Resources for Faculty and Staff
Sponsor an Internship
As a faculty sponsor, you will partner with the student-intern to draft their learning agreement, including setting homework assignments. Faculty sponsors serve a vital role in academic internships, linking students’ hands-on experience to their academics.
Internship Evaluation Ideas
Evaluation is determined on a case-by-case basis, usually determined by the discipline, the number of credit hours and the student’s learning objectives. Some faculty sponsors have students keep a daily log and submit a final research paper.
Here are some evaluation forms you could have your student use to self-assess and have their employer assess them throughout different points of their internship.
Feedback Tools
Request a Presentation
Thank you for your interest in having Alumni & Student Connections present in your classroom! We are very excited for this opportunity. In order to ensure that we best meet your needs, please complete and submit the Presentation Request. Once we receive this form, a staff member from our office will contact you to confirm and finalize the details.
Request a Guest Speaker
Our team is happy to help you find guest speakers who are either alumni or employers within your academic area. Please submit the Guest Speaker Request Form to provide us with details that will help us narrow your search to find the right person or organization to speak to your class! Someone from Alumni & Student Connections will contact you soon if we need additional information.
What Role Does ASC Play in Academic Internships?
- We assist students with questions regarding timing of an internship, finding an internship, and selecting an internship course.
- We facilitate the registration process by collecting learning agreements and approvals from all stakeholders and collaborate with the Registrar’s office.
- We collect a Statement of Understanding (SOU) from employers on behalf of the student and Pacific Lutheran University.
- We help students find funding for internship-related expenses.
Internship FAQs
How many credit hours should the intern I’m sponsoring earn?
The general PLU guideline is 30 hours of work at an internship site is the minimum needed for 1 credit hour. Therefore, an internship that is 10 hours per week through the duration of the semester can equal 4 credit hours.
How should I evaluate the student?
Evaluation is determined on a case by case basis, usually determined by the discipline, the number of credit hours and the student’s learning objectives. Some faculty sponsors have students keep a daily log and submit a final research paper. Others may have their student read several print materials, write a literature review, and present to a panel of faculty. If you would like to discuss some potential options and hear what other faculty have used as evaluation methods, please contact intern@plu.edu or click here to see Internship Evaluation Ideas.
What contact should I have with the internship provider?
Again, this is completely dependent on what you and the student decide! If the internship is local, some faculty like to spend a few hours at the internship site observing the student and meeting their colleagues. Other faculty sponsors are hands-off and never interact with the internship provider. It is important to discuss this aspect of sponsorship with the student when completing the Learning Agreement.
How do I submit a final grade?
Grades for internship coursework are submitted through Banner, like a typical class at PLU.
Can academic internships be graded as Pass/Fail?
Most XXXX 495 courses can only receive a Letter grade, unless an exception has been requested by the sponsoring department and approved by EPC. For example, BIOL 495 can be graded as a Letter or Pass/Fail, and BUSA 495 is only available as Pass/ Fail.
If you would like to find out whether awarding a Pass/Fail grade is possible within your department, please call 253-535-7415 or email intern@plu.edu. Another option for awarding a Pass/Fail grade for an internship is utilizing the internship designations sponsored by Alumni & Student Connections. AICE/COOP internship courses can be assigned a Letter or Pass/Fail grade.
Supervisor Resources for On Campus Employment
Hiring PLU Students
If you are new to hiring PLU students, and would like to request an employer account for posting and managing jobs, e-mail the Student Employment Office at stuemp@plu.edu with “Request Account” in the subject line.
Important Points for Student Employment
- All I-9 forms should be filled out in the Student Employment Office.
- Students should not be scheduled to work until the I-9 and hiring form is submitted to the Student Employment Office. This will protect the university from being in violation of Homeland Security Federal regulations.
- International students must request a SSN and have the receipt turned into the Student Payroll Office before they can begin working.
- You can reference the beginning and ending employment dates for students that are working for you by signing into your employer account in the Opportunities Board.
- Be sure to notify students of hiring decisions.
- Remember to be specific on the start and end dates. We enter the start and end dates that are on the hiring form.
- Please use the Pay Rate Change Form if you want to change a student’s rate of pay. You can find this form on the web site under “Documents & Forms”.
For more information on supervisor resources, please visit the Student Employment page.