RCLP 3046: International Internship Intersession and Summer 2012

Renaissance College University of New Brunswick RCLP 3046: International Internship Intersession and Summer 2012 Course Instructor

Nadya Ladouceur Experiential Education Coordinator nladouce@unb.ca 506-447-3255 506-440-2692 (24 hr emergency line) MJC 304 Office hours: Monday to Friday 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. (Please make an appointment)

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Internship Description Small groups of students embark on international internships in countries where the cultures and customs differ markedly from the West. The internships generally start in early May and are for a period of eight to ten weeks. The aim is to give students the opportunity to engage with local communities so that they may experience foreign cultures and learn new languages. It is hoped that this experience will shape and refine each student’s view of the world. The international internship involves a rigorous preparation process and post-internship debriefing sessions.

Internship Credits 12 Credit Hour Course Internship Pre-requisite RCLP 2002 or RCLP 3002, RCLP 2023 or permission of the College Council To qualify for an international internship, a student must be in good academic standing with the University. The student must obtain a grade of at least 3.0 (B) for his/her Canadian internship. If a student has a cumulative GPA below 2.7 after the Canadian internship, he/she will have to have a GPA of at least 2.7 (B-) for the fall semester prior to his/her internship in order to be eligible for the international internship.

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Internship Purpose The overall purpose of the international internship is to provide an experiential (hands- on) crosscultural learning opportunity outside the traditional classroom, where students observe and learn about leadership in other cultures. The internship also allows students to set and achieve goals for personal development relative to Renaissance College Learning Outcomes.

Expected Learning Outcomes The international internship is a chance for students to build upon course work and past experiences in a different cultural setting in order to expand their understanding of the world in which they live. To that end, the international experience reflects the six College learning outcomes.

At the end of their internship, students should have grown in several or all of the following areas: 1. Knowing oneself and others - Reflect on their own worldviews and spiritual traditions while exploring and acknowledging others’ 2. Social interaction – Having experienced other models of social interaction, reflect on their underlying values; assess their own role in the dynamic of their internship group and their capacity to support and maintain group cohesion 3. Personal well-being - Reflect on the impact of circumstance and environment on personal well-being based on experience in an unfamiliar cultural environment 4. Multi-literacy - Communicate effectively in a cross-cultural context with sensitivity to modes of expression, body language, gestures, etc ; acquire a basic level of fluency in a foreign language 5. Problem-solving - Assess the impact of dominant cultural values on the problem-solving process and appreciate multiple perspectives on issues 6. Effective citizenship – Develop inclusive ways of thinking that welcome diverse point of views by engaging in dialogue with people from their host country and critically reflecting on social issues; develop an appreciation of the strengths and resilience of their host community and its members

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Internship requirements Pre-internship Each student must have a valid passport, and produce evidence that all relevant immunizations have been completed by a public health office and/or personal physician. Additional paperwork, as required by Renaissance College and the University of New Brunswick, must be filed in full and completed prior to departure. No travel will be permitted in cases where dossiers have not been completed to the satisfaction of Renaissance College.

Students must prepare for and attend all preparatory sessions as instructed by the Experiential Education Coordinator.

As part of their preparatory work, students must complete ten (10) hours of volunteer work in a multi-cultural association either on campus or in the community in order to familiarize themselves with other cultures and worldviews.

On site Students must complete the stipulated period in the assigned country in order to complete the internship. Those who leave an internship without the consent of the instructor and without satisfactory cause (safety, health, family emergency) will receive a grade of F on the internship and will be required to take the internship again. If a student does have to leave because of issues related to safety, health or family emergency then it is up to the discretion of the instructor to determine if further academic work or time abroad is needed to complete the internship course.

NOTE: As individual opportunity and personal circumstance permit, students may stay longer than the required period of study at their sites. As well, students are at liberty to travel or to return to Canada once the negotiated duration of their program stay is completed. There is no requirement that students return to Fredericton and the College before pre-term orientation and other scheduled College events commence.

As a representative of Renaissance College, students should conduct themselves in a professional manner at all times being polite, courteous and respectful of local cultural traditions.

Students will maintain periodic contact with the Experiential Education Coordinator by sending short emails every two weeks. These are meant to be quick check in to make sure all is fine.

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Post internship Students must attend all debriefing sessions and submit all assignments to complete their internship.

Assignments An internship placement differs from a volunteer/travel abroad experience as it includes an important reflexive component that allows students to build knowledge through experience.

Assignments to complete during the internship will help them go through a structured process of inquiry and reflection. Post internship assignments will allow students to summarize essential aspects of their learning throughout the internship and to share them with their classmates, integrators and mentors.

Grades

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Activities Daily Journaling Mid-Way Email ¾ Way Email End of In-Country Internship Reflection Final Paper Oral Presentation On-site Behaviour

% 15% 5% 5% 15% 40% 20% Satisfactory or better

In order to pass the international internship course, students need to satisfactorily complete all activities listed above.

Given the experiential nature of the course, Renaissance College expects students to conduct themselves in a respectful manner at all times during their internship. The decision to discontinue an internship due to poor behaviour of the intern rests with the host organisation. The overall grade of a student could be adversely affected by his or her behaviour on the internship. Please note that negative reports from host organisations may be taken into consideration while grading the internship course. In such cases, the student involved will be given the opportunity to present his or her view on the internship experience and to react to the host organisation’s report.

Late policy All assignments must be submitted on time. Late assignments will be given a grade of F unless a valid excuse is submitted before the due date and a new date is agreed upon. Valid excuses include medical (with doctor’s note) or personal crisis (evaluated on a case-by-case basis).

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Grading Scheme Percentage

Letter Grade

94-100

A+

85-93

A

80-84

A-

77-79

B+

73-76

B

70-72

B-

65-69

C+

60-64

C

50-59

D

0-49

F

Grade Definition

Excellent

Good

Adequate

Marginal

Inadequate

Strong evidence of original thinking; good organization; capacity to analyze and synthesize; superior grasp of subject matter with sound critical evaluations; evidence of extensive knowledge base.

Evidence of grasp of subject matter, some evidence of critical capacity and analytic ability; reasonable understanding of relevant issues; evidence of familiarity with literature.

Student who is profiting from his/her university experience; understanding of the subject matter; ability to develop solutions to simple problems in the material.

Some evidence of familiarity with subject matter and some evidence that critical and analytic skills have been developed.

Little evidence of even superficial understanding of subject matter; weakness in critical and analytic skills; with limited or irrelevant use of literature.

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