Phase 1:

The Office of Experiential Learning (OEL) Internship Program works with the department chair to:

  • assess needs and support in establishing an internship program.
  • provide training to ensure that the internships follow the guidelines and policies for internships.
  • provide the internship agreement and evaluation forms.

Most importantly, the OEL Internship Program will recruit, vet, and maintain a list of interested internship employers for each departmental practicum. This list of departmental internship partners is called the departmental master list.

Phase 2:

The department chair designates faculty to participate by offering courses with internships. Faculty teaching these courses are considered internship practicum instructors by the OEL Internship Program.

Before the start of each semester, the OEL Internship Program contacts all employers on the master lists to enlist internship employers for the upcoming semester. Interested employers will send a brief job description. The list of that semester’s internship employers, including their contact information and job descriptions, is called the active list. Each departmental practicum will have their own customized active list each semester. The active lists will be shared with the practicum instructors prior to the start of each semester.

Next, internship practicum instructors contact all of the employers on the lists to establish the relationship, learn more about the positions, assign learning objectives, and discuss each employer’s hiring process.

The process for matching students with internships can vary from department to department. If requested, the OEL Internship Program can provide an optional service of hosting interview sessions to assist in matching students with internships. To learn more about the OEL Internship Program Interview Sessions option, please see additional information at the bottom of this page.

Phase 3:

At the conclusion of the internship semester, the OEL Internship Program will request feedback from the department chair and the internship practicum instructor through an evaluation. The purpose of the evaluation to assess the internship experience from the perspective of the department, internship practicum instructor or designee and obtain feedback for improvements. A face-to-face debrief can also take place with the department chair and internship practicum instructors to reflect on the internship process.

Support Throughout the Internship Process

The OEL Internship Program offers a variety of support during the internship process.

The OEL Internship Program has a director available to assist department chairs and instructors with the development of internship programs, including best practices, advice, and curriculum support. The OEL Internship Program also provides a basic understanding of insurance provided by ACC.

The OEL Internship Program works to develop internship opportunities, boards, and leads specific to each department. Internship opportunities are shared with the department. The Internship Program coordinator is also available to assist faculty with emergency internship placement for any of their students having difficulty finding positions.

The OEL Internship Program can assist in the planning of internship interview session events between students and area employers for internship courses.

The OEL Internship Program provides standardized Internship Agreement* and evaluation forms.

Contact the OEL Internship Program  at any time for questions via email: internships@austincc.edu or phone: 512-223-7010.

*Required per ACC Administrative Rules.

 

Master and Active List Protocols

Definitions:

Master List – A list of any potential employer who has agreed to ever consider hiring an intern from a department. At a minimum, master list contact information includes the company or agency name and the contact information of the hiring agent including name, phone number, and email address.

Active List – A departmental list of employers who have agreed to hire an intern in the upcoming semester. Active lists are only valid for a single semester and will be recreated prior to the beginning of each semester by the OEL Internship Program.

Email List – A list of all unduplicated company contacts from all of the departmental master lists who are emailed one month prior to the start of each semester to develop departmental active lists.

Employers by Semester List – A list of the active internship employers by semester for a department.

With the support of client departments the OEL Internship Program develops and maintains a master list of potential internship employers. The master list is compiled by direct outreach to employers to discern their inclination for hiring ACC students as interns and the types of positions they might consider. These employers are then placed on the applicable departmental master list.

To develop departmental active lists, about a month prior to the start of each semester, the OEL Internship Program will use the email list to contact all employers from the departmental master lists to discern interest in hiring an ACC intern in the upcoming semester using the Email List. Those replying in the affirmative will be contacted by the OEL Internship Program coordinator to establish that the positions adhere to NACE standards, whether the positions are paid or unpaid, and to obtain brief job descriptions. If the initial email campaign does not yield a sufficient number, the coordinator will solicit individual employers from the departmental master lists until each practicum has a sufficient number of employers for the practicum.

At the beginning of the semester, it is the responsibility of the internship practicum instructor to contact all employers on the active list to discuss the internships, clarify the learning objectives, confirm adherence to NACE standards, and establish a hiring process and timeline.

As internship positions are filled, the internship practicum instructor should work with the OEL Internship Program administrative assistant to move those employers from the active list to the employers by semester list.