

Setting Your Organization up for Internship Success
Please note that nothing contained within this document may be construed as legal advice. Some of the material found here has been condensed from statutes, regulations, court decisions, policies of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and of the State System, and other sources. Users should always consult with appropriate licensed counsel if specific legal or factual issues are involved. The materials here are presented for informational purposes only.
Shippensburg University of Pennsylvania, in compliance with federal and state laws and university policy, is committed to human understanding and provides equal educational, employment, and economic opportunities for all persons without regard to race, color, religion, national origin, age, sex, or disability. Direct requests for reasonable accommodations and other inquiries to the Office of Accessibility Resources, Shippensburg University, 1871 Old Main Drive, Shippensburg, PA 17257-2299, (717)477-1364, oar@ship.edu.
At Shippensburg University, internships are an integral part of the educational experience. With a long-standing tradition of providing internships to students and employers alike, the university recognizes the value of hands-on experience in preparing students for their future careers. Internships are coordinated and centralized within the Career Center, working collaboratively with each of Ship's three academic colleges. Completing an internship not only offers practical skills but also enhances a student's resume, facilitates networking opportunities with professionals, and can even open doors to potential job offers.
If you have any interest or inquiries regarding obtaining an internship, we encourage you to get in touch with the director of internships and experiential learning or the internship coordinator in the academic department that fits your organization’s needs.
For customized internship support at the undergraduate level, you can reach out to the director of internships and experiential learning in the Career Center via email at intern@ship.edu or by phone at (717)477-1484 to schedule an appointment.
At Shippensburg University, we strive to support student in every part of their academic journey. Small class sizes, personalized support, and a vibrant campus life create an environment where students can grow personally and professionally.
Our Mission:
Student learning and personal development through highly effective and innovative teaching, complemented by a wide variety of out-of-class experiences, continue to serve as the hallmarks of a Shippensburg University education.
Our Goal:
Enable students to develop the intellectual, personal, and social capabilities they need to perform as competent citizens prepared to embark on a career immediately upon graduation or after advanced study.
Committed to public service and community-centered in its relationships to the region, the university works closely and collaboratively with other organizations at institutional, programmatic and individual levels to develop common goals, share resources, and invest cooperatively in the future of the region.
An internship is a professional learning experience that offers meaningful, practical work related to a student's field of study or career interest. An internship gives a student the opportunity for career exploration and development, and to learn new skills.
Internships are length-based, usually matching an academic semester (12 to 15 weeks) or academic break (summer or winter).
The student learning component is central to the internship definition. An internship without learning objectives clearly defined by either the student or the organization is just a part-time or temporary job.
Typically, interns work in tandem with regular employees or independently on entry-level tasks and projects. Student interns are here to assist regular employees in completing routine tasks or special projects. Interns should be considered additional members of an organization but should never displace or replace long-term full-time paid labor.
Internship experiences can be fully in person, virtual or hybrid. They should always accommodate the student’s class schedule or other academic obligations such as class seminars or advising appointments. Work hours should be comparable to or less than regular employees’ schedules, with some flexibility to fit the needs of the business.
Quality internship programs ensure that student interns feel a sense of belonging in the organization, assign meaningful and challenging tasks to students, and provide training and opportunities to expand knowledge in response to each student’s skill level. Individual focused supervision of the student intern is a key component of a successful experience. Feedback should be timely, specific, and constructive.
Additional career preparation, networking, professional development or enrichment activities can be built into an internship program to expose the student to additional areas of the organization. Sites have organized specific activities for interns such as lunch & learn sessions, meeting with organization’s leadership, recreational outings to local area events or capstone project presentations. Such activities complement the student intern’s environment and are not necessary, but are factors that greatly impact interns’ satisfaction and performance.
Student interns can sometimes experience performance issues. Realistic and achievable goals should be assessed with the student and should be reasonably attainable based on the student’s skill level. When this happens, corrective guidelines should be provided, and the student should be offered a chance to improve their performance. In rare cases when the student intern is unable to perform to the appropriate and expected level of other interns, termination before the conclusion of the internship experience is possible.
