PrintWelcome to EGEE 495 - Internship
This syllabus is divided into several sections. It is essential that you read the entire document. Together these serve as our course "contract."
Instructor
Haley Sankey
Lecturer, Department of Earth and Mineral Sciences, John A. Dutton e-Education Institute
- E-mail: hjs142@psu.edu
- Office Hours: By appointment
NOTE: I will read and respond to e-mail and discussion forums at least once per day during the workweek (Monday through Friday). I will check email on the weekends, but cannot guarantee prompt responses.
Course Overview
Description: The EGEE 495 Internship course is to be completed in conjunction with an independent internship that meets the following criteria:
- Energy or sustainability or policy focus
- 120 hours of the student's time dedicated to directly assigned intern tasks/projects and
- an independent onsite supervisor (no family relation to the student).
Students must enroll in this EGEE 495 Internship course in order to earn credit for the hours worked and projects completed.
Internships may include individual field experience, employment or formal internships (paid or unpaid). Internships should be positions with energy businesses, government agencies, legislative offices, non-profit advocacy/education organizations, industry associations or sustainability functions within other businesses. The internship must provide the opportunity to employ college level capabilities and proficiencies and must provide a meaningful learning experience in the areas of energy, sustainability, and policy. The internship must provide 120 hours of work. Students should work hard to ensure that the internship fits their interests, professional aspirations, schedule and location. It is the student's responsibility to work closely with the internship sponsor to identify and define the position's responsibilities, duties and working hours.
EGEE 495 should prepare students to conduct a successful job search once they have graduated from the ESP program. Internships provide relevant real-world experiences and allow students to interact in a professional environment and gain experience networking. We will also discuss student's strengths, weaknesses, and skill sets while cultivating their ability to interview and relate their internship experience to the ESP curriculum. Students will complete a practice interview session and submit an updated cover letter and resume for review. Finally, upon completion of the online journal, they should have a robust writing sample, multiple internship related artifacts, and an updated resume they can use during their job search.
Learning Objectives
Students who successfully complete EGEE 495 should be able to:
- Demonstrate (verbally and written) learned knowledge from the internship experience by identifying and providing artifacts and examples of their internship experiences.
- Identify and articulate the ways in which the program's five competency areas were experienced as part of the internship.
- Interpret and articulate their unique professional strengths and abilities.
- Identify and articulate how the internship has/has not met student's personal learning objectives.
- Compile a suite of job search tools including a SWOT analysis, cover letter, resume, LinkedIn profile, and participate in a mock interview.
What I Expect of You
The internship position must include 120 hours of time within one semester. This work can be completed online or in-person. When and how the hours are logged is the responsibility of the student and will be verified by the internship sponsor. Midterm and Final evaluations along with other deliverables for the course must be submitted by the dates agreed upon at the beginning of the semester. The final version of the Internship Journal must be submitted by the end of finals week (see Course Schedule below for details).
Communication is very important for this course. Please keep in regular contact with the instructor. If you are experiencing difficulty logging hours, or the internship is not meeting your expectations, contact the instructor as soon as possible so that the issue can be appropriately addressed. Failure to adequately complete the internship as stated in the Internship Agreement may result in a failing grade.
Required Course Materials
You do not need a textbook for this course. Use this course website and Canvas as resources for the course. In order to take this course, you need to have an active Penn State Access Account user ID and password (used to access the online course resources). If you have any questions about obtaining or activating your Penn State Access Account, please contact the World Campus help desk.
To set up your profile and manage your notification preferences in Canvas, visit the Canvas link in the menu at the top of the course website.
Students who register for this Penn State course gain access to assignments and instructor feedback, and earn academic credit. Information about Penn State's Energy and Sustainability Policy Bachelor's program is available at the ESP Overview Page.
Assignments and Grading
This course will rely upon a variety of methods to assess and evaluate student learning. Grading will be completed by the ESP Internship Coordinator or the course instructor. Refer to the Grading Rubrics in Canvas to understand how points are earned.
