Internships for Credit:

A Unique and Effective Model for

Mentoring High-Risk Students
Lance Hignite, Ph.D.
Richard Yao, Ph.D.
Robin Cresiski, Ph.D.
Nevada State College

What were covering

Why did we pursue a unique model for
internships on our campus?
What were the critical components and
theories that shaped our model?
What do the internships look like
academically?
What were the outcomes?
Q&A
Resources for you

Life is Beau+ful

Shred your
uninformed goals.

Explore.
Change Majors.
Travel.
Find your passion.

Who are NSC students?

Non-traditional
Low income
Historically Underrepresented
First Generation

More students across US look like NSC students

Hispanic

Takeaways:
1) our students are/will be your students
2) we are fulfilling our mission of access

Or are we?

Do internships help our students

or perpetuate social inequities?
Internships increase chance of hire & postgraduation starting salary
But who has access?

Stress
Family
Obliga+ons
Lack of
transporta+on

Debt
Jobs
Kids

While longitudinal studies have shown

internships are positively perceived by the
students that complete them (Cook, Parker &
Pettijohn, 2004), questions remain about the
ability of diverse students, particularly low
income students, to access internship
opportunities and to what extent the
internships add real value to the student
experience, employment, and/or employment
satisfaction post-graduation (Callanan &
Benzing, 2004).

Not only are there extra obstacles

for these students, but students have
limited opportunities to gain skills to help
them succeed when on-the-job obstacles/
situations arise.

NSC students
have tools, but
they may not
look like
traditional
tools

Non-tradi+onal = has a unique perspec+ve

Low income = is crea+vely resourceful
Historically Underrepresented = has tenacity
First Genera+on = is brave & willing to pave the way

Non-traditional Students Need

a Non-traditional Mentorship Model
NSCs internship for credit pilot

Internship Program
Goal: facilitate and promote the academic,
professional, and personal development of
our students.
Traditional mentoring models typically
address future goals and success (Leslie,
Lingard & Whyte, 2005; Hesketh & Laidlaw,
2003)
The defining characteristic of our model is
our focus on the process of student
development in relation to Banduras (1997)
self-efficacy model.

Student Development
New learning is stressful!
It is difficult to prepare for the
predictable disruptions in ones sense of
self that come with the territory of real
growth, change, and development.
The college experience is extremely
challenging even under the best of
circumstances.

Student Development
Academic demands + work responsibilities +
family commitments + financial stressors +
new learning ! can lead to emotional
instability and maladaptive coping strategies.
We want to assist students in developing the
required skills to be successful in college and
beyond.
Raising ones threshold or capacity to
effectively cope with challenging situations.

Self-Efficacy Model
It is helpful to frame this process from a
theoretical context.
Students: Provides a context to process
their experiences in a more meaningful
way.
Faculty: Provides structure to guide
interactions with students throughout
the internship experience.

Self-Efficacy
Peoples judgments of their capabilities
to organize and execute courses of action
required to attain designated types of
performances (Bandura, 1986, p. 391).
Plays an influential role in many classes of
human behavior (coping with stress,
educational attainment, career
development, health-related behavior,
and addiction).

Self-Efficacy
Influenced by four primary sources of
information or types of learning
experiences (Bandura, 1997):
Personal performance
accomplishments.
Vicarious learning.
Social persuasion.
Physiological and affective states.

Self-Efficacy: Personal
Performance Accomplishments
Personal performance accomplishments:
The most influential source of self-efficacy
(Lent, Brown, & Hackett 2002)
Faculty members work closely with field
supervisors on developing learning plan
objectives.
Some objectives are very attainable and can
be accomplished early in the internship
experience.

Self-Efficacy: Vicarious Learning

and Social Persuasion
Vicarious Learning and Social Persuasion:
Internships also include exposure to
successful mentors and students
(vicarious learning)
Classroom support,
feedback, group supervision
with other students (social
persuasion)

Self-Efficacy: Physiological and

Affective States
Emotional arousal that stems from attempting a
demanding task.
Anxiety ! powerful cue regarding the possibility for
success or failure and the amount of effort required to
achieve mastery.
Adaptive vs. debilitating anxiety.
Maintaining high academic and professional
standards!
Vital to the process of academic and personal growth.

