Syllabus

NEO MFA Internship

Education becomes the practice of freedom, the means by which men and women deal critically and creatively with reality and discover how to participate in the transformation of their world.
~ Paulo Freire

Kent State University
English 66895 Fall 2009
Four Saturdays: 9/12, 10/10,11/14, 12/5
9-11:30 am
Room 115
Satterfield Hall
Kent State University campus

For map of Kent Campus, Satterfield Hall, and Satterfield Hall parking lot with a YACK tag, visit http://www.kent.edu/ or http://kentstate.kent.edu/directions/kent/building.asp

Instructor: Robert Miltner, PhD, Associate Professor of English, KSU Stark
Faculty Office is in the NEO MFA office in Satterfield Hall
Office Hours: After class, and by appointment
Phone & Voicemail: 330.244.3386 (Stark); E-mail: rmiltner@kent.edu



Course Description: Internship Class

The Internship seminar centers on finding an internship relevant to each student's area of interest and on preparing students for positions in their chosen field after graduation. Workshops cover:
· writing appropriate CV for different jobs
· crafting dynamic and convincing cover letters for different jobs
· securing letters of recommendations
· building a professional portfolio that will include: accomplishments from your internship; preparing for realistic mock job interviews; and writing a self-evaluation essay.
Monthly seminars and regular student-instructor contact required.


Texts:

There is no book for this class. Most of the information is posted on the NEO MFA Blog[www.neomfainternship@blogspace.com]. At the blog you will find a copy of this syllabus, links for writing different types of CVs and for cover letters, as well as information on your internship, how to create a simple internship portfolio, and how to prepare for a (mock) interview. The materials you create and share are also the “texts” for the class.

Format:

The internship is a seminar format. It involves discussing, interacting, questioning, problem-posing and solving, sharing experiences, building consensus, building a learning community, and direct participation in the process of learning and education. Our model is one of praxis:

Apart from inquiry, apart from the praxis, individuals cannot be truly human. Knowledge emerges only through invention and re-invention, through the restless, impatient, continuing, hopeful inquiry human beings pursue in the world, with the world, and with each other.
~ Paulo Freire, Pedagogy of the Oppressed

Come to class prepared for the topics of each seminar. Links will be posted on the blog prior to each meeting; take the time to read them, reflect on your own experiences, add your own resources (as comments on the blog or as materials you bring to the seminars), and mostly bring your questions.


Internship:

Each student will serve as an intern during the semester. The internships are to be centered on practical applications of your skills as writers. The greater goal is for each of you to develop practical experiences that augment your degrees.

Students work as class assistants, as community workshop leaders, with a local reading series, with university publishers (journals, presses) or private sector publishers (magazines, presses, newsletters, promotion, with non-profit organizations primarily in but not restricted to the arts, or in business or management capacities. Each student is encouraged to build upon and further develop current skills or to use the internship to develop additional, related skills. While some students come to the internship class clearly focused on an area of interest, and sometimes already placed, other students will work with the internship coordinator to find an area of interest and locate a suitable venue for an internship.

If you have not yet secured an internship, contact me (rmiltner@kent.edu) and we can begin to develop a focus area for your internship. I already have a few opportunities available I can share with you, provided you have the interest


Contact with professor between seminar meetings/Internship Reports:

Each student will be required to send me two interim reports (1-2 pages, double spaced, Word attachment) on your internship. Discuss projects, observations, questions, concerns, ideas, progress. In reality, these are part of an on-going internship log. At the end of the semester, you will need to include, with your internship portfolio, a summary self-evaluation on your internship experience.

Your summary self-evaluation should discuss several relevant points, including but not limited to:
1. what skills you acquiredwhat meaningful experiences you had
2. the quality of the materials you produced
3. assessment of the program and people you worked with
4. recommendations for anyone who might at a later time do the same internship


Interview/end of semester Portfolio

The final seminar, which is a culminating event for this internship class, will be devoted to two focus areas:
1) turning in your end of semester Portfolio
2) participating in a mock interview.

Your end of semester Portfolio should include final draft of your CV, an appropriate cover letter for the “mock” (yet actual) job for which you are interviewing; bring enough copies of your cover letter and cv for the class so they can ask follow up questions and offer effective comments.

You should come very prepared for an interview, right down to the nines you are dressed to (no points removed for fashion faux pas like stripes and plaids, reds and pinks, though a striking vintage ensemble might get you bonus points).

