles?
Judgment / Outstanding / Very Good / Good / Fair / Unsatisfactory
Student's display of well-balanced / / / / /
thinking.
Student's thinking through a
problem. / Comments:
Student's capacity to reach decisions
quickly and accurately when
necessary.
Adaptability / Outstanding / Very Good / Good / Fair / Unsatisfactory
Student's willingness to accept / / / / /
criticism and experiment with new
ideas.
Student's capacity to adapt to new / Comments:
methods or conditions.
Student's capacity to be trained.
Dealings with People / Outstanding / Very Good / Good / Fair / Unsatisfactory
The mutual cooperativeness that / / / / /
exists with others.
The confidence others have in
student. / Comments:
Student's tactfulness and
diplomacy.
Student's leadership abilities.
Behavior / Outstanding / Very Good / Good / Fair / Unsatisfactory
The interest and enthusiasm / / / / /
student shows to job and company.
Student's sustained efforts to achieve
company and department / Comments:
objectives.
Student's respect for work schedule.
Reliability / Outstanding / Very Good / Good / Fair / Unsatisfactory
Your degree of confidence that / / / / /
student's responsibilities are carried
out satisfactorily.
Quality of student's work. / Comments:
Resourcefulness / Outstanding / Very Good / Good / Fair / Unsatisfactory
Your degree of confidence that / / / / /
student's responsibilities are carried
out satisfactorily.
Quality of student's work. / Comments:

Career Connections at McPhersonCollege