Experiential Learning Opportunities

Semester Hour Limits to Experiential Learning

Students may earn up to a total of thirty (30) semester hours of course work in cooperative design, cooperative education, field experience, internship, practicum, or student teaching experiences toward a bachelor’s degree program.

Eligibility Requirements for all Students for Experiential Learning:

Enrollment at Lakeland is required at the time a student applies for any experiential learning
Completion of any prerequisite course(s) required
Achievement of test score, grade point average or any other specific non-course requirement to the course.

Additional Requirements – course specific:

Cooperative Education Experiences:

Completion of EXP 100: Professional Protocol with a C grade or better, or successful audit grade of SA or any other program specific prerequisite course(s) or conditions for enrollment.
Cumulative Lakeland GPA of at least 2.0, or GPA standard set for entry to the specific cooperative education course (which may be higher) or faculty approval.

Internships:

Cumulative Lakeland GPA of at least 2.50, or GPA standard set for entry to the specific internship course (which may be higher).
Students must have completed two full-time semesters or have accumulated at least twenty-four (24) semester hours prior to enrollment in internship.

Field Experience and Student Teaching:

Field Experience: Accepted to Education Division prior to placement.
Student Teaching: all undergraduate courses must be completed before student teaching.

Process for Obtaining a Cooperative Design, Cooperative Education, Internship, Practicum Experience Approval:

Discuss any of these experiences with academic advisor, supervising faculty member or members of the Cooperative Education & Career Readiness Office.
Once an organization or company is able to place student in a work position:
- Complete the hire and onboarding process for the organization or worksite.
- While also working to complete the request process in Handshake, to acquire necessary approvals from worksite and faculty supervisor, careers staff. Once the approval process is complete, enrollment processing is completed by the Records office into the appropriate course.
The Handshake process and all approvals must be complete by the end of the add/drop deadline date for the semester or session in a semester, in which experiential learning experience is to occur in order to achieve final enrollment status.
Note: If an experiential learning experience has work hour expectations that differ from the standard definitions above, the course must clearly identify the work hour expectation in its description.
- A student’s participation status may also differ if a non-standard working hour expectation is part of the course.
- Please discuss these situations with the Career Readiness and Registrar staff before applying for placement.

Process for Obtaining a Field Experience and Student Teaching Placement:

Complete the review and application process in the Teacher Education program for field experience or student teaching placements with The Director of the Center for Teaching Excellence.
- Faculty/academic advisors within the Education program secure school placement sites.

International Students have the following additional requirements:

Visit with the Designated School Official prior to seeking placement to discuss eligibility for placement.
- Then, obtain a job offer verification completed and signed by the student and the worksite supervisor.
Visit the Office of the Registrar to receive a new I-20 for Curricular Practical Training (CPT) authorization from a Designated School Official.
- Students may not begin any experiential learning without a SEVIS I-20 authorization for the placement.
- Must be required in the major and certain work standards apply.
Once the student has approval of the I-20 form they may complete the Handshake process.
For SEVIS reporting purposes, international students are considered full-time employees if they log more than twenty (20) hours in a single work week at an employer, regardless of the length of term.
- Students should be aware of the limitations of full-time employment.
- An international student may only pursue full-time hours (more than 20) during planned breaks at the institution such as spring or a semester break.

Contact Hour requirements for ALL Experiential Learning:

Dates of any experiential learning experiences must match the semester or session in the semester the work experience will occur * see note re: Field Experience & Student Teaching.
If work occurs in a new term, a new request is made in Handshake.
Start and end work dates of the experience must not cross into date spans of a prior or subsequent academic term (see any specific restrictions below).
A student must complete a minimum ¾ of the experiential learning work hours within the session they are completing the work experience to qualify for an incomplete contract to finish the expected work hours.

Contact Hour Requirements – course specific:

Cooperative Education OR Internship Experiences:

Work outside the classroom must involve a minimum of forty (40) contact hours of immersive work experience for each semester hour awarded.
- Example: 12-semester hour cooperative education (or internship) experience X 40 contact hours = at least 480 hours.
  - For 7-week sessions, a student may register for no more than nine (9) semester hours of these experiences.
  - For 12-week sessions, a student may register for no more than twelve (12) semester hours of these experiences.
  - For 15-week sessions, a student may register for no more than twelve (12) semester hours of these experiences.

Field Experience:

Requires a full-day, three-week commitment of time following the academic calendar of the cooperating school. *This can end after the official conclusion of Lakeland’s academic term.
Occurs in their Junior year.

Student Teaching:

Requires full-day, full-semester commitment of time (approximately 18 weeks of student teaching) following the academic calendar of the cooperating school. *This can end after the official conclusion of Lakeland’s academic term.
This is their final semester of coursework along with enrollment in EDU 370: Student Teaching Seminar.

NOTE: Both Field Experience and Student Teaching students are able to reside in campus housing by submitting a summer housing application.

The Director of the Center for Teaching Excellence, Housing Director and Billing Office will work with students to collect appropriate paperwork and set-up payment of housing, service, and meal plan fees upon enrollment to theses specific education courses.
- For more information, contact the Director of the Center for Teacher Excellence.

Any exceptions to policy may occur on a case-by-case basis and must have written sponsorship of a member of the Lakeland University faculty. Submit requests for exceptions to the Vice President for Academic Affairs Office for review.

Financial Aid Eligibility for all Experiential Learning:

Students completing full-time experiential learning experiences at Lakeland University may remain eligible for full financial aid support.
Students enrolled in experiential learning experiences not full-time may be eligible for aid, but eligibility is determined on a case-by-case basis.
Students should consult with staff in the Office of Financial Aid and Educational Funding regarding eligibility criteria and level of support for either scenario.