Instructions for BIOL 480 : Internship in Biology

Granting of departmental permission requires that the off-campus experience be supervised by a host sponsor and that it has educational value relevant to the student’s career goals. Ordinarily 60 to 80 hours of work at the off-campus site is expected for earning one hour of BIOL 480 credit. During the summer, there is a flat-fee charge, regardless of the number of credit hours taken. See the "Internship Info Sheet" from the Registrar's Office and a listing of charges in the College Bulletin under "Expenses." You may register for BIOL 480 more than once, each time paying the flat fee and noting that each registration is limited to a maximum of 6 hours. You can accumulate more than 6 hours by registering for BIOL 480 more than once. However, College policy limits you to a maximum of 6 cumulative credits of internship coursework that can count towards the 128 hours required for graduation. Furthermore, the "Status Sheet" for your major clarifies that an upper limit of 4 hours from a combination of BIOL 480 and other departmental courses in research (investigative problems or honors) or special studies can be used to meet BIOL requirements in your major.

Guidelines for completing BIOL 480 requirements are as follows:

1. It is your responsibility to inform your GCC faculty sponsor and/or the Registrar's Office as soon as possible of any changes in your status while working on your internship, most notably any changes in the number of credit hours to be earned.
2. You are expected to keep a daily log of your activity during the internship. Ordinarily the log is for your own record and need not be submitted unless your faculty sponsor indicates differently.
3. You are to submit a typed written report of your internship to the faculty sponsor. For a summer internship, the deadline is approximately mid-September each year. As a guide, there should be two components to the report. The first component should show evidence of research using library and web resources that are properly cited. If availability of these resources is not convenient during the actual internship experience, the research can be completed after your return to campus. For field or lab-bench research internships, the report should reflect the format model of a typical laboratory report. If the report involves unpublished results, you need to check with your host supervisor concerning issues of confidentiality. For clinically oriented internships, the library/web research will be selective and should provide opportunity for you to stretch your knowledge about a topic motivated by your internship experience. It may involve, for example, a health issue, a procedure/technology, or perhaps a case study. The second component of the written report should be your reflections on the personal value of the internship and examples of any experiences you may wish to include. This component can be viewed as an attachment to the first. Ordinarily the overall length of the report should be a minimum of 3 to 4 pages for a 1-credit experience plus 1 to 2 pages more for each additional credit hour of registered internship.
4. You are responsible for getting a printed copy of the "GCCI Evaluation Form" into the hands of your off-campus host supervisor. This form is located in "Forms and Docs" from the Registrar’s Office, and it is recommended that you have a printed copy in your possession before leaving campus. After completing this or similar evaluation, your host should mail this form directly to your GCC faculty sponsor (before the mid-September deadline for submitting a grade for a summer internship). The host person has the option of doing the evaluation confidentially or sharing the evaluation with the student or giving permission so that the GCC faculty sponsor may share the information with the student. Course grade is assigned by the faculty sponsor and is based primarily on the student’s written report and the host supervisor’s evaluation report.

Minimum Elgibility Standards for a BIOL 480 Internship

1. Completion of at least 16 hours in your degree plan
2. Minimum CQPA of 2.0
3. No current or pending social violations or disciplinary actions
4. Completed GCC Internship Application and related forms

Grove City College Internship Application/Registration Forms

1. All forms are available online as a "GCCI Internship Information and Application" packet. Note the "Internship Info Sheet" and cover instructions for completing the internship application.
2. Complete both the student information portion of the form and the reverse side requesting information about the internship opportunity. This information requires that you have made initial contact with a potential cooperating institution and host supervisor, that you have firsthand awareness of the nature of the internship opportunity, that the host person be clear about your intentions to receive academic credit for the experience, and that the host person be informed about general requirements expected from a GCC internship.
3. Now get the appropriate signatures. Start with your academic advisor to verify information about your MQPA, CQPA, and academic credits earned. Next you need a signature from the BIOL 480 internship coordinator (Biology Departmental Chairperson). Now determine which faculty member in the Department of Biology is appropriate to serve as your faculty sponsor and seek his/her willingness to sponsor your internship.
4. Follow instructions for completing the remaining forms in the GCCI application packet. These forms include the following:
   • "Student Affairs Approval" form. Take it to the Student Affairs Office. It can be left there for their approval and return to the Registrar’s Office.
   • "Release of all Claims" form. Read and sign in presence of a witness.
   • "Parental/Guardian Joinder and Consent" form. Obtain necessary signature(s) as instructed.
   • "Internship Check List" form. Leave blank, this is used by the Registrar’s Office.
5. Make two photocopies of your completed and signed application form, one for yourself and one for your GCC faculty sponsor.
6. Submit all completed and signed original forms to the Registrar's Office. Complete the application process before or no more than 1 week after you begin an internship. The Registrar's Office does not permit academic credit retroactively for an internship. Ordinarily it is best to complete paperwork for summer internships by study day of spring term before leaving campus.