Self-Efficacy: Physiological and

Affective States
Cognitively reframe perceptions of anxiety,
stress, and uncertainty about ones abilities
related to the internship experience.
These affective states are a pre-requisite for
authentic growth.
Cognitive dissonance is a catalyst for change.

Students: more receptive to the challenges

and constructive feedback presented to
them by their faculty members and field
supervisors.

Self-Efficacy: Physiological and

Affective States
Stress Management: Psychoeducational
Materials
Cognitive Behavioral Concepts
Educating students on ways to more
adaptively cope with lifes stressors

Assertiveness Training:
Teach students to take initiative to meet their
needs at their internship site.

Academic/Scholarly Component
Class meets regularly with assigned faculty.
Assignments focusing on theory, research,
and best practices in relation to internship
experience.
Clear learning objectives.
Heavy faculty oversight and collaboration
between student and field supervisor.
Better experience for both student and
organization.

How does the academic

component look?

Career Development Questions

asked in assignments
What job experiences do you have? What skills do you
have that can be applied in a work setting?
Do you really wish to work in criminal justice or a
related field? Why?
Whatethical issues have you been confronted thus far
in your internship experience? How did you handle
them? Would you act differently if you were to be
confronted with them again?
Obtain an organizational chart of your agency. Mark
where your office or field supervisor appears in the
chart.

Career Development Assignments

Review the personnel handbook or standard operating procedures
of your agency. What are the formal rules for interns?
What are the steps a candidate must take in order to be hired at
your intern site? What training must he or she go through after
being hired? How is an employee promoted? What job
classifications exist at your agency or immediate work unit?

How do federal, state, or local politics affect the operation of your

agency? Why was your agency or organization created? If
applicable, what is the legal basis of your agency? Present a brief
history of your agency. How does your agency interact with other
agencies in the criminal justice system?
Explain are outcomes measured at your internship placement?

Reflection/Personal Growth Questions

asked in assignments
How do you feel about authority figures?
How do you react to constructive feedback, both positive
and negative? How well can you give feedback to others?
What strengths and weaknesses have you discovered in
yourself during your internship? Give several examples to
illustrate your points.
How do you think your new knowledge, increased
understanding of the criminal justice system, the new skills
you have acquired, and the personal growth you have
experienced will affect your future in terms of academic
achievements and career goals?

Reflection/Personal Growth Questions

asked in assignments
Do you want to continue to work in this area of criminal justice? Do you
want to work in any facet of criminal justice? Why or why not?
What have you done thus far in terms of being active in clubs or
professional associations for networking purposes?
Think about your Facebook or other social media pages. Now is the time
to update them, so that you are represented as a mature, responsible
adult who is about to embark on the first step to professional
employment. Discuss this process.
Based on your internship expectations, list specific goals in these areas:
a. Knowledge acquisition.
b. Performance assessment.
c. Personal growth.
d. Professional development.

Outcomes of our Pilot

Rate the level of satisfaction with the course:
4.86 (out of 5.0) for the psychology, criminal
justice, and history internship classes.
Rate the amount of effort required for
success in the internship course in
comparison to other classes they have taken
at Nevada State College: 4.87 (out of 5.0) or
much higher.

Outcomes of our Pilot

Hignite was consistent and pushed me towards a
successful future. This was the hardest semester I have
had so far because of the high demands this internship
required. (Criminal Justice student)
Dr. Yao expects a lot from us but at the same time
motivates one to perform well I definitely feel well
prepared for my next learning experience. (Psychology
student)
I was able to obtain full-time employment in the CRJ
field that Ive worked so hard to be a part of, and he
encouraged me to finish my degree. (Criminal Justice
student)

Questions?

Resources
Internship for credit policy, liability forms,
etc. can be found at:
www.nscmentors.weebly.com