Don’t expect the intern to be an expert. Interns are still learning how to be professionals in their field. The internship is their opportunity to grow both professionally and personally.
At most higher education institutions, students can choose to take their internship experience for academic credit or not. The majority of the host organization responsibilities will be similar in both situations, with some additions in a for academic credit internship. Internships should not be confused with seasonal or part-time help. There is a specific expectation for the student to receive an educational benefit from the experience. Shippensburg University is here to help you develop an internship program that is mutually beneficial for student and employer.
1.Designate an internship coordinator
The internship coordinator will manage all developmental and operational aspects of the program. The coordinator can also supervise the interns in addition to overseeing the program for your organization but those are different tasks and functions.
The coordinator will...
• draft the learning objectives of the program
• develop engagement opportunities for the interns
• serve as the point of contact for general questions and feedback
In addition to those core responsibilities, the coordinator can be part of the recruitment and hiring process as they will be an integral component of the onboarding and orientation process at the beginning of the experience. Finally, at the end of the experience, the coordinator should conduct an exit interview with the interns to gather feedback for continuous improvement of the program.
2.Set realistic goals for the internship program
The goal of the program should not be limited to work tasks. Interns will need more training, feedback, and supervision than regular employees as they are required to meet specific academic standards, communicate with their home institution, and/or arrange supervisory meetings or site visits with their faculty advisor. They are there to learn and will be unable to take complete ownership of projects without direction or supervision.
Tasks assigned to the interns should be kept in line with an appropriate level of proficiency and expertise for students with limited to no prior experience in their field.
It is expected that interns will be held to the same standards as regular employees when it comes to...
• business etiquette
• attendance and punctuality
• professional communications
Interns will likely need more feedback on the front end to help them understand what those expectations are in your organization.
If you are using the internship program to create a funnel for potential future employees, know that not all interns will accept a position with your organization. Students are often encouraged to seek internships in in fields they would like to explore but are not fully committed to. An internship is a way for students to figure out what they want to do.
3.Consult federal and state laws and guidelines on internship work
This guidebook contains general information on how to create an internship program, but you should do additional research. Be sure your organization follows all applicable legal obligations at both the local, state, and federal levels. Consult with counsel before implementing the program to ensure you are in compliance with your specific legal landscape.
For further information on federal/state laws and guidelines, please refer to the “Legal Considerations” section of this guide on page 12.
4. Assess the operational needs of your organization
The internship coordinator should assess each departments needs for an intern. Some departments will not have enough tasks to keep an intern engaged and productive while some might assign an unmanageable workload. The coordinator should also take note of each department’s capacity in hosting an intern. An intern may mean more work for a supervisor in terms of training and oversight. A department that is already at maximum capacity in terms of supervisory and workload will not be a good environment for an intern. While it is tempting to add an intern in those situations to increase the output capacity of the department, this strategy often creates a more stressful experience. The coordinator should aim to reach a balance between benefiting from the work of the intern and the demands of training an intern.
5. Determine the number and scope of the internship position(s)
Once the internship coordinator assesses the needs and capacity of each department, they will tentatively assign a number of interns to each department where they feel confident the internship will have a positive impact for both the organization and the intern. If not all needs can be covered, the internship coordinator can use their evaluation to establish a priority list to assign the interns.
6. Set a budget
The internship coordinator will develop a budget for the program which will cover the intern’s remunerations (and other payroll associated costs if needed) as well as any costs associated with the intern’s engagement opportunities (see examples in step eight below).
See the Paid vs. Unpaid Internships and US Department of Labor Fact Sheet #71 sections for more information on intern remuneration.
7. Develop engagement opportunities for the interns
Students are looking for ways to meaningfully engage with their work. They see high value in their sense of belonging and want to feel cared for and respected by their organization. A great internship program will provide opportunities for the interns beyond their regular daily tasks. Students can be encouraged to rotate throughout various departments to shadow different professionals in their daily work. Some companies allow interns to attend executive leadership meetings or spend one-on-one time with members of the executive team. Another way to provide intern-specific engagement is to work through a capstone project that they can present to the organization’s leadership or via a poster session at the end of their experience. Some examples of engagement activities are leadership or professional development sessions /workshops, lunch and learn meetings that explore a specific topic, and intern specific outings to create a sense of community in your cohort. These activities do not have to be directly linked to work topics. Lunch and learn sessions could be offered on mindfulness or self-care.
