University of Southern Denmark Internship Concept. For the Bachelor of Engineering programmes

Transcription

1 University of Southern Denmark Internship Concept For the Bachelor of Engineering programmes Rev. May

2 Contents 1 Introduction: Basis of the Internship Concept 3 2 Concept Requirements Concept and Components Organisational description Description of responsibilities Academic Study Board The faculty based internship administration The department based internship organisation Internship Documentation Internship standards Description of the Engineering Internship Contents Ensuring Correlation between Experiential (Internship) and 10 Theoretical (Classroom) Education Plan and guidance to all interns at USD s bachelor of engineering 12 programmes Requirements to the Internship Supervisors Requirements to the Internship Venues Evaluation of the Engineering Internship 17 2

3 1. Introduction: Basis of the Internship Concept The purpose of the present internship concept is to serve as a tool for continuously assuring and documenting the quality of the integrated engineering internship. Based on the ministry s departmental order about the bachelor of engineering programmes, no. 527 of 21//06/2002 the following is established: An internship equal to at least 30 ECTS credits must be included in the study programme. The internship must be organised on the basis of the individual profession s business conditions and competency requirements so that the internship, in combination with the other components of the study programme, contributes to the development of the student s professional competency. The internship is to be organised with a progression towards autonomous performance. The internship must be organised so as to ensure coherence between experiential education and theoretical education. The internship must lead to the sharing of knowledge, skills and values between the study programme and the profession/business community. Goals must be defined and described for the internship and the achievement of these goals must be implemented as an activity plan and a description of internship content. The students involved in internship processes must be evaluated on the basis of explicit and known criteria and procedures. The specific requirements to be met by an internship supervisor/instructor and the internship venue must be explicit and characterised by openness. Internship supervisors understanding of the internship s function in the overall programme, as well as their educational and communicative skills, are to be developed, e.g. through information meetings or course. The purpose, content, scope and level of the internship must comply with the study programme s educational profile, purpose and goals. The scheduling of the internship in the educational process is educationally motivated and in accordance with the objective of the study programme. Delegation of responsibility for the technical level and educational element of the internship is unambiguous, both at the institution and the internship venue. Whenever internship is compulsory, relevant internship places must be available to all students. 3

4 The educational institution establishes and maintains formalised contact with the internship venue to ensure the quality of the overall educational process. 2. Concept Requirements The new common internship concept of the University of Southern Denmark (USD) for internships during the engineering diploma programmes is based on the following: a simple, easy-to-grasp organisational structure; a description of the individual stakeholders competencies and spheres of responsibility. and on: the criteria of the Ministry of Education stated above; experiences from USD s internship processes over the course of many years; 3. Concept and Components The concept is divided into two parts: organisational documentation 3.1 Organisational description Organisationally, the performance of the operational and quality task involves the following: The Academic Study Board at the Faculty of Engineering, which is in charge of stipulating targets and standards for the implementation of the internship. The faculty based internship administration, which ensures implementation and coordination of the administrative tasks involving the execution of the internship according to the standards in the Internship Concept. The department based internship organization, which ensures implementation and coordination of the elements in the internship activities which require engineering competences according to the standards in the Internship Concept. 4

