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Guidelines for Review and Vetting Opportunities

The below criteria were created to provide guidelines for faculty and staff in their review and vetting of international internships for students at CBU. The guidelines are based on the Forum for Education Abroad’s Best Practices for internships, with input from Wheaton College’s Global Programs and Studies and resources from Elon University and Brigham Young University.
1. Mission and Goals for International Internships 
  • Establish that the primary goal for an international internship is to integrate knowledge and theory with practical applications to offer students experiential learning in a professional setting.
  • Clearly articulate how the internship program relates to, supports, and enhances the institution’s mission and goals. 

2. Evaluation of Organization or Company (NAFSA guidelines) 
  • Mission Alignment: What is the mission of the organization or company? Does it align with the values and mission of CBU? Does the work reflect CBU’s values and mission?
  • Company Age: What is the age of company or organization?
  • Years of Operation: How many years of experience does the organization or company have in the host country and local community?
  • General Liability Insurance: Does the company or organization have general commercial liability insurance?
  • Emergency Response and Crisis Management plans: refer to section 4. Duty of Care / Risk Management / Incident Response. 
  • Accident Reporting: What are the accident reporting protocols for serious illness and injuries, vehicular accidents, and death and disappearance?
  • Logistical Arrangements: Can the organization provide good on-location support for students? Clear descriptions of the logistics and services offered by the organization or company.
  • Staff Support: Does the organization have at least one employee or internship coordinator and resources to provide support for students? Details about staff support, including guides, mentors, representatives that will accompany the program and students.
  • Accommodations: Information on accommodations for students, including location, safety, proximity to worksite. For homestays, information on how families are solicited, vetted, trained, contracted and evaluated.
  • Referrals: Referrals from other institutions who have worked with the organization or company in the past. 

3. Evaluation of Academics / Internship Work 
  • Mentorship/Management: Ensure that the workplace identifies experienced professional(s) who can effectively mentor, manage and supervise interns.
  • Professional Development: Does the organization or company provide adequate training, skill building and mentoring for students?
  • Internship Work: Are projects and tasks substantive but appropriate for a student? Will students be asked to perform tasks beyond their level of training and skill? Does the internship work require the recommended 40 to 60 hours per academic credit over the term or semester?
  • Professionalism: Does the organization or company uphold the highest standards of ethics, integrity, and professionalism among staff?
  • Extracurricular Opportunities: Are students introduced to other aspects of the work environment and location, e.g., informational interviews and social or community events? 

4. Duty of Care / Risk Management / Incident Response  
  • Agreement: Does CBU have an MOU or other agreement with the organization or company, which clearly articulates expectations of the organization or company and CBU students?
  • Awareness of Risks: How will students be fully informed of the risks in their host location?
  • Student Preparation: Will students receive cultural, logistical, and safety training by the organization or company before and during the internship? Will the student be required to agree to a specific release or acknowledgement of risk? Their parent(s)?
  • Insurance Coverage: If the program requires purchase of a specific international health insurance, has the insurance provider placed any restrictions on coverage for COVID-1, pandemic, diseases or any other categories? If so, does additional coverage needs to be sought by students?
    • Who pays for the additional international insurance coverage?  Do sufficient resources exist to manage and monitor global and local conditions related to the pandemic (and other hazards)?
  • Communication: What is the capacity for 24/7 communication support?
    • How will conditions in country be monitored?
    • How will early warnings, advice, and notifications be communicated to the students and the institution?  What is the ability to accommodate students who may be at greater risk of severe complications from COVID-19?
  • Workplace Safety: Is the workplace reasonably safe and non-threatening, with protections against discrimination, harassment, and exploitation?
  • Health, Safety and Security: Does the organization have appropriate health, safety, and security measures in place in case of emergency, including an emergency contact on location? 

5. Financial Risks  
  • Cost or Fee: What cost is there for the student to participate on the international internship with the company or organization? Is there a fee?
  • Refund: What is the program’s student refund policy?
    • Is this a modification from previous policies in light of COVID-19?
    • How and when is this communicated to students?
    • How do students acknowledge this?  If not included in the program fees, what have students been advised regarding purchase of flights/transportation to/from the program?

6. Ethical Considerations 
  • Impact on Community: What is the impact of the internship placement and student presence on local and organizational resources, economic conditions, and social, cultural, and political hierarchies?
    • Engage with and recognize existing industries and organizations onsite. Student interns should not displace, disregard or circumvent local workers.
  • Mutual Benefit: Is the internship mutually beneficial to the student and the internship site?
  • Transparent Communication: Will there be honest and transparent communication regarding the preparation and abilities of students between sending institution, coordinating organizations, and internship sites?
  • Ethical Guidance: Will students be provided with guidance related to the accepted code(s) of professional ethics for the field and host country in which they are working?
  • Vulnerable Populations: If the internship involves work with vulnerable and/or low-resource communities, will students receive training appropriate for work with these populations?
  • Research: If the internship includes a research component, what is the process from the host organization or company for distributing research results, final reports, and/or audio-visual products to internship sites in the language in which the work was conducted?
    • How does the host company or organization ensure that local contributors are appropriately acknowledged for their contributions to the work?[1] 

7. Sources 
Brigham Young University. “Guidelines for Vetting International Internship Placements or Social Problem-Solving Organizations for BYU Student Involvement.” 2018. PDF file. https://kennedy.byu.edu/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/ISPinternship-NGO-vetting_16aug18.pdf.
 
Heyl, John D. “Third-Party Program Providers and Education Abroad: Partner or Competitor?” AIEA, 2011. AIEA members, https://aiea.memberclicks.net/assets/docs/OccasionalPapers/.
 
Hulstrand, Janet. “Vetting External Partners: Strategies for Success.” International Educator, vol. 27, iss. 5, October 2018, pp. 44-45.
 
“Internships.” Elon University, 16 June 2020, https://www.centerforengagedlearning.org/doing-engaged-learning/internships/.
 
Kim, Deborah. “Re: [OCSC] Vetting Domestic and International Opportunities.” Message to Garrett English. 6 June 2020. E-mail.
“Vetting Third-Party Study Abroad Vendors.” Edu Risk Solutions, March 2020, https://www.edurisksolutions.org/blogs/?Id=3703.
 
Wheaton College. “Wheaton College: Factors in Approving Education Abroad Opportunities for Students Participating in Fall 2020 Partner (3rd Party) Programs.” 2020. PDF file.
 
 

[1] Following appropriate Institutional Review Board (IRB) processes and/or any other on-site review measures for work involving human subjects.