Cooperative Education - Annandale Campus

	NOVA \| Annandale \| BPS \| Cooperative Education

Requirements For Cooperative Education Assignments:

Students should have completed English Composition I and II prior to enrolling in the Co-op course, as all the assignments are in the form of papers and require the development of critical thinking skills and the ability to clearly express their thoughts in a coherent manner, conduct research, demonstrate the relationship between ideas and constructs and compose arguments.
All papers must be written in APA style. Students may purchase an APA manual from the bookstore or access this website for more information: http://www.apastyle.org/
Students are expected to proofread papers and not simply rely on spell check, as it does not proof spelling in light of sentence context.
Students are also expected to cite references and create a bibliography for every paper they submit. Their grade of this class will be based upon how their papers are written. Students may not use Wickipedia as a reference.
Students must compose all of their papers in English. They may not write them in their native language and use Babelfish or any other software to translate them into English. Papers will be electronically checked for plagiarism and if students are found to have committed plagiarism they will receive an F for the course and will be reported to the division dean.

Assignment Number I

Complete the assignments below for your first Co-op with Northern Virginia Community College

1.	First part: You should read 1 articles a week from a newspaper or journal that relates to the field of your internship. Write an analysis of 3 articles, one page in length and include reasons why you might agree or disagree with points made by the author and discuss how the topics addressed in these articles may impact the company where you are interning. In your summaries you should synthesize concepts discussed in the texts you have used in various courses and the experience you are receiving in your internship. You should submit two copies of your analysis and articles to the professor overseeing your co-op and to the Co-op coordinator. At the midpoint and end of the semester you should a set of the articles and your critiques to the Co-op coordinator and the faculty member overseeing your internship. Second Part: You should record your responsibilities and explain what you are learning each week. However, this journal should not simply consist of a list of activities in which you participated. Rather, you should discuss how your work experiences relate to issues addressed in your classes and articles found in professional journals, the Wall Street Journal, Washington Post or any other journals in your field. Include citations from these sources in your journal. As you approach the end of your internship discuss aspects of the internship that went well, others that didn’t go as well and explain how you would have done things differently. Do not submit a “grocery list” of your daily activities!

2.	You should also begin to build a dictionary of new terms that are used in your profession.

3.	Consult with your supervisor and list five objectives you intend to achieve through your internship. Describe 5 immediate behavioral objectives in terms of the four points listed below. This assignment will serve as the foundation for your final presentation (see assignment #5). Thus, in assignment #3 you should address how you plan to achieve your objectives and assignment #5 will be a report of how you actually achieved them (see assignment #5 for more details).
	How you will achieve each of your objectives The resources you will need to achieve them A time-line of how long it will take you to reach each objective When you will have completed each objective

4.	You should also be developing long-term career objectives as well. Topics you should address in a five page paper include:
	What type of entry-level position will I apply for after I graduate. What is the average "life-cycle" of a person employed in my particular field? How long are they employed in their positions? How often does the average person change jobs? On average do most people remain in the same profession, but focus in different areas? What types of changes can I expect will occur in my professional field? How can I best prepare for these changes through additional training and/or education? What new skills will I need to learn? (i.e., IST certifications, continuing education courses, bachelor's degree, master's degree?) What colleges or schools offer the types of education you might need?

5.	Create a presentation for the faculty member overseeing your co-op and the co-op coordinator. You should address the following points in a written report and oral presentation: The objectives you set at the beginning of your internship The process by which you achieved the objectives Any internal or external limitations that altered you’re the achievement of your initial objectives.

Assignment Number 2

If this is your second co-op experience with Northern Virginia Community College you should complete questions 1-5 listed below.

1.	First part: You should read 5 articles a week from a newspaper or journal that relates to the field of your internship. You should write a one page critique of these articles and attach a copy of the article to your analysis. At the midpoint and end of the semester you should a set of the articles and your critiques to the Co-op coordinator and the faculty member overseeing your internship. Second Part: You should record your responsibilities and explain what you are learning each week. However, this journal should not simply consist of a list of activities in which you participated. Rather, you should discuss how your work experiences relate to issues addressed in your classes and articles found in professional journals, the Wall Street Journal, Washington Post or any other journals in your field. Include citations from these sources in your journal. As you approach the end of your internship discuss aspects of the internship that went well, others that didn’t go as well and explain how you would have done things differently. Do not submit a “grocery list” of your daily activities!