5 3.2 Description of responsibilities Academic Study Board The primary task of the Academic Study Board is to ensure that the internship s purpose, content, scope and level comply with the technical profile, purpose and objectives of the study programmes. In addition, the Board of Studies must ensure compliance with the internship criteria stipulated by the Ministry of Education. The Academic Study Board: Defines and describes the internship goals. Draws up a description of content and a plan for implementing the internship. Assesses credit applications related to the internship Maintains the Internship Concept s standards and guidelines in terms of quality assurance. The Internship Concept and the standards on which it is based are common to and in effect for all bachelors of engineering programmes offered by USD and are approved by the heads of department The faculty based internship administration The faculty based internship administration is responsible for: Establishing and maintaining at USD a fully accessible file of relevant internship venues. Calling of orientation meetings for students in the beginning of 5 th semester. At the meeting guidance to students in connection with seeking internships is provided for. Organising information meeting about all factors and conditions not described under points and relevant to engineering internships. Drawing up relevant guidelines for seeking internships. Organising the drawing up of contracts. Ensuring that the evaluation forms are forwarded to the internship venues approximately halfway through the internship period. Sending the collected evaluation forms to the internship coordinators who will proceed with the evaluation The department based internship organisation The department based internship organisation must ensure compliance with the requisite technical and educational standards during the internship period. It is the departments responsibility to organize the implementation of the following: The heads of department are in charge of designating the individual supervisors from among the sector s teaching staff taking account of the internship candidate s field of study and the unique nature of the internship venue ultimo January and ultimo August. In order to maintain the contact to the business world and distribution of internship experiences to the different study programmes it is strived to attached as many academic employees as internship supervisors as possible. 5

6 It is the responsibility of the department based internship organisation to approve the internship and inform the examination office no later than 20 March and 25 September respectively. It is also their responsibility to ensure that the evaluation of the internship is completed according to standard The internship coordinator is responsible for: Providing guidance to the students in connection with seeking internships according to standard Approving internship venues and obtain new ones, according to standard Matching students with internship venues according to standard Evaluation of the answers from the questionnaires from the internship venues. The internship supervisor is responsible for: Ensuring that the internship venue is familiar with the contents, purpose and goals of the internship according to standard Establishing contact to the students prior to the start of the internship and make sure that the student is familiar with the set of rules according to the standard Ensuring that the activity plan drawn up by the student together with the internship venue complies with the purpose, content, scope and level of the internship. The internship supervisor sends the activity plan to the internship coordinator for information. Ensuring that the internship is organised so that the process gives the student the opportunity to reflect on the correlation between experiential and theoretical education and how this relates to the engineering profession. Assessing the student during the internship process on the basis of known criteria and procedures. Staying in contact with the student during the entire internship as well as visiting the student at Danish internship venues at least once. Contacting the student and the internship venue no later than 4 weeks after the start of the internship and later as required in order making sure that everything is satisfactory. 6

7 Taking action on any points of criticism stated in the evaluation form and during dialogues with the internship venue or student by providing suggestions specifying how they may be resolved. Appraising the report submitted at the end of the internship period and basing this appraisal on explicit, known criteria. 4. Internship Documentation The concept documentation describes the requisite purposes, goals, standards and guidelines for ensuring that the quality of the internship complies with the description of the engineering internship content and with the internship criteria for a professional bachelor programme. 4.1 Internship standards The application of explicit standards to the performance of the engineering internship ensures that the established plans and framework of the engineering internship will be consistently implemented every time by focusing on achieving the goals set and optimising the students benefits from the internship. As a result, the standards also serve as a valuable tool for assuring the quality and development of the internship activity as part of the bachelor of engineering programmes offered by USD. Summary of internship standards and guidelines Description of the Engineering Internship Contents (Appendix 1) Ensuring Correlation between Experiential (Internship) and Theoretical (Classroom) Education (Appendix 2) Plan and guidance to interns at USD s bachelor of engineering programmes (Appendix 3) Requirements to Internship Supervisors (Appendix 4) Requirements to Internship Venues (Appendix 5) Internship Evaluation (Appendix 6) 7

