Clemson University Co op Program Orientation by Dr. Jeff Neal, Director
1. Cooperative Education Program
An Academic Engaged-Learning Program
Division of Academic Affairs
Center for Career & Professional Development
316 Hendrix Student Center
Clemson University
Program Orientation
2. What is the Co-op Program?
Academic & Engaged
• Academic Program
• Engaged Learning
• Application of theory
• Monitored
ProgramOrientation
Tell me and I forget;
Show me and I remember
Involve me and I understand.
3. Monitoring & Evaluation
Expectations and Program Requirements
At the beginning of each rotation
• Goals and Objectives form
Monthly email to co-op advisor
At the end of each rotation
• Assignment Evaluation form
• Student report
• Mentor evaluations
On-site visits by co-op advisors are to be expected at
least once.
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4. Eligibility for Co-op Program
Minimum Requirements
• 2.5 GPA
• Currently a full-time student
• At least a first semester sophomore in the curriculum
• Valid Drivers License and access to transportation
Companies will drug screen students prior to start of
rotations.
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5. Program Participation
Multiple Rotations Required
• Two or more semesters
(Engineering students must commit to three semesters)
• Complete rotations with same teaching partners
(Exception – Change majors, negative experience)
• Must complete two normal semesters (Fall/Spring)
(Non-engineering majors must complete one normal semester)
Students not willing to complete three rotations should
not enter the program.
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6. Co-op Rotations
Fall Interviews
First Rotation Spring
Spring Starting Rotation
Spring Summer Fall
Year 1 1st Rotation Class 2nd Rotation
Year 2 Class 3rd Rotation Class
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Consult with your departmental academic advisor to
develop your academic course plan.
7. Co-op Rotations
Spring Interviews
First Rotation Summer or Fall
Summer Starting Rotation
Spring Summer Fall
Year 1 Class 1st Rotation Class
Year 2 2nd Rotation Class 3rd Rotation
Fall Starting Rotation
Spring Summer Fall
Year 1 Class 1st Rotation
Year 2 Class 2nd Rotation Class
Year 3 3rd Rotation Class
ProgramOrientation
8. Interview/Selection
Before and After Interviews
• Program Orientation
• Resume Review
• Weekly Advisor Meetings
• Interview Workshop
• Prepare for Interviews
• Ambassador Event
• Interview Days Event
• Assignment Selection
• Pre-Assignment Workshop
ProgramOrientation
9. The Co-op Course
Provisions
• Academic recognition on transcript
• Zero credit hour Pass/No Pass course
(COOP 1010, 1020, 1030, 1040 etc.)
• Full-time student status while on rotation
• Program participation fee per rotation
Must register for co-op course even after completing
three rotations.
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10. Scholarships and Financial Aid
Maintenance
• Scholarships are deferred when on rotation
• Not eligible for grants, loans, etc. while on rotation
Please consult Office of Financial Aid with questions
specific to your financial aid package.
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11. Campus Housing
Option
• May remain in housing
• May terminate housing contract without penalty
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12. Dr. Jeff Neal
Director
jfneal@clemson.edu
Holly Hicks, M.Ed.
Associate Director
hpottme@clemson.edu
Alfred Bundrick, M.S.
Associate Director
alfredb@clemson.edu
Alison Reynolds, M.Ed.
Assistant Director
areyno3@clemson.edu
Debi Beckham
Administrative Assistant
mdebora@clemson.edu
Madison Mehder, B.A.
Graduate Assistant
mmehder@clemson.edu
ProgramOrientation Academic Staff & Faculty
316 Hendrix Student Center
864.656.3150
Notas del editor
Welcome to the Co-op Program, an academic-engaged learning program at Clemson University. I am Dr. Jeff Neal, the director of the program and the presenter of this orientation. We are thrilled that you have chosen to participate in this program and we look forward to working with you.Your education is important to us and we truly want you to be successful at Clemson and beyond.
What is the Co-op Program and what does it mean when we say it’s an engaged-learning program?You may have thought of Co-op as a career experience program and it is true, that by participating you will graduate with significant experience in your field. But first and foremost, this is an academic program that emphasizes learning. It’s important that you understand that this is a program that you are entering and not a placement office. Co-op provides students with the opportunity to work and learn under a mentor in his or her field of study. There is an old proverb, “Tell me and I forget; Show me and I remember; Involve me and I understand.” In a classroom setting, you listen to lectures from your professors and you participate in lab exercises. These experiences provide a certain level of knowledge, but it is a whole new level of understanding when you actually put theory into practice as you work with experienced professionals to tackle real problems. Through this engaged-learning process, you will gain a deeper understanding of the material you have learned in the classroom. You will also learn concepts that are not covered in your curriculum. This learning experience becomes an integral part of your education at Clemson.Each student’s experience is closely monitored by the program’s academic staff so that we can be sure that you are learning. You will be assigned to a co-op advisor based upon your major.