2.	You should compile a list of articles you are reading in professional journals, the Washington Post, Wall Street Journal, New York Times, etc. You should also begin to build a dictionary of new terms that are used in your profession. These articles should be different from the ones you read in your first co-op and your dictionary should include different and more advanced terminology than the dictionary you began during your first co-op.

3.	Select three to five professional journal articles that relate to your objectives and write a ten page paper summarizing how professionals in your field view these topics (i.e., their importance to the profession, how these topics are changing, how the profession is addressing these changes, etc.). Students should include a history of their profession, how it has changed over time and what is likely to be its future.

4.	Select four journals and/or publications that address that discuss ethical issues your particular field is currently facing. Using the assignment you completed in your first co-op about leadership styles, discuss how you would address these challenges at the company where you presently conducting your internship if you were the manager. Include in your discussion the fiscal, human and technological resources you would need to address these issues. This paper should be 8 to 10 pages.

5.	Citing the professional journals that you are continuing read, you should write a five page paper which discusses the international aspects of their professional field. Other issues which you should mention include the political, social, cultural and economic forces which are affecting the company where you are conducting your co-op and other firms or companies as well.
6.	Create a presentation for your supervisor and co-workers that address the objectives you set at the beginning of your internship and discuss the process by which you achieved the objectives, what issues and or external and internal limitations you had to consider in this process and any adjustments you had to make in your objectives. This presentation should be given as a power point presentation and should include printed copies of the materials for the professor and the cooperative education coordinator.

Assignment Number 3

If this is your third co-op experience with Northern Virginia Community College you should complete questions 1-5 listed below.

1.	First part: You should read 5 articles a week from a newspaper or journal that relates to the field of your internship. You should write a one page critique of these articles and attach a copy of the article to your analysis. At the midpoint and end of the semester you should a set of the articles and your critiques to the Co-op coordinator and the faculty member overseeing your internship. Second Part: You should record your responsibilities and explain what you are learning each week. However, this journal should not simply consist of a list of activities in which you participated. Rather, you should discuss how your work experiences relate to issues addressed in your classes and articles found in professional journals, the Wall Street Journal, Washington Post or any other journals in your field. Include citations from these sources in your journal. As you approach the end of your internship discuss aspects of the internship that went well, others that didn’t go as well and explain how you would have done things differently. Do not submit a “grocery list” of your daily activities!

2.	You should compile a list of articles you are reading in professional journals, the Washington Post, Wall Street Journal, New York Times, etc. After you have reviewed these journals and noted the salient topics, write a five page paper where you discuss each one of the issues. You should also compare and contrast how the viewpoints held by various authors. In addition, you should also continue to build a dictionary of new terms that are used in your profession. These terms should be more complex in nature than those you cited in the dictionaries you developed for your first two co-ops.

3.	You are a manager of four employees at a company that is related to your major (i.e., business, information systems technology, etc.) Create a plan by which you would evaluate your employees and your employees will evaluate you as a manager. Your plan should address the following topics: The preparation of a plan that outlines the goals and objectives of the people reporting to you. A rationale for performance evaluations The creation of a periodic evaluation and a final evaluation in which you discuss the pros and cons of a periodic performance review. What criteria will you use to evaluate their performance? What criteria will they use to evaluate your performance as a manager? What opportunities will your employees have to give you feedback on their evaluations.
4.	Select three to five professional journal articles that relate to your objectives and write a ten page paper summarizing how professionals in your field view these topics (i.e., their importance to the profession, how these topics are changing, how the profession is addressing these changes, etc.).

5.	Students are to select a manager from the organization where they are co-oping and make a five to ten minute presentation to a faculty panel (that consists of the co-op coordinator, the faculty member overseeing the co-op, and a faculty member from the student's division). The presentation is to be in two parts, a short resume for the manager chosen along with a description of where each of you fit into the organization's hierarchy. The second part concentrates on the individual's management style - autocratic, democratic, consensus and discusses the advantages and disadvantages of the style type.

