Brockport Career Exploration Course
General Course Information and Requirements

The Brockport Career Exploration Course is a variable one- to six-credit elective course designed for students who wish to investigate and gain experience related to their career and academic goals. See a list of employers who have sponsored Brockport BCEC interns.

BCEC is not an academic internship. Internships usually require specific course prerequisites, major and class status, prior instructor approval, and a specific grade point average. BCEC is open to second-semester sophomores who have a minimum 2.00 GPA and the support of a faculty sponsor.

BCEC participants work closely with the Career Services, their immediate supervisor, and a faculty sponsor.

This sheet will walk you through the requirements of the course and provide you with general information. Use this as a checklist to guide you in the completion of the requirements of the course. The requirements are listed in their proper order of completion. A brief narrative further describing the requirement may also be included. Please read all information thoroughly before proceeding with the registration process.

PRIOR TO REGISTERING FOR THE COURSE:

Identify an agency where you will be working

· You are responsible for securing your own placement in the organization or area that closely resembles your academic major and career goals. Resources are available in Career Services for finding your placement . In addition, on-line access to job listings, on-campus interviewing, resume referrals and other career information is available through JobShop at http://www.brockport.edu/career/

· Some students find BCEC positions through faculty, friends of the family or other contacts. We encourage students to develop their own BCEC placement - a process similar to an actual job search.

· Whether or not you are designing your own placement, you will still have to call the agency or organization in which you plan to work.

Identify your immediate supervisor

· In addition to his or her regular duties, your supervisor will be asked at the end of the semester to evaluate your participation and progress. The evaluation will be closely matched to your job description and learning goals. Your supervisor's role will also be to verify on the Attendance Report the number of hours you worked.

Identify a faculty sponsor

· In order to participate in BCEC, you must receive prior permission/sponsorship from a faculty member. Contact a faculty member from a department that correlates with your type of work experience. The faculty sponsor's role is to help you integrate previously learned course work and concepts with your work experience. If you have trouble finding a faculty sponsor see Rob DiCarlo, senior associate for career services, for assistance.

· You should be prepared to give the faculty member information about the placement you have selected, your reason for selecting your placement, and your learning goals through participating in the BCEC.

Complete your learning agreement

· The BCEC Agreement is a proposal of your goals and activities for your placement that are agreed upon by yourself, faculty sponsor and immediate supervisor.

· Complete all sections. Be specific when completing the job description and outlining the learning objectives. Your work activities must be career-related and in keeping with college-level learning. Job descriptions that do not demonstrate college-level learning will not be accepted.

· Obtain necessary signatures from both your faculty sponsor and your immediate supervisor. You must also sign and date the form.

· Incomplete forms will delay your registration in the course.

· The completed BCEC Learning Agreement is due in the Career Services (attn: Rob DiCarlo) no later than the last day of the semester prior to commencement of your work experience. The form must be reviewed and approved prior to registration in the course, so allow time for review by the Career Services representative.

Complete the BCEC Application/Registration form

· Complete all sections. Choose the number of credits (1, 3, 6) carefully. Once you have been registered for the program and have decided on your course of study, you cannot change your credit requirement.

· Sign and date the form.

· Incomplete forms will delay your registration in the course.

· The completed BCEC Application/Registration form is due in Career Services (attn: Rob DiCarlo) no later than the last day of the semester prior to commencement of your work experience. The form must be reviewed and approved prior to registration in the course, so allow time for review by the Career Services representative.

· You will be registering for the BCEC course as you would for any other college course. Therefore, if you decide at any time to DROP the course, you must follow the established SUNY College at Brockport DROP policy with all appropriate fees applying. If you decide to drop the BCEC course you must notify Rob DiCarlo in Career Services.

You have now completed all preliminary requirements and are ready to begin the program requirements.

THINGS TO REMEMBER

Scheduling

· In planning your semester schedule, designate blocks of time for BCEC participation after required courses have been scheduled. BCEC usually averages eight to ten hours a week, however, it will require more time if you have chosen the six-credit option. (If you begin the work experience after the first week of class, you must still complete the required hours of participation.)

ACADEMIC REQUIREMENTS

Attend All Required Workshops / Seminar Meetings

· Students in the BCEC Course must attend one Orientation Workshop, one Work Environment Workshop, one Skill Assessment Workshop, and three group seminars. A schedule of these workshops has been provided to you in your packet as the Schedule for Required Workshops/Course Syllabus. Students opting for one credit need only to complete the Orientation Workshop. Students repeating the BCEC are waived from the three workshops, but must complete the alternate assignments instead.

· All participants (new and returning students) are required to attend the monthly seminar meetings outlined in the Course Syllabus handout.

Work/Credit Hours

· Complete the required hours of work experience as per your chosen credit option. Document your hours weekly on the Attendance Report (provided in your packet). Your immediate supervisor must confirm all hours worked and sign the form. Return the completed form at the end of the semester. Request and complete more forms, as needed.

Reflective Journal

· You are required to keep a reflective log or journal of what you do on a weekly basis. Your journal will be reviewed by the Career Services representative and your faculty sponsor. For specific guidelines and assistance in completing your journal, refer to the Guide to Reflective Journal Entries, and Reflective Journal - Student Sample provided in your packet.

Faculty Sponsor

· Schedule appointments, and provide your faculty sponsor with any other information requested throughout the semester (written reports, journal entries, goal accomplishments, etc.).

Program Assessment Form

· Complete the program assessment and turn it in to the senior associate for career services (Rob DiCarlo) by the last day of classes.

GENERAL INFORMATION

· Grading BCEC is graded Satisfactory/Unsatisfactory. Grades are determined by the student's faculty sponsor and are based on the immediate supervisor's evaluation of your performance, the satisfactory completion of Career Services’ requirements, and the completion of requirements for the faculty sponsor as outlined in the BCEC Agreement.

If you cannot complete the number of required hours (based on credit requirements) you must notify Rob DiCarlo (by the date on the standard College academic calendar) to arrange for a grade of Incomplete. If you do not meet the hourly requirements and do not notify Rob DiCarlo, you will receive a grade of Unsatisfactory.

· Credit/ Hourly Requirements BCEC can be taken as a one-, three-, or six-credit course. Hourly experience hours based on the chosen credit option are as follows:

1 credit == 40 hours
3 credits == 125 hours
6 credits == 250 hours

BCEC is elective, non-liberal arts, upper-division credit. Because it is a S/U course, it cannot count toward academic major or minor requirements.

· Career Exploration Options
Once your BCEC experience has ended, consider a second semester of career exploration coordinated through Career Services in programs such as the Albany Semester program, America Reads, Assembly Intern, or NYS Senate internship programs. You may also participate in a second BCEC experience.

· Problems or Questions
Contact Rob DiCarlo, assistant director of career services, at (585) 395-5422 if you have any questions about BCEC requirements; your faculty sponsor for concerns about your log, paper or periodic meetings; or your immediate supervisor for any concerns about your placement.

· Important Tip
Although you are a SUNY Brockport student, you will be observed frequently as a "pre-professional" or "employee" of your agency or organization. It is very important that you be on time, follow organizational procedures, dress appropriately and phone-in any "unavoidable" absences. The Work Environment Workshop will discuss expectations, office politics, communication on the job, and other issues related to the workplace.

Download BCEC forms

• Call Rob DiCarlo at (585) 395 5422 if you have any questions, or need the forms mailed. .

Return to the Internships Page.