Renaissance College - Canadian Internship Program

Renaissance College

University of New Brunswick

RCLP 2023

Canadian Internship Program

Information Package

2011-2012

University of New Brunswick Renaissance College

RCLP 2023 Canadian Internship Program: Information Package 2011-2012 page 2



Renaissance College Canadian Internship Program

The Canadian Internship Program (RCLP 2023) is an essential component of the Bachelor

of Philosophy in Interdisciplinary Leadership Studies offered at the University of New

Brunswick by Renaissance College (RC).

The internship offers Renaissance College students a learning opportunity outside the

traditional classroom. It is a full-time work placement of ten to sixteen weeks in an

organization located in Canada. The placement provides the student-intern with an

opportunity to relate theory to practice by applying his/her knowledge and skills in a work

environment with guidance from a mentor.

Benefits of the Internship Program

The internship program presents benefits for both the organization and the intern.

Benefits for the organization

The internship program, will give the organization access to

High achieving university students who have been pre-selected by Renaissance

College based on their academic excellence, personal strengths and creativity;

Motivated and talented young individuals eager to meet new educational and work

challenges, accountable not only to you but also to RC for their work.

A typical Renaissance College student has some, or all, of the following characteristics:

Equally proficient in sciences and humanities

Involved in diverse extra-curricular activities (sports, arts, etc)

Committed to make the world a better place

Involved in volunteerism/social action at the community level



Benefits for the intern

The internship is an opportunity for the intern to

Observe leadership in action by working closely with a mentor who has

demonstrated leadership skills and is in a leadership position;

Develop leadership skills by undertaking projects or tasks within his/her capability;

Learn about themselves in various work situations and roles in the organization

through continuous reflection on their learning experience;

Test their interest and aptitude for a particular career.

Conditions for a Meaningful Internship Experience

In order to provide a meaningful experience to the intern while providing the organisation

with high-quality work, the internship requires

A mentor that is prepared to dedicate time on a regular basis to facilitate the

professional growth of the intern;

Specific opportunities for the intern to take a leading role in projects within his/her

capability;

An evaluation process that will provide feedback throughout the internship;

Work of real value to the organization;

Opportunities for networking and professional development.



Teaching-Learning Approach for the Internship

The internship provides the intern with an opportunity to learn from a mentor who acts as a

role model and a guide. To help make this experience meaningful, Renaissance College

fosters a teaching-learning philosophy focussing on respect, collaboration, shared decision-

making, and support during the learning process.

Effective learning in a field-based experience is facilitated when

Meaningful information is given and grounded in experience;

Sufficient time is provided to allow for the understanding, practical integration, and

evaluation of basic concepts;

Sufficient repetition is provided to allow the intern to learn from experience

avoiding excessive repetition that often creates a lack of motivation;

Gradual self-direction and independence are encouraged in order to build the

intern’s confidence and competence;

Reflective thinking is encouraged in order to strengthen the intern’s ability to

transfer concepts from one situation to another.

Effective learning during the internship also requires good communication, and

constructive feedback and evaluation. This is made possible when the following are in

place:

Communications are open, direct, consistent, sensitive, and create non-threatening

educational/working situations;

Feedback is constructive, focuses on specific concerns and behaviours, and is given

shortly after an event to foster continuous growth in a gradual and reasonable

manner;

Strengths as well as specific areas of improvement are identified when evaluating

the intern’s performance.



Legal and Educational Responsibilities

The University’s responsibility

UNB’s Renaissance College offers RCLP 2023 as a field-based course for students to learn

leadership in a practical setting. The ultimate accountability for this educational experience

rests with the university and Renaissance College. RC is responsible for preparing students

for the practicum, coordinating the internships, evaluating and grading the students’

performance, supplying clear guidelines for the experience and for offering opportunities

for students to meet the required academic standards.

The Organization’s responsibility

The organization is responsible for providing relevant learning opportunities for the intern

and a mentor to provide guidance. The mentor is responsible for collaborating with the

intern and RC on formal evaluations related to the internship experience.

The Intern’s responsibility

The intern is responsible for meeting the standards set in collaboration with the mentor and

achieving RC academic standards. It is the intern’s responsibility to seek appropriate

guidance from the mentor and the Experiential Education Coordinator.

The internship is officially recognized by RC after the signature of a memorandum of

Agreement by both the organisation and RC (the memorandum needs to be signed before

the commencement of the internship).



Mentor Roles and Responsibilities

Before the internship

Review the student’s cover letter and resume, interview the student and agree to

mentor the intern for a minimum of 10 weeks;

Review the internship information package and direct any questions to Renaissance

College’s Experiential Education Coordinator;

Communicate with the intern to discuss goals, duties, and schedule for the

internship and to sign the memorandum of agreement.

During the internship

Discuss specific internship goals with the intern during the first week of the

internship;

Collaboratively plan increasingly complex tasks to facilitate the intern’s

professional growth in leadership and in the field-based practice;

Act as a liaison person within the organization to facilitate the intern’s orientation to

the organization’s practices, processes and policies;

Facilitate the intern’s socialization within the organization;

Encourage the intern to engage in reflective inquiry through regular discussions;

Provide the intern with ongoing constructive feedback (written or verbal);

Evaluate the intern’s progress by filling out and discussing with the intern the mid-

term and end of internship evaluations.

After the internship

If possible, attend the student internship presentation session at Renaissance

College.



Intern Roles and Responsibilities


Attend all RC internship orientation and workshop sessions;

Meet individually with the Experiential Education Coordinator to identify his/her

interests and goals for the internship;

Undertake an application process including the preparation of cover letters and

resumes as well as interviews set by potential mentors;

Communicate with his/her potential mentor to discuss goals, duties, and schedule

for the internship and to sign the memorandum of agreement.


