The goal of the internship program is to facilitate an appropriate internship experience that will expand the student’s knowledge and experience.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Most Frequently Asked Questions                                                 3 

Student Responsibilities                                                                 4 

Agency/Supervisor Responsibilities                                              6 

Landscape Technology Advisor Responsibilities                        7 

Agency Information and Responsibility Form                               8 

Internship Contract Form                                                                10

6/98 as approved by the LN Advisory Committee
 

MOST FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS ABOUT THE INTERNSHIP PROGRAM 

1.         Is placement in an internship position guaranteed upon application to the program? 

No.  Placement depends upon the availability of jobs in the student’s selected field, the ability of the student to meet qualifying criteria, and the acceptability of the student to employer’s needs.  Other factors, such as the student’s flexibility in regard to work  scheduling, may also affect placement. 

2.         Can I work for any landscape company? 

No.  Cooperating organizations that have been approved by the Landscape Technology Advisor may only employ students. 

3.         What wages should I expect? 

Each internship experience is unique, therefore there is no standard wage amount.  In some instances, students are not paid any wages and instead, volunteer their time in exchange for experience.  In other situations, students are paid varying amounts during their internship experiences.  When wages are paid, employers usually pay internship students a wage that is comparable to the wage of a regular, beginning employee doing the same work.  While on the job, students should consider themselves employees, as well as interns. 

4.         What happens if for some reason you quit or are dismissed by the employer?           

The student is as much responsible to the College while on an internship as he/she is to the employer.  Likewise, the employer has an agreement with the College.  The  Landscape Technology Advisor must be consulted by the student and/or the employer in advance of any changes in the student’s internship status, due to the impact it may have on the student’s ability to complete the required course work. 

5.         Can I keep my internship position if I withdraw from or do not enroll in the internship course? 

No.  Montgomery College has made agreements with employers that specify the manner    and time frame in which students may participate.

6.         May I secure my own internship? 

Yes.  We encourage students to locate internships through their own efforts, although approval from the Landscape Technology Advisor is mandatory. 

7.         How may hours should I work per week?

Students must complete 150 hours during the course of the semester.  Approximately 20    hours a week is the average time frame. 

8.         Can my previous work experiences count toward my internship? 

No.  The goal of the internship program is to expand the student’s current knowledge through a new, varied work experience.

STUDENT RESPONSIBILITIES

Objective:  The student will design, with guidance from the Landscape Technology Advisor, an individual career work experience in the greens industry.  The goal of this program is to obtain appropriate work experience that will expand the student’s knowledge, thereby assisting him/her in making career decisions.

Eligibility Requirements:  Prior to enrolling in the internship program, the student must: 

Have accumulated at least 16 semester credits of Landscape Technology courses with a grade point average of 2.0 or higher. 

Have prepared and submitted a sample resume to the Landscape Technology Advisor. 

Have researched and be knowledgeable about either a specific job description or job area for which he/she is interested in applying for. 

Placement:  The student may only be employed by eligible, cooperating organizations that have been approved by the Landscape Technology Advisor.  In addition, the following steps must also be completed: 

After being selected by the employer/supervisor, meet with the Landscape Technology Advisor to receive further instructions and obtain approval to register for the course. 

During the first week of the semester, and with the assistance of the Landscape Technology Advisor, begin to develop his/her learning objectives for the internship work experience, as highlighted in the Internship Contract form.  

Work an average of 10-20 hours per week for a minimum of 150 hours by the end of the semester. 

Arrive at the internship placement site on the agreed-upon starting date. 

Discuss proposed learning objectives with employer/supervisor, seeking feedback and suggestions for attainment. 

By the end of the first week of employment, finalize learning objectives and   submit  the Internship Contract form to the Landscape Technology Advisor.  

Abide by the personnel policies and procedures of the employer/supervisor while on the job. 

Contact both employer and Landscape Technology Advisor concerning any  work-related problems. 

Remain at the internship placement site until the termination date. 

Provide feedback to the Landscape Technology Advisor regarding the effectiveness of the internship. 

Upon completion of the internship work experience, submit an analysis and evaluation of the learning objectives to the Landscape Technology Advisor for review.  The analysis/evaluation paper must be a minimum of 5 typed pages. 

Please note that the analysis/evaluation paper is a required component of the internship.  The paper will be graded on content, as outlined below: 

F          No paper turned in or the information provided is too limited to describe the work experience. 

D         Activities and experiences as reported are limited.  Details provided are insufficient. 

C         Paper includes all activities and experiences, but details are insufficient. 

B         Paper includes all activities and experiences learned on the job and includes detailed descriptions of how they relate to the learning objectives.

Descriptions of important tasks carried out by other more experienced  personnel are also included. 

A         Same as B, plus describes management decisions and evaluates them  in terms of their effectiveness, as well as suggests possible useful alternatives. 

Credit will be deducted for misspelling and grammatical errors.  The student should carefully review his/her paper before submitting it to the Landscape Technology Advisor for grading. 

EMPLOYER/SUPERVISOR RESPONSIBILITIES

Pre-placement: 

Provide job description(s) to the Landscape Technology Advisor. 

Review resumes of referred students. 

Select qualified students for interviewing. 

Placement:

Provide orientation to student regarding job performance expectations and any pertinent company policies.

Provide input to the student regarding the attainment of his/her learning objectives. 

Contact the Landscape Technology Advisor in the event of any problems. 

Meet with the Landscape Technology Advisor when on-site visits are made, as appropriate. 

Furnish completed Employer/Supervisor Evaluation of Student form upon completion of the internship work period. 

Provide feedback to the Landscape Technology Advisor regarding the effectiveness of the internship placement. 

