University issues internship and cooperative education guidelines for faculty

Public health guidance from the World Health Organization, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Louisiana Department of Health was used to develop the following guidelines that apply to UL Lafayette students in internships and cooperative education (co-op) placements.

Students should not participate in:
• participate in face-to-face internship or co-op activities if they have been asked to self-quarantine by public health officials or the University.
• participate in face-to-face internship or co-op activities in the event the state and/or national government requires citizens to remain isolated in an official quarantine situation.
• participate in the care of individuals with known or suspected cases of COVID-19.
Students should:
• communicate with their faculty members before attending any scheduled experiences to check if cancellation is warranted.
• immediately communicate to internship or co-op faculty any safety concerns and stop participating in the experience until the issue is resolved. Internships and co-op activities will be canceled at any site where appropriate environmental controls cannot or are not being implemented per CDC guidelines.
Internship and co-op experiences will be determined by the hosting entity as well as the University. Even though the University continues to function in remote instructional mode, students should be aware employers/hosting sites may adjust their own policies related to student internships and co-ops.

It is unclear at this time how many students may be removed or asked to leave internships or co-op experiences, for how long, and how broad the impacts may be. As much as possible, students should be accommodated with alternate experiences so they can continue, when feasible, to meet requirements towards graduation and licensure.

• Faculty should utilize guidance from accrediting agencies to determine acceptable/approved alternatives to face-to-face internships and co-op experiences when such guidance has been published.
• In situations in which the academic program is not accredited by an outside entity, departments have the authority to partially waive the requirement and assign a project in lieu of the internship/co-op experience.
• In internships and co-op experiences in which there is a corresponding academic course component, faculty may consider devising additional assignments in lieu of the student being able to continue in the professional internship component of the course. Examples of these activities include, but are not limited to, case studies and completion of professional development courses that are delivered online. Faculty can consult the National Association of Colleges and Employers website for guidance.
• In situations where internships and co-op experiences are not part of an academic course, an Internship Alternate Completion Project may be considered. The project consists of two parts: a written report/reflection on the internship experience; and several practical activities designed to move students forward on their chosen career paths.
• In some situations, internship students may be provided internship projects that can be completed under remote supervision by employers and faculty.