All Geography majors, except those who student teach as their capstone experience, must complete at least four weeks (160 clock hours) of internship work. Geography Teacher Education majors are eligible to do an internship for credit, once they have completed Seminar in Geography. Almost all interns perform their internship in the summer and work for more hours than the minimum because it is advantageous, both to the intern and the cooperating firm or agency, that the student be aboard for as long as possible.
Illinois State’s required Geography internship for non-teaching majors dates to a departmental decision made in 1985, when the then chairperson (and current professional practice coordinator) discovered that fewer than a third of the nonteaching Geography majors were availing themselves of this wonderful learning and career-enhancing opportunity. Subsequent research revealed that fewer than 10 percent of all the Geography baccalaureate institutions in the country had taken the initiative to require nonteaching undergraduate majors to present an internship for graduation. One obvious reason for this nationwide reluctance to go from an elective (or even nonexistent) internship status to a required status is the substantial time commitment necessary on the part of faculty who must maintain and champion such a requirement. The Geography faculty at Illinois State, however, remain committed to the necessity of such a stringent capstone requirement because of benefits to the student, feedback to the program, (including job placement contacts), and contribution to the well-being of the dozens of firms and agencies that have utilized the several hundred Geography majors who have performed internships since the summer of 1986.
Coordination of a required internship program is a year-round endeavor. Contacts with cooperating sites regularly occur via telephone, email, and surface mail. Site visits typically take place when one of our interns is on the job but may occur when the coordinator wishes to solicit cooperation from a newly identified firm or agency. Each spring the coordinator helps majors prepare for the summer internship by teaching the prerequisite Seminar in Geography (GEO 315) and serving as the co-organizer of the Geography Career Fair (which began in, and has run every spring since, 1990). Evaluation of interns requires the coordinator’s attention throughout the summer because every two weeks, following a set schedule, interns submit daily logbook entries. At the end of July all interns submit an essay for evaluation, and the supervisory official sends in his or her critique of the student. Logbooks, essays, and critiques determine the internship grade. Almost all interns since 1986 have earned "A" or "B." Cooperating sites receive the Geography Newsletter, which includes a column "Intern Insights" written by the coordinator. Another section of the newsletter, currently called "Alumni Gossip," features updates on program graduates and identifies the places where they performed their internships.
Many interns have received job offers from their internship site. In fact, a number of supervisors interview and otherwise recruit interns with an eye toward hiring them, seamlessly, once their student obligations are over. Even if a job offer is not forthcoming, the intern supervisors willingly write letters of reference as the intern leaves or later requests a job-related referral. Here are some supervisor comments about recent Geography interns.
"She was a pleasure to work with and was an asset to my crew."
"She exceeded my expectations, and it was a pleasure having her here!"
"A+ I was sorry that she left to get a full-time job with another agency."
"We have offered him a full-time position."
"Excellent job all around; more helpful and knowledgeable than expected."
"As far as his grade is concerned, anything less than an A+ would be criminal."
"He caught on quickly and was willing to take on any project."
"I would like to keep her. We have worked well together."
"He was an excellent student and very enjoyable to work with."
"She shows a good work ethic and professionalism."
"She has been a delight to work with and will be sorely missed."
"His dedication and work ethic are unparalleled
to any student
I have ever had serve as an intern."
"Shows a lot of initiative; able to
identify elements of a project
and explore ways of implementing ideas."
"We feel he has a bright future ahead of him and
that his
performance will easily qualify for an
"A."
"He has a strong desire to learn, willingness to
accept
responsibility, and conscientiousness in
carrying out his
work assignments."
"Definitely and unquestionably an "A."
"He had the best habits of punctuality,
willingness, and seriousness
of any student I have had work for me."
"She was an excellent intern . . . I strongly suggest that . . . [she] be awarded an "A."
"A++! . . . [she] was a joy to have . . . all summer. I hope she will return next year!"
". . . [he] has done an excellent job for us this summer. I’m sure he will be an employee who will do well wherever he works in the future. We would be happy to have him as a full-time employee in our organization."
"Overall . . . [he] is an excellent surveyor, and I would suggest a grade of "A" for the field part of his internship."
"He would be an excellent employee for any company."
"He shows great work ethics and is committed to his assignments." His supervisor "says . . . [he] has been the best intern the department has had . . . nothing less than an "A" for a grade would be appropriate."
"He has a great attitude and we plan to keep him on full-time."
"Without question I recommend . . . [she] be given an "A" for her work. She performed work above and beyond that of an intern, and I plan to keep her on for as long as I can."
"She has proven to be one of the best interns we have employed
over the past nine years, and at this point we plan to extend
her employment for several months beyond August.""He was an excellent intern. We are all going to miss him."
"She did an outstanding job this summer. We even felt
comfortable letting her summarize survey results.""She has done everything expected of her. In the past we
have had two additional interns. With only one, she has
done more than past interns [had to do]."
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Created 10 August 1998. Last revision occurred 2 November 2006.