I. Hours
Interns are required to work a minimum of 8 - 10 hours per week during fall and spring semesters. Summer I and II minimum requirements are 20 hours per week.
II. Learning Objectives
An important part of your Internship experience is having some specific learning objectives going into your internship. You will need to formulate 2-3 of these (two minimum), in consultation with your agency supervisor, during the first two weeks of the semester. The more specific your objectives, the better. For example, “I will learn how to load film for a 35mm Arriflex camera” is better than, “I will learn about movie cameras.”
To learn more about learning objectives, and UNCW Internships in general, please refer to the “UNCW Internship Guidebook,” which you can read or download by doing the following:
- Go to the link: http://www.uncw.edu/stuaff/career/
- On the left side of the screen, highlight “Internships”
- In the drop-down menu, click “Internship Guidebook (PDF)”
Important: Email your learning objectives to Terry Linehan (linehant@uncw.edu) no later than the 2nd week of classes (just number them 1, 2, 3, and write them as statements). This allows you time to discuss them with your agency supervisor, revise them, and have them approved before you send them to me.
III. Keeping in touch
While the bulk of your Internship will take place at your agency, you and I still need to keep in touch during the semester. Therefore, it is mandatory that you email me once per month to update me regarding your progress & activities. I recommend picking a consistent time to do it (e.g. the 1st Monday of each month); that way, it will be easier for you to remember. Your email can just be a brief update (i.e. 2-3 sentences). I will also be staying in touch with your supervisor at the Agency.
IV. Internship Paper
As part of your Internship, you are required to write an Internship paper. This essay is due on or shortly before the last scheduled day of classes of the semester in which you do your Internship.
Essays should be around 1000 words, typed, double-spaced, proofread and spell-checked for errors. Please utilize this assignment to demonstrate your best writing skills. Please drop your work off in my mailbox at the FST Office. No emailed papers, please.
What’s the paper about?
The basic thrust of the paper is “what I did, and what I learned, on my Internship.”
I hope you’ll see this paper as an opportunity to reflect on your Internship experience. Taking the time to organize and enunciate your thoughts will play a significant role in your overall learning process. In fact, during the process of writing this paper, you’ll most likely think of things you hadn’t even realized you’d learned.
Some questions to consider for your Internship paper:
What did you do at the agency? What did you learn? What activities and experiences were the most interesting or educational? Did you meet your learning objectives? Did you learn any new technical or professional skills? What experiences were most valuable or fulfilling? Which aspects were challenging? Has this Internship affected how you think about your future career goals?
A Few Additional Notes…
Safety 1st!
Always keep safety in mind as you perform the duties related to your internship. If you are working on a film set, for example, be aware of any potential hazards, such as hot lights, electrical cables, heavy equipment being moved, etc. Don’t do anything that would put you or anyone else at risk.
Prohibited Internship Agreements
Some internship employers request UNCW faculty and staff and students to sign Indemnity and Hold Harmless Agreements, transferring from the employer to UNCW liability for personal claims, wrongful death or property damage arising out of the performance of their student internship program.
The University of North Carolina legal counsel has informed UNCW Career Services that there is a list of “Prohibited Contract Clauses” which the NC Attorney General has published for State agencies (including UNC schools). Number three on that list of prohibited clauses is “Hold-Harmless or Indemnification Clauses, Both in Tort and Contract, in Favor of the Contractor.” Therefore, UNCW and all State agencies actually lack the authority to indemnify and hold harmless another entity, and no UNCW faculty, staff or student should sign such an agreement.
Professionalism & Punctuality
Finally, please remember that you are representing not only yourself, but also the Film Studies Department and UNCW. As the saying goes: "It's better to be 30 minutes early than 30 seconds late." For example, don’t tell the agency you can be there 10 minutes after your class ends at UNCW, or you'll run the risk of frequently being late and making a bad impression (or worse, being terminated and failing). It is your responsibility to work out any scheduling issues with your supervisor at the agency.
Best of luck with your Internship! I hope it is an invaluable learning experience, and if you have any questions, please feel free to contact me.