Faculty Coordinator: Jo Bailey, Ph.D., LMSW
Phone: 713.226.5245
Email: Baileyj@uhd.edu
SOS 4680: Field Experience in the Social Sciences
Course Syllabus
- Yogi Berra
Welcome to your internship. This course is designed for you to gain the practical experience necessary for professional development. As such, it will complement your academic learning. The internship site that you choose for this experience should be in an area of potential vocational interest to you.
This syllabus outlines your responsibilities for this course: please read it carefully. If you have questions about any item, please bring it up in class, or, contact me. If you have a disability that will impact your performance, or, if you need accommodations for a disability, you need to inform me of this after class on the evening of our first class meeting. Just let me know you need to speak to me after class, and we will discuss the issue. Or, you may contact me within one week after the first class so that proper arrangements can be made.
By the end of 240 clock hours, the student will be able:
· to integrate theoretical and practical information in a way that enhances understanding of the internship site environment,
· to demonstrate understanding of the knowledge, skills, and abilities needed to perform work at the internship site,
· to assess and evaluate your knowledge-base, skills, and abilities in the internship role, and
· to convey knowledge of the ethics pertinent to the site and to your vocation.
II. Text (required)
Sweitzer, H.F., & King, M.A. (any edition). The successful internship: Transformation and empowerment. Pacific Grove, CA: Brooks/Cole.
We will meet as follows:
Meeting 1: see Semester Schedule for meeting dates and times
Meeting 2: see Semester Schedule for meeting dates and times
Attendance at class meetings is required. There are two class meetings; one at the beginning of the semester and one towards the end of the semester. Each meeting has two options for meeting times. You must attend one of the meeting times for Meeting 1 and one for Meeting 2. You do not attend all four. This is an opportunity for students to share their experiences, discuss successes and difficulties related to internships, support one another, and explore concepts surrounding experiential learning. In addition, in order to guide you and ensure your success in the course, we will discuss practical issues regarding the required assignments. Failure to attend the meetings as assigned may result in an “unsatisfactory” for the internship final grade.
IV. Grade
Your final course grade will be as follows:
S = Satisfactory (passing)
U = Unsatisfactory (failing)
Your final grade will be determined by your performance on the following: Class attendance, integrative paper, & portfolio
Integrative paper. The paper is designed as an opportunity for you to demonstrate your knowledge of your internship site and your ability to apply theory to a practice environment. As such, you should address all of the following:
1. the background of the agency/institution, including its history, mission, structure, funding, objectives (purpose) and the population (type of client) served (approximately 2 pages),
2. a thorough description of two or more issues that impact (either in a positive or a negative fashion) the accomplishment of the mission, objectives, or services; be sure to fully discuss how it is impacting mission, objectives, or services (this can be an issue from either the entire agency or in a particular department or branch in which you served) (approximately 3 pages), and
3. an analysis exploring one or more theoretical explanations as to why the issues are occurring (approximately 2 pages), and if they are problems, address theoretical solutions to the problems (approximately 2 pages)
4. an introduction (1/2 to 1 page) and a conclusion (1/2 to 1 page).
The paper should be 8 to 11 pages in length, typed, and in APA (5th ed.) format. You should have a title page and at least five references from published books and/or peer-reviewed journals; you may have additional references (beyond the 5) that are not books or articles from peer-reviewed journals. As this is an academic paper, you should have an introduction, main body elements, and a conclusion. Please pay attention to grammar, style, and spelling as these will be graded also. Please edit your paper prior to turning it in for a grade. A failing paper will result in an “unsatisfactory” for the internship final grade. If you need assistance in writing, UHD’s Writing Lab is available for your use.
Due Date: see Semester Schedule for meeting dates and times. Late papers will not be accepted.
Portfolio. The portfolio is a compilation of material and writings that describe the agency and your internship experience. The components of the portfolio are as follows:
I. A copy of the agency’s code of ethics.
II. Log of your hours at the agency (the required form is attached to syllabus).
III. Journal that demonstrates a processing of your personal, emotional, intellectual responses to your internship. Entries should be made on a weekly basis and should include reflection upon your experiences, such as, thoughts and feelings you may have about something that occurred that week, thoughts and feelings over new knowledge, or evaluation of your use of your skills and talents in the work setting. Journal entries are not summaries of your weekly activities, but rather a reflection on something that has occurred during the week. Journal entries should be clearly dated.
