Documents and FAQs for Students, Faculty Sponsors, and Site Supervisors

Below are copies of registered internship documents and required assignments. Please keep in mind that these links are generally for reference and planning purposes only; we ask that you submit assignments via Google form when the form links are emailed to you. 

1. Memo of Understanding (for site supervisors – agreement to this Memo of Understanding is built into the Handshake approval process)
2. Role Responsibilities document (for all participants)
3. Timesheet template (for students, if needed)
4. Midterm evaluation outline (for site supervisors)
5. Final evaluation outline (for site supervisors)
6. Self-evaluation and reflection outline (for students)

1. Can I get paid and still register my internship for credit?

Yes! You can get paid from any non-Macalester entity and still register your internship for credit. Macalester-funded programs in which your direct site supervisor is a non-Macalester person (ex: Macalester Summer Internship Grant, MacNest, etc.) also generally require that you register your internship for credit. 

 2. Can I get credit for an internship I have already completed? 

No, you are not able to receive credit retroactively for an internship you have already completed. The documents and assignments required to receive credit for your internship are most meaningful and beneficial when completed during the internship instead of after the fact. 

3. What do I have to do to earn credit for my internship? 

Please consult this link to review the necessary steps to receive credit for your internship. 

4. What is an “Experience”?

An “Experience” refers to the form on Handshake that we use to gather and process your internship information in order to register it for credit. The Experience form includes fields to input information about your internship company/organization, faculty sponsor, site supervisor, Learning Objectives, etc. 

5. Will Career Exploration place me in an internship? 

Career Exploration does not facilitate any direct internship placements. Part of the learning that internships provide happens during the internship search process! You are ultimately responsible for securing an internship should you wish to complete one. However, we strongly encourage you to utilize the resources available to you to help you with the search process, including attending our “Finding an Internship” workshops (hosted twice a semester) and booking an appointment with a Career Advisor. Our department provides many opportunities for you to receive individualized advising for your internship search.

6. Does Career Exploration provide compensation for internship transportation? 

Macalester College provides a free universal transit pass that you can use for unlimited rides on all Metro Transit bus and light rail trains throughout the Twin Cities during the academic year. Find more information at this link. 

The Career Exploration department does not have funding available for other types of transportation, including ride shares. 

7. Can I still register my internship if I missed the registration deadline? 

Reaching out in advance is the best-case scenario if you know that you will have issues meeting the registration deadline. Often, students are in the middle of application/interview processes and have no way of speeding up the process. We understand this, but you must communicate your status to Career Exploration at [email protected] (ideally before the deadline). We may be able to work with you to register the internship after the deadline but this is on a case-by-case basis and at the discretion of the Registrar. 

8. What happens if I can’t finish the required hours by the end of the internship? 

Please let us know AS SOON AS POSSIBLE if you believe that you will be unable to complete the minimum number of hours for the credits you are registered. If you are unable to finish the hours by the end of the internship, the Career Exploration team will work with you, your site supervisor, and your faculty sponsor to find a solution. These may include arranging an incomplete with your faculty sponsor or dropping down the number of credits you receive for the internship (at the discretion of the Registrar).

1. What is expected of me as a faculty sponsor for a registered internship? 

We deeply appreciate faculty’s investment in students completing their internships. The structure of your sponsorship throughout the internship is up to you, but we do ask that you are involved in the initial process of developing learning objectives for the internship and that you have regular communication with your sponsee. You are also a resource for the student, site supervisor, and/or Career Exploration if issues in the internships arise. 

Our Role Responsibilities document outlines the expectations for faculty sponsors. Grading of the internship is at your discretion; Career Exploration simply provides you the evaluations from the student and site supervisor in order to help with that process. Any additional student assignments outside of the two-week check-in form, self-evaluation and reflection, and timesheet submission are negotiated directly between you and the student. 

2. What is included in the student’s Learning Contract? 

The Learning Contract includes basic information about the internship (internship site, title, dates, etc.) as well as the student (major, visa status, etc.). It will also feature the learning objectives that students write for the internship, strategies for achieving these objectives, and commitments to the internship evaluation processes. At the end of the contract is the job description of the internship. 

3. When will I receive the necessary paperwork for grading?

We generally send faculty sponsors the student’s midterm evaluation within one business day of receiving it from the site supervisor. At the end of the term, we send you the evaluations after both are received from the site supervisor and student. We will send you the documents that we have received no later than one week before grades are due (spring/summer), and/or before the winter break period begins (fall). 

4. When are grades due? 

Grade due dates are listed on the Registrar’s Academic Calendar. If you have further questions, please contact the Registrar directly. 

We value internships because they are invaluable opportunities for students to gain professional experience, learn in a hands-on environment, and connect with experts in the field. The most successful internships are facilitated by site supervisors who are committed to helping students develop both their “hard” and “transferable” skills through completing meaningful work. The effort that site supervisors make into investing in their student interns can lead to a transformative, mutually beneficial relationship!

1. What does the hiring process look like for a Macalester student intern?

An overview of how to recruit, onboard, and provide feedback for a Macalester student intern can be found at this link. The platform that we use to connect employers to students is Handshake, where internship positions can be posted.

2. What is expected of me as a site supervisor for a registered internship?

Please consult our Role Responsibilities document for a brief overview of our expectations regarding site supervision at an internship. In addition, review our Memo of Understanding between the college and internship site, which you agree to by approving your student intern’s Learning Contract in Handshake as part of the registration process. 

 3. When will evaluations be sent to me?

Midterm and final evaluations will be sent on the date indicated by the student that is closest to the actual midterm and endpoint of the internship in order to maximize their relevance. If you’d like to receive either at an earlier date, email [email protected] and we can send it to you upon request. 

4. How can I sign off on my intern’s timesheet?

If the intern is using the template provided by the college or another manual method of tracking hours, the intern can print it off and have you sign the paper copy, then send us pictures or a scan of the document. 

If your company/organization uses an online tracking system for clocking in and out, the intern can simply submit screenshots or a PDF of the hours.