8 Internship Standard Appendix 1 Description of the Engineering Internship Contents Purpose The engineering internship is an integral aspect of the bachelor of engineering programme. The purpose of the engineering internship is to give the student knowledge and understanding of an enterprise s practical circumstances, methods, processes and engineering-related functions so as to enable the student to relate this knowledge and understanding to the engineering programme and to his/her subsequent career as a qualified graduate engineer. Goals The engineering internship aims to give the students several of the following qualifications: Enhanced creativity, independence and team working skills. The competency to transform the programme s core theoretical fields into practical, feasible projects. The competency, connected with task performance, to acquire new knowledge for project implementation. An understanding of an enterprise s organisational, financial, social and work-related aspects. An insight into an enterprise s social and administrative environment (communications and teamwork involving employees at several organisational levels, as well as rules and administrative routines). The competency to present work results in writing and verbally and in different forums and at different levels. Organisation of the engineering internship The engineering internship must be carried out in a public or private sector enterprise in Denmark or abroad. The enterprise must be capable of offering internship assignments with a technical content appropriate to the student s education, cf. Internship Standard 4.1.5: Requirements to Internship Venues. Together with the student, USD finds the internship venue and establishes a written agreement between the internship venue and the student. Together with the internship venue, the student draws up an activity plan for the internship period. During the internship, the student observes the enterprise s normal working hours and other rules and regulations in effect for the enterprise s employees. If USD is unable to find an internship, USD is responsible for providing another internship option with the same aims. During the internship period, the student will be affiliated with an internship supervisor whose overall task is to ensure the technical and educational quality of the internship process in accordance with Internship Standards and In other words, the internship supervisor must ensure that the student obtains the best possible learning opportunity during the internship period and, for this reason, the internship supervisor is responsible for supporting the student s potential and ability to reflect 8

9 constantly on the internship process, by giving the internship a context with respect to the study programme and the engineering profession. Status Compulsory (30 ECTS credits). Duration Minimum 20 weeks. Placement of the engineering internship The engineering internship is usually carried out during the sixth semester of the study programme. In the spring semester, the internship will be scheduled between 1 February and 31 August. In the autumn semester, the internship will be scheduled between 1 July and 31 January. Eligibility requirements for an engineering internship A student may start an engineering internship provided that the following conditions have been met: the student s workshop courses has been approved; the student has participated in all examinations and has participated in all courses, which are approved by participating in the theoretical instruction up to and including the semester before the internship (usually up to and including the fifth semester). Evaluation of an engineering internship The student must be drawing a report up at the end of the internship period. The report must be submitted to the student s internship supervisor not later than 8 February or 11 August respectively. However, other deadlines may apply to EU-funded internship stays abroad. The internship will be either approved or rejected on the basis of the report and the statement from the internship venue ( Declaration of Completion of Internship ), and participation in the compulsory internship evaluation seminar. Report assessments: approved; preliminarily approved, on the condition that certain shortcomings are corrected and/or added; rejected, i.e. the report must be completely re-written. In the last two instances, the student will have seven days to make the additions and/or corrections required, or if necessary to completely re-write the report and present the revised/new report to the internship supervisor for approval. See Appendix 6, Internship Standard for additional information on evaluating an engineering internship. Exemption from the engineering internship The engineering internship constitutes an integral part of the bachelor of engineering programme and must be undertaken by all students regardless of professional and academic background. In exceptional circumstances, however, an application for exemption from the engineering internship may be addressed to the Academic Study Board, which will make the final decision on the basis of an 9

10 individual assessment. It is the policy of USD that such exemptions are only granted in exceptional circumstances. Appendix 2 Internship Standard Ensuring Correlation between Experiential (Internship) and Theoretical (Classroom) Education This standard defines how to specifically underpin the correlation between theoretical and experiential education by means of the internship process and how to stimulate the students reflections in this regard. Based on the activity plan drawn up by the internship venue together with the student and approved by the student s internship supervisor, the internship supervisor ensures that significant parts of the study programme s core areas are included in the internship. The above-mentioned quality assurance also covers the following elements: The department based internship organisation s approval of internship venue The internship venue is required to have a technical environment characterised by the use of engineering methods for thorough and professional assistance for the student. Usually, the workplace must have at least one employee who is a qualified engineer within the relevant field of education, or who has similar expertise obtained through education and/or many years of practical engineering-related experience. It is important, however, that the engineering environment at the workplace is not provided by only one person, as the internship venue must be prepared and able to offer the student intern the requisite coaching, guidance, feedback and evaluation. The internship supervisor s approval of the activity plan The internship must be a learning process with guidance, feedback and evaluation. The process takes place according to an activity plan which is elaborated by the student together with the internship venue. The activity plan is to be approved by the internship supervisor, while the contract with the internship venue is approved by the department based internship organisation. The internship venue s completion of the evaluation form The internship venue will receive an evaluation form from the faculty based internship administration which is to identify whether or not the student has met the agreements and if the learning is progressive compared with the tasks carried out. Report to be drawn up at the end of the internship The student draws up a report with copy to the internship venue at the end of the internship. The report may contain confidential information and therefore not be published. The internship venue s completion of Declaration of Completion of Internship The internship venue completes the declaration which the student encloses the report to be drawn up at the end of the internship. 10

