The Role of Faculty in Cooperative Education

As a Faculty Supervisor, What is my Role in Co-Op? 

As a vital partner in the success of the Cooperative Education program, your role is to serve as a mentor to students by using your expertise and experience to guide them in the development of academically sound and realistically appropriate knowledge, skills and attitudes.   

Prior to the Start of Internship: 

1. Using the employer’s job description, Faculty Supervisors assist students with the development of measurable learning objectives for the internship, the basis for an intern’s assessment. 

2. Faculty Supervisors sign the Cooperative Education Learning Agreement based on the student’s job description and learning objectives, methods of evaluation (final paper/project, weekly logs, etc.), schedule of consultations with student, and site visit (s) at work sites.   

During the Internship:

1. Faculty Supervisors are required to perform at least one site visit during the internship to assess intern progress.  Site visits enable the Faculty Supervisor to evaluate the intern in the work environment, demonstrate a real commitment to the intern’s learning experience and solidify the relationship between the University and the employer.  When distance does not permit an on-site visit, the visit should be in the form of documented phone conversation or e-mail correspondence with the site supervisor.   

2. Complete the online evaluation form, a link to which will be emailed to you within the last two weeks of the semester.

Upon Completion of the Internship: 

1. Faculty Supervisors determine the grade for the internship. While input from site supervisor(s) is expected, faculty supervisors award the final grade by the date and time specified by the Registrar.

2. To obtain the $40 per credit stipend, Faculty Supervisors will be REQUIRED to submit the following items to the Cooperative Education Office:

• Signed Contract

• Signed Timesheet

• Completed Evaluation

• Dates/time(s) of site visit(s).

3. Stipend is $40 per credit earned by the student, up to $120.00 per student, paid to eligible faculty who complete all obligations of the role.