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Canisius College Internship Program,
Animal Behavior, Ecology, and Conservation (ABEC): Overview
GOALS:
Internships offer students an opportunity to
gain professional experience in the diverse array of career options
open to graduates interested in animal behavior, animal welfare,
wildlife conservation, and behavioral ecology. They also provide
participating institutions with an eager, responsible worker who is
anxious to learn and willing to work hard. Our goal in establishing
these internships is to provide such opportunities to our students.
We recognize that overseeing student interns is not trivial. We aim
to make this a positive experience both for the intern, and the
on-site supervisor. We hope that by setting out clear guidelines, we
can accomplish this.
Goals and Responsibilities
For the intern:
·
Gain experience in one area of animal behavior,
husbandry, training, or research.
·
Complete 140 hours of on-site work at the host
institution (specific schedule to be determined).
·
Acquire basic skills necessary to succeed in the
specified field.
·
Learn responsibility in the context of a real-world
work experience.
·
Perform all tasks assigned in a safe manner. Follow
instructions as provided by supervisor.
·
Complete all assignments in a timely manner. Always be
on time for scheduled work assignments.
·
Meet regularly with on-site supervisor and Campus
supervisor.
For the host institution:
·
Gain 140 hours of assistance from a dedicated,
responsible Canisius student.
·
Provide guidance and training in all aspects of work.
·
Ensure that adequate safety training has been provided
for all tasks.
·
Continue to offer new experiences and learning
opportunities throughout the semester.
·
Provide regular input to intern on progress.
·
Provide or delegate direct supervision of intern.
·
Meet periodically with intern and Campus supervisor.
For the campus supervisor:
·
Ensure that intern is performing assigned tasks by
frequent communication with intern and host institution.
·
Ascertain that safety guidelines are adhered to.
·
Provide regular feedback to intern on progress.
·
Address any problems that arise in a timely manner.
·
Meet periodically with intern and on-site supervisor
via scheduled site-visits.
·
Provide timely feedback on written assignments
throughout the semester.
Schedule and timeline:
Interns are expected to provide 140 hours of
work time (approximately 10 hours/week) at their host institution.
If an intern fails to show up as scheduled, please notify the
Canisius supervisor immediately. Unexpected events do sometimes
arise, and interns are asked to contact their host institution at
least 24 hours in advance (where possible) if they are unable to
attend as scheduled. Any missed time must be rescheduled. Interns
are expected to begin their internship no later than the second week
of the semester, and complete their internship no later than the
final week of the semester.
Assignments and grading:
Interns will write three short papers and one
final paper during their internship. The list of topics is attached.
In addition, they are expected to maintain an electronic journal
with an entry for each day of their internship. Finally, interns
are requested to arrange for some photographs to be taken during the
course of the internship, while carrying out some interesting part
of their duties.
The final grade will be based
on the following:
- 10% based on attendance
- 35% based upon direct supervisor’s
evaluation
- 5% based upon department head’s
evaluation
- 15% based on three short papers
- 10% based on final paper and reflection
- 15% based upon Dr Margulis’ evaluation of
daily journal entries
- 10% based upon Dr Margulis’ overall
evaluation of professionalism and performance
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