The sponsor is the college representative to the agency and, therefore, should be in close contact with the agency supervisor. Internship progress is monitored by phone contacts and site visits. The faculty sponsor is responsible for establishing evaluation standards for the internship, specifying the academic component, and assigning a grade, or evaluating the internship. To receive course credit for internship placements, students are expected to work approximately 8 hours per week at an internship site. In addition to these eight hours there are at least two hours of weekly supervision, one hour with the agency supervisor and one or more hours with a faculty supervisor individually or in an internship seminar.
Supervision is a crucial aspect of the internship placement.
It is the agency supervisor and the faculty sponsor who determine the grade. Grading for internship placements is based on student performance and growth at the internship site and on academic requirements specified by the faculty sponsor. Academic work is geared toward understanding the internship and heightening the learning experience. Six credits at Assumption, two credits at Clark, eight credits at Holy Cross, and six credits at Worcester State. Students are required to complete two courses of internship placement in order to receive a Gerontology Certificate.