Frequently Asked Questions from Organizations

How does my organization find an Intern?

We maintain an internship database that students can search. We also host an Internship Fair annually. This event is scheduled for mid-winter quarter (early February), so as to serve students seeking Spring internships. All organizations with active internships in the database receive an invitation to the Fair. You may also send fliers and promotional material to Academic Advising.

How do I select an intern?

As an organization sponsoring student interns, you may establish your own criteria for selection of interns. Some organizations have a very formal application process; others select interns after a simple, informal conversation. We urge you to establish a process that will work for the kind of internship you offer.

What are my responsibilites as a supervisor of an Evergreen Intern?

Once you have selected an intern (or interns), the student(s) will bring to you a draft of an Internship Learning Contract (INT) to document their learning and clarify expectations. This is the time and place to specify the details of your expectations and to outline the nature of the supervision and training you will provide the intern.

After the student has drafted this INT form and reviewed it with you and their faculty sponsor, the student will submit the final version of the contract and bring it to your attention for your signature.

During the initial planning stages you should review Evergreen’s conflict of interest policy (PDF) to avoid any future problems.

Payment

Most internships are unpaid. Students are generally interested first and foremost in obtaining good experience in their field of interest. Receiving academic credit is another primary goal for doing an internship. This is not to say that you should not offer to pay an intern. If your organization has the resources, then by all means do so; it can be a real plus in attracting student applicants. Sometimes, organizations offer forms of compensation outside a typical hourly wage. These include stipends, room and board for more remote internships, or other exchanges. It is also possible to be listed as a state work-study eligible site, which can provide wage-reimbursement of 65% or more to approved organizations. Read more about work-study.

Working hours

Students can work at their internship for as few as five hours a week, and as many as forty. This is one of the aspects of the internship that you will negotiate with a student applicant before the internship begins.

Internships span one academic quarter. The internship may be renewable but this is contingent upon approval by the faculty sponsor. Any student continuing an internship for more than one quarter must write a new Internship Learning Contract, and demonstrate learning progression in their internship activities and goals.

How do I evaluate interns?

When you agree to supervise an intern, you also agree to provide a written evaluation of the intern's learning and performance at the end of the quarter. For more information on the evaluation process, see the Field Supervisor Guidelines for Internship Supervisors and Organizations.