Cooperative Education & Internship Program Policies

• Student Eligibility
• Costs and Academic Credit
• Program Registration
• Interview
• Liability Waiver/Credential Release

Student Eligibility

• Any student regardless of race, sex, color, national origin, religion, creed, age, marital status, mental or physical disability, or veteran status.
• Any undergraduate or graduate student in good academic standing enrolled in a degree program.
• Any major on campus, however, College of Technology students should register with their located in the Technology building.
• Guest students of the university on a case-by-case basis.
• Students on academic warning or probation on a case by case basis.
• International students after they have met with the office and returned to us the form certifying their eligibility to work in the United States in a cooperative education or internship position.

Is It Possible To Be Ineligible For a Co-op or Internship Position?

All cooperative education and internship positions are competitive. Acceptance into the program does NOT guarantee placement.
Students who have been suspended from the university are not eligible to participate in the program.
Students who have graduated, are not attending graduate school at BGSU or are not a guest student of the university are ineligible to participate in the program.

Costs and Academic Credit

• All services of the Cooperative Education & Internship Program are FREE.
• Students receive academic recognition for their Co-op & Internship experiences through a notation (CO-OP 050) placed on their transcript. This notation is for zero credit hours, and maintains the ‘full-time’ status of the student by university policy.
• Academic credit is not required by the Cooperative Education & Internship program and cannot be awarded by the Cooperative Education & Internship Program.
• Students wishing to receive academic credit must contact their academic department for departmental policies regarding academic credit for co-op/internship assignments.
• Students agree to pay all applicable university fees if they ultimately receive academic credit from their department.

Program Registration

• Update their credentials (resume and Unofficial grade transcript) each semester
• Update the office database each semester
• Grant the Cooperative Education & Internship program the right to release their transcript and other materials compiled by the Cooperative Education & Internship program to potential employers for the purpose of evaluating their qualifications for employment
• Sign a Liability Waiver

• Notify the Program IMMEDIATELY if they accept any position related to their major and complete all necessary paperwork. This position can be secured through the Cooperative Education & Internship program, through a job fair, over the Internet, through their academic department, through their own networking, etc.
• Attend a Professional Orientation session before their first assignment.
• Perform all assigned co-op/internship duties to the best of their ability; satisfactorily meet all requirements of the employer and the Cooperative Education & Internship program, abide by the rules, regulations and policies of the employer and the university while out on assignment.
• Be supervised at the work site by the employer and have the option of not working in a hazardous environment.
• Have automobile liability insurance in force if driving an automobile during the work assignment.
• Acquire professional liability insurance through Bowling Green State University if so desired or if the work supervisor requests said insurance.
• Complete and return the Student Assessment form provided by the Cooperative Education & Internship program at the end of each assignment.
• Encourage their employer to complete and return the Employer evaluation form provided by the Cooperative Education & Internship program at the end of each assignment.
• Notify the Cooperative Education & Internship program IMMEDIATELY of any change in employment status during the assignment.

Interview

• Accept an interview appointment with only those companies where there is a serious interest.
• Write a letter of apology to an employer if the student cancels an interview, for any reason, on the day of the interview or fails to come to a scheduled interview. The student’s file will be placed on hold until a copy of the letter is given to the Cooperative Education & Internship Program.

Liability Waiver/Credential Release

Students wishing to participate in the Cooperative Education & Internship program agree with the following statement:

In consideration of my being permitted to participate in the Cooperative Education & Internship Program at Bowling Green State University, I for myself, my heirs, executors, administrators, and assigns, hereby waive and relinquish any and all rights, claims, or demands against Bowling Green State University or any University employees which may hereafter accrue to me be reason of any injury or injuries due to any accident or accidents, whether the same result in death or not, which I may sustain during such experiences provided by Bowling Green State University, as aforesaid; and I further agree for the above consideration for myself, my heirs, executors, administrators, and assigns, that I will not present any claim, or file any suit against Bowling Green State University or any University employees if I sustain injuries from said accident or accidents, whether said injuries result in death, or not, and whether or not such death be immediate.  I hereby attest and verify that I have full knowledge of the risks involved in this participation.

I further agree to indemnify and hold Bowling Green State University and its employees harmless from any claim or suit arising out of any alleged malfeasance, misfeasance or nonfeasance, or any alleged acts or omissions constituting malpractice by my in connection with such experience.

I understand that I will be supervised at the work site by my employer and I have the option of not working in a hazardous environment.  Also, I agree that my automobile liability insurance will be in force if I am driving an automobile during my work assignment. Furthermore, I understand that i can acquire professional liability insurance through Bowling Green State University if I so desire or if my work supervisor requests said insurance.

Also, I hereby give the Cooperative Education & Internship Program office the right to release my transcript and other materials compiled by the program office to potential employers for the purpose of evaluating my qualifications for employment.