Set specific internship goals in collaboration with his/her mentor during the first

week of the internship and send them for approval to the Experiential Education

Coordinator;

Participate in the organisation’s orientation to its practices, processes, policies, and

confidentiality guidelines;

Carry out internship duties as planned with the mentor;

Reflect on his/her learning needs as they arise, discuss them with the mentor and

engage in professional development activities as needed;

Constructively seek and receive feedback from the mentor or his/her peers and use

this to improve his/her practice;

Complete and submit all academic work related to the internship on time;

Consult with the Experiential Education Coordinator on academic or work related

issues arising during the internship;

Ensure that the mid-term and end-of-internship evaluations are completed and sent

on time to the Experiential Education Coordinator.


Complete the final assignment and submit on time to the Experiential Education

Coordinator;

Give a presentation of the internship experience to RC students, faculty and mentor.



Experiential Education Coordinator Roles and Responsibilities


Guide the intern in identifying his/her goals and objectives for the internship;

Provide the intern with support in his/her search for an internship placement;

Provide potential mentors with information about the internship;

Approve the internship placement – organization, mentor, activities, dates;

Organize pre-internship preparation sessions for the intern;

Provide support and guidance to the mentor regarding his/her role.


Assist the intern and the mentor in planning the internship goals at the beginning of

the internship;

Grade the intern’s assignments and provide feedback to the intern on his/her

progress;

Provide guidance to the intern and the mentor in completing the evaluation at mid-

term and at the end of the internship.


Evaluate the intern’s final assignment;

Organize the oral presentation session held at the beginning of the fall semester;

Follow up with the mentor to evaluate the internship;

Assign a final grade for the internship course.



Evaluation Process

The internship is centred on the achievements of specific and measurable goals set up at the

beginning of the internship by the student and his/her mentor. The goals should be

consistent with the intern and the organization’s needs, the opportunities afforded by the

specific internship, and the RC learning outcomes.

Following approval of the goals by the Experiential Education Coordinator, the intern and

the mentor will assess the degree to which the intern has met the goals established at the

outset.

While the evaluation process on an informal and individual basis is ongoing, the intern and

the mentor will be asked to hold two formal sessions to record the intern’s progress and

brief the Experiential Education Coordinator. Formal evaluations are normally conducted

at both mid-term and at the end of term. They take place in person, by phone, or by another

means to best suit the individuals involved and at a mutually convenient time. The mid-

term evaluation offers an opportunity to discuss the learning experience in the field and

make changes as needed to optimise the educational opportunity for the intern and the

benefit for the organization. The final session provides feedback that will be helpful in

preparing the intern’s final report and assigning a grade for the course. Evaluation forms

will be provided by RC.

The Experiential Education Coordinator is available to both mentor and intern during the

internship for consultation/support regarding issues arising from the internship.




RCLP 2023 Canadian Internship Program

Initial Request for Canadian Internship

Directions: Complete and return to Nadya Ladouceur, Experiential Education Coordinator.

Fax: 506-447-3224 or email [email protected]

Date of Submission:

Organisation

Name:

Address:

Phone Number: Fax Number:

E-mail:

Mentor

Name:

Position:

Phone Number: E-mail:

Relevant Educational Background and Experience of Mentor:

Internship Position

Title of the Internship Position:

General Description of the Internship Position:

mailto:[email protected]



Specific Learning Opportunities: Using point form, please list the learning opportunities

that will be available for the intern.

1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

6.

Sample Responsibilities/Tasks: Please provide examples of the

responsibilities/tasks/projects that the intern might be expected to assume.

1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

6.

7.

8.

Qualifications/Experience Required:

Internship Period:

Internship Schedule (Days and Times):

Internship Site (if different from Organisation's address):

************************************************************************* FOR FACULTY USE ONLY:

Position Approved: ____________________________________ Date: ____________________

Experiential Education Coordinator's Signature




RCLP 2023 Canadian Internship Program

Memorandum of Agreement

This is to confirm that we, ___________________________________________________,

accept the Renaissance College student _________________________________ as a

student intern with our organization for a _______ week term for field-based education.

We understand the roles and responsibilities identified in the Renaissance College 2023

Canadian Internship Program Information Package, and agree to fulfil the requirements

expected.

As the Mentor Organisation, our remuneration arrangement for the student intern is

according to the following methods:

___ Place the student on the payroll and pay regularly (salary or stipend) over ____

weeks.

___ Donate $3,800 to the University of New Brunswick to be, in turn, given to the

student intern in the form of a bursary. For this option please contact Renaissance

College Experiential Education Coordinator.

___ No funding available for student intern.

___ Other (please specify) _______________________________________________

_______________________________________________

* In cases where the intern is given a bursary by Renaissance College, the following applies:

The University of New Brunswick agrees to indemnify and save harmless the Organisation from any or all claims, suits,

actions, or loss or damage of any nature whatsoever arising from actions of a student or faculty member instructing the

students. Further, the University will maintain general liability and malpractice insurance covering the actions of itself, its

faculty members and students in an amount of at least $1,000,000 and will provide evidence of that insurance. This

Agreement shall remain in effect and binding until such time as one of the parties notifies the other party in writing, of

their intent to cancel said agreement in 30 working days from date of notification. The Agreement shall be reviewed

jointly by parties annually and changes deemed necessary shall be made via written amendment to the Agreement, signed

by all parties.

Organisation Signing Officer __________________________________ Date ___________

Dean, Renaissance College __________________________________ Date ___________

Experiential Education Coordinator ___________________________ Date ___________

( M e n t o r O r g a n i s a t i o n )

)

( I n t e r n ’ s n a m e )

Documents

Renaissance College - Canadian Internship Program