Advisor, Supervisor, Organization Responsibilities

An advisor is a faculty member teamed with the student to assume the responsibility for guiding him/her through various phases of the Executive Internship. While the student takes on the primary responsibility for the design of his/her program, the Advisor also assists in its development and execution. Where necessary, the Advisor also serves as the student’s advocate and maintains contact with the Site Supervisor. An additional Advisor role is to help in the preparation of the final presentation. This ongoing relationship between the student and Advisor is an essential component for the success of the Executive Internship.

The advisor: 

• Is aware of the responsibilities of being an Advisor before faculty meetings
• Listens, guides and suggests
• Informs the student about available resources, seminars, agencies and contacts if possible
• Communicates expectations with parents and site supervisors
• Meets with the student weekly at designated times (groups suggested)
• Reviews the student’s journal and evaluates weekly progress and logged hours
• Maintains contact with the Site Supervisor, Parents and the Program Coordinator regarding the student’s progress
• Helps the students design and implement the final presentation
• Schedules and conducts final presentations with invited guests
• Visitation to sites if feasible

Weekly Advisor Evaluation Form

Weekly Hours and Program Evaluation Form

What can I expect the intern to do?

• Fulfill the responsibilities and tasks assigned while learning about the workplace and gaining important job skills.
• Listen to constructive feedback and learn from successes and challenges.
• Succeed in the internship through a combination of job tasks, support and flexibility.

What can I not expect the intern to do?

• Know how to do everything right away. Interns are neither temporary workers nor regular paid adult employees. They are students who are learning what it means to hold a job.
• Repetitive, boring assignments for prolonged periods of time in isolation or understanding of why the work is important.
• High-profile work that is crucial to your department right from the beginning. By the end of the internship, the intern may be ready for more difficult work, but he/she should not be set up for failure.
• Everything perfectly all the time. Interns need to be given the chance to understand what they do wrong so they can learn from their mistakes.

What should I do with the intern on his/her first day?

• Orient the intern to your department and to the employees he/she will be interacting with:
  • What is the main purpose of the department?
  • What does each person do?
• Cover the basics of the workplace:
  • What are the hours? Dress code?
  • What are the policies and procedures?
  • What should the intern do if he/she cannot come to work?
  • How does the equipment work?
• Go over the tasks and responsibilities of the internship:
  • What is he/she expected to do?
  • What is he/she expected to learn?
• Establish your working relationship with the intern:
  • How will he/she be supervised?
  • How much will he/she work independently?
  • Do you have any expectations for the intern?
• Have the intern fill out an emergency response form:
  • Who should be called in the event of any emergency?

What are your responsibilities in supervising an intern?

• Plan to spend time with the intern and to have resources available to help him/her complete the tasks involved in the internship.
• Once the internship is underway, rate the intern’s progress and performance on a weekly basis, providing feedback to the intern about his/her performance.

What do I do if the intern completes a task in an unsatisfactory manner?

• To prevent this situation, make your explanations clear and direct, including a completion time, format, etc. To confirm that the intern understands, have them repeat the instructions back to you.
• If the intern produces sub-standard work, the first thing to remember is that he/she is there to learn, and mistakes may occur. You should provide feedback too the intern, explain what was wrong with the work and allow the intern another chance to complete it.

What do I do if I have trouble communicating with an intern?

• Contact the Academy Teacher

1. Designate one professional staff person as the student’s supervisor. The supervisor must be able to provide direct contact with the intern. This direct contact and interaction is extremely important in allowing the intern to understand roles and responsibilities within the organization. This time together enables the supervisor to directly observe the intern at work, setting groundwork for evaluation and allows the supervisor to share expertise with the intern.
2. The supervisor should set aside time to discuss the intern’s strengths and weaknesses, as it relates to job performance, and provide specific suggestions for improvement.
3. Provide the student with an orientation that includes an explanation of the background, structure, regulations and operations of the agency.
4. Explain to other staff members the intern’s responsibilities and duties. Ensure that staff is available to answer questions and provided support when needed.
5. Provide meaningful work that promotes the professional growth of the intern while pursing the goals of the company. Whenever possible, provide a variety of learning opportunities including attendance at staff meetings, collaborative meetings, etc.
6. Provide intern with appropriate workspace and necessary supplies to perform the duties assigned.
7. Communicate with Academy teacher to ensure a quality field experience.
8. Prepare a written evaluation of the student intern (form provided) during the last week of the internship. Discuss the evaluations with the students, have the student sign the form and return it directly to the Academy teacher.