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Roles and Responsibilities of Students, Employers, and Co-op Program

Co-op Goal:

Cooperative Education enables students to define clearly their education and career objectives through career-related work experience prior to graduation. Co-op is a partnership between the university and employers from government, industry, business, and non-profit organizations.

Students:

• Commit to being a productive employee during your Co-op placement.
• Pay the registration fees required to enroll in the appropriate Co-op course and corresponding units (3, 6, 9,12).
• Maintain a minimum 2.5 GPA for undergraduates and 3.1 for graduate students.
• Complete the end-of-semester Co-op report by deadline.
• Notify Co-op Coordinator should any problems or questions arise regarding your Co-op placement.

Employers:

• Provide a stimulating work opportunity that is directly related to the student's academic major.
• Maintain academically enhancing work assignments.
• Establish clear job descriptions prior to interviewing and selecting a student.
• Provide a job description for the Co-op staff.
• Require the student to enroll in the appropriate Co-op course, as designated by the Co-op staff and the student's academic department.
• Provide the student with appropriate wages/compensation.
• Provide appropriate supervision that will help the student meet learning objectives.
• Plan the work experience so that difficulty and responsibility increase as the student develops more skills.
• Expect the student to serve as a productive employee.
• Notify the Co-op Coordinator should any problems or questions arise regarding the Co-op student's performance and/or welfare.

(Note: If problems arise which are irresolvable after consultation with the Co-op staff and the student, the employer is not obligated to continued that student's placement.)

• Assist the Co-op staff and faculty in setting up a site visit with the students and/or a tour by the Co-op staff and/or CSUS faculty.
• Complete a one-page written evaluation form on the Co-op student's performance at the end of the work period. (The Co-op office will provide the form.)

Cooperative Education Program:

• Monitor, along with the faculty, the student's performance and job appropriateness.
• Ensure that the Co-op units are recorded on the student's official transcript along with the employer's name.
• Conduct site visits and/or tours.
• Facilitate faculty evaluation of the student's performance through reading the Co-op report and awarding an appropriate grade.