A cooperative education program can enable students to become aware of opportunities to contribute creatively to the changing dimensions of work in present-day society. A full-time work experience fits under the Alternating Model. In most cases, students will follow one or the other, but some departments or schools may develop sequences that combine both parallel and alternating work modes. Full-time summer work, for example, would be classified as an alternating cooperative education experience, and many summer jobs provide for learning that relates to students academic objectives. Both written application and personal interview are required to determine eligibility, terms for placement, areas of interest, academic requirements, and kinds of positions available.
Students are responsible for their learning activities during their cooperative education position.
Each student must seek out and arrange for academic supervision from a faculty coordinator or sponsor. Faculty are responsible for insuring that the work experience provides appropriate learning opportunities for helping to establish the learning agreement, and for determining a grade. The learning agreement, developed by each student with the assistance of a faculty sponsor, lists learning objectives with measurable indicators of learning, and also incorporates supplementary resources such as reading materials and participation in work-related training sessions. The learning agreement is signed by the student, the faculty sponsor, the program director, and the work supervisor, each of whom receives a copy. Contact between the faculty sponsor and the student must be sufficient to allow the sponsor to serve as a resource and provide academic supervision.