BIO400 Course Overview: Employer & Student Guide

What are the Goals of the Course? 

The primary purpose of this course is to provide students with an opportunity to apply--in a practical setting--the expertise gained through previous course work. This is accomplished through work placements, or “internships.” These internships also provide a valuable opportunity to make personal contacts in the workplace. As such, the course is intended to help students bridge the gap between graduation and full-time employment. Therefore, attention is paid to helping students acquire practical skills that will serve them well in their job search and, eventually, in the workplace. To this end, the course includes a series of class meetings each focusing on a different practical issue relevant to future employment. The final written submission and oral presentation contribute to the development of communications skills.
 

What is an Internship?  

The internships take a variety of forms. In some cases, the employer may ask the student to complete an individual research project. In other cases, the student may be asked to join an existing project team. Field work or computer-based analysis may be involved, depending on the background and skills of the student.

To successfully complete the internship, the student is required to fulfill a work commitment of 200 hours (which is approximately equivalent to one day per week of the academic year). The scheduling of the work commitment is completely flexible, and is to be worked out by mutual agreement between the student and the employer. For example, one day per week throughout the school year, two half-days per week, four days per month, or one month full-time are possible arrangements. Some employers may have projects that require field work; if the student is available to begin field work in the summertime, some of the work commitment can be fulfilled before the school year begins.
 

What Does U of T Expect of the Employer? 

We expect the employer to provide the student with a project (or a variety of projects). This planning represents a significant commitment of thought, time, and effort, because the employer will need to create a “niche” for the student. The project might be specifically designed for the individual student, or the student might be given a role in an ongoing project. We hope and expect that the student will be given “real” work to do, rather than “busy” work. In some cases the employer will need to provide a physical place for the student to work (an office or a desk). In all cases the employer will need to spend some time orienting the student to the nature and requirements of the project, and monitoring the student’s efforts.

Once an employer has agreed to provide a placement, he or she will be asked to submit a brief job description (half-page). This will include a brief description of the job or project; a list of the skills required for the job (both academic skills and practical skills, such as writing or communication); and comments concerning any other project requirements, such as travel or availability for field work. The employer will also be asked to sign a workplace-education agreement form, so that students receive the appropriate insurance coverage while on the job. (The cost and administration of insurance is covered by the University and by the Ministry of Education and Training.) At the end of the school year, the employer will be asked to complete a brief form assessing the student’s performance on the job; this will provide part of the student’s mark for the course. The employer will be invited and encouraged to attend the end-of-year presentations by student interns.
 

What Are the Benefits to the Employer?

In exchange for the commitment to provide a project and a work environment for the student, the employer will receive 200 hours of free work from a top University of Toronto undergraduate student. We hope that students will use these hours to make a real contribution to the ongoing work of the organization. Employers will also have an opportunity to assess the qualifications of University of Toronto near-graduates. The University of Toronto at Mississauga is very interested in fostering working relationships with members of our community outside academia; there are many potential mutual benefits to such relationships. Some of the employers involved in this course are long-time friends of the University of Toronto at Mississauga; others are joining us for the first time. We are very appreciative of the efforts of all of these participants. Without their contributions, a course like this simply would not be possible.
 

What Does U of T Expect of the Student?

The student is expected to fulfill a 200-hour work commitment, according to a schedule mutually accepted by the student and the employer. If the 200-hour commitment is not fulfilled, the “employer assessment” portion of the course mark will be withheld. Students are responsible for their own transportation to and from the workplace. Every effort will be made to accommodate students’ needs with regard to the work location, but there are no guarantees.

Students’ work will be monitored by the faculty coordinator through phone calls, e-mail, periodic meetings, and, if necessary, site visits. As part of the monitoring process, the student is asked to submit a work activity log in which a record is kept of dates, times, and places of work, and activities undertaken. Students are expected to attend all course meetings. The main content of the course consists of the work carried out in the internship; however, short assignments related to the practical sessions will also be required. At the end of the school year, submission of the final written report and oral presentation will complete the course requirements.

Students are sent to BIO400Y internships as “ambassadors” from the University of Toronto at Mississauga. Their work in these internships is representative of the work of all other U of T students. We hope and expect that our students will act as professionals at all times. We know that they will be reliable, cooperative, and punctual. We believe that they will impress their employers not only with their existing skills and background preparation, but also with their intelligence and willingness to learn new skills.
 

What Are the Benefits to the Student?

In general, students gain valuable work experience from the course. The internship can be listed on a student’s resume as an example of relevant work experience. The practical sessions are designed to inform students about current issues of importance in industry and government. They may also be alerted to new developments that may have implications for their own future employment. Through the internships, the practical sessions, and the final written and oral submissions, students will gain a number of practical workplace skills, including communications (written and oral); job search and resume-writing skills; interpersonal and teamwork skills; issues identification and analysis; and project management. Finally, some students will be lucky enough to gain valuable personal contacts and perhaps even employment after graduation.
 

