• Utilize inexpensive, yet good quality short-term employees

• Take advantage of extra personnel to start that "future projects" list today

• Benefit from the academic expertise and enthusiasm of college students

• Use internships as a way to recruit and screen potential full-time hires

• Promote a positive image for your organization on campus by providing great internship experiences

• Provide specialized experience for students in the field, enabling them to develop professional skills and work ethics

• Introduce students to career options in Indiana which may entice them to live and work in the state after graduation

The key to a successful internship is providing challenging and productive work assignments.  When considering internship projects, look at current business activities and consider what ongoing work you would like to expand, or projects you would like to initiate or complete.  Consider projects that are beneficial to your organization and are good learning experiences for students.  You may get additional ideas from reading the description of academic departments at Manchester College and the skills of students in various academic fields on our website.

The key to a successful internship is providing interesting work on real teams.  Students want to learn from real-world experience, to work with professionals in their field, and to make a meaningful contribution to your organization.  You can benefit from the intern's energy and academic training.  Assigning interns significant projects benefits students from an educational and employment standpoint and maximizes the return on your investment in the internship.

The selection of a site supervisor can have a significant impact on the success of your internship program.  The best supervisor is someone who is interested in teaching others, understands the organization and its operating procedures, and can develop quality work assignments for students.  A supervisor or mentor can ensure a successful internship by guiding the student through the organization, providing advice and training, and helping with problems.  Good supervisors not only help students learn, they also help the company learn about the student as potential full-time hire.

A detailed job description can enhance your changes of getting the most qualified candidates to apply for your position.  Job descriptions should include:

• Company Information (name, short description, website)
• Primary responsibilities of the intern (major projects, regular activities)
• Internship logistics (length of internship, full or part time schedule, payment and/or other benefits for students)
• Application Process (required skills and experience, application materials, submission deadlines, and contact information)

The Manchester College Office of Career Services can help!  Send us your internship job description and we’ll advertise it to students via targeted email, academic departments, website listings, and our Summer Horizons newsletter.  You can submit internship job postings electronically at "Post an Internship Opening."

In addition, we can arrange on-campus interview space and establish an interview schedule based on your preference for time length and number of interviews.  To arrange an on-campus interview recruiting date, contact Betty Butterbaugh, Recruiting Coordinator, at (260) 982-5242. Interview  dates can be scheduled for the fall and spring semesters.  Interview schedules are open sign-up for students unless you prefer otherwise.

Meet with your intern prior to the start of his/her internship to discuss expectations and logistical details.

• Provide the student with employment documentation, such as an employee handbook or other list of workplace policies and requirements.

• Discuss guidelines for evaluating student performance and the internship program.

• Share your expectations and goals for the internship and get the student’s perspective.  This discussion will help in the development of a learning contract (more below).

• Address logistical issues such as transportation, parking, hours, work space, dress code, pay, preparation materials, and class requirements.

• Provide research and background materials to the intern so that the student can learn as much as possible about the organization in advance.

To help your student intern start off on the right foot, plan orientation activities for his/her first few days on the job.

• Welcome and introduce the intern to the staff.  Provide a tour of the facility and introduction to his/her work space.

• Explain the office environment and routines (breaks, lunches, hours, flexibility, and standards).  Try to give the student a feel for the organizational culture.

• Provide the student with an organizational chart or staff list with phone numbers.

• Identify a back-up supervisor or support person who can answer the intern’s questions if his/her regular supervisor is unavailable.

• Review organizational and employee policies and explain any confidentiality issues and procedures.

• Identify and discuss main projects.  Ensure that the student understands his/her responsibilities and has all of the resources necessary to get started.

• Discuss reasonable check points to evaluate projects (set regular evaluation meetings, be clear about deadlines, procedures, expectations, and be specific about end stage reports or presentations).

• Inform the intern of departmental or staff meetings he/she is expected to attend and provide time during those meetings for the intern to report progress of his/her project(s).

• Develop a learning contract that specifies the expectations of the supervisor and the student and includes measurable learning objectives.  This will provide clear direction for both the supervisor and the intern and serves as a communication tool throughout the internship.

• Introduce the intern to other business functions and staff members.  This enables him/her to fully understand the organization and potential career paths and allows the student to better consider how his/her work contributes to the organization.  Areas in which the student intern may be included are staff/departmental meetings, seminars, special lectures, speakers, client meetings, networking meetings, and professional conferences.  Students want to gather meaningful experiences AND learn as much as they can about how their academic training translates into professional work and various career options.