11 Organisation of the final evaluation of the internship The final internship evaluation is to be held within the first four weeks of the semester following the internship semester. The purpose of this seminar is to ensure correlation between the experiential education received during the internship and the theoretical education received in the classroom. The programme coordinators, internship supervisors and students are to participate in the final evaluation of the internship. Participation in the final evaluation is compulsory for all students. 11

12 Internship Standard Appendix 3 Plan and guidance to all interns at USD s bachelor of engineering programmes Students are obliged to have read and be familiar with the University of Southern Denmark Internship Concept. Chronology of the internship process from introduction to approval. In the beginning of 4 th or 5 th semester the faculty based internship administration summons students to an orientation meeting. All students are expected to participate in the meeting as it is crucial for a successful preparation of the internship. At the meeting, the students are informed of the conditions for starting the internship, the internship venues and the requirements to the internship venues, as well as the procedures that must be followed in connection with seeking internships. Information will also be provided on current internship standards, and students will be informed as to where they can obtain an electronic version of these standards. Engineering Internship After consulting with the internship coordinator, various possible internship venues are studied. Everyone may apply to an internship venue that has posted a notice of vacant internship places. If you plan to do your internship abroad (not in Denmark) you must register no later than 15 March / 15 October of your fifth semester in this link Registration for Internship abroad. This registration gives the student access to relevant information about internship abroad If the student is in doubt about the suitability of an enterprise as an internship venue, the student may ask the internship coordinator for an evaluation before sending an application. Internship Coordinators. Suitability is evaluated on basis of the requirement to the internship venue as a technical environment characterised by the use of engineering methods for thorough and professional assistance for the student. Usually, the workplace must have at least one employee who is a qualified civil engineer within the relevant field of education, or who has similar expertise obtained through education and/or many years of practical engineering-related experience Application and CV are sent to the internship venue. If the student has trouble finding an internship venue, the internship coordinator is contacted for assistance in case several rejections have been received. The internship venue calls for an interview. When the venue has accepted the student, the student completes the Formular til praktikkontrakt (form for drawing up the internship contract), which is found on Blackboard. The student sends the completed form to the internship coordinator by . 12

13 The internship coordinator formally approves the venue and initiates the drawing up of a contract by sending the form to the faculty based internship administration. The faculty based internship administration draws up the contract as well as the Declaration of Completion of Internship. The contract is signed by the venue, the student and the faculty based internship administration prior to the start of the internship period. The student collects the contract when notified and is to make sure that the internship venue signs it as well before the duly signed contract is sent back to the faculty based internship administration. In case the venue itself has made a contract, the internship coordinator must approve of it and the faculty based internship administration must have a copy. The Declaration of Completion of Internship is to be completed by the venue at the end of the internship and the student is to enclose it with the report. The student is delegated an internship supervisor. The internship coordinator ensures that a list of supervisors can be found at Black Board. The internship coordinator informs the faculty based internship administration about the names of the supervisors. The internship coordinator ensures that the student is informed, either individually or at a common meeting, of the educational requirements to the student and the activity plan including the requirement to consider the correlation between theoretical education and professional practice. Together with the student, the internship venue draws up an activity plan pursuant to the internship s purpose, goals, content, scope and level. The activity plan is ed to the internship supervisor for approval. The internship supervisor notifies the internship venue and the student of the approval by e- mail, including any suggested changes to the internship. The student starts the period of internship. The internship supervisor continuously supports the student s reflection process. The internship supervisor must call the student and internship venue 4 weeks at the latest after the beginning of the internship and when needed in order to make sure that the internship progresses satisfactory. It is expected that the internship supervisor visits the student at Danish internship venues at least once during the period. Halfway through the internship process, the faculty based internship administration s an evaluation form to the internship venue with a view to determining whether the student has complied with the agreements concluded and whether the student s learning process is progressing in relation to the tasks performed. The response must be returned electronically. 13