What is Expected of U of T and the Course Coordinator?

The University of Toronto is responsible for the cost and administration of insurance coverage for students involved in practical work as a component of their course work. Students who are working for an organization which has Workers Compensation Board coverage for their own employees are eligible for WCB coverage, handled by the University through the workplace-education agreement with the Ministry of Education and Training. Students who are completing their internship at an organization which does not provide WCB coverage for their own employees are still covered under the University’s comprehensive liability policy, through ITT Hartford. U of T will provide workplace-education agreement forms to be signed by the employer, the student, and the faculty course coordinator.

Additionally, the role of the faculty member will be to coordinate course activities. This includes arranging internship placements for each student. Efforts will be made to place students in workplaces that are appropriate to their backgrounds, interests, and experience, but there are no guarantees as to the type of placement that will be provided. The faculty member is also expected to monitor the student’s progress and to act as a mediator between the student and the employer, in case any problems arise. At the end of the school year, it will be the faculty member’s responsibility to gather all of the components of the course assessment and provide a course mark for the student.
 

BIO400Y Course Format

Class Meetings. There will be biweekly class meetings September through March.

Attendance at all of these meetings is absolutely crucial. Part of the mark for the course will be based on attendance. More importantly, because the class meets so rarely, you must attend these meetings in order to keep up with what is happening in the course and will fellow students.

Assignments. There will be short assignments, each linked to one of the practical sessions. (Refer to the Course Assessment Scheme included in this package.) These assignments are designed to help you delve deeper into some of the information provided at the practical sessions and work placement.

Work Activity Log. You will keep a log of the days, times, and places worked, activities undertaken, and any other relevant information. This is the type of record required by Revenue Canada for persons who are self-employed. The Work Activity Log will provide a small component of the course assessment. At the end of the year, the Work Activity Log must demonstrate that you have successfully completed the required 200-hour work commitment.

Final Written Report. The Final Written Report will be submitted at the end of term. The format of the report will differ from student to student, depending on the nature of your placement. However, this report should be professional and represent the work completed over the course of the year. A section of the report must reflect on the context of your contribution to the larger organization and the skills gained from this placement. Beyond these guidelines, you will have considerable freedom in the design of this report.

Oral Presentations. BIO400Y interns will present a full-day workshop after the end of term. Each student will be scheduled to give a professional oral presentation of some aspect of your work. The oral presentations will be 7 minutes with an additional 3 minutes for questions (we are REALLY strict with these times). Employers, deans, UTM staff and faculty, and other interested students will be invited to attend these workshops.

Practice session: Student attendance at the practice session is required (from experience we know how important these practice sessions are so that students who do not attend the practice session will not be allowed to give their presentations and will forfeit those marks).

Notes on Course Assessment:

• Each of the components of the course assessment will be explained in greater detail at course meetings and other handouts.
• The assignments will be short written assignments. Assignments are not intended to be time-consuming; rather, they will be designed to help you explore some of the information offered to you during the class meetings and your own placement.
• If necessary, the course coordinator may visit you at your workplace and meet briefly with you and your employer to assess your work and the appropriateness of your placement.
• The assessment of participation will be based on attendance and contribution to the scheduled class meetings, the practice session for the oral presentations, and the full-day Presentation Day at the end.
• Your employer will be asked to provide an assessment of your work, which will account for 30% of your course mark. The employer will assess the content of your work and your understanding of important issues, as well as your professional demeanor; reliability; cooperation, teamwork, and interpersonal skills; and ability to communicate effectively.

Employer Assessment Form 

STUDENT:

EMPLOYER:

COURSE COORDINATOR:

TO THE EMPLOYER:

Please provide an assessment of this student’s performance as a biology intern at your organization over the past school year. Your assessment may take into account (but needn’t be limited to) the following performance indicators:

• Quality and content of work completed
• Management of assigned tasks
• Communications skills (written, oral)
• Cooperation/teamwork/interpersonal skills
• Professional demeanor
• Reliability/punctuality
• Willingness to learn

It would be helpful if you would return the assessment to me before the Presentation Day. Your assessment will make up 30% of the student’s mark for the course. The final written report and oral presentation will be assessed separately, each making up 20% of the course mark.

Assessment: (expressed as a percentage; see attached sheet)

Employer’s Signature:

Please attach any comments concerning the student’s performance or any other aspect of the course. Thank you again for your extremely valuable contributions to this course, and please do not hesitate to contact me if you have any questions.

Grading Scheme for the University of Toronto: Percentage & Grade Definition

• 90-100 A+
• 85-89 A Excellent
• 80-84 A-
• 77-79 B+
• 73-76 B Good
• 70-72 B-
• 67-69 C+
• 63-66 C Adequate
• 60-62 C-
• 57-59 D+
• 53-56 D Marginal
• 50-52 D-
• 0-49 F Inadequate

Please use the space below for any additional comments concerning this student intern: