Intern Program/College of Natural Resources
General Program Information
Description of the Program
The College of
Natural Resources (CNR) Intern Program started in 1974 and has continued to grow and
diversify since that time. The program provides a unique opportunity for students to earn
credit at UW-SP while gaining valuable, practical work-related experiences in their
specialized fields of interest. These experiences cannot be duplicated through classical
formal instruction within the boundaries and confines of the university environment. The
College has worked to make this program as flexible as possible to fit the needs of the
sponsoring agencies and students. Although most internships involve a paid 12-week summer
position starting about the middle of May, some positions are offered either full or part
time during the fall or spring semesters or during the summer.
Currently the CNR places
approximately 138 students in paid intern positions with over 90 state, federal, municipal
and private agencies. These positions are usually located in the Great Lakes Region,
however positions may be located anywhere in the US, Canada or other countries.
Internships are available in all of the academic disciplines within the CNR including: Forestry
(forestry management, forest administration, urban forestry, forest recreation), Soils
(soil science, waste management), Water (fisheries, limnology, water
quality/chemistry, aquatic toxicology, fisheries, groundwater, watershed management,
wastewater treatment) Wildlife (captive wildlife management, wildlife management,
environmental law enforcement) Resource Management (environmental
education/interpretation, general resource management). It is also possible for a student
to locate, independently, a part-time, volunteer or paid position, and have the experience
apply to this program. This position must be approved and coordinated by an intern faculty
advisor in the student's discipline and must be of a professional nature and consist of a
variety of planned and professionally supervised experiences. Under these conditions
university credits can be earned toward graduation.
How It Relates
Established as a
Conservation Department in 1946, the natural resources program at the University of
Wisconsin-Stevens Point is the oldest and one of the largest of its kind in North America.
Within the CNR, students can major in wildlife, water/fisheries, soils, forestry, and
resource management and specialize in the options listed above. Minors are also offered in
conservation biology, environmental law enforcement, environmental education and
interpretation, soils, forestry, wildlife, water, and resource management. Each major and
minor involves integration with the other majors and minors so that a student receives a
broad integrated background. All students must take introductory course in all majors.
During the summer between the sophomore and junior years, all students must participate in
the summer field program at Treehaven, located near Rhinelander Wisconsin, which provides
practical integrated training in field techniques related to each CNR discipline.
Generally students participate in the intern program between their junior and senior
years.
How It Works
The duration, location, rate
of pay, criteria for evaluation, scope of experience, time and place of periodic meetings,
and number of credits to be earned for the internship are arranged by the intern faculty
coordinator and the agency supervisor. Student selection for internships is generally made
by the agency supervisor in consultation with the faculty coordinator. Criteria for
selection include completion of summer camp, junior or senior standing, number of upper
level courses completed in the major by the end of the junior year, grade point, and
previous experience. There are three general types of internships: (1) contract, (2)
non-contract, and (3) volunteer. Each intern student must have a supervising CNR faculty
member in the student's discipline who agrees to coordinate the internship at the
university.
(1) A contract internship includes internships where the agency
contracts (a training or work contract is developed) with UWSP for the student's wages. In
this type of internship the student is paid directly through UWSP's payroll office and the
agency is billed for wages at the end of the internship. The student must be registered
for intern credits during the period he or she is being paid through the university.
There is a small administrative fee of $50 charged to the agency.
(2) In a non-contract internship the student is paid directly by
the agency for the work performed during the internship.
(3) In a volunteer internship the student is not paid by the
agency or university, however in some cases such as the US Forest Service, a small daily
per diem may be paid directly to the student by the agency. Most of these internships are
selected for convenience reasons eg. they are close to their parents home, or they are in
a unique area of the country eg. Alaska. The duration of these positions may be less than
a standard internship and therefore may be offered for less academic credit.
Most internships are summer positions, and application forms are available during a
general information and position announcement meeting held during the spring semester by
each faculty intern supervisor. Applications are then screened by the intern and agency
supervisors and assignment made. For a 12 week summer internship students generally
register for 3 credits during the summer and 3 credits during the fall. The number of
credits is adjustable depending on the rigor and duration of the internship. All students
must register for summer intern credits or they will not be paid.
For cooperative education positions or internships involving rigorous research or
on-the-job training during the fall or spring semester the student can register for up to
12 credits. A student may not sign up for more than 12 intern credits. Intern courses
included in the program are Natural Resources 381, Forestry 381, Soils 381, Water 381, or
Wildlife 381 (Methods and Experiences in Natural Resources, or Forestry, or Soils, or
Water, or Wildlife).
Final grades for the internship credits are based primarily on the employer's and intern
supervisor's evaluations of performance and the final product or report which are usually
required as part of the internship. In addition, to help maintain and upgrade the quality
of the intern program, interns are required to evaluate their experience and the intern
program in general. To avoid misunderstanding, procedures and policies are described in
detail on forms sent to both intern and employer.
How It
Contributes
The Student
� Gains in practical experience.
� Obtains recommendation for graduate school or future employment.
� Becomes acquainted with professionals in the field in their
respective areas of natural resources.
� Develops an understanding of professional responsibilities and
effective working relationships.
� Develops an appreciation for good public relations in natural
resource professions.
� Becomes better acquainted with the CNR supervising faculty member.
� Learns to design and conduct a discipline specific field research
project and analyze natural resource data.
� Learns how to write a technical or scientific report under
professional supervision by the faculty and agency supervisor.
� Advertises his capability for permanent employment with the
agency.
� Reaffirms career goals.
� Earns university credit toward graduation.
The Agency
� Obtains conscientious employees with 3
years of professional-related college education.
� Identifies the possibility of potential permanent employees.
� Opportunity to establish a mutually important agency-university
parternship.
� Obtains a technical report or other product completed by the
intern which includes useful information to the agency.
The University
� Establishes contacts for placement of
college graduates.
� Increases exposure of the quality of programs offered to a wide
variety of publics not normally reached through classical approaches.
� Becomes better acquainted with agency
personnel.
� Becomes better acquainted with agency programs and needs.
� Establishes agency contacts for future cooperative relationships
including research opportunities.
� Produces better prepared, higher quality graduates.
For Additional Information
Contact the Intern
Director, College of Natural Resources, UW-Stevens Point, Stevens Point , WI 54481. Phone:
715/346-4181.
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