Each intern should have a designated supervisor to assign tasks, oversee work quality, and provide proper training. Supervisors may oversee multiple interns within their department, while cross-department supervision should be minimized for clarity.
A mentor, separate from the supervisor, adds valuable support. Ideally, mentors are graduates of the intern’s institution but do not need to be from the same department. Their role is to offer guidance on company standards, business acumen, and career/life perspectives—not to evaluate. Mentors should be fully committed to the role, as an unengaged mentor can negatively impact the intern’s experience.
Scan here for USDL Fact Sheet #71
www.dol.gov/agencies/whd/fact-sheets/71-flsa-internships
9.Create detailed position descriptions
It is vital to your internship program have detailed position descriptions for each department that will host an intern. The day-to-day tasks and activities of an intern will vary greatly depending on where they are assigned in your organization, and the position descriptions should reflect that. The internship coordinator should work closely with your human resources department to draft those descriptions. This will ensure all positions comply with legal guidelines, as well as establish clear expectations and standards for the interns. Make sure to draft position descriptions that are easy to understand for students.
10.Implement an application process
When recruiting for an internship position, best practice is to follow your usual recruitment procedures. The internship coordinator should work with your human resources department to post the intern positions and use your usual hiring platform.
11.Recruit, screen, and hire candidates
In addition to posting the internship positions through your regular channels, you should explore options to reach out directly to local universities in your geographical area.
12.Onboard and orient the interns
In addition to your regular processes for onboarding employees, the internship coordinator should lead dedicated sessions with the interns. Introduce the overall program, discuss any additional activities or engagement opportunities, connect them to their mentors, and make it clear that they are the point of contact / resource for the duration of the internship program.
13.Actively manage the internship program
The internship coordinator should proactively reach out to interns during the internship to ensure their experience is in line with the goals of the program. The coordinator should also regularly touch base with the mentors and supervisors to identify any potential issues with the intern or the program.
14.Provide feedback and evaluation
It is essential that the interns receive regular feedback on their work and performance from their supervisor. This is a critical part of the learning process for interns as they will not be able to self-identify areas in need of improvement. Feedback should never be exclusively critical or negative, and should always include recognition of achievements, accomplishments, or work accurately completed. Weekly meetings with the interns are an opportunity for supervisors to celebrate progress and growth. We recommend a mid-internship and an end of internship evaluation of the intern so they have an opportunity for skill assessment throughout the experience. This will also give interns a concrete measure of how much they are progressing as young professionals in their field.
15.Continue to improve the internship program
Upon the completion of the experience, the internship coordinator should conduct an exit interview with interns to ask for their feedback on the program. This allows the coordinator to make continuous improvements to the program in response to the interns’ needs and wants. If a formal exit interview is not practical, the internship coordinator should send a program evaluation survey to the interns. In order to ensure the collection of candid and actionable information for future iterations of the program, survey responses should be kept anonymous. This will allow the interns to provide unfiltered feedback which they may be reluctant to offer in a face-to-face session. Reach out to the Career Center via email (career@ship. edu) if you would like us to collaborate on an evaluation template for your internship program.
16.Leverage your internship program for your recruiting needs
Internship programs are an opportunity for your organization to create meaningful and lasting professional relationships with your interns. This can be a tool in recruiting entry-level positions for your organization, as well as future interns. When interns have a positive experience with an internship site, they are more likely to accept offers of employment upon completion of the internship. They can also become a campus ambassador for your brand by speaking positively about their internship with their peers, SU staff, and faculty. Use your internship program as an advertisement tool for your organization by promoting it on social media, recruiting materials, and your website. Get in touch with your local university’s communications and marketing departments and offer to showcase your internship program or some of their students’ experience at your site. Any content you can generate on your internship program will reinforce the message that your company is a top-tier site for both internships and future employment.
Does an internship seem unrealistic for your organization at the moment?
Consider a Micro-internship!
Micro-internships are short term, task-based internships where the intern focuses on one project or task instead of working long term on a variety of tasks. Micro-internships still need to be relevant to a student’s major or field of study in order to meet their educational component. Through our partnership with the Parker-Dewey micro-internship platform, employers can post micro-internship opportunities and leverage our students’ talents for a variety of short-term projects. Micro-internships posted through this platform are paid a flat rate that the student receives upon completion of the work. Parker-Dewey serves as the students’ employer and will handle all the payroll, tax compliance, and liability aspects of the project.
For assistance in developing and promoting a micro-internship, please contact the director of internships and experiential learning in the Career Center (career@ship.edu or (717) 477-1484).
Designate an internship coordinator
Set realistic goals for the internship program
Consult federal and state laws and guidelines on internship work
Assess the operational needs of your organization
Determine the number and scope of the internship position(s)
Set a budget
Develop engagement opportunities for the interns
Designate mentors and supervisors
Create detailed position descriptions
Implement an application process
Recruit, screen, and hire candidates
Onboard and orient the interns
Actively manage the internship program
Provide feedback and evaluation
Continue to improve the internship program
Leverage your internship program for your recruiting needs
Non-credit
• Provide detailed job description and defined expectations.
• Provide adequate or ongoing training.
• Offer weekly supervision sessions.
• Deliver detailed feedback of performance.
• Offer additional activities for team building, professional development, or leadership development sessions throughout the program.
• Develop remedial or performance enhancement plans if intern(s) fail to meet expectations.
• Resort to termination only when all remedial avenues have failed.
Credit
• Sign an affiliation agreement with Shippensburg University if the internship is unpaid.
• Answer promptly any evaluation surveys sent by the institution to measure the intern’s performance.
• Provide the faculty internship supervisor access to the site and the intern’s supervisor either in person or virtually.
• Be familiar with your reporting obligations under Title IX (Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972, 20 U.S.C §1681 et seq.).
Non-credit
• Fulfill the duties assigned by the internship site as determined in the position description.
• Follow all local, state and federal laws and regulations.
Credit
• Complete the assignments detailed in the internship class syllabus.
• Communicate with the faculty assigned to supervise the internship class.
• Ensure your site supervisor submits all surveys or evaluations required by the college or department.
• Help facilitate a site visit or meeting with the internship site supervisor if requested by the faculty.
• Report any Title IX violations to your institution (Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972, 20 U.S.C §1681 et seq.).
• Follow your institution’s code of conduct while enrolled in the internship class.
Non-credit
When a student is not registering their internship for academic credit, or not counting their experience to fulfill a graduation requirement in their program of study, the university has no legal oversight of the relationship between site and student intern. If difficulties arise during the internship experience, the career center may provide consultation and general guidance to either parties on how to best approach the situation. The institution has no mechanism that will allow any enforcement of those suggestions. This support to either the site, the student, or both should not be construed as legal advice.
Credit
If the internship is unpaid, the university will enter into an affiliation agreement with the internship site that will determine the responsibilities and liability of each party involved. The faculty internship supervisor will grade assignments and reach out to the internship site for visits, meetings, or evaluation of the intern.
There are additional steps you can take to advertise your internships throughout the universities that are part of Pennsylvania’s State System of Higher Education (PASSHE). The institutions are: Cheyney, Commonwealth (Bloomsburg, Lock Haven, Mansfield), East Stroudsburg, Indiana, Kutztown, Millersville, Penn West (California, Clarion, Edinboro), Shippensburg, Slippery Rock, and West Chester.
Handshake is the digital platform currently being used by all PASSHE institutions. When you post an opportunity through Handshake, you will have the option of sharing the position through a variety of schools and universities across the United States. Be sure to select either all PASSHE institutions or only the ones that are geographically close to the job location. Universities attract a large number of commuter students living within a 50-mile radius, students from large urban centers will also attend institutions as residential students all across the state. Some of those students will be able to stay in the local geographic area of their university or travel back home if they have a summer internship.
Career centers at universities can forward your internship opportunities either directly to students, or to the faculty and/or department of the majors you are trying to recruit. When you send your request, remember to include a PDF (preferred) or Word document that includes the position description as well as how/where the students can apply. You can direct applicants either to the Handshake posting and/or a direct link to your recruitment site.
Attending career fairs in person or virtually is a proven way to connect with potential internship candidates. You can sign up to attend those events through each career center. Registration information for those events is usually be available through the Handshake platform. When attending career fairs, try to include current employees who are alumni of the institution in addition to your staff recruiter. Students especially relate to entry-level employees who graduated recently, as they can more easily connect with people who have common experiences.
Most universities offer an option to host an information table in a high traffic area or an information session to showcase your organization and/or positions you have open. Contact each career center directly to reserve a table or organize an in-person or virtual information session.
Career centers can provide employers with introductions to faculty whose area of expertise matches recruiting needs. You can provide material and information to serve as a case study for students in a capstone course or present a topic-related session during a class. Some faculty members will also welcome alumni of the institution who have more accomplished careers in the field to speak to their students. Under the rules of academic freedom, faculty members have complete control over their classroom and curriculum. They will choose how much or how little they want to interact with employers and whether they want to open their class time to outside presenters.
Partnering with career centers to sponsor events is a fantastic way to keep your organization’s name front and center in students' minds. Sponsorship and partnership opportunities also exist at the university, college, school, and department level. Named scholarships can be established, either linked to the completion of an internship, solely based on academic merit, or focused on need-based funding. If interested, career centers can connect you with the fundraising staff of their institution or affiliated foundations.
Very few people enjoy reading job descriptions, especially if those are 4 pages long or are too vague in the amount of information they provide. In order to attract candidates, it is vital that you make your job posting and position description as student-friendly as possible.
Here is a list of tips and recommendations to achieve this:
• Use plain language. Stay away from industry jargon or organization specific terms.
• Describe the daily tasks student interns will be expected to complete.
• Spell out requirements such as major, class standing, and specific classes needed if applicable. (i.e.Have completed Tax Accounting or Audit for students in CPA offices)
• Be mindful that GPA is not a predictor of success for an intern. Listing a GPA requirement will prevent quality students from applying to your opportunity if they don’t meet the GPA criteria.
• Apply the same caution when listing previous length of experience or areas of expertise. Students will shy away from positions if they feel they are short even by a few months.
The question of whether to offer pay or not to student interns often comes up when developing an internship program. There are both legal and ethical aspects to consider when examining the question of remuneration of interns. While each organization can make their own determination on those two aspects of the dilemma, here are some additional considerations to take into account.
When setting an hourly rate or a stipend compensation for interns, organizations should consider their competitors, not only in their own industry but also organizations that operate in the general labor market. While most career centers can offer a typical remuneration for interns in their area and major/field, keep in mind that students often will choose pay rate over experience. A true picture of your competition for the talent pool of interns has to also include retail, hospitality, logistics, and warehousing, or general administrative current pay rates. If a student can secure a $15 or $17 hourly rate at mass merchandiser or grocery stores, this becomes the rate you have to match or exceed in order to attract qualified students.
The student profile at each university will vary greatly in terms of academic, cultural, and socio-economic backgrounds. As public agents of upwards mobility in the state of Pennsylvania, the universities in PASSHE have populations of students who often face economic challenges and barriers while attending college. Many students are Pell Grant recipients (typically students with an Expected Family Contribution of less than $6,000), first-generation students (first in their family to attend college), military affiliated students, nontraditional students, or parents.
The majority of PASSHE universities’ students have to work in order to afford college. Some students also work to help support their families in addition to supporting their own needs while in school. They work part-time during the regular fall and spring terms, as well as pick-up full-time employment during longer winter or summer breaks. When an organization offers only unpaid internships, they effectively shut the door of opportunity for the majority of students. This reinforces systems that favor upper socio-economic classes or students who can afford the luxury of not being paid in exchange for experience or resume-building opportunities. Organizations lose access to qualified, hard-working, and dedicated students and continue to attract homogenous pools of candidates often deeply lacking in diversity. In addition to the legal and ethical obligations highlighted previously, please consider the hidden impact of supporting the practice of unpaid internships and its long-term cost to our workforce.