Administrative Forms
All forms can be found on the Internship Guidelines page or in the course Canvas site. Forms should be submitted via the designated Dropbox in Canvas.
- Internship Agreement
- Midterm Evaluation
- Final Evaluation
- Cover Sheet/Verification Form
Journal Entries
You are expected to submit weekly electronic journal entries addressing the prompts provided. The purpose of the journal is to help you articulate and record the learning and experiences that occurred during the internship. All Penn State students are granted blog space on sites.psu.edu and are encouraged to use that space. For more guidance on how to use sites.psu.edu, visit the Resources tab. All journal entries will be reviewed by the Course Instructor and returned with a grade along with comments and suggestions. If a better grade is desired, the suggested edits are to be implemented for the final version.
SWOT Analysis
You are expected to complete a SWOT analysis, evaluating your strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats. This exercise will better prepare you to speak to these types of questions in interviews, as well as identify areas in which you may need some improvement. Additionally, if completing the analysis will help you think more strategically about your career.
Cover Letter and Resume and Meet with Career Services Representative
Create an updated cover letter and resume that reflects your anticipated graduation date and education information as well as prior work experiences is required. A potential employer sees these items far before they meet you, so the importance of getting these right cannot be overstated! Once you've created that, you'll be meeting with a career services professional to review and discuss.
Mock Interview
Students are paired with an ESP alumnus to complete a mock interview. The interview will help you understand the types of questions that may be asked of you in a job interview post graduation and provide valuable practice interviewing. The interviewer will evaluate how well you do and will provide feedback to the course instructor.
Create a robust and visually appealing LinkedIn profile and presence.
Infographic
Create an infographic showcasing what you learned! Infographics can then be submitted to CUE, the Engaged Scholarship Expo, or other poster exhibitions!
Grading
Grading will be completed by ESP Internship Coordinator/Course Instructor.
Letter grades will be based on the following percentages:
| A | 100% - 94% |
|---|---|
| A- | < 94% - 90% |
| B+ | <90% - 87% |
| B | <87% - 84% |
| B- | <84% - 80% |
| C+ | <80% - 77 |
| C | <77% - 70% |
| D | <70% - 60% |
| F | <60% |
| X | Unsatisfactory (student did not participate) |
Percentages refer to the proportion of all possible points earned by the student.
Grading Scale for Individual Assignments
| Assignment | Weight |
|---|---|
| Journal Entries | 40% |
| SWOT Analysis | 10% |
| Mock Interview | 10% |
| Cover Letter and Resume/Career Services | 15% |
| LinkedIn Profile update | 5% |
| Infographic | 20% |
* Note: Percentages refer to the proportion of all possible points earned by the student
Make-up Exam Policy
There are no exams in this course.
Late Policy
No late work is accepted unless prior arrangements have been made.
EGEE 495 Course Schedule
Given the unique nature of each student's internship, the due dates and schedule will be determined individually with the student and the instructor.
Course Policies
Missing Work
Students must complete all of the assigned items in the course syllabus. If you anticipate missing a deadline, contact the instructor immediately to make alternative arrangements.
Late Policy
All course-related submissions must be provided by the assigned date. No late work is accepted unless prior arrangements have been made and no extra-credit is provided.
Citation and Reference Style
Please use APA citation and format style. Info can be found on Purdue's Online Writing Lab.
Technical Requirements
For this course, we recommend the minimum technical requirements outlined on the World Campus Technical Requirements page, including the requirements listed for same-time, synchronous communications. If you need technical assistance at any point during the course, please contact the IT Service Desk (for World Campus students) or Penn State's IT Help Portal (for students at all other campus locations).
Internet Connection
Access to a reliable Internet connection is required for this course. A problem with your Internet access may not be used as an excuse for late, missing, or incomplete coursework. If you experience problems with your Internet connection while working on this course, it is your responsibility to find an alternative Internet access point, such as a public library or Wi-Fi ® hotspot.
