Engaged Learning Policies

This section contains academic policies and procedures relating to engaged learning.

Based on the Faculty’s longtime awareness of the educational value of engaged learning, the academic program titled, “Your Hendrix Odyssey: Engaging in Active Learning” encourages all Hendrix students to embark on educational adventures in engaged. Graduation requirements include the completion of an approved activity in at least three of the following categories: Artistic Creativity, Global Awareness, Professional and Leadership Development, Service to the World, Undergraduate Research, and Special Projects. Students are given recognition on the students' transcript for completion of approved Odyssey projects.

The criteria for the six categories are explicated in the Hendrix College Catalog. Policies on establishing Odyssey courses, applying for special Odyssey funds, and evaluating Odyssey courses and experiences can be found in the Odyssey Program Guide on the Odyssey webpage.

The Hendrix Internship Program provides students with the opportunity to gain additional experience in their areas of study and to explore potential career and vocational strengths and interests. The structure of the program offers a platform for students to apply classroom theories to the solutions of actual workplace problems as well as investigate whether a specific career path is relevant and exciting for their personal goals. Internship site supervisors assist interns by providing training, projects and direct supervision throughout the semester/summer, while Faculty or staff internship supervisors help provide an academic reference point for real world experiences. Interns also participate in professional development workshops through the Office of Career Services to help support and guide them through the process. The combination of activities, hands-on experience, and reflection provides a rich environment for academic, personal and career-oriented growth.

Administration 

The Director of Career Services is responsible for administering and coordinating the internship program consistent with the policies and guidelines approved by the Hendrix Faculty, for keeping records of internship experiences, for doing the necessary publicizing, and for making periodic progress reports to the Faculty. 

Eligibility 

To participate in the internship program, students must be at least sophomore level and in good academic standing with the College. All participating students must fully complete an Internship Proposal Packet (available through the Career Services office) before starting an internship.

Requirements 

Internships must meet the minimum standards listed below.

For all internships:

• A minimum of 120 hours of work over a minimum of 8 weeks with an internship site outside of Hendrix College
• A maximum of two academic semesters, or one semester and one summer
• Supervision by a member of the Hendrix Faculty or administrative staff
• Participation in the Professional Development Workshops offered by the Office of Career Services
• A reflective activity meeting Odyssey Program requirements.

For academic credit internships:

• Supervision by a member of the Hendrix Faculty
• weekly reflective journal based on provided prompts
• two readings selected by the Faculty advisor from academic journals, textbooks, books, articles, etc., and
• one of the following:
  • A six-page academic paper on a topic agreed upon by the Faculty advisor and student
  • a presentation to the public on an academic topic weaving in internship experiences
  • a portfolio of work linking academic learning with the internship.
    

Professionally-related experiences that do not meet these criteria may still qualify as “professional field experiences” appropriate for Odyssey credit in the PL category. See Odyssey Program Guide.

The Miller Center for Vocation, Ethics, and Calling offers distinctive programming that assists students in the exploration and integration of their vocational passions, career aspirations, and calling.

Internship Proposal Packet 

All participating students must fully complete an Internship Proposal Packet available through Career Services before starting an internship. A complete proposal includes:

• Internship Site Agreement: An agreement entered into by both the student and internship site that Includes project descriptions and responsibilities for student work as well as expectations and outcomes from that work.
• Hendrix Internship Supervisor Agreement: An agreement between the student and Hendrix supervisor clearly outlining which type of credit the student is seeking and what academic objectives and requirements the student must fulfill.
• Internship Program Waiver and Release Form
• Student Code of Professional and Ethical Conduct
• Approval of academic advisor and college registrar

Faculty Internship Supervisor 

The Faculty internship supervisor provides the academic framework for a student’s internship experience by identifying clear learning objectives and determining appropriate academic assignments. Internships taken for academic credit must have a Faculty supervisor oversee these assignments and learning goals. Internships take only for Odyssey credit can have either a Faculty or administrative staff supervisor to oversee reflection and learning goals.  The Hendrix supervisor is responsible for assigning the credit at the completion of the internship. To that end, the Director of Career Services provides each faculty supervisor with information regarding the student’s participation in and completion of the Professional Development Workshops as well as the evaluation by the internship site supervisor.

Career Services Professional Development Workshops 

During the internship experience, students are required to participate in three Professional Development Workshops meant to build upon their work-site experiences and bridge the gap between student and professional. For summer internships the seminar is conducted using the College’s online platform Moodle. The workshops include professional development, career/personal exploration topics and assignments as well as group discussion on the nature and purpose of the student’s internship.

Credit Options

Internships can satisfy certain credit types within the academic field:

• Academic Course Credit (CR grade, counts toward graduation and as a scheduled class)
• Odyssey Credit (pre-approved for PL credit).

Academic course credit internships also receive Odyssey credit.  At most two academic course credit internships are allowed to count as a course credit toward graduation. Students wishing to take an internship for credit as a fifth class must pay the fifth class fee.

Summer Internships 

Student wishing to enroll for an internship for academic course credit over a summer may do so. For summer internships, the student selects either the spring semester before the experience or the fall semester after the experience to allocate the credit in his/her course load. These are the only two options and one must be selected when the student adds the internship with the college registrar. If the spring semester is chosen, students receive an NR grade (No Report) until the internship requirements have been met.

Hendrix has no regularly scheduled courses or academic programs on campus during the winter or summer breaks. Faculty wishing to propose off-campus credit-bearing courses or programs may do so subject to the following guidelines:

• The students pay for room, board, travel, incidental expenses, and Hendrix tuition on a per course basis;
• The total costs of the course or program must be covered by the revenues;
• A detailed budget must be prepared and submitted to the Business Office for approval. 
• Salaries and other expenses to be paid to the instructors are subject to the approval of the Committee on Faculty;
• Purchasing aspects of any new approved course should be managed by the Office of Academic Affairs (for domestic offerings) or the Office of International Programs (for international offerings);
• Any new courses must be proposed and approved by the Faculty using the normal curriculum approval process, and existing courses being taught in a different format (i.e., over a shorter period than the normal semester) requires approval by the Committee on Curriculum;
• Course offerings should conform to the Summer calendar or the proposals should contain a justification for any deviation;
• Faculty assigned to teach these courses, whether Hendrix Faculty or others, must be approved by the Committee on Faculty;
• Proposals must be submitted in time to be approved at least one semester in advance of the proposed offering of the course (i.e., by the end of the previous Fall Semester for a summer course).
• Students enrolling in these courses must be approved by the Dean of Students (for domestic offerings) and, for international offerings, by the Committee on International/Intercultural Studies and the Director of International Programs. Approved students must register for the class through the Registrar’s Office.
• Individual Faculty wishing to offer a single course off-campus during the winter or summer breaks may propose them at any time, but students may not be recruited until the course and Faculty have been approved.
• Faculty wishing to propose programs (i.e., two or more courses) or to continue existing programs solicit Faculty interest through announcements, etc., at least one year in advance of the proposed offering (i.e., in the Spring Semester of 2008 for the Summer of 2009) and distribute applications to those expressing interest in teaching in the program. Working in concert with the Associate Provost for Academic Affairs (for domestic programs) or the Director of International Programs (for programs outside the U.S.), the initiating Faculty member reviews Faculty applications and then prepare a list of proposed faculty and proposed courses. The proposal is then forwarded to the Committee on Faculty for its approval.