Academic Internships

CSULB is supportive of academic internships that enhances the academic experience and supports the needs of the community. The primary concern associated with academic internship experiences that include academic credit is student safety. Long-term and short-term agreements between CSULB and community organizations must include understanding and adherence to risk management issues.

CSULB provides two types of professional and general liability insurance for students enrolled in academic internship courses. 

The Student Academic Field Experience for Credit Liability Insurance Program (SAFECLIP): SAFECLIP provides Professional Liability and General Liability for enrolled students performing service learning or internships for academic credit.

The Student Professional Liability Insurance Program (SPLIP): SPLIP provides Professional Liability and General Liability for students enrolled in a Health Profession practicum, Social Welfare program, Social Work program, or Education Credential program when required by a host institution for participation in the internship program.

For additional information on student professional liability insurance coverage and limits, please contact the Risk Management Office.

To be eligible for coverage, a student must be enrolled in a course, in good standing, while completing an internship and registered/enrolled in a course that requires the internship experience, including academic breaks during the policy period. A written affiliation agreement between the host institution and the University must also be in place that requires the student to carry Professional Liability and/or General Liability insurance coverage. Students enrolled in a course for which student Professional liability and/or General Liability coverage is required are protected from claims made at any time provided they were covered at the time the actual or alleged incident occurred.

Academic programs that require fieldwork or internship experience as part of the course requirement need to memorialize the agreement with the internship site through an “Affiliation” or “Student Field Placement” agreement. The agreement secures the student’s access to the site and ensures that the site’s personnel will supervise the student and provide a meaningful experience. The agreement also defines the relationship between the University, the site, and the student.

An agreement between the University and the internship site is necessary for all unpaid internship placements for academic credit, as well as internships that the University is responsible for coordinating or for which the University provides academic credit.

Contact Contract Services for more information. 

Throughout the semester, students may encounter issues at their internship site or faculty might suspect internship sites not meeting expectations. Utilize the Protocol for Internship Site Concerns decision tree to navigate through these issues. 

Communications Protocols for Student Complaints

Student interns are encouraged to bring issues or complaints to their internship site supervisor and/or internship instructor as early as possible. We find that many issues can be resolved informally if brought up early. Interns are encouraged to contact the following personnel with issues and/or complaints:

1. Interns first point of contact for issues and complaints is their internship instructor. Every attempt will be made to reach a resolution through informal discussion and negotiation.  If necessary, site supervisors will be included in these discussions.
2. If the issues and/or complaints cannot be resolved in consultation with their internship instructor, the issue can be escalated to a department and/or college internship director/coordinator or the department chair. One of them should step in to meet with the student, along with the internship instructor (and site supervisor if relevant). 
3. If a resolution cannot be reached, the issue can be escalated to the Academic Internships Office. Staff from the Academic Internships Office will meet with the student, internship instructor, and any department/college level faculty and staff (and site supervisor if relevant).
4. If the issue cannot be resolved, the student intern can be removed from the internship site and documentation of the issue will be retained by the Academic Internships Office. Departments with students active at the internship site will also be informed of the issue and recommended to check in with the student intern and/or site supervisor. 

*Documentation of all communications should be maintained by the internship instructor. 

Process for Addressing Complaints: Internship site supervisors might contact internship instructors to address concerns with a student intern, or vice versa. The following procedure can be used to assist in mediating an issue between the student intern and internship site. Review the detailed Process for Addressing Internship Complaints document for more information. 

1. Gather information from the internship site. 
2. Gather information from the student intern. 
3. Check in with the internship site supervisor and student intern. 
4. Conduct a Site Visit if needed. 
5. Complete a Performance Improvement Plan if needed. 
6. Follow up and determine if additional action steps are needed. 

When is a Student Fieldwork Placement Agreement (SFPA) required? 

PS 24-21 is the CSULB Policy on Academic Internships (Non-clinical/non-licensure) and establishes guidelines for campus student internship policy and procedures. The policy states that the university will be responsible for internship planning, placement assessments, internship site visits, placement and orientation, and an annual review. 

An agreement between an internship site and the university is required when a student is receiving academic credit from the university for the internship and the internship is unpaid- “Agreement of internship site to meet campus expectations, including a signed placement agreement between the internship site and the CSU that addresses both the internship site's and the campus's role in the internship, as well as the student's responsibilities.” 

For the purposes of this policy "internship" does not include teacher preparation placements or clinical placements such as for nursing, counseling, physical therapy or speech language pathology.

How do I know if an organization has a SFPA with CSULB? 

Each College is responsible for executing, storing, maintaining, and renewing their agreements. Copies of current executed agreements can be found on the Financial Management SharePoint. If you do not have access to the site, click on the link and request access. Once you are given access, you can review the SFPA housed in each college’s folder to see which agreements each college has. If a college has an agreement in place with an organization you are working with, you can check with Contract Services to see if the agreement will also cover your college. If so, a new agreement is not required. If not, you will need to execute a new agreement. See “How do I initiate a SFPA?” below. 

What is the review and approval process for new internship sites?

New internship sites should be vetted by the internship instructor and/or faculty/staff coordinating internships for the college and/or department to ensure students are in a safe environment, the site can provide appropriate training and supervision, and provides appropriate professional or skill development opportunities. Contact the AIO (cce-internships@csulb.edu) for additional information and templates to complete a site assessment. 

How do I initiate a SFPA?

Refer to Financial Management’s Student Fieldwork Placement Agreement DocuSign Instructions. 

How do I renew a SFPA?

The renewal process for agreements should begin 3 months before the expiration date. Email the internship site to receive updated contact information and follow the Student Fieldwork Placement Agreement DocuSign Instructions to initiate the agreement. 

Are internship site visits required?

In person site visits are not always required. It is recommended to visit a new internship site to develop rapport with the internship site supervisor and strengthen relationships with community partners. Use the CCE Risk Assessment Rubric to determine if a site visit is needed. If a student reports a safety, interpersonal, or professional behavior issue, it is recommended the internship faculty conduct a site visit. 

What forms do students need to complete for an academic internship?

Students need to provide emergency contact information to the internship instructor or department and complete the CSULB release of liability form before starting their internship. Forms can be submitted and stored by the internship instructor. We also recommend that students and internship site supervisors complete a learning contract, mid-semester evaluation, and end of semester evaluation. Any additional forms are up to the discretion of the internship instructor. 

Where do I direct students to find internship opportunities?

Depending on your department, some departments have a list of approved internship sites. Visit your department’s internship website information or speak with a college or department internship director/coordinator for information specific to your department. 

You can also refer students to internship resources from the Career Development Center to assist with searching for internship opportunities. 

What should I do if a student or internship site reports a problem? 

Utilize the Addressing Issues with Interns and Internship Sites Guide to address issues brought up by the student intern or the internship site supervisor.