Mixed Content
This site is considered a secure web site, which means that your connection is encrypted. We do, however, link to content that isn't necessarily encrypted. This is called mixed content. By default, mixed content is blocked in Internet Explorer, Firefox, and Chrome. This may result in a blank page or a message saying that only secure content is displayed. Follow the directions on our Technical Requirements page to view the mixed content.
Penn State E-mail Accounts
All official communications from Penn State are sent to students' Penn State e-mail accounts. Be sure to check your Penn State account regularly, or forward your Penn State e-mail to your preferred e-mail account, so you don't miss any important information.
Academic Integrity
This course follows the procedures for academic integrity of Penn State's College of Earth and Mineral Sciences. Penn State defines academic integrity as "the pursuit of scholarly activity in an open, honest and responsible manner." Academic integrity includes "a commitment not to engage in or tolerate acts of falsification, misrepresentation, or deception." In particular, the University defines plagiarism as "the fabrication of information and citations; submitting others' work from professional journals, books, articles, and papers; submission of other students' papers, lab results or project reports and representing the work as one's own." Penalties for violations of academic integrity may include course failure. To learn more, see Penn State's Academic Integrity Training for Students.
Course Copyright
All course materials students receive or to which students have online access are protected by copyright laws. Students may use course materials and make copies for their own use as needed, but unauthorized distribution and/or uploading of materials without the instructor’s express permission is strictly prohibited. University Policy AD 40, the University Policy Recording of Classroom Activities and Note Taking Services addresses this issue. Students who engage in the unauthorized distribution of copyrighted materials may be held in violation of the University’s Code of Conduct, and/or liable under Federal and State laws.
For example, uploading completed labs, homework, or other assignments to any study site constitutes a violation of this policy.
Accommodations for Students with Disabilities
Penn State welcomes students with disabilities into the University's educational programs. Every Penn State campus has an office for students with disabilities. The Office for Student Disability Resources website provides contact information for Campus Disability Coordinators at every Penn State campus. For further information, please visit the Office for Student Disability Resources website.
In order to receive consideration for reasonable accommodations, you must contact the appropriate disability services office at the campus where you are officially enrolled. You will participate in an intake interview and provide documentation. See documentation guidelines at Applying for Services from Student Disability Resources. If the documentation supports your request for reasonable accommodations, your campus’s disability services office will provide you with an accommodation letter. Please share this letter with your instructors and discuss the accommodations with them as early in your courses as possible. You must follow this process for every semester that you request accommodations.
Change in Normal Campus Operations
In case of weather-related delays or other emergency campus disruptions or closures at the University, this online course will proceed as planned. Your instructor will inform you if there are any extenuating circumstances regarding content or activity due dates in the course due to these delays or closures. If you are affected by a weather-related emergency, please contact your instructor at the earliest possible time to make special arrangements.
Reporting Educational Equity Concerns
Penn State takes great pride in fostering a diverse and inclusive environment for students, faculty, and staff. Acts of intolerance, discrimination, or harassment due to age, ancestry, color, disability, gender, gender identity, national origin, race, religious belief, sexual orientation, or veteran status are not tolerated (Policy AD29 Statement on Intolerance) and can be reported through Educational Equity via Report Bias.
Counseling and Psychological Services
Many students at Penn State face personal challenges or have psychological needs that may interfere with their academic progress, social development, or emotional well-being. The university offers a variety of confidential services to help you through difficult times, including individual and group counseling, crisis intervention, consultations, online chats, and mental health screenings. These services are provided by staff who welcome all students and embrace a philosophy respectful of clients’ cultural and religious backgrounds, and sensitive to differences in race, ability, gender identity, and sexual orientation. Services include the following:
Counseling and Psychological Services at University Park (CAPS): 814-863-0395
Counseling Services at Commonwealth Campuses
Penn State Crisis Line (24 hours/7 days/week): 877-229-6400
Crisis Text Line (24 hours/7 days/week): Text LIONS to 741741
Military Personnel
Veterans and currently serving military personnel and/or spouses with unique circumstances (e.g., upcoming deployments, drill/duty requirements, disabilities, VA appointments, etc.) are welcome and encouraged to communicate these, in advance if possible, to the instructor in the case that special arrangements need to be made.
Connect Online with Caution
Penn State is committed to educational access for all. Our students come from all walks of life and have diverse life experiences. As with any other online community, the lack of physical interaction in an online classroom can create a false sense of anonymity and security. While one can make new friends online, digital relationships can also be misleading. Good judgment and decision-making are critical when choosing to disclose personal information to others whom you do not know.
Participation in Peer-to-Peer Activities
This course follows the Energy and Sustainability Policy programs' Constructive Participation in ESP Peer-Peer Activities policy for student participation in peer-to-peer activities in ESP courses, such as group discussions, team projects and peer reviews of another’s work. In all peer-to-peer learning activities, students are expected to participate constructively with others in the practice and development of effective communication skills. This means NO personal attacks, NO name-calling, and NO threatening language of any kind. Consequences may include losing the opportunity to participate in (and earn credit for) all remaining peer-to-peer assignments for the duration of the course. Any instance of threatening language will be reported to the Penn State Office of Student Conduct.
Deferred Grades
If you are prevented from completing this course within the prescribed amount of time for reasons that are beyond your control, it is possible to have the grade deferred with the concurrence of the instructor, following Penn State Deferred Grade Policy 48-40. To seek a deferred grade, you must submit a written request (by e-mail or U.S. post) to the instructor describing the reason(s) for the request. Non-emergency permission for filing a deferred grade must be requested before the beginning of the final examination period. It is up to the instructor to determine whether or not you will be permitted to receive a deferred grade. If permission is granted, you will work with the instructor to establish a communication plan and a clear schedule for completion within policy. If, for any reason, the coursework for the deferred grade is not complete by the assigned time, a grade of "F" will be automatically entered on your transcript.
Attendance
This course will be conducted entirely online. There will be no set class meeting times, but you will be required to complete weekly assignments with specific due dates. Many of the assignments are open for multiple days, so it is your responsibility to complete the work early if you plan to travel or participate in national holidays, religious observances or University approved activities.
If you need to request an exception due to a personal or medical emergency, contact the instructor directly as soon as you are able. Such requests will be considered on a case-by-case basis.
Diversity, Inclusion, and Respect
Penn State is “committed to creating an educational environment which is free from intolerance directed toward individuals or groups and strives to create and maintain an environment that fosters respect for others” as stated in Policy AD29 Statement on Intolerance. All members of this class are expected to contribute to a respectful, welcoming, and inclusive environment and to interact with civility.
For additional information, see:
- Penn State Affirmative Action Nondiscrimination Statement
- Policy AD 85 Sexual and/or Gender-Based Harassment and Misconduct, Title IX
- Penn State Values
- Advancing Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion at Penn State
- Assessment of the Living, Learning, and Working Environment (ALLWE) in EMS| Penn State College of Earth and Mineral Sciences
Mandated Reporting Statement
Penn State’s policies require me, as a faculty member, to share information about incidents of sex-based discrimination and harassment (discrimination, harassment, sexual harassment, sexual misconduct, dating violence, domestic violence, stalking, and retaliation) with Penn State’s Title IX coordinator or deputy coordinators, regardless of whether the incidents are stated to me in person or shared by students as part of their coursework. For more information regarding the University's policies and procedures for responding to reports of sexual or gender-based harassment or misconduct, please visit Penn State's Office of Sexual Misconduct Prevention & Response website.
Additionally, I am required to make a report on any reasonable suspicion of child abuse in accordance with the Pennsylvania Child Protective Services Law.
Disclaimer
Please note that the specifics of this Course Syllabus can be changed at any time, and you will be responsible for abiding by any such changes. All changes will be communicated to you via e-mail, course announcement and/or course discussion forum.