Site FAQ
Prospective Internship Business Site FAQs
How does this program work?
The School of Business Academic Internship is a 16 week undergraduate program in the spring and an 8 week graduate program in the summer facilitated through the College of Professional Studies. The goal of the program is to link classroom concepts with actual business practice both profit and non-profit. Interns will be mentored by two professionals - the Humboldt professor and the organization’s intern supervisor. Interns are compensated through an honorarium given to the School of Business by the Smullin Foundation and the McLean Foundation. Students are available for internship selection late in the fall semester and are ready to work by the beginning of the spring semester.
Why would I want an intern working for my business?
Interns provide a valuable contribution to organizations by offering new knowledge and skills to the workforce. Internship programs are a good testing ground for hiring future full-time employees after graduation. The benefit is that employers are able to see first-hand what the intern has to offer should they be hired on full-time. Hiring interns has proven to be a much more effective hiring tool than the regular normal interviewing process. Internship programs not only help boost your organization’s productivity today, but can help contribute to future successes.
How do I sign up to participate?
You must complete the Business Site Application survey found on the School of Business website on the Internship tab shown as a link on the top right side of the webpage. You will need to provide a rough idea of the project that your business needs assistance with. Further into the process, you will need to outline a complete Scope of Work that details the project and the time frame in which you want all tasks completed. A prompt will be provided to assist the site supervisor in creating this document.
Do I have to do anything before the internship begins?
Before the internship begins, you will have the opportunity to see an overview of candidates and their qualifications. You can provide your input on which students you would like as your intern and we will conduct the same process for the interns to choose which project they would like to work on. This means, the submission of a Scope of Work document for your project is required before an intern can be matched with your business. A Site Orientation will be held in the fall and attendance is strongly suggested for all interested sites.
What benefits can I expect from this internship for my business?
Partnerships with Cal Poly Humboldt connect the university with the surrounding community. Community partners provide the hands on learning experience that enrich the student’s academic careers. The School of Business Academic Internship Program helps partners develop, sustain, and improve the quality of academic internships and service learning experience while meeting the needs of the business.
Any tips on how to conduct an academically enriching relationship with my intern?
Make sure the intern participates in project-related work. Although most internships include administrative tasks, students are more likely to apply for and continue an internship if they engage in quality experiential learning. Set clear expectations before the beginning of the internship to explain what you expect from them. Clarify what learning objectives the intern wants to accomplish by the end of the internship. This decreases the chance for confusion and frustration and increases the quality of the internship for both you and the intern. Provide consistent positive and constructive feedback and a final evaluation. In addition to serving as a valuable learning tool for students, consistent feedback will most likely increase the quality of the intern's performance. It is also a great opportunity to address the intern's questions. Also, offer to write a letter of recommendation or serve as a future reference.