Also included in this portfolio will be your internship self-evaluation (one copy only for the instructor), unless you prefer to send it electronically just prior to the class, and a folder/portfolio of materials that demonstrate what you did for your internship, i.e., materials you created, such as brochures or copy; materials you used in workshops you conducted or classes in which you assisted, etc. Ideally, your self-evaluation should make reference to some of these “supporting” materials.


Attendance:

Class attendance and punctuality are expected. Because so much of the course content is based on a seminar format which relies upon, your absence affects others, has a direct affect on what you are learn from this class, and impacts your grade for the class.

Since the class meets only four Saturdays during the semester, missing one of the seminar classes will result in a drop of one grade. If you miss two of the classes—half of he seminars—you cannot pass the class. Moreover, chronic and significant tardiness will also accrue to a drop of one grade.

In the event that you have a health issue or personal problem, please contact me as soon as possible so that we can determine what options (such as an incomplete grade) might exist.

(Note: The last day for students to drop the class is Sunday, November 8th; should you miss a second class after that date you cannot retroactively withdraw).


Cell phones and electronic devices:

Turn off the sound on your cell phone prior to the beginning of class. If you anticipate an emergency call, put your phone on vibrate and sit close to the door so you can leave class indiscreetly, then talk with your caller at a location at an appropriate distance from the door. Return to class quietly when your conversation is over.
Use of a laptop, notepad, or any phone with keyboard is fine for notes or classroom use, but refrain from checking email, texting, and other activities that are best restricted to the short break that we will take each class.


Students with Disabilities:

All state universities have a policy for students with disabilities. At Kent State, for example, University Policy 3342-3-01.3 requires that students with disabilities be provided reasonable accommodations to ensure their equal access to course content. If you have a documented disability and require accommodations, please contact the instructor at the beginning of the semester to make arrangements for necessary classroom adjustments. Please note, you must first verify your eligibility for these through Kent State Student Accessibility Services (contact 330-672-3391 or visit www.kent.edu/sas for more information on registration procedures). For those of you enrolled through University of Akron, Cleveland State University, or Youngstown State University, contact your campus coordinator regarding the proper procedures for your gateway university, and have your coordinator contact me if this applies to you.


Plagiarism:

Cheating and plagiarism constitute fraudulent misrepresentation for which no credit can be given and for which appropriate sanctions are warranted and will be applied. The university affirms that acts of cheating and plagiarism by students constitute a subversion of the goals of the institution, have no place in the university and are serious offenses to aca­demic goals and objectives, as well as to the rights of fellow students.
For the complete policy and procedure, go to www.kent.edu/policyregister and search for policy 3342-3-01.8, or see http://www.kent.edu/policyreg/chap3/3-01-8.cfm or http://www.kent.edu/policyreg/chap3/upload/3342.3.01.8.pdf ]


Grading:

100 points = Participation
100 points= Internship reports (2 at 50 points each)
100 points = Portfolio from your internship
100 points = CVs and resumes
100 points = Cover letters
100 points = Job application & interview preparation

600 points = Total points

Grading scale

A 100-94 A- 93-90 B+ 89-87 B 86-84 B- 83-80 C+ 79-77 C 76-74 C- 73-70 D 69-60 F 59 or less

Note 1: active and effective class participation will be considered in determining your final grade in the class; I may raise your grade for leadership in the workshop and class.
Note 2: poor attendance (see policy above) will lead to lowering your final grade or necessitating your dropping the class.



Schedule of classes and assignments


Date, Topic, Description

Saturday, September 12
Seminar:
CVs & Resumes
Creating CVs / resumes you can use as templates for different job applications to
which your internship applies


Saturday, September 26
Internship Report # 1 due
See description above
Note: send these electronically


Saturday, October 10
Seminar:
Cover Letters & Career Research
Creating templates for cover letters; how to conduct effective research for different
jobs in your area of career interest


Saturday, October 31
Internship Report # 2 due
See description above
Note: send these electronically

Saturday, November 14
Seminar:
Recommendation Letters; Internship Portfolio; Mock Interview Preparation
Securing a recommendation letter from your internship director; how to assemble
and organize your internship portfolio; preparing for your mock interview


Saturday, December 5
Seminar:
Mock Interview & Portfolio turn-in
Final class meeting