Hosting an Intern

Whether you're about to host the very first intern at your organization or you're a seasoned supervisor with a team of interns, The Exchange is here for your support. From recruiting to onboarding and evaluations, we can offer some support and resources to help create a positive experiential learning opportunity.

Hiring a Marian University Intern

If you are recruiting interns for your organization, the best place to start is our Hire Marian University Students page, where you can post the position opening on Handshake and engage in various recruiting opportunities with the university.

After internship offer and acceptance, many interns will require some or all of the following supports in order to meet academic requirements for credit in their discipline:

• Confirmation of employment with your organization and a comprehensive description of internship responsibilities
• Hours sheets
• End-of-term performance evaluation

If you have questions or need assistance, please contact The Exchange.

Running an Internship Program

Launching and supervising an internship in an organization is an exciting challenge. Luckily, if this is your first time or if you're looking to re-evaluate your internship structure for optimized learning and performance, there are many resources for your support.

To start, Indiana INTERNnet has a comprehensive internship guide that can walk you through all the best practices for internships.

View Indiana INTERNnet's internship guide

Source: internqueen.com

Employment Aid Readiness Network (EARN) Indiana

Employers with an approved internship may receive state matching funds by hiring students, eligible to receive state financial aid, for a resume-building, experiential, paid internship. See below to learn more about this partnership through CHE and Indiana INTERNnet.

Learn more about EARN Indiana

Switching an Internship Virtual

Based on Indiana INTERNnet's survey of employers in March and April of 2020, we know that most employers are changing their internship programs in response to public health concerns. Many have switched their internships to a virtual or remote work model. If managing an intern remotely is new to you, don't hesitate to reach out. The Exchange has many resources below to help you get started.

COVID-19 Protocols for Interns 

Students earning academic credit for their internship at Marian University are expected to follow university guidelines for public health and safety at their work site in addition to the internship host organization's policies and local mandates for public health. This includes the student intern filling out a health assessment "shield" on CampusShield app daily before reporting to their shift at their internship location, if the experience is in-person and not virtual.

Basic guidelines for workplace safety during the pandemic include:

• Wear a mask in shared, public and common spaces
• Maintain a physical distance from others of at least 6 feet
• Limit your in-person interactions, especially at distances less than 6 feet
• Wash or sanitize your hands regularly
• If you are ill, STAY HOME

Tips for social distancing while managing interns 

• Brainstorm ideas within your office and with your intern team to develop projects that may be done remotely from the student's dorm room. 
• Consider limiting the number of staff members scheduled to be in the office at one time. 
• Check out your apps for virtual communication and collaboration. Some popular ones include: 
  
  • GroupMe - for group messaging 
  • Webex Teams - group messaging and video chat 
  • Trello - project progress/assignment tracking and info sharing 
  • OneDrive - collaborative shared documents (sign in with Marian University credentials) 
• Make sure to touch base with your interns as a team and individually on a regular basis, and to frequently ask if they feel like they are receiving enough guidance or freedom to spearhead their projects. Casual check-ins once per scheduled shift and one more formal meeting each week is a good starting point. 
• Get the resources you need. Make sure your interns have the technology and PPE they need to complete their work and comply with guidelines.

Training Resources for Interns

It's important to set clear expectations for workplace etiquette and to make sure your intern is supported in building the technical skills required for the position. Feel free to browse the below resources that can help get your intern started on building professional skills for your organization.