Internship Reporting Requirements:

Grading:

Evaluations 50%

4 Interim Reports (10% each) 40%

Web Site 10%

Due dates for reports and evaluations are planned for internships which last one full semester.  If your internship follows a different schedule, discuss due dates with your faculty advisor.

Grading Criteria used for reports, website and evaluations by all Faculty Intern Advisors.

Internship Report #1

I. Student’s Assessment (Minimum one page long, double spaced. Provide a critical analysis and interpretation of events, not just a list of accomplished tasks.)

Describe your experiences thus far as they relate to internship and organizational goals. Briefly describe what you hope to learn during your internship.

II. Organization and Programs (Four to eight pages in length, double spaced. Present information in paragraph form, with lists where appropriate. Some items below may be grouped into paragraphs. You do not need to use A, B, C, etc.)

A. Brief history of the cooperating organization.

B. The organization's mission statement, stated philosophy and objectives.

C. A formal job description (if one did not exist, you should write one as if you are working for the organization and are in charge of filling the position). The job description should include position responsibilities, as well as identify qualifications needed by someone who might assume the position in the future.

D. An organizational chart of the agency, which clearly shows the designated lines of authority (if the cooperating organization does not have a formal chart, then you should create one).

E. The facilities operated by the organization and who has the responsibility for each. Also include a list of jointly-operated facilities, if any, and the cooperating organizations for each.

F. What programs (or functions) are provided by the organization? Whom do they serve? How is program information presented to the organization's clientele?

G. Who determines which programs are offered and the times at which they are scheduled? Who is responsible for program implementation?

H. Are volunteers utilized? If so, how are they recruited and who is responsible for their training and retention?

I. How are programs evaluated as to their effectiveness? Do the participants have formal input to the evaluation?

Internship Report #2

I. Student’s Assessment (Minimum one page long, double spaced.)

Identify any problem(s), both major and minor, you have had during this reporting period with analysis of how they were resolved, or how you think they could be resolved.

II. Administration, Maintenance and Security Three to eight pages in length, double spaced. Present information in paragraph form, with lists where appropriate. Some items below may be grouped into paragraphs. You do not need to use A, B, C, etc.)

A. Funding

1. What is the source of funding for the organization's operation?

2. How, when, and by whom is the budget prepared, reviewed, and approved?

3. What are the established procedures for purchasing of equipment or supplies?

4. Who approves invoices and requisitions, and who signs checks for purchases?

B. Is there a "Policy and Procedures Manual"?

1. How is policy established?

2. Who makes changes in policy or procedures?

3. How are new policies communicated to the staff?

4. How strictly are policies and procedures followed?

5. What is the organization's full-time staff benefits program, salary range, employment and procedure?

C. Maintenance and Security

A. Who is responsible for facility maintenance? Is there a planned maintenance program, including "preventive" maintenance? Is the maintenance program computerized?

B. Is maintenance equipment owned by the organization or available from other sources? Who maintains the equipment? Is it adequate and available when needed and in good repair?

C. Is the maintenance staff of sufficient size to perform the assigned tasks?

D. Are regular health, fire, and safety inspections performed? How often and by whom?

E. Who is responsible for law enforcement within the organization? How rapidly can they respond in case of an emergency?

F. Are any of the organization staff members trained to assist in medical emergencies? If so, is this a job requirement or an individual skill? If not, is medical assistance readily available?

G. Are accidents regularly reported and their causes evaluated? Are these causes communicated to the staff and visitors?

H. Does the organization have a risk-management plan, and does it conduct periodic risk-management training?

Internship Report #3

I. Student’s Assessment (Minimum one page long, double spaced; should consist of a critical analysis and interpretation of events, not just a list of accomplished tasks.)

Describe your experiences as they relate to internship and organizational goals. Briefly discuss to what extent your expectations for learning and growth have been met thus far.

II. Marketing, Evaluating and Targeting Programs to Diverse Populations (Minimum of three pages long, double spaced. Be sure to include discussion on each of the following areas of diversity: men and women, different age groups, different nationalities/races, different economic groups and people with disabilities.)

A. What emphasis is placed on diversity and inclusion?

B. What is the attitude of the staff toward diversity and inclusion?

C. What specific methods are used to promote diversity and inclusion?

D. Who within the organization is responsible for diversity and inclusion?

III. Publicity

A. Who is responsible for publicity?

B. What news media are used for publicity?

C. Who writes news releases and how are they distributed to the media?

D. What kind of cooperation exists between the organization and the news media?

Internship Report #4

I. Process what you learned--include not only physical skills (such as operating equipment) but also organizational and interpersonal skills that might be developed in planning and conducting a special event, dealing with the public, dealing with supervisors, etc. (Minimum of three pages long, double spaced.)

A. Discuss concepts learned in university classes and how they applied to your experience.

B. Discuss the reality of the experience and how it differed from your expectations and classroom theory.

C. Reflect on how this work experience has affected or modified your career decisions.

1. Did the internship reinforce or help develop your career goals or did it convince you that this career path was not what you want to pursue upon graduation?

2. What skills are most beneficial for a full-time entry-level position?  Did the internship highlight any additional academic preparation or other skills and abilities--perhaps from a non-university training source--needed to pursue a successful career?

3. What would normally be the priorities and requirements of an entry-level position?  What are the major frustrations or difficulties with a career in this area?  What are the advancement opportunities?  What is the procedure for advancement?

4. Did the internship help you identify professional organizations of which you may consider becoming a member?

Individual Web Site:

Design a set of professional-looking web pages which describe your internship. This will benefit future students seeking internship experiences, and will help friends, parents, university administrators and others to better understand the field of recreation, parks and tourism. Your pages must include, but are not limited to, the following:

1. Your name, the organization/company, semester you interned.

2.  Overview of organization, including its Mission Statement.

3. Intern Responsibilities

a. Job description: If official description is wordy, simplify it.

b. Requirements and qualifications needed to fulfill this position.

c. Benefits and Opportunities: include pay, room and board provided (if any), and other perks like recreational opportunities, networking, etc.

d. Achievements: new skill and knowledge areas, completion of special project, etc.

4. Contact Information (for those seeking employment or information in the future)

5. Links to related organizations and information

6.  Two to five photos which provide a feel for your internship site, including at least one of you in action.

WEB DESIGN INSRUCTIONS:

We are using a WIKI system on the internet so that you can work from any computer at which you have internet access.  The address to use for logging in and editing your WIKI page is:

http://intern.rpts.tamu.edu/

Once there, click on the "Login/Create Account" link and follow the directions to create an account. You will not be able to create or edit any pages unless you enter a real email address and validate it. To validate your email address, create your account and login, then click on the "Preferences" link. From there, click on the "Confirm your email address" link and follow the instructions. You will quickly be sent a confirmation email, to which you will have to respond. Once that is done, your account will be ready for creating and editing pages.

To get started, make sure you are logged in and click on any link which will take you to the "Main Page". There are two demonstration pages entitled "Camp Balcones Springs" and "Holiday Inn Hotel and Suites Aggieland". Click on either of these pages to see the general format for your assignment. On these pages you can click on the "Edit" tab to view the code used to create the page. However, please do not make changes to the demo pages (or any other pages that are not yours). All editing activity will be monitored by Mrs. Scott, and unauthorized changes will have a negative impact on your grade.

To create and edit pages, you can use either HTML code (from RPTS 201 with Dr. Hodges), or you can use WIKI codes (which are a bit easier). Either way, helpful instructions are just a click away. The "Help" link on the left-hand navigation bar will take you to the WikiMedia Help web pages. There, you can find very simple instructions, or advanced options if you desire. The help content "For Editors" would be the best link for you to follow. You may want to open the help pages in a separate web browser window, so you can more easily move back and forth with what you're working on.

To start a new page, you will need to create a link to it from the "Main Page", even though your new page doesn't exist yet. Go to the Main Page, click on "Edit", then create a link to your page using whatever title is appropriate for your internship. For example, an internship for a Texas State Park would include the name of the park and be placed in the "Park" group of links (if no logical category exists for your site, you may add one). A new link must be inserted in a double bracket code, such as '''<nowiki>[[NEW LINK]]</nowiki>'''. Once created, simply save the page and then click on your new link. You will then be taken to your page where you can start typing content.

To upload an image file for your page, you will need to click on the "Upload File" link on the left-hand side of the WIKI web page. Your image will need to be less that 150 KiloBytes in size, and should be cropped and ready to insert into a web page (large images straight from a camera will need to be edited before uploading). Also, please make sure the name of your file is short and does not have any blank spaces in the file name. If your file does not match those characteristics, please fix it before you attempt to upload it.

Once at the upload page, simply locate your file using the "Browse" button. You can leave "Destination filename" blank, but a summary description of your image might be nice to include. After you enter your information, click on the "Upload file" button. Now that your image is uploaded, you can insert it into your page using the following code: '''<nowiki>[[Image:filename.jpg]]</nowiki>''' (of course, you will replace "filename" with the actual name of your photo file). Scroll down and click "Save page".

In order to write code for placing a photo in the center, justifying it to the left or right, or placing two side-by-side, look at the examples of code on the two examples (open the page; click on the "edit" tab).

When you are finished, copy your entire page (in the Edit mode, so code is saved) into a text file and e-mail it to your Faculty Advisor, along with a note indicating that your website is completed.

If you're having trouble, you may contact the department's computer consultant, but he'll be able to help you ONLY AFTER you have read all of the directions and made some attempts at creating your page. You may e-mail him at: rbreaux@ag.tamu.edu