Confidentiality Student interns are often given access to information about their organization which is not necessarily public. Interns are expected to respect the level of confidentiality required by their particular placement. Supervisors who treat interns as professionals expect that they have the degree of maturity and training necessary to be worthy of such trust. In exchange for the work interns accomplish they have the right to expect adequate supervision and training from the sponsoring organization. Although form and substance of such supervision varies greatly from situation to situation, student interns have the right to expect at least weekly meetings with their supervisors and on going assistance from co-workers, whenever applicable.
Interns often find it helpful to set a specific time for supervisory meetings.
Supervisors are there to assure not only that interns work, but also that they learn. It is the responsibility of each supervisor to insure interns have the necessary skills and training to carry out assigned tasks. It is the responsibility interns to ask for what they needed. If interns believe they need more direct supervision or a more structured work environment, they need to inform their supervisors as soon as possible. While part of the purpose of this program is to help students become more independent, it is important that part of that process involve learning to negotiate how to acquire necessary skills and confidence.