Remote options enable student internships to ‘weather’ coronavirus pandemic

Like classroom learning, internships have been modified during the COVID-19 pandemic so Fredonia students can “still get the most out” of these valuable experiences, thanks to guidance and assistance provided by the Career Development Office.

“Fredonia students have demonstrated resilience, and often a newfound curiosity in continuing their internships and subsequent research remotely,” said Jennifer Wilkins, internship coordinator and career counselor.

“Fredonia students have demonstrated resilience, and often a newfound curiosity in continuing their internships and subsequent research remotely,” said Jennifer Wilkins, internship coordinator and career counselor.

Within the first week of the campus closure alternate assignments were developed in consultation with several faculty sponsors and best practices in higher education.”

Career Development Office staff and internship sponsors worked together to develop numerous remote options so students can complete 216 credit-bearing internships in the spring semester.

The Career Development Office also compiled “Career Readiness for Internship Completion,” a resource document for faculty sponsors that outlines possible enrichment opportunities for students who do not have the option to complete their internship remotely to learn new skills, reflect and prepare for the next steps in their career.

Mason Stabell, a senior Public Relations major with a minor in Women’s and Gender Studies, is gaining professional public relations experience with a non-profit organization, the Western New York-Northwestern Pennsylvania Fulbright chapter. His duties consist of creating social media pages and posting to those accounts

In place of planning and promoting events of the chapter that were canceled, Mr. Stabell is completing a research paper that explores how other Fulbright chapters across the country have effectively hosted events and how they used social media to benefit them. He will present his findings and make suggestions for the chapter.

“I was fortunate enough to have a majority of my internship take place remotely before we switched to distant learning, so not a lot has changed for me. While I am missing out on meeting with Dr. (Ted) Schwalbe, WNY-NWPA Chapter Fulbright's president, once a week, we are able to communicate effectively while still remaining remote,” Stabell explained.

Christopher Shirley-Brown, a senior Communication: Video Production major with a minor in Leadership Studies, has devoted much of the spring semester to back-to-back internships – both aligned with his course work – in the Career Development Office.

His first internship began by working with Chris LaGrow, associate director of the Career Development Office, learning about what services it provides, assisting with the spring Network on the Go event in January and then recording and developing a promotional video of that event to be used to recruit students and employers next fall. Mr. Shirley-Brown then compiled a promotional video that featured interviews with alumni employers at the Job and Internship Expo on March 4.

Shirley-Brown completed a MyPlan assessment, reviewed practice interview techniques, and then implemented those when he interviewed for graduate assistant positions in early March at a higher education career interview fair in Buffalo. His first internship ended in the end of March.

Plans for Shirley-Brown’s remote internship component, which continues through mid-May, include research into how other career offices at universities have transitioned to online services and appointments and creation of a PowerPoint presentation to present to staff virtually. Research is being conducted through career websites and informational interviews by phone and email, explained Ms. Wilkins, so Shirley-Brown, who’s also an RA (Resident Assistant) in Grissom Hall, will have the opportunity to learn about ways in which he may respond when serving in a future position he may have in higher education.

In her semester-long internship, Avril King, a senior concurrent degree candidate (Communication: Public Relations and Communication: Journalism, with a minor in English) scheduled social media posts and helped plan content for all main Fredonia social media accounts in the Fredonia Marketing and Communications office. She also was responsible for coordinating social media takeovers with student groups and formerly worked out of the Marketing and Communications offices in Gregory Hall.

Now working from home, Ms. King mostly manages the accounts, such as likes and retweets, and alerts her supervisor, Director Jeff Woodard, about important content, and continues to make posts on Canva.

When all sports and athletics came to a halt, Sport Management Adjunct Lecturer Jason Becker worked with the Career Development Office to quickly modify internship duties and responsibilities with a remote option that would still count as internship hours for students who need them. Some students are able to work remotely at their internship and supervisors are working with them, Mr. Becker reported.

“However, some students weren't able to since they were doing activities that were part of game day activities, events, etc., so for these students we've added a remote option for them where they can successfully complete an internship plan we've developed to still get the most out of the internship,” Becker explained.

More than 40 students have Sport Management internships, which can range between 1 to 12 credit hours.

“We're very confident everyone can complete their internships remotely and for those who still need hours, and can't physically report can still complete their internship with the remote options we provided to still gain real-industry experience,” Becker said.

“We're very confident everyone can complete their internships remotely and for those who still need hours, and can't physically report can still complete their internship with the remote options we provided to still gain real-industry experience,” Becker said.

Students have also been encouraged to utilize their time to develop a portfolio of their internship and prior collegiate experiences in preparation for the job search and advancement opportunities. 

“The internship site supervisors have been amazing and were willing to work with our students while providing any options available to ensure a successful transition to online learning,” Becker said. “All site supervisors were very receptive of the idea of finishing hours remotely and for those students whose internship allowed it.”

Becker believes students have learned the aspect of adapting to the current situation and that more companies and organizations are, likewise, doing the same thing using technological advancements. The challenge for students and internship sponsors is being able to utilize current technology and completing the task at hand, Becker said, “which I’m very confident they can do. It’s a big challenge for everyone, but we have a great team and students who I feel are ready for the challenge.”

Current internship sponsors working with students who are majoring in Sport Management or have minors in Sport Management or Coaching include: Buffalo Bills, Buffalo Sabres, the semi-pro basketball Chautauqua Hurricanes, Northern Chautauqua County Youth Hockey and the Department of Athletics and Recreation at Fredonia.

Department of Communication Assistant Professor Amanda Lohiser has provided additional opportunities for students to research communication strategies during the pandemic while supporting student efforts to develop a professional online presence, practice their interview skills and update application materials, Wilkins noted.

School of Business Associate Professor Susan McNamara has implemented the use of technology for her interns in Enactus to stay connected to each other as they develop projects that benefit the surrounding community and businesses in the post-COVID-19 era. Students are working, virtually, in small groups from their homes to develop these community projects.

Public Health Adjunct Lecturer Melissa Lyon found time in her busy schedule – she’s also public health director of the Erie County (Pa.) Department of Health – to connect remotely to develop a plan to continue support of 10 students who have a minor in Public Health, and are enrolled in a capstone internship in Chautauqua County with additional support from the Career Development Office.

“This semester, students have had the benefit of completing in-person internships and distance learning or virtual opportunities,” Wilkins explained. “We are fortunate to have supportive site supervisors and a phenomenal group of faculty sponsors to ensure students continue to learn and grow from these unique experiential and career-advancement opportunities.”