ENVIRONMENTAL STUDIES INTERNSHIP                         

                 ENVS 89       

Laura Goldin, goldin@brandeis.edu

x63075, Friedland 216, “OPEN DOOR ALWAYS”

The Environmental Studies Internship Program provides the opportunity for students to experience first-hand actual environmental challenges in government, industry, public interest organizations, and scientific research institutions.  Students in the Program tackle current environmental issues alongside professionals in the environmental field, experiencing the real-life context and application of their course work. Weekly discussion groups and assignments provide perspective and a substantive basis for the internship experience.

Internship placements are individually tailored to support each student’s academic goals and experience. All placements require the use of research, writing, analytical and presentation skills in a supervised setting to accomplish a specific project or goal within a designated time frame.

Internship Requirements  

·        Well before the beginning of the term, each student should meet individually with me to identify and set up an appropriate placement.

(Note: Students should prepare a resume and submit a copy to me as soon as possible.)  The student should then follow up by sending a resume and cover letter to the potential placement supervisor and arranging for an interview.  The goal is for all interns to be working in their placements within the first week of the semester.

·        Once accepted as interns in their placements, students must work at least 100 hundred hours during the course of the semester.  These hours can be allocated in any way the student and the placement supervisor wish, but they should be spread out over the course of the full semester. Students are required to arrange and commit to a firm work schedule with their supervisors.  (Many students chose to work more than the minimum number of hours.)

·        Once the student is actively working within his or her placement and has a general sense of internship assignments and projects, the student should meet with me to develop a “contract” regarding course expectations and goals, including research or readings to enrich the placement work, final written or other products, presentation.

·        Each student must confer individually with me at least every other week to discuss work site experience and progress.  This may be in person, telephone or e-mail.

·        All interns must attend weekly or biweekly group seminars during the scheduled class time.  The seminars are a required element of the internship, and provide an opportunity to analyze and reflect on internship experiences.  As schedules allow, the group also may take one or more field trips to student placement sites.

·        All interns present their work at the Internship Symposium at the end of the semester.  Each student has approximately 15 minutes to share his or experience with classmates and other students, faculty, staff, internship supervisors, and guests.  Presentations are expected to be carefully prepared, focused, well-timed and informative.  As appropriate, use available presentation tools (e.g. powerpoint &other audio-visual, props, demonstrations.)  All students must present their draft presentations at the pre-symposium “run-through” for practice and critique by the class.

·        Students must submit a final 20- paper. 

(Parameters and guidance for papers and presentations are on the on the Webct site.

Grading

1) Supervisor’s and my assessment of student’s performance in internship placement (including commitment, reliability, value of contribution, quality of work, cooperation, use of initiative, communication, etc): 60%

2)Participation in class discussion groups (including attendance), final written product and presentation: 40%

Important: A successful internship requires your commitment and ongoing open communication with your internship supervisor and with me. Please be sure to speak with me if you have any concerns about your placement during the course of your internship.

Notes: 1. If you are a student with a documented disability on record at Brandeis University and wish to have a reasonable accommodation made for you in this class, please see me immediately.

2. You are expected to be honest in all your academic work. All words or ideas of another person must be properly cited and identified by quotation marks or other indication. Each student is expected to turn in work completed independently, expect when specified otherwise.  The University policy on academic honesty is in the Rights and Responsibilities Handbook.   Instances of alleged dishonesty will be forwarded to the Office of Campus Life for possible referral to the Student Judicial System.  Potential sanctions include failure in the course and suspension from the University.  If you have any questions about my expectations, please ask.