• Revisit the learning contract in order to monitor the program.  In addition to providing the student feedback on his/her work, ask the student to evaluate the internship program and his/her experience.  Evaluations should take place throughout the internship, not just at the end, so improvements can be made along the way.

• Assignments should be paired with mentoring/supervision to ensure that guidance is provided and the internship moves at an appropriate pace.

• Have additional assignments and projects planned in case the intern completes tasks early.

• Arrange for intern to present results of his/her project to staff or other professionals.  This may include publishing an article in company newsletter or on the website.

• Schedule a final evaluation to review the student’s performance and to discuss his/her evaluation of the internship experience at your organization.

• Complete any necessary paperwork for academic requirements and consider writing a letter of recommendation for the student.

• Keep in touch with the student about full-time job possibilities with the organization.

Description of Academic Departments and Student Skills for Internships

Following are descriptions of academic departments and the skills that Manchester College students can potentially bring to your organization in terms of project expertise during their internship.

Students in the Department of Accounting and Business complete a common core of basic business courses before declaring a major in accounting, finance, management, marketing, nonprofit management, or general business.  

Students majoring in Accounting and Business will be able to write human resource manuals, develop computerized record-keeping systems, prepare roll-outs of new products, prepare tax returns, and update client records for annual review. 

Students in the Department of Art complete a common core of basic art courses that discuss layouts, ceramics, photography, watercolors, four harness weaving, paste-ups and enameling issues. Students are also trained in fabric decoration, enameling, and video production as an art medium.

Students majoring in Art will be able to write and hang text panels, act as docents for exhibitions in museums, arrange and hang shows, and work with children in art centers.  These students have the ability to communicate ideas, thoughts, and feelings through various methods and materials and can make critical observations and decisions.

Biology      

Students in the Department of Biology complete a common core of basic courses that include tropical ecology, human anatomy, and microbiology.

Students majoring in Biology will be able to use their laboratory experience and help organizations with the culturing of bacteria, preparation of solutions for chemical analyses which would involve use of analytical balances vortex mixers, etc. Students will also be able to use analytical procedures such as measurement of pH, use of spectrophotometers, and use of electrophoresis.  Most students would be familiar with phase, dark-field, and phase contrast microscopy.  Lastly, students should be able to identify living organisms using a dichotomous key. 

Chemistry 

Students in the Department of Chemistry complete a common core of basic courses that include analytical chemistry, criminal investigation forensic analysis, organic and inorganic chemistry.

Students majoring in Chemistry will be able to create new products including production and quality control. They have the ability to organize, analyze, and interpret scientific data and to conduct and clearly explain scientific research.

Communication Studies

Students in the Department of Communication Studies complete a common core of basic communication courses that include the areas of media studies, theatre arts, communications in community and interpersonal / organizational communication.

Students majoring in Communications can undertake a communication audit, which would evaluate the flow and effectiveness of communication in the organization. Some students are able to build and implement an interactive training module for staff that would focus on a small group topic such as conflict management, building team cohesiveness, or how to develop a team. They will also be able to design a coaching system for management level staff on topics such as performance appraisal or information gathering techniques. They can design and execute product, special event, issues, crisis, and information campaigns. Lastly, these students are articulate, thoughtful, and effective public communicators to audiences of both the spoken and written word, and competent users of the technologies appropriate to each.

Economics 

Students in the Department of Economics complete a common core of basic courses that include international trade and finance, money and banking, and economic development.

Students majoring in Economics are well-versed in cost/benefit analysis. Economic students can assist mentors in gathering and analyzing data, performing research and statistical analysis of economic data. These students also have the ability to research current economic policy and its impacts on firms.

Students in the Department of Education complete a common core of basic courses that include conflict resolution and mediation, developmental reading methods, and child development.

Students majoring in Education will be able to organize and maintain accurate records, communicate ideas, facts and abstract concepts to others and have the ability to solve problems and make appropriate decisions. They can construct and deliver appropriate curriculum for students, assess student learning and development with a variety of measures, establish professional and reciprocal relationships with others invested in students' learning, and create positive and caring environments for student development and learning.

Students in the Department of English complete a common core of basic courses that include creative writing, composition, expository and critical writing, and structure of the English language, world literature, Shakespeare, contemporary fiction, 20th century American literature, and women in literature.

Students majoring in English will be able to apply advanced composition, creative, and other communicative strategies to their work projects. These students can synthesize and analyzing rhetoric and research-related work. They also have the ability to adapting and adjusting to high-pressure challenges/situations.

Students in the Department of Environmental Studies complete a common core of basic core of courses that include environmental politics and law, botany, and environmental philosophy.

Students majoring in Environmental Studies will have experience understanding information from a wide range of areas (natural science, economics, etc.) and balancing these viewpoints against each other. Many of them have done additional work in the natural sciences, or in environmental policy. These students could help an employer identify the major environmental issues involved in ongoing operations or expansion.

Students in the Department of Health and Physical Education complete a common core of basic physical education courses that include athletic training, exercise science, and physical education.

Students majoring in Health and Physical Education will be able to assess movement needs, organize activities, and lead small groups in movement games, fitness, or sport skills. Many of these students have also developed policy manuals and budgets.

Students taking courses in this field explore such common topics as the basis for political behavior; the world's major political philosophies; the ethical dimensions of politics and policy; the cultures, institutions, and processes of contemporary political systems; and the relations between and among nations. They also are aware of the acts of governments; the effects of particular programs or policies on categories of race, class, and/or gender; socio-cultural movements, philosophies and theories; institutions, and the relations between and among groups. 

Students majoring in History and Political Science bring an awareness of multiple contexts (national, state, and international), analytical and critical thinking skills (the ability to evaluate evidence and draw reasoned conclusions), qualitative and quantitative research skills, as well as oral and written communication skills.

Students in the Department of Mathematics and Computer Science complete a common core of basic math and computer science courses that include statistics, calculus, software development and database management systems.

Students majoring in Mathematics will have experience in logical analysis, organization and synthesis of large quantities of data, and problem-solving. These students can help a business or organization with quantitative projects, including statistical analysis and using computers.

Students majoring in Computer Science will have experience in logical analysis, computer programming, and problem-solving. These students can help a business or organization design a website, design and maintain a database, develop software applications, or give technical support.

Manchester College offers baccalaureate degrees in French, German, and Spanish through the Department of Modern Languages.

Students majoring in Modern Languages possess a wide range of interpersonal and intercultural skills which complement their mastery of their specific language. These students know how to take risks, solve problems, and adapt easily to a new environment or culture. Modern languages students are good communicators because they understand word choice, syntax, gesture, and context. 

Students in the Department of Music complete a common core of basic music courses that include programs of study in music education, applied music, and church music.

Students majoring in Music have fundamental skills and a solid understanding of solo and ensemble performance, music education, history and literature, theory, and conducting. These students are creative, committed to continue artistic growth and can hear music from studying a score.

Students in the Department of Physics complete a common core of basic courses that will help students prepare for high school teaching, for physics-related occupations in industry or government, and preparation for graduate study in physics or related sciences. In addition, the department offers supporting courses for pre-professional training for students expecting to enter medical or engineering schools.

Students majoring in Physics have skills in problem solving and data analysis. Most of these students will have skills in computer data acquisition, modeling, spreadsheets, and word processing. Upper level students will have higher level skills in problem solving and mathematical modeling. These students also work in cooperative groups and have appropriate communication and group skills.

Students in the Department of Psychology complete a common core of basic psychology courses that concentrate on the normal course of human development and emphasize the impact of environmental context on the behavior of individuals.

Students majoring in Psychology have advanced communication skills. These students are competent in listening, helping, and conflict resolution. They also have the ability to do research, and have a service orientation.

Students in the Department of Religion and Philosophy complete a common core of basic courses that explain historical, critical, analytic, and constructive methodologies or concepts that help them understand religious and philosophical phenomena.

Students majoring in Philosophy and Religion have developed both analytic and critical thinking, as well as "big picture" thinking. These students are able to read and analyze complicated texts, look for hidden assumptions, and offer well-reasoned moral assessments. They tend to have strong verbal and logical skills, and the content they have studied helps them appreciate the cultural and historical contexts of many of our beliefs and practices.

Students in the Department of Sociology and Social Work complete a common core of basic courses that explain research methods and theory. These students are encouraged to participate in a variety of workshops and retreats that focus on issues in this field. 

Students majoring in Sociology or Social Work will be able to solve problems related to individual and group behaviors in various social settings by analyzing the causes and consequences of human behaviors. These students can conduct empirical research on issues related to human behavior (i.e. surveys, interviews, experiments, analyses of existing data like public records). They have the ability to evaluate the effectiveness of existing programs and policies and can work effectively with people from different ethnic or cultural backgrounds. Lastly, these students will be able to create programs that address social problems like crime, poverty, and drug abuse.