For Students: Guide to Learning, Advising, and Academic Resources

As the College has moved to distance learning for the remainder of the spring 2020 semester, we are encouraging students currently participating in spring 2020 internships and any other experiential learning arrangements to heed the CDC and national guidelines for personal and community health and safety by making adaptive and alternative/remote arrangements for completion.

You have worked hard to prepare,  find and plan your internships and experiential learning arrangements.  We know that many of you are actively involved in your internship experience, and/or have been making arrangements for an upcoming 3 week or summer internship.  

What we have been hearing from colleagues at other schools and companies is that everyone is hopeful for upcoming opportunities.  Organizations and employers are pivoting as quickly as possible to work with students and new hires remotely. And, that remote, project-based work offers an opportunity to help both employers and students during this unprecedented time.  Benefits for employers include the opportunity to cultivate their talent pipeline, evaluate the work of students and assess their fit to the organization.

We encourage you to work closely with your faculty sponsor if you are currently in an internship to make adaptations for completing your work and receiving the credits you are seeking.  Faculty members will work with you if you are able to complete your hours remotely, or if you need additional assignments, and to find other creative and flexible options.  

Here are some of the options for students who are currently enrolled in a 290, 390 or SPST 485 internship course - and for those planning an internship:  

• Ask your site supervisors about completing current work remotely and/or  by providing alternative projects (think about creative ways that you can support our site’s work right now)
• Discuss with your faculty sponsor  alternative projects, case studies, research, assignments to complete internships if there is not the capability of completing your site hours remotely.
• Consider asking for  an extension of site hours/remote hours in which case you may have to receive a provisional grade for work in the 12 week session (the Dean’s office has approved extending 12 week internships into the 3 week session for spring 2020).
• Back down credits (and thus site hours) and complete internships “early” for fewer credits 
• If you are registered for a 3 week internship, discuss and prepare for alternative/remote arrangements.  Your faculty advisor, Guilford Guide, Director of Integrated Career Advising, and site connection will help you.
• Convert internship course to an independent study (can be done for 12 or 3 week) 

In some limited cases...

• Students may continue in internship - strictly abiding by the organization's requirements and CDC safety precautions.

Communications:

As of 3/18/20, spring 2020 current  student interns and their faculty sponsors have received 2 emails with these options.  Site supervisors have also received an email regarding the College’s updated plans for distance learning for the rest of the semester.

The Guilford Guides team will be working on communications to students to share resources and preparatory support for finding remote internships, virtual internships, micro-internship options, as well as support for job search and interviewing skills at this time. 

Spring 3 week internships:

The deadline for spring 3 week internships is now April 3.  Students should still complete the online registration form, when they have secured a site/site supervisor, faculty sponsor and when they have an approved internship proposal.  The signature approval form and the Assumption of Risk form are both embedded in the registration form.

Summer internships: 

The deadline for summer internship registration is still June 5 (using the same online form). From what we have heard to date, most companies are still planning to host summer interns.  We will provide updates as things develop.

During the week of March 23, Guided Discovery will be reaching out to constituents in the following ways:

• survey to Guilford College internship hosts from the last 3 years, that will inquire about their remote internship opportunities for the summer.
• messaging to our Handshake (recruitment platform) employers about remote internships and employment as well.
• email to alumni volunteer base to ask for remote working experts, HR professionals, and for remote internship opportunities.

Here is a google folder where we are archiving internship, experiential learning and job search information: