Tips for Hosting A Student
Tips for Hosting A Student at Your Organization
To host a rewarding remote work placement or internship opportunity at your organization, you might focus on:
- Connection
- Support
- Feedback
CONNECTION
Establish and maintain points of contact with the student(s) to figure out logistics.
- When will the placement run?
- How many hours a day will be needed? (Note that most one-semester placements run for a
ballpark of 40 hours, depending on your project needs.) - When will check-ins occur?
- How will assessment and reporting (tracking hours) be done?
Once the parameters of the work-integrated learning experience have been established, reach out to the practitioner at the post-secondary institution to figure out remote onboarding and off-boarding with the student. What information does the student need before beginning the project?
Strive to be very clear about expectations for project deliverables, especially when first establishing relationships with the student – time-permitting, clarity is better than brevity. Be clear that virtual internships are relatively new for you too, and that you will be learning together about how skill-building and project deliverables work in this context.
Invite the student to ask questions about the unique culture of your placement organzation, about the project, and about any specific timeframes for deliverables. Discuss the nature of the project and how success and deliverables will be supported and measured.
Find out if there are opportunities for students to make connections with your colleagues while the project experience is taking place at your organization, for example, inclusion in relevant phone or video conference calls or meetings, or even just a virtual welcome day so students can meet other team members whose positions might be relevant to their field of study.
SUPPORT
Decide and communicate how you will be assessing competencies for remote work when a placement would normally have taken place in a hands-on, immersive setting.
Determine and ensure (when possible) that students have access to the tools, resources and info they need.
Verify with student that they are learning from the project, receiving adequate support, and are able to meet expectations once project is underway.
FEEDBACK
Establish procedures for communicating the student’s progress to their supervising faculty, ideally once during, and once at the end of the internship placement.
Ensure that the student receives effective and consistent feedback about the project(s) they are working on for your organization. These can be informal check-ins or more in-depth discussions.
Encourage your student’s engagement with the project. Facilitate a chance for students to give their own feedback, or to provide additional ideas if they fit within the scope of your project.