Philip Merrill College of Journalism | University of Maryland

JOUR 199 Survey Apprenticeship
Fall 2007

Penny Bender Fuchs
Director of Career Placement and Professional Development
3118 Journalism Bldg.
Phone: 301-405-2796
Fax: 301-314-9166
pfuchs@jmail.umd.edu

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

Requirements for this course:

60 hours of service in an approved apprenticeship.
Positive job evaluations from job site supervisors.
Midterm Report, due in my box in 1117 JRN by 4 p.m. Friday, Oct. 12. (No electronic submissions.)
Final Report, due in my box in 1117 JRN by 4 p.m. Friday, Nov. 30.(No electronic submissions.)
Time Sheets, due Oct. 12 and Nov. 30.
A conversation with me between Oct. 12 and Nov. 30.

Grading:
Students must complete the required number of apprenticeship hours, receive good job evaluations from their supervisors and show up on time for their conference to pass this course. Other work will be weighted as follows:

Midterm Report: 45 percent
Final Report: 45 percent
Discussion with me: 10 percent

Midterm Report:
In three to five double-spaced pages, demonstrate your understanding of your employer and what goes on in your workplace. A copy of this report will be available to students in the college’s career center. Cover these topics:

A description of the organization, including the type of medium. Is this a weekly newspaper, a Web site or a network affiliate, for instance? Give the circulation, market size or daily unique hits and note the target audience.
Who owns this organization? Discuss briefly its history and mission.
A description of 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.
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.
How did you get this internship and what is your role there?
At the end of this report, include the employer’s contact information for students who wish to apply for this internship.

Citing your sources: The sources you use to write this paper must be cited clearly within the text. You may use footnotes or provide attribution in newspaper style, but it must be obvious to the reader where you got your facts. Credibility and integrity are hallmarks of what we do as journalists, so you must be stringent about crediting your sources. Facts stated without attribution or footnotes may result in an F on this paper.

Final Report:
In 3-5 pages, double-spaced, evaluate your experience. Provide a thoughtful assessment of the type of work you were assigned and whether it was useful to you as a student and a budding journalist. Cover these topics:

Describe the skills you 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.
Relate your internship experience to your education at the College of Journalism. Did your journalism classes prepare you for this internship? Why or why not?
What have you learned that you will remember 10 years from now?
If you were training your replacement, what would you advise him or her?
Evaluate yourself and your employer. Be critical and honest. What went well and what could have been better about this experience?

Correct AP style, grammar and spellings are a must for both papers. Points are taken off for poor writing, spelling and grammar. Meeting deadlines is crucial in this profession. No midterm or final reports or examples of work will be accepted after the deadline for any reason.

Time Sheets:
Bring in, mail or fax the time sheets by Oct. 12 and Nov. 30. Be sure to total the hours and have your supervisor sign them. You must have a minimum of 60 hours of service to get credit for this class.

Conversation with internship coordinator:
Meet with me sometime between Oct. 12 and Nov. 30. 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. We will discuss the progress of your apprenticeship, your supervisor's evaluation and your midterm report. It is also a good opportunity for us to discuss future internships and have me review your resume and cover letter.

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.

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 me or Olive Reid, Director of Undergraduate Programs 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.