Goals: Internships serve a variety of purposes: preprofessional training, work experience, networking, seeing parts of society you haven't been exposed to, public service, volunteerism, and many others.

Requirements: A total of 120 hours or thereabouts. If you are going to have trouble putting in this much time before the end of the semester, see me immediately.

E-mail me by January 30describing your duties and giving me the name and phone (or e-mail) address of your supervisor. Be sure your supervisor understands his/her responsibilities.

Keep a journal in which you record your hours spent, activities, and observations. The important part is your reaction to your experiences. You should think of yourselves as sociologists in the process of making observations. Try to relate your experiences to your classroom learning and other knowledge you've acquired.  Record your reactions to the things going on around you. Look back in it after a few weeks and reflect on what you were thinking at that time--then record your reflections.  No one will see it but me.  It is unlikely that you can satisfy this requirement in less than 5000 words. Your journal should be turned in to me by May 3.

My general policy is that substandard journals (too short, not analytical, etc.) or absence from a meeting results in lowering grades by one letter. An unsatisfactory journal (i.e. one which seems to have been hastily assembled at the last minute) will result in my lowering your grade by two letters.

Your supervisor will evaluate you at the end of the term. Your grade will be based primarily on that evaluation, although the quality of your journal and your appearance at meetings will also be considered. Evaluation forms will be distributed for you to give to your supervisor. It is your responsibility to make sure your supervisor returns them to me in an envelope which I will supply by May 3 .

In your conduct, you must remember that you are representing the internship program and, by extension, the university. If you fail to show up or otherwise break your agreement with an agency it's liable to be difficult for us to place students there in future semesters. If for some reason you're unable to complete the internship, talk to your supervisor (be appropriately apologetic) and to me so that I can talk to your supervisor and attempt to salvage our relationship.

Pay particular attention to the agency's rules of client confidentiality. This is very important, particularly since legal issues may be raised.