14 The internship coordinator will together with the internship supervisor evaluate the evaluation form and respond to any points of criticism by providing suggestions specifying how they may be resolved. At the conclusion of the internship period, the student writes a report in accordance with Internship Standard 4.1.6: Internship Evaluation. The report and Declaration of Completion of Internship are handed in to the internship supervisor before 8 February and 11 August respectively. A final evaluation of the internship is held within the first 4 weeks of the semester following the internship semester. This evaluation takes place within the frame of the individual programmes and it can be organised as a collective meeting, compulsory for the students. The programme coordinators are in cooperation with the internship coordinators in charge of defining a form and a procedure, which observe the purpose of the final evaluation. The purpose of the final evaluation is to ensure coherence between the experiential education received during the internship and the theoretical education received in the classroom. The programme coordinators, the internship coordinators, internship supervisors and students participate in the seminar. 14

15 Internship Standard Appendix 4 Requirement to the internship supervisors The heads of department appoint the individual internship supervisors from among the institution s teaching staff, taking into account the student's field of study and the unique nature of the internship venue. The internship supervisors are responsible for: Ensuring that the internship venue is familiar with the contents, purpose and goals of the internship according to standard Establishing contact to the students prior to the start of the internship and make sure that the student is familiar with the set of rules according to the standard Ensuring that the activity plan drawn up by the student together with the internship venue complies with the purpose, content, scope and level of the internship. The internship supervisor sends the activity plan to the internship coordinator for information. Ensuring that the internship is organised so that the process gives the student the opportunity to reflect on the correlation between experiential and theoretical education and how this relates to the engineering profession. Assessing the student during the internship process on the basis of known criteria and procedures. Staying in contact with the student during the entire internship as well as visiting the student at Danish internship venues at least once. Contacting the student and the internship venue no later than 4 weeks after the start of the internship and later as required in order making sure that everything is satisfactory. Evaluation of the evaluation form from the internship venue together with the internship coordinator. Taking action on any points of criticism stated in the evaluation form and during dialogues with the internship venue or student by providing suggestions specifying how they may be resolved. Appraising the report submitted at the end of the internship period and basing this appraisal on explicit, known criteria. Participating in the final internship evaluation (see Internship Standards and 4.1.6). 15

16 Internship Standard Appendix 5 Requirements to the internship venues The department based internship organisation is responsible for approving internship venues. This approval is given on the basis of an assessment of the enterprise s potential to serve as an educational venue. The internship venue is required to have a technical environment characterised by the use of engineering methods for thorough and professional assistance for the student. Usually, the workplace must have at least one employee who is a qualified civil engineer within the relevant field of education, or who has similar expertise obtained through education and/or many years of practical engineering-related experience. It is important, however, that the engineering environment at the workplace is not provided by only one person, as the internship venue must be prepared and able to offer the student intern the requisite coaching, guidance, feedback and evaluation. The internship venue must be made aware of the contents, purpose and goals of the internship as stated in Internship Standard The student and the internship venue must conclude a written contract of employment, which indicates when the internship will take place, its scope (in working hours), as well as the name, etc., of the contact person who is responsible for the internship at the internship venue. The internship must be a learning process with associated guidance, reflection and evaluation. The process must take place according to a plan prepared by the student together with the internship venue. The activity plan must be approved by the student s internship supervisor, and the internship contract must be approved by the department based internship organisation. The internship venue must complete the Declaration of Completion of Internship, which the student is to enclose the report before it is delivered to the educational institution at the end of the internship. The internship venue may require the student to sign a statement of confidentiality. 16