Employers should view their internship offerings as a pipeline for recruiting emerging and entry-level talent into their organizations. An internship gives you the opportunity to evaluate how a student intern performs, as well as how they fit into the company’s culture and how they integrate into their potential future team. With those considerations in mind, offering an unpaid internship might represent operational savings in the short term but will almost always cost your organization in the long term, especially in terms of missed opportunities to attract underrepresented talent.
The Fair Labor Standard Act provides the legal guidelines on limits to unpaid employment at the federal level. The January 2018 worksheet #71 on unpaid internships issued by the Department of Labor highlights standards that have to be met by employers in order to offer unpaid internship opportunities. Please refer to the Department of Labor worksheet and consult with your legal counsel if you have specific questions regarding compensation for interns.
NOTE: Wage guidelines mainly apply to for-profit organizations. There are provisions and exemptions for certain non-profit and government organizations.
For unpaid internships, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) determines whether an individual is an employee depending on whether the intern receives "significant remuneration" in some form, such as a pension, group life insurance, workers' compensation, or access to professional certifications. An intern who receives only some small benefit that is an "inconsequential incident of an otherwise gratuitous relationship" may not be considered an employee. However, individuals who apply and/or participate in a training or apprenticeship program are protected against discrimination with respect to admission and participation in the program, regardless of whether the individual is an employee. For paid interns, the EEOC uses the same test as it does for independent contractors. Internship sites should apply to the intern their respective policies of non-discrimination based on Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 in regard to sex, age, race, color, creed, and national origin, as well as the provisions of the Americans with Disabilities Act, and all other applicable laws.
Member universities of PASSHE are unable to provide liability coverage for student interns. Upon the request of the internship site, students can secure and maintain professional liability insurance for the duration of their internship. Paid interns are subject to the internship site's own liability coverage.
Internship sites can conduct background checks for student interns, provided those comply with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission’s guidelines. Such background check procedures can include financial or credit checks compliant with the Fair Credit Reporting Act, health screenings for communicable diseases (ex: TB tests), or proof of vaccinations. This information should be requested only when necessary for the intern to perform their duties. All requests should follow non-discrimination guidelines at the federal and state levels.
The organization agrees to cooperate with the university in its investigation of claims of discrimination or harassment, in accordance with the Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972, 20 U.S.C §1681 et seq. The organization shall report any incident in which a student is the victim of sexual assault, dating violence, domestic violence, stalking or sexual harassment to the university Title IX coordinator.
Connect with Shippensburg University through the Career Center and Workforce Development Office
Shippensburg University’s Office of Workforce Development is dedicated to offering programs tailored to fit the ever-changing needs of adult learners. Visit workforce.ship.edu to learn more about the offerings below.
■ Customized Workforce Training - Our expert faculty and instructors can develop customized training designed to meet the needs of your organization and its employees. Flexible training solutions are offered on-site, online, or on campus.
■ Professional Development - At Ship, you can choose from various professional development training designed to meet the needs of the working adult with flexible in-person, online, and self-paced options available.
■ Certificate and Degree Programs - Shippensburg University offers for-credit degree programs and certificates with accelerated, online, evening, weekend, or off-campus options.
Shippensburg University’s Career Center strives to empower students and alumni through innovative career development opportunities, experiential learning, and mentoring to help them achieve their career goals and contribute to the workforce. Visit career.ship.edu to learn more about these programs.
■ Internships and Experiential Learning - The Career Center will work with you to create opportunities that are beneficial to both you and students.
○ Job Shadowing - Host a student for a one-day career job shadow.
○ Microinternships via Parker Dewey - an easy, cost-effective, and proven method for accomplishing recruiting goals. Virtual microinternships allow organizations to engage early career talent in a way that is accessible and appealing to students.
■ Handshake - Post openings and opportunities to connect with Ship students actively searching for jobs and internships. Visit ship.joinhandshake.com to register and build your on-campus recruitment with interview rooms and information tables and sessions.
Office of Workforce Development Career Center
career@ship.edu | (717) 477-1484 career.ship.edu
owd@ship.edu | (717) 477-1502 workforce.ship.edu