Philip Merrill College of Journalism | University of Maryland

JOUR 199 Survey Apprenticeship
Summer I 2009/Section 0101

Penny Bender Fuchs
Director of Career Placement and Professional Development
3116 Journalism Bldg.
Phone: 301-405-2796
Fax: 301-314-9166
pfuchs@jmail.umd.edu

Important note: This is a one-credit satisfactory/fail course that does not count toward your graduation requirements.

Requirements for this course:

At least 60 hours of service in an approved apprenticeship extended over 6 weeks, June 1-July 10.
A positive job evaluation from job site supervisor.
Participation in a class blog.
Final employer-signed time sheet, due July 10.
A conference with instructor, in person or by phone before July 10. (If you have already taken JOUR 399, this requirement is waived.)

Grading:
Students must complete the required number of apprenticeship hours, participate in the blog, receive good job evaluations from their supervisors and show up on time for their conferences to pass this course.

Recording Your Hours:
Arrange your schedule -- including your start and end date -- with your employer before you begin the internship. Most internships require two free weekdays. Work must occur on the job site or on assignment. Work performed at home will not count toward hours of service. Students may begin recording their hours on the first day of the session. All hours must be completed by July 10. Timesheets are available on Blackboard in the Course Documents folder. Bring in, mail or fax the time sheet by July 10. Be sure to total the hours and have your supervisor sign the form. You must have a minimum of 60 hours of service over 6 weeks to get credit for this class.

Evaluation by Job Site Supervisor:
One evaluation will be sent directly to supervisors during the semester. A sample of this document will be posted on Blackboard in the Course Documents folder. Supervisors are instructed to review the evaluations with students. Please take these comments seriously; the results of the evaluations are factored into students' grades. See Professional Demeanor below for additional information on performance and behavior on the job.

Participation in Class Blog:
Because JOUR 199 students meet only with the instructor, the blog will serve as our virtual classroom. Students will be required to check the blog regularly and post responses to topics raised by the instructor. Students should also read each other’s responses and are encouraged to respond to one another. The blog will be on Blackboard in the Assignments folder.

These topics are to be addressed in your blog entries:

Introduce us to your employer: Provide a description of the organization, including the type of medium and who owns it. (Is this a weekly newspaper, a Web site or a network affiliate, for instance?) Give the circulation, market size or unique visitors, and discuss the target audience. In a paragraph or two, tell us the history and the mission of this company. Entry due Friday, June 5.
Describe the personnel and the management: How many employees work there and who reports to whom? Note the diversity of the office in terms of race, gender and job type. You will likely need to get these facts from your employer. Entry due Friday, June 12.
What is a day like in your office? How do the deadlines work – describe the process of putting out the publication or getting the show on the air. Entry due Friday, June 19.
How did you get this internship and what is your role there? Describe the skills you've gained -- journalism skills as well as real-world skills, such as building relationships with supervisors, interacting with co-workers and managing work and school responsibilities.Entry due Friday, June 26.
What have you learned about the culture of the workplace and how professionals interact on the job? What surprised you? Entry due Thursday, July 2.
Did you have a mentor? Did you cultivate relationships with supervisors and co-workers? How will these relationships help you in your career? What advice would you offer your replacement?Entry due Friday, July 10.

You will rely on your own observations for your blog entries, but some answers will require research. You may interview and quote co-workers and supervisors, read histories posted on a company's Web site or another reliable source. However, your work should be your own. It must be clear to the reader where you got the information you cite. That means using attribution, just as you would in a news story. Credibility and integrity are hallmarks of what we do as journalists, so you must be stringent about crediting your sources. Not doing so leaves you open to charges of plagiarism. If you are uncertain what plagiarism is, the university's library system offers an excellent explanation: What is plagiarism?

Do not cite your blog entries in footnote style. The attribution should be in the body of the text, just like a news story.

A note about blogging: Blogs by their nature are more casual than academic papers and printed news columns. I encourage you to write in first person and to be creative but to also remember your journalism training. All your entries should be written professionally, in complete sentences, using AP style and should address the topics raised. Write with the same care you would an assignment to be handed in. Remember, this is about quality, not quantity, so avoid repetition and muddled writing.

This blog will be read by others in the class, so be honest in your assessments but take great care with facts. Do not unfairly criticize your employer or co-workers or publish unsubstantiated information. A good rule of thumb is to assume nothing is private on the Internet. Never post anything on the Internet that could hurt you professionally and never post anything you couldn't say to your employer.

Conference with internship coordinator:
Plan to talk with me for before July 10. This meeting is not a requirement for upperclassmen who have already taken JOUR 399, although it is encouraged. However, it is mandatory for freshmen and sophomores who have not fulfilled the internship requirement. Please e-mail me to arrange this appointment. We can talk by telephone if you are not in the region. Do not wait until the last day to schedule your conference. Punctuality is mandatory. Conferences may not be rescheduled if you do not contact me ahead of time.

Academic Integrity:
Along with certain rights, students also have the responsibility to behave honorably in an academic environment. Academic dishonesty, including cheating, fabrication, facilitating academic dishonesty and plagiarism, will not be tolerated. Any abridgment of academic integrity standards will be referred directly to the dean and the university's Office of Judicial Affairs. Confirmation of such incidents can result in expulsion from the university. All students will be required to sign an academic integrity pledge at the beginning of the semester that will cover all assignments in the course.

Professional Demeanor:
By enrolling in this class, you are entering the professional world of journalism and serving as emissaries of the college and the university. As such, you are expected to act with maturity and professionalism. Failing to meet professional standards in appearance, performance and attitude may cost you the job and result in an F in this course. Unacceptable behavior on the job includes disrespectful or improper communication with co-workers, an uncooperative attitude, failure to perform required tasks and failure to report to work on time. Please note that employers make the decisions to hire and fire students, not the college. But an intern who is terminated before completing the hours requirement will not pass JOUR 199.

Confidentiality Agreements:
Journalism is a competitive industry and some employers have strict policies regarding the release of proprietary or competitive information. It is not unusual for employers to require students to sign confidentiality agreements. All students in JOUR 399 must take care not to release sensitive information on the class blog or in communication with other interns. Examples of proprietary information may include news stories that have not yet been published or aired, details of new products or projects and internal company policies or staffing changes. If you are not sure what is considered proprietary at your workplace, be sure to ask your supervisor.

Equal Opportunity:
The University is an equal opportunity institution with respect to education and employment. The university's policies, programs and activities are in compliance with pertinent federal and state laws and regulations on nondiscrimination regarding race, color, religion, age, national original, sex, sexual orientation and handicap. On your apprenticeship site, if you perceive any problems related to the above or if you believe you have been the target for sexual or other forms of harassment, contact Associate Dean Olive Reid in 1117 JRN. I want this to be a valuable learning experience for you. If you or your site supervisor has any questions, call 301-405-2796 or the Student Services Office, 301-405-2399, Mon. - Fri., 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.