IV. A final summary (approximately 3 pages in length) of the internship. Begin with an introduction of the types of activities you engaged in, how you were trained for this role, the types of clients you served, and intervention/teaching techniques used by you with clients. Then, evaluate your development, skills, and abilities regarding the work you have been doing. Use the assigned textbook as a reference for this evaluation; you may use additional reference sources. Properly site all references used.
Clearly label each section of the portfolio. All of the portfolio elements must be typed. Use APA (5th ed.) style for the final summary. The portfolio items should be stapled or bound together. If you want a copy of the portfolio, please make one for yourself prior to turning it in, as the portfolio will not be returned to you. The due date for final copies of portfolios are indicated in the Semester Schedule. Late portfolios will not be accepted. Failure to turn in on time or to meet the minimum criteria for the portfolio will result in an “unsatisfactory” for the internship final grade.
Due Date: see Semester Schedule for meeting dates and times. Late portfolios will not be accepted.
Please refer to the university's academic honesty policy in the university catalog. Plagiarism is the use of the work of others without giving credit. For the purposes of this class, it will be defined as four or more consecutive words taken directly from a source without being placed in quotation marks and without citing the source. Do not turn in work that is not your own. If you are caught cheating, you may receive a "0" for the work, an “F” in the course, and/or you can be suspended from the college. Also, it would violate the academic honesty policy to record hours for which you did not work at or for your internship site. If you’re having a problem in the class, see me before you do something that could follow you the rest of your academic career.
The internship is a unique learning opportunity. You serve as a representative of UHD students to the community, and as such, your behavior reflects upon the university. Some guidelines for ethical work include maintaining your appointments, being on time for appointments, dressing appropriately for the environment, treating co-workers and clients (or customers) with respect, and seeking the information necessary to effectively perform your assigned tasks. In addition, protect the privacy of your clients (or customers). It is your responsibility to know and follow the organization’s policies regarding client information. Do not share clients’ (or customers) personal information outside the organization. DO NOT write client names in your journal or papers that will be turned in to me.
At your internship site, you will have a supervisor. Prior to beginning the internship, you must meet with your supervisor to clarify the site’s expectations of you. Your discussion should include the following issues: weekly hours, total hours, procedures for illness or emergencies, supervisory and other meetings, job responsibilities, and any other obligations you may have to the site. It is also important for you to discuss your needs from the site. Be sure to discuss your learning objectives, your interests, and any limitations you may in meeting the site’s expectations.
The internship coordinator’s (Dr. Bailey) role is to support you in your internship. If you are having a problem at a site, please first work with your site supervisor. If you are unable to resolve the problem with the site supervisor, please contact Dr. Bailey immediately to discuss the issue and possible solutions. Also if an emergency occurs and you foresee an inability to complete the internship, you must contact both your site supervisor and the internship coordinator immediately. The site coordinator, not the student, will decide if the situation merits special concession or whether failing to complete the internship as scheduled will result in an “unsatisfactory” for the final grade.
You may pick up your graded papers and portfolios the week of finals. Any items left after the last day of finals will be thrown away unless you make arrangements with Dr. Bailey.
Only students who have not taken Field Experience (internship), Special Topics, or Directed Studies course may receive credit for SOS 4680.
Student Name: __________________________________
Internship Site: __________________________________
Date started internship: __________________________________
Date ended internship: __________________________________
Hour Log
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Date |
Number of Hours (number of hours worked this date, to nearest half hour) |
Nature of Work (briefly note the type of work engaged in for that day, ex., observe community meeting, or co-facilitate training; do not include names of clients) |
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TOTAL
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Note: Add the
“number of hours column;” this must
total to at least 240 hours for SOS 4680 |
I have seen, and agree, that the information presented above is accurate.
Signature, Internship Site Supervisor