Undergraduate Teaching Internship Program
Nature of the Program: Each semester outstanding undergraduates serve as teaching interns, assisting the primary instructor in a variety of courses. The nature of the intern’s work varies with the type of course. In performance courses, interns frequently provide demonstration performances, work individually with students outside of class, critique video playbacks with the students, and give some brief lectures. In other kinds of classes interns may conduct in-class exercises, consult with students on research projects, and/or give lectures.
Duties are equivalent to the amount of work required for a typical three-hour course. The supervising instructor and interns should agree on duties prior to the student’s enrolling in the program.
Restrictions on Duties: Interns may not grade the work of other undergraduates. Interns may not be left in charge of a course in the absence of the instructor. Interns should not be asked to perform primarily clerical tasks, though it is perfectly appropriate for such tasks to constitute part of their duties.
Credit: Interns receive three hours’ credit in SpCom 204 (Clark listed as instructor), but does not count as advanced hours. The grade is assigned by the supervising instructor.
Qualifications for the Program: To be accepted, students need to satisfy four qualifications:
- 3.0 overall GPA
- 3.5 GPA in courses taken in SpCom (No minimum number of courses required)
- Junior standing (students do not need to be majors)
- Outstanding work in the course in which they intern (with signature of endorsing instructor).
- Occasionally, we approve internships in 101 or 111-112 when the GPA is slightly below the minimum when the applicant is a senior in Speech Communication.
- Application Procedure: Instructors may invite students to intern and should inform interested students of the requirements for the program. Students may also initiate the application procedure, but need an instructor to endorse their application.
- Use the link below for an application form. Completed applications should then be placed in Ruth Anne Clark’s mailbox. It is not necessary to contact her directly. Within two weeks following receipt of the application, the applicant will receive notification of the outcome of the application process via email. SpCom 204 does not close to successful applicants until the end of the period when undergraduates may add courses, so interns may enroll at any time that is appropriate.
- Second Internships: Second internships are approved only when the hours earned go beyond those needed for graduation. Hours are then taken as an independent study.
- Grading: Supervising instructors assign the final grade based on how well the interns discharged the agreed-upon duties. The course is not approved for plus/minus grading. Interns will be asked to write a 3-4 page paper in which they evaluate the course and their role in it.