The Work Component

Most of the time devoted to the internship will be spent in the workplace, which might be thought of as the classroom of the internship course. Your organizational supervisor will be your main teacher, and she or he will be responsible for assigning you tasks, tracking your progress, and helping you to overcome difficulties. Your most important duties are to follow your supervisor's instructions, to practice good work habits, and to keep good track of your hours while working. Most interns work from 100-120 hours during the term or the summer; this is about equivalent of three 40-hour weeks, but it is generally performed at a rate of 8-12 hours per week for the duration of the 14-week semester. It is your responsibility to report problems with your work assignment to the Internship Director as soon as possible. It is especially imperative that you inform the Internship Director if you are not being given any writing-related assignments.

The Work Component will constitute 40% of your grade for 395 or 396. The remainder of the grade will be determined by the Internship Director based upon your fulfillment of the Academic Component of the internship.

Requirements of the Work Component

To fulfill the work component of the internship, you are responsible for submitting the following items according to the dates indicated.

Submit the Internship Application Form
Before the end of the Add / Drop period, you must submit an Internship Registration Form. This form will help the Internship Director contact you and communicate with you about the Academic Component of the internship.

Register for the Course
Before the end of the Add / Drop period, you must officially register for 355:395 (Fall) or 355:396 (Spring) through the University Registrar's Office, as you would for any class at Rutgers University. You are also responsible for all tuition and fees for the internship. Failure to pay your tuition will affect your registration and may delay your getting a grade for the internship.

Submit an Internship Contract
With the help of your supervisor, you must complete and submit an Internship Contract to the Internship Director by the end of your first week on the job. Completing the contract will help you and your supervisor agree about the terms of your employment and will help you to clarify the expectations of the job, including the types of assignments you can expect to receive. You should do your best to honor your agreement and you should inform the Internship Director if the supervisor fails to honor her or his part of the contract. You and your supervisor will be asked to review the contract at midterm to see if it is in need of revision.

Fulfill the Academic Component of the Internship
Assignments for the Academic Component of the internship are due all term, beginning the second week of classes. Failure to fulfill these course requirements on a timely basis may prevent you from getting a passing grade in the internship course, even if you have fulfilled the Work Component.

Submit Signed Monthly Time Sheets
During midterm and semester meetings, you must submit your monthly Time Sheets to the Internship Director, signed by your supervisor. The time sheet should indicate at least 100-120 hours worked.

Submit a Final Evaluation
After your work has ended, but before the end of the semester (whichever comes first), you must submit the Final Evaluation Form to assess the quality of your writing assignment.

If you ever need to discuss the work component of your internship, please do not hesitate to contact the Internship Director.