The Grading Schema and Assignment Due Dates are as Follows:

Grading Schema

Plagiarism and cheating will not be tolerated. The college has strict policies regarding these matters. A grade of F will be given to a student who has plagiarized any paper.

When grading papers, professors will consider the rational of students’ arguments; the quality and number of sources cited; grammar and spelling. The maximum number of points a student can earn from each assignment is 20 for a possible total of 100 points, or an A. Any papers that are submitted late will be given F’s (or zero points) as extensions will not be granted. Students who fail to submit the first three assignments by the due date will be withdrawn from the internship and they and their employers will be notified of this withdrawal by certified mail

Special Needs: Any student who has special needs or a disability that may affect performance in this course is encouraged to contact a Counselor for Disability Services in CG 211 to discuss possible accommodations. All information is kept confidential and may increase students’ chances of success in an academic setting.

Assignment Due Dates

Assignment Due Dates for 16 Week Session Fall Semester 2008
(August 25, 2008- December 21, 2008)

Assignment	% of Grade	Due Date
Initial Meeting with Professor		Week of August 25, 2008
Preliminary Performance Evaluation from Employer	12%	September 19, 2008
Mid-Term Report on Assignments which includes: Assignments 2 and 3 and weekly journal entries from the beginning of the semester to the present	38%	October 23, 2008
Final Performance Evaluation from Employer	12%	December 12th
Course Assignments * Assignments 4 and 5 and a completed journal	28%	December 12th

*The last assignment of "presentation to the faculty member" is to be submitted in writing and given in the form of an oral presentation to the faculty member overseeing the Co-op (and the employer if they express an interest in the presentation).

**NOTE**
If assignments 1, 2 and 3 are not submitted on time, students will be withdrawn from their course and employers will be notified of their intern's withdrawal via phone; email and registered mail. Professors will not give extensions for co-op assignments.

Assignment Due Dates for Fall 2008 First 8 Week Session
(August 25, 2008 – October 21, 2008)

Assignment	% of Grade	Due Date
Initial Meeting with Professor		Week of August 25, 2008
Preliminary Performance Evaluation from Employer	12%	September 12th, 2008
Mid-Term Report on Assignments which includes: Assignments 2 and 3 and weekly journal entries from the beginning of the semester until the present	38%	September 25th If the professor and the co-op coordinator do not receive these assignments on this date you will be withdrawn from the class.
Final Performance Evaluation from Employer	12%	October 15th, 2008
Course Assignments* Assignments 4 and 5 and a completed journal.	28%	October 15th, 2008

*The last assignment of "presentation to the faculty panel" is to be submitted in writing and given in the form of an oral presentation to the faculty member overseeing the Co-op (and the employer if they express an interest in the presentation).
**NOTE**

If assignments 1,2 and 3 are not submitted on time, students will be withdrawn from their course and employers will be notified of their intern's withdrawal via phone; email and registered mail. Professors will not give extensions for co-op assignments.

Assignment Due Dates for Fall 2008 Second 8 Week Session
(October 22, 2008 – December 21, 2008)

Assignment	% of Grade	Due Date
Initial Meeting with Professor		Week of October 22, 2008
Preliminary Performance Evaluation from Employer	12%	November 5, 2008
Mid-Term Report on Assignments which includes: Assignments 2 and 3 and weekly journal entries from the beginning of the semester until the present	38%	November 20, 2008 If the professor and the co-op coordinator do not receive these assignments on this date you will be withdrawn from the class.
Final Performance Evaluation from Employer	12%	December 12, 2008
Course Assignments* Assignments 4 and 5 and a completed journal.	28%	December 12, 2008

*The last assignment of "presentation to the faculty panel" is to be submitted in writing and given in the form of an oral presentation to the faculty member overseeing the Co-op and the Co-op Coordinator (and the employer if they express an interest in the presentation).

**NOTE**
If assignments 1, 2 and 3 are not submitted on time, students will be withdrawn from their course and employers will be notified of their intern's withdrawal via phone; email and registered mail. Professors will not give extensions for co-op assignments.

Assignment Due Dates for Second 8 Week SE


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