2010 - Public Relations Society of America

summary of how the student appears to be doing. The more important evaluation
document is the final review provided by their workplace supervisors. These evaluations
assess the student through 16 questions on a six point scale on subjects such as
attendance, creativity, communication skills, demeanor and their abilities to work with
clients and the public. Supervisors provide an overall assessment of the intern on a scale
of zero to five (five being outstanding). The form also seeks comments from supervisors
to explain their ratings. Some supervisors provide more detail than others, but all offer
a clear indication of how the student performed.
Final Thoughts
The vast majority of UWSP students who have completed internships in London
have found the experience to be highly rewarding and consistently site supervisors say
they appreciated the work ethic and skill sets the students demonstrated on the job. The
few interns who have not excelled were either unclear about the kind of placement they
desired and were matched with an inappropriate position, or experienced personal
problems while abroad (such as long distance relationship troubles).
Administering an internship program is not easy and requires a strong team effort
with an internship director, international programs office and placement service that work
well together. Commitment to academic rigor, clear screening processes, appropriate
orientations, a solid support network for the students and substantial academic evidence
for evaluation at the end of the experience also are vital. If well constructed, an
international internship can provide students valuable work experience and some of the
critical skill sets needed to compete in a global society.
Steven Greenhouse, “The Unpaid Intern, Legal or Not,” The New York Times, April 2,
2010, p. B1.
Institute of International Education, “Open Doors 2008 – Report on International
Educational Exchange: Table 28B,” available at http://opendoors.iienetwork.org.
UK Border Agency Home Office, available at http://www.ukba.homeoffice.gov.uk.
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