Internships, Field Experiences, Service Learning, Clinicals, Etc.

Please use this suggested guide to serve in the role of a Faculty Sponsor. Some activities listed within this Faculty Sponsor Guide may vary based upon the academic department’s procedures. Note: The academic program Chair and/or Dean will be the final authority over the role of the Faculty Sponsor in their department.

The Faculty Sponsor Role

The Faculty Sponsor is a vital partner in the success of the Experiential Learning Experience (ELE) for the student. Faculty Sponsors serve as a mentor to students by using their expertise and experience to guide students in the development of academically-sound and realistically-appropriate knowledge, skills, and attitudes. As the assigned instructor for the experiential learning course, Faculty Sponsors also establish learning goals in order to evaluate/grade the student’s ELE.

College Central Network (CCN) and Career Services Central (CSC)

College Central Network (CCN) is the virtual career resource center for the Office of Career Development and Internships (CD&I) that utilizes “leading-edge technology for connecting employers with qualified emerging talent, quickly and easily” (CollegeCentral.com).

Each department is assigned a CCN student demo account. Faculty Sponsors may use the student demo account to introduce the features of CCN to their students. Faculty Sponsors may also incorporate CCN in courses that prepare students to enter the workforce. To obtain the Faculty Sponsor student demo account log-in information, send an email request via your PGCC Outlook email account to CareerServices@pgcc.edu with the subject "Faculty Sponsor CCN Student Demo Account Log-in Request." A CD&I staff member will respond and provide the requested information via email reply.

Career Services Central (CSC) is the administrator platform for CCN used to manage experiential learning administrative processes at Prince George’s Community College. The CSC administrator platform is accessed at https://www.careerservicescentral.com. The user ID for the CSC account is the PGCC 7-digit employee ID number. The password is created by the Faculty Sponsor.

Each Faculty Sponsor will need a CSC account. The CSC account allows Faculty Sponsors to review their students’ résumés, internship agreements, etc. Faculty members who have been selected to serve as a Faculty Sponsor by their department must contact the Office of Career Development and Internships (CD&I) to request a faculty CSC account. To obtain a faculty CSC account, send an email request via your PGCC Outlook email account to CareerServices@pgcc.edu with the subject "Faculty Sponsor CSC Account Request." A CD&I staff member will respond and provide the requested information via email reply.

Enrollment to Completion

First Student Meeting
  • Using the Employer’s job description or identified learning experiences/assignments/goals, the Faculty Sponsor will assist the student with the development of measurable learning outcomes for the experiential learning experience, which will serve as the basis for the student’s assessment.
  • Work schedule and calculation of required hours to be met based on credit enrollment will be confirmed. Methods for evaluation (i.e., final paper/project, weekly reports, etc.) will be discussed and confirmed.
  • Faculty Sponsors should determine if the student will be working with an organization that has a documented plan that ensures the safety and well-being of the student intern while on site.
  • If a student is utilizing a current employer for an internship site, the internship experience must be comprised of tasks and responsibilities that are beyond his/her "normal" duties.
Credit Internship Enrollment Process Summary
  • Student researches and secures an Experiential Learning Experience (ELE) (i.e., internship, field experience, etc.).
  • Student completes and submits the Experiential Learning Agreement (ELA) for their discipline in College Central Network (CCN) (see Appendix A) and awaits department review and decision email from the CCN tool.
  • If the ELE is approved by the department, the Department Chair/Coordinator will electronically approve the ELA in CCN.
  • If the ELE is not approved by the department, the Department Chair/Coordinator will note the reason(s) why the ELA is not approved and provide recommendations for the student to obtain an approval.
    • Credit-worthiness of an ELE, resulting in a departmental approval, is determined by the student’s ELE meeting the NACE Guidelines (see Appendix A) and/or credentialing agency requirements, and the College’s academic program requirements.
  • Once the ELA is electronically approved by the Department Chair/Coordinator, it is sent electronically to the Employer through CCN for review and approval.
  • After the ELA is approved by the Employer, the Department Chair/Coordinator will create an experiential learning course for the desired term/semester and year in Datatel Colleague, if one is not already open and active.
    • For each semester/term, the course creation/activation period established by the College Registrar will be followed.
  • Following Employer approval of the ELA, a Faculty Sponsor is formally assigned to the student in CCN.
  • The Office of Career Development and Internships will add a granted petition for the student in Datatel Colleague and/or register the student for the designated experiential learning course.
  • Student and Faculty Sponsor will schedule an appointment to meet during the first week of the experiential learning course to discuss course expectations.
Faculty Sponsor Role During the ELE
  • It is recommended that Faculty Sponsors perform at least one site visit during the semester/term in order to assess the student’s professional development and work environment and to confirm the site’s suitability for the student to achieve learning goals.
    • Site visits enable the Faculty Sponsor to observe student-employer interaction; demonstrates a commitment to ensuring an appropriate student learning experience; and solidifies the relationship between the College and the employer.
    • When distance or other variables do not permit an on-site visit, the site visit can be conducted in the form of documented communication via telephone, virtual appointment, or email with the site supervisor.
  • Faculty Sponsors maintain a record of the following items for each student:
    • Current Job Description or Work Assignments
    • Work Schedule and Calculation of Required Hours
      -Learning Objectives/Goals o Student Journals/Logs/Reports Learning from experience is a critical component of a successful Experiential Learning Experience (ELE).
      -ELE requires that students connect what is learned during the ELE to prior classroom instruction related to the discipline.
  • Documentation of regular contact with the student during the ELE:
    • Ex. Telephone calls, on-campus/virtual meetings, emails, site visits, etc.
    • A weekly or bi-weekly frequency of contact should be discussed and agreed upon during the first Faculty Sponsor/Student meeting.
  • Documentation of contact with the site supervisor
    • Telephone calls, emails, site visits, videoconference, etc. will suffice.
  • Completed, final student self-evaluation and the final Employer evaluation for the ELE.
    • Evaluation means and measures for the course will be pre-established by the Department Chair.
    • Faculty Sponsors review and honor the student’s Experiential Learning Agreement found in College Central Network.
    • Faculty Sponsors complete the faculty evaluation that their department has established for students registered for ELE credit.
Upon Completion of the ELE
  1. Faculty Sponsors determine the student’s final grade for theExperiential Learning Experience (ELE). While input from site supervisor(s) is expected and desired, Faculty Sponsors are ultimately responsible for awarding the final grade by the date and time specified by the College Registrar.
  2. Faculty Sponsors provide the Office of Career Development and Internships up-to-date contact information and any related information that may be helpful with establishing or continuing an ongoing relationship with an approved Employer.