17 Appendix 6 Internship Standard Evaluation of the Engineering Internship The student s participation in the engineering internship must be evaluated on the basis of the goals stipulated under The engineering internship aims to give the students several of the following qualifications: Enhanced creativity, independence and team working skills. The competency to transform the programme s core theoretical fields into practical, feasible projects. The competency, connected with task performance, to acquire new knowledge for project implementation. An understanding of an enterprise s organisational, financial, social and work-related aspects. An insight into an enterprise s social and administrative environment (communications and teamwork involving employees at several organisational levels, as well as rules and administrative routines). The competency to present work results in writing and verbally and in different forums and at different levels. The evaluation must be carried out in three stages: Halfway through the internship process, the internship venue will receive an evaluation form by . The purpose is to determine whether the student has complied with the agreements concluded and whether the learning process is progressing in relation to the tasks performed. At the end of the internship period, the student writes a report, a copy of which must be sent to the internship venue. As the report may include confidential information, it must not be published. The statement of the internship venue ( Declaration of completion of Internship ) must be enclosed with the report before it is submitted to the internship supervisor. The student participates in the compulsory internship evaluation. The internship coordinators are in charge of inviting the students to the compulsory final evaluation meeting which is held in continuation of the student s internship period. The final evaluation must take place no later than 4 weeks after the beginning of the following semester, in accordance with the Internship Standard

18 Special report requirements The report must be drawn up at the end of the internship period and must include the following: A front page and table of contents; A description of the enterprise, its organisation and the tasks engaged in by the student (length: 2 5 pages); A thorough description of one or two well-defined subjects which the student has been involved with during the internship period (length: pages); An assessment of the internship in relation to the goals described in Internship Standard and which are indicated above in this appendix. The assessment must include thorough reflection on the competencies and learning acquired by the student during the internship process and on the relationship between the theoretical education of the study programme on the one hand and the professional practice experienced by the student at the internship venue on the other. The duly signed Declaration of Completion of Internship by the internship venue as enclosure. The report must be submitted to the student s internship supervisor not later than 8 February or 11 August as the case may be. However, other deadlines may apply to EU-funded internship stays abroad. The internship will be either approved or rejected on the basis of the report, the statement from the internship venue, an individual interview with the internship supervisor and participation in the compulsory internship evaluation seminar. The internship supervisor is expected to have read the report by no later than 15 February and 18 August respectively. Report assessments: approved; preliminarily approved, on the condition that certain shortcomings are corrected and/or added; rejected, i.e. the report must be completely re-written. In the last two instances, the student will have seven days to make the additions and/or corrections required, or if necessary to completely re-write the report and present the revised/new report to the internship supervisor for approval. The internship approval process must be completed and notification to this effect given to the examination office not later than 20 March or 25 September respectively. 18

19 The final internship evaluation Participants: All students (national and international) who have completed internship in previous semester (in Denmark or abroad) from all the bachelor of engineering programmes. All Programme Coordinators All Internship Coordinators Representatives of the Internship Supervisors Purpose of the final evaluation The purpose of this evaluation is to ensure the correlation between the experience gained during the internship and the theoretical knowledge acquired from lectures and project work. Moreover, giving necessary feedback to the institution ensures the high quality and the development of the programmes. The following issues can be part of the evaluation: o o o o o o o What were the students expectations to the internship (academic/personal)? How did the expectations match the experiences? How are assignments chosen for the internship period and did the expectations match the students abilities to solve the assignments? Planning of the internship. What is working and what can the university and students do in order to improve the planning? How do the assignments match the students acquired abilities from the education? What specific strengths and weaknesses do the internship companies think the students have based on experiences from the internship? How was the contact between the students, internship companies and university during the internship? How is the placement of the internship? Should it be placed in another semester or be split up?. Minutes will be taken of the debate and the results. The final evaluation of the internship is part of the evaluation report to the Academic Study Board made by the programme coordinators, in accordance with the evaluation plan of teaching at the Faculty of Engineering 19