In order to assist your advisor with monitoring your experiences, there will be several things required from you and your mentor.At the beginning of each rotation, students are required to set learning goals and to discuss proposed projects with their mentors. You will submit this information by completing a Rotation Goals & Objectives form.Throughout the semester, students must also send brief email updates to their advisor on a regular basis while on rotation.At the end of each rotation, students are required to complete an Assignment Evaluation. These confidential evaluations are reviewed by your co-op advisor. Students are also required to complete a brief (2-3 page typed) Assignment Report. The report describes what you accomplished and what you learned during your rotation. These reports are reviewed by your co-op advisor and are also made available to co-op candidates during the interview phase of the program.In addition, the student’s mentor/supervisor will assess student performance at the end of the rotation and will provide these confidential evaluations to the co-op advisorFinally, advisors attempt to visit each student on assignment during at least one of his or her rotations.
Students must meet minimum eligibility requirements to participate in the Co-op Program. Read the requirements and note that:Some employers have more stringent requirements than these. For example, an employer may require Junior status or a 3.0 minimum GPA or a particular course to have been successfully completed.Students must also be able to pass an in-depth drug screen. If you cannot do so, then you should see your co-op advisor for a private consultation. Your advisor will help you discern when you should enter the program or if you should do so.
There are minimum requirements to successfully complete the Co-op Program and be eligible to receive the certificate. All students are expected to complete two or more rotations with their employer. Engineering students must complete a minimum of three rotations-- that’s two regular semesters at 18 weeks and on summer term of 14 weeks. The reason for this is that we are a fully accredited engineering co-op program with the Accreditation Board for Engineering & Technology.Students are expected to remain with their initial co-op assignment and employer for the duration of the program. Exceptions will be made for students who change majors while participating in the program and for the small percentage of students who have a negative experience in their assignments. Undergraduate students unwilling to complete the required number of rotations or those who want to work exclusively during the summer should not participate in the Cooperative Education Program.
As the majority of our students will need to commit to three rotations that alternate between semesters on assignment and semesters in the classroom, it is important for you to consult with your departmental academic advisor to develop an academic course plan that will ensure your successful graduation from the University.As shown on this chart, students who enter the program in the fall semester will begin their first rotation on assignment in the following spring semester. This chart shows how the rotations follow an alternating sequence.
This chart shows the possible rotations on sequence for students who enter the Co-op Program during the spring semester. During the spring semester a student may begin the first rotation of their assignment during the following summer or fall. Students who begin assignments in the fall semester are not required to attend classes in the summer prior to their first rotation. However, after consulting with your departmental academic advisor you may decide that it is in your best interest to do so. (Pause) Students are also not required to attend summer sessions after the completion of a spring rotation, but many choose to do so to stay on track to graduation. It is very important to make an academic plan before you accept an assignment.
This slide is an overview of what the Interview and Selection phase looks like. And it provides an important check list to guide you through this process. You will be working with us closely during the semester you choose to enter.You will schedule weekly meetings with your advisor and you will attend an Interview Workshops to prepare you for the Interview Days event.This is an event that takes place each semester, October for the fall and March for the spring. It is a three day event where close to 100 employers come to campus exclusively to interview co-op students. As a student you will have multiple 30 minute interviews with different employers over this three day period. You are currently reviewing the Program Orientation. After completing this presentation, it is important for you to schedule an appointment with our graduate assistant to review your resume. Some of you may have already done this. If you have not, please call 864-656-3150 to schedule your resume review.At the end of your resume appointment, you will set your first weekly advisor meeting. Your advisor will help you decide what companies to interview and will help prepare you for Interview Days.
For every co-op rotation, you will register for the appropriate co-op course. Just by being enrolled in our program and registered for our course, the University recognizes you as being a full-time continuous student. You’re not registered for 12 credit hours and you’re not paying regular tuition. Instead you will pay a program participation fee. While we could, as an academic program, grant credit hours for our courses, we have chosen not to in order to keep our students’ costs as low as possible. Though you don’t receive credit hours, you do receive important academic recognition and your co-op courses do appear on your transcript with a grade of Pass/No Pass.There is no limit to the number of rotations you complete during your time with our program, however students must be registered for the appropriate co-op course during every rotation. For your first rotation you will register for COOP 1010, for your second COOP 1020, and so forth. If you work a fourth rotation, the course is COOP 1040. Any continuation of your employment with your co-op employer beyond the minimum rotations will require that you register for the respective course, regardless of how the employment arrangement is described or titled.
Recruiting scholarships, the South Carolina LIFE Scholarship, the Palmetto Fellows scholarship, and most other aid programs available through the University recognize the academic benefits of Cooperative Education and therefore can be utilized or deferred according to schedules followed by program participants.In other words, instead of having a four-year limitation on your scholarship or aid, the State looks at the limitation in terms of 8 semesters.Students are not eligible to receive grants, loans, scholarships, or other financial aid during semesters in which they are on assignment.It is always important that you consult the Financial Aid office with questions specific to your financial aid package.
Students may remain in campus housing if their co-op assignments are within commuting distance of the University. Conversely, students may terminate their housing contracts without penalty if they need to relocate for their assignment.
This concludes the Co-op Program Orientation. We look forward to meeting you soon.Go Tigers!