Required Hours for Experiential Learning Experience (Internship)

The tables below identify the internship type (non-paid or paid) and the required clock hours to be worked for each credit allocation (1 to 3 credits) per internship course. Students who fail to meet the minimum number of required hours by the end of the course for the semester/term may not receive a passing grade for the ELE.

Non-Paid Internship
One (1) Credit 32 clock hours
Two (2) Credits 64 clock hours
Three (3) Credits 96 clock hours 
 
Paid Internship
Credit(s)
to Be Earned		 Minimum Number
of Required Hours
One (1) Credit  64 clock hours  
Two (2) Credits 128 clock hours
Three (3) Credits 192 clock hours 

 

Administrative Deadlines:

For student to be
registered for an
internship for:		 Position is secured
and CCN ELA is
submitted by:
Fall Semester August 1
Winter Term November 1 
Spring Semester December 15 
Summer Term May 1 
 

Criteria For An Experience To Be Defined As An Internship

Prince George’s Community College uses the following adapted National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE) criteria to evaluate proposed internship experiences. To ensure that an experience—whether it is a traditional internship or one conducted remotely or virtually—is educational, and thus eligible to be considered a legitimate internship by the NACE definition, all the following criteria must be met:

  1. The experience must be an extension of the classroom: a learning experience that provides for applying the knowledge gained in the classroom. It must not be simply to advance the operations of the employer or be the work that a regular employee would routinely perform.
  2. The skills or knowledge learned must be transferable to other employment settings.
  3. The experience has a defined beginning and end, and a job description with desired qualifications. 
  4. There are clearly defined learning objectives/goals related to the professional goals of the student’s academic coursework.
  5. There is supervision by a professional with expertise and educational and/or professional background in the field of the experience.
  6. There is routine feedback by the experienced supervisor.
  7. There are resources, equipment, and facilities provided by the host employer that support learning objectives/goals.
  8. There is a plan in place for the protection of the health and safety of all employees and volunteers on site. Student is provided all necessary guidelines to ensure their health and safety on site.
  9. I understand that the College is not responsible for accidents/injuries/medical conditions and resulting treatment which occur on-campus, traveling to and from the [internship site], or while at the [internship site], and I hold the College harmless and release the College from all liability and responsibility for all injuries, expenses, and any other damages which arise from exposure to any communicable disease, including but not limited to COVID-19.
  10. The acceptance of a paid or non-paid intern is acknowledgement of the above stated criteria.
Equal Opportunity and Non-Discrimination Policies

Prince George’s Community College is committed to a policy of equal opportunity for all persons to the end that no person, on the ground of sex, age, race, color, religion, national origin, ancestry, marital status, sexual orientation, or status as a qualified individual with a disability, qualified disabled veteran or Vietnam-era veteran, shall be excluded from participation in, be denied the benefits of, or be otherwise subjected to discrimination under any program or activity of this institution. Under this policy, the institution will not discriminate against any person on the ground of sex, race, age, color, religion, veteran’s status, disability, ancestry, marital status, sexual orientation, or national origin in its admission policies and practices or any other polices or practices of the institution relating to the treatment of students and other individuals, including employment, the provision of services, financial aid, and other benefits, and including the use of any building, structure, room space, materials, equipment, facility, or any other property. This policy is consistent with Title VI and Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, as amended; Title IX of the 1972 Educational Amendments; Section 504 of the 1973 Rehabilitation Act, as amended; Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act; and other applicable laws and regulations. One who believes oneself or any specific class of individual to be subject to prohibited discrimination may, by themselves or through a representative, file a written complaint with the Office of Civil Rights of the Department of Education or with the College president, or both. Susan Watson, Room 133, Kent Hall, 301-546-7011, coordinates the College’s program of nondiscrimination.