GRADES:
This is a pass/fail course. The employer evaluation, submitted by your supervisor toward the end of the internship, will count for 80 percent of the grade. Two student reports, one submitted midway through the summer, the other near the end of the internship, will count for 20 percent of the grade. You will receive links to the online survey forms to complete about a week before the reports are due. (See deadlines below). If you do not submit the two required reports, you will receive an incomplete. If your supervisor does not submit your evaluation, you will receive an incomplete.
To pass the course, you must earn a positive evaluation from your supervisor. If you do not, you will receive an F and will have to take another summer internship in 2021. If that internship is unpaid, you will not be eligible for a J-School stipend.
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Mid-summer Internship Report - Deadline: July 13.
This survey is a confidential check-in between you and Career Services so we can get a sense of how the internship is going and provide you with support if needed. We encourage you to reach out to us at any time if you experience any issues.
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Final Internship Report - Deadline: August 7.
This survey will ask you to rate your internship and provide feedback including pros and cons. Your feedback will inform future internship partnerships and will be shared with future students inquiring about previous student experiences.
If your supervisor changes during the course of your internship, email us at with the new supervisor’s name, title, phone number and email.
Optional: During the course of your internship we will ask you to send us photos of you on the job to be used on social media and on the J-School website and links to the good work you are doing. This will help us showcase the skills you are learning to potential employers who follow our social media feeds and who subscribe to our partner newsletters. (We want photos of you working — not posing. Ask a colleague to shoot them.)
J-SCHOOL STIPEND:
Unpaid internships approved by Career Services qualify for a $3,000 stipend. To receive the check you must register for the fall and return the summer internship agreement. The stipend is taxable and you will receive a 1099 next year. To receive your check, you must complete a W8 or W9 and provide Career Services with your legal name. If you do not want to pay taxes, you can apply the whole amount to your fall tuition. Stipends for international students will be processed through CUNYFirst. You must inform us of your decision in writing at the time you submit your internship for approval.
Students traveling outside of New York:
You will be required to fill out two CUNY forms: Travel Authorization and Travel Waiver form.
FOR NYC AREA SUMMER INTERNS:
Make plans to attend the mid-summer meet up in Room 308 on Tuesday, June 30 at 6 p.m. Catch up and share your experiences with classmates. We will serve some light fare (not pizza).
FOR STUDENTS INTERNING IN THE U.S. AND ABROAD
We will speak to you via video chat or by phone midway through your internship. This is mandatory and will be arranged in advance. Students travelling abroad are reimbursed for their airfare after the first $500. They are also required to attend safety training before they leave.
Students traveling abroad:
You must secure your internship by April 30. You will be required to complete the Internship Abroad Packet by that date as well.
WHEN YOU LEAVE YOUR INTERNSHIP
Sending handwritten thank you notes to your supervisor and anyone who helped you during your internship is a nice gesture. Gifts, however, are not appropriate.
A NOTE ON PLAGIARISM
It is a serious violation to take any material created by another person and represent it as your own original work. Any such plagiarism will result in serious disciplinary action, including possible dismissal from the Newmark J-School. Plagiarism may involve copying text without attributing the source, or lifting photographs, videos, or other materials and attempting to pass them off as your own. Student work may be analyzed electronically for plagiarized content.
SOME DO’S AND DON’TS
DO
• Dress appropriately for the media outlet.
• Be on time and arrange absences in advance.
• Ask questions
• Ask to sit in on editorial meetings to learn how decisions are made.
• Show initiative: pitch stories and volunteer for assignments.
• Contact us if you encounter any issues.
• Go to an HR person or other trusted colleague if someone in the workplace — including your supervisor — is making you feel uncomfortable.
• Ask your supervisor, if the internship went well, whether they would be a reference.
• Update your resume to reflect the summer’s work.
DON’T
• Be afraid to ask for more responsibility.
• Expect your internship to lead directly to a job. While sometimes it does, this is first and foremost a way to develop and showcase your skills.
• Write off your internship as a failure if you don’t love it or prefer another type of journalism. That’s part of the learning experience.