Policies & Procedures
Participation in the Internship Program is optional and will delay graduation by one year.
Students may request permission to enroll in one 0.5 credit course per academic term. For example, in a 12-month period, interns may enroll in a total of 1.5 credits [3 terms x 0.5].
Please email email@example.com with your request before completing your course registration. Your request should include the course code and session type, an outline of your time-management plan, and a rationale for taking the course prior to your return to campus. All requests will be reviewed and submitted to the Associate Dean (Undergraduate) for consideration.
Please note that all interns must return to Western to complete their studies on a full-time basis [at least 3.5 credits/year].
- Internship offers will be sent through Western Connect; students will have two (2) business days to accept or decline an offer. Students are required to notify the Experiential Learning Coordinator if an offer is extended to the student directly by the employer (i.e., not through Western Connect).
- Once a student accepts an internship, that acceptance is binding. Students who have accepted an internship position are required to sign a Student Contract with Careers & Experience and must deliver on all terms outlined therein (including fee payment). The student will then be enrolled in the MOS 3494 internship module and appropriate work term course (See Academic Calendar). Failure to execute on the Internship Agreement’s terms results in an “FAI” for the internship module.
- Students cannot apply to other positions or accept/proceed with other interviews.
- Should a student renege on an accepted internship offer or or fail to deliver on the terms of their internship agreement (including fee payment), this will result in an FAI in the internship course (fee still applies) and withdrawal from the program (see “Course Withdrawal” section)
- If a student declines two internship offers, they will be withdrawn from the internship program and not permitted to apply for any additional postings; students who decline multiple offers and/or withdraw interest in the program after securing/submitting a role may be prohibited from reapplying in later years at the discretion of the Internship Program team
- The Experiential Learning Coordinator must approve jobs found by students in order to ensure that the position qualifies as suitable internship employment. See Arranging Your Own Internship.
For student, employer and coordinator responsibilities during internship, please refer to the Internship Agreement.
All students must sign this agreement before starting their work term.
The DAN Management Internship Program team is committed to protecting the privacy of individuals. To view Western’s complete privacy policies and initiatives, refer to the privacy office website.
Personal information such as the student’s name and address and e-mail address will not be available to anyone beyond internship staff except when the student takes the initiative to apply to a job posting or submit their resume for viewing by participating employers.
The internship team will only use the student’s personal information to facilitate their involvement in the work search and career development activities it offers as a part of its mandate.
If, at any time, students have questions about the accuracy, use or privacy of their personal information they are encouraged to contact firstname.lastname@example.org.
The following scenarios will result in an “FAI” in MOS 3494 (fee still applies) and withdrawal from the internship program:
- Student accepts an internship offer and then reneges on the offer prior to beginning the position
- Student begins an internship work term and quits without cause
- Student is withdrawn from the internship due to academic reasons (i.e.: a scholastic offence)
- Student is terminated for cause
- Students who sign and submit an Internship Agreement and then do not deliver on some or all of its terms including fee payment and completion of course deliverables (failure to pay the internship fee results in an academic seal of the student’s record)
Students whose internship is terminated due to changes in the economy, quit for health/compassionate reasons or who otherwise wish to withdraw from the program after submitting a signed Internship Agreement:
- Payment of the internship fees will be at the discretion of the Associate Dean (Undergraduate Studies)
- Student will be withdrawn (WDN) at the discretion of the Associate Dean (Undergraduate Studies) and directed to the appropriate and available supports
The performance of each student in the long-term internship program is assessed on the basis of satisfactory completion of the student’s placement term, adherence to the terms laid out in the Internship Agreement signed with the Social Science Internship Program team, the Employer's Evaluations of the student's performance, and an evaluation of the student's Final Assignment. The grade for the courses are either Pass or Fail, and a Pass grade will require that both the Employer's Evaluations and the Final Assignment be satisfactory.
The Employer's Evaluation is completed by the student's employer in accordance with prescribed guidelines, it is not necessarily based on written work submitted by the student although such work may provide a part of the material upon which the evaluation is based. The Social Science Internship Program team or the Associate Dean (Undergraduate) will mark the long-term internship Final Assignment. If the basis for the grade is the evaluation of the Final Assignment, then the usual appeal procedures of Western University will be followed. The successive levels of appeal are:
- Experiential Learning Coordinator;
- The Associate Dean (Undergraduate Studies) or the AD's Designate (submission of written request);
- Senate Review Board Academic (SRBA) - (submission of written application for a hearing).