LANDSCAPE TECHNOLOGY ADVISOR

 RESPONSIBILITES

Pre-placement: 

Advertise internship openings, publicize the internship program, and maintain all pertinent records and paperwork. 

Inform students, employers, and faculty of internship opportunities and requirements for participation. 

Interview all applicants to determine eligibility for internship experiences. 

Establish minimum  requirements and experience levels, based on employer feedback, that students must possess prior to enrolling in the internship program.

Screen and refer applicants to employers for job openings. 

Instruct students on registration procedures and internship requirements.

Placement:

Finalize all agreements with student and employer. 

Approve all learning objects and finalize the Internship Contract form. 

Conduct work-site evaluation visit with student and employer at least once during the internship work period. 

Troubleshoot any job-related problems. 

Report all final grades to the Records Office. 

Utilize internship evaluations to improve the quality of the internship program on a continual basis.

EMPLOYER’S INFORMATION AND RESPONSIBILITY FORM

Organizations wishing to participate in this program must complete this form and return it to the above address.

ORGANIZATION’S NAME:____________________________________________-

ORGANIZATION’S CONTACT PERSON:_________________________________

NAME:_____________________________________________________________

TITLE:______________________________________________________________

MAILING ADDRESS:__________________________________________________

                                     _________________________________________________                    

TELEPHONE:  (_____)  ___________________

1.  Identify the type of work your organization does:___________________________

____________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________

2.  Identify the time of year (months) that students would be exposed to the greatest number of activities and learning experiences:___________________ and the time of year (months) that would be least favorable for student employment _____________________.

3.  Identify working schedule:  work days_________________ working hours per day_______.

4.  Salary:____________________.            

The Landscape Technology faculty requires that employers who participate in the Montgomery College Internship Program structure the student’s learning experience as follows: 

1.  Job assignments will be varied in terms of required knowledge and skills. 

2.  Job assignments will involve a diversity of tasks. 

3.  The technical level and degree of complexity of tasks will be increased as a student demonstrates competency and progresses through the program. 

4.  Students will be assigned to qualified supervisors who are interested and enthusiastic about developing new personnel. 

By adhering to these four considerations, you will greatly improve the quality of students participating in the Internship Program, support the Landscape Technology curriculum, and enhance the future leadership within the green industry.

NON-DISCRIMINATION 

Montgomery College is both an Equal Opportunity Education Institution and an Equal Opportunity Employer.  It does not discriminate on the grounds of:  race, color, religion, sex, age, handicap, or nationality.  Thus, participation in the Montgomery College Landscape Technology Internship Program requires that all qualified prospective students be considered equally without discrimination as to:  race, color, religion, sex, age, handicap, or nationality.  By completion of this form, the employer agrees to consider all prospective qualified candidates for the Landscape Technology Internship Program. 

This is to certify our organization’s willingness to consider all qualified prospective experiential learning students, as required above.

Signed:______________________________________ Date:_______________

Title:________________________________________________

Montgomery College

Germantown Campus

INTERNSHIP CONTRACT FORM

Student________________________________________(_____)____________

(name, address, and phone number)

 _________________________________________________________________

Employer_______________________________________(_____)_______________________

(name, address, and phone number)

____________________________________________________________________________

Date of Registration____________________

SPECIFIC LEARNING OBJECTIVES

To the student:

Objectives are statements about what you will learn on the job.  Objectives should be specific, measurable, and must be developed in consultation with the Landscape Technology Advisor for clarity and relevance to your curriculum.  At the end of the semester, your employer/supervisor will evaluate the level of attainment for each objective.  You will also submit your own analysis and evaluation of your learning objectives.  These evaluations will be utilized as part of your semester grade.  In addition, you are responsible for meeting general objectives, as outlined in the Student Responsibilities section of the Internship Guidebook.

1.  Objective___________________________________________________________________

      __________________________________________________________________________ 

      __________________________________________________________________________ 

      Evaluation__________________________________________________________________

      __________________________________________________________________________

2.  Objective____________________________________________________________________      

      ___________________________________________________________________________

      ___________________________________________________________________________

      Evaluation____________________________________________________________________   

      ____________________________________________________________________________

3.  Objective______________________________________________________________________

      _________________________________________________________________________   

      __________________________________________________________________________

      Evaluation__________________________________________________________________

4.  Objective___________________________________________________________________ 

      ___________________________________________________________________________

      ___________________________________________________________________________

      Evaluation__________________________________________________________________

      ___________________________________________________________________________

5.  Objective___________________________________________________________________

      __________________________________________________________________________             

      __________________________________________________________________________*                        

      Evaluation__________________________________________________________________

      ___________________________________________________________________________

*Attach additional paper if more space is necessary

COOPERATIVE EDUCATION AGREEMENT

We the undersigned agree with the specific learning objectives listed above.  The employer and the College agree to provide the necessary supervision and counseling to ensure that the maximum educational benefit may be achieved for the student’s work experience.  We further agree students will be accepted, be assigned job responsibilities, and be fairly treated without regard to race, sex, national origin, handicap, or age.  Toward this end 1) the student will work toward attainment of both specific objectives, as stated above, and general objectives, as outlined in the Internship Guidebook, and prepare a final analysis/evaluation paper; 2) the employer will supervise and evaluate the student using this form; 3) the Landscape Technology Advisor, in consultation with the employer, will counsel the student regarding the work experience, evaluate performance by grading all objectives, and award a final grade.

_______________________________________________  _______________

Student’s Signature                                                                          Date

_______________________________________________  _______________

Employer’s Signature                                                                       Date

_______________________________________________  _______________

Landscape Technology Advisor’s Signature                                 Date

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