Course Syllabus

Course Description

Family 498R is a required internship experience which allows a student the opportunity to select a professional family services setting in which they will work for a minimum of 160 hours, for at least 7 weeks and at least 10 hours each week, applying concepts and developmental knowledge gained in major coursework to strengthen and enrich the lives of families while deepening understanding and sharpening skills through hands on experiences and professional mentoring.

Course Outcomes

  • Apply knowledge and skills pertaining to marriage and family studies in real-world settings
  • Demonstrate leadership and professionalism in a work environment.

Course Policies

A BYU-Idaho student intern must:

  • Maintain health insurance coverage during the period of the internship.
  • Comply with all employer policies/procedures at the internship site.
  • Maintain BYU-Idaho Honor and Dress and Grooming standards.
  • Follow professional/ethical guidelines related to serving families, including but not limited to the following:
    • Never harm participants.
    • Strive to ensure that programs and services for participants are based on current knowledge and research.
    • Respect and support families in their task of nurturing children.
    • Stay informed on and maintain high standards of professional/ethical conduct, including respecting privacy and maintaining confidentiality.
    • Respect colleagues and support them in maintaining professional/ethical standards.
    • Engage in an ongoing process of self-reflection, realizing that personal characteristics, biases, and beliefs have an impact on families.
    • Be open to new ideas and be willing to learn from the suggestions of others.
    • Continue to learn, grow, and contribute as a professional.

(Adapted from NAEYC Statement of Commitment).

Department Policy Regarding Intellectual Property and Course Materials

All of the materials in this course are covered by fair use and copyright law and are proprietary (intellectual property). Students are not permitted to sell, post, trade, share, distribute, or send any information contained in this course (including outlines, handouts, syllabi, exams, quizzes, PowerPoint presentations, lectures, audio and video recordings, or images of the same, etc. including your own work for this course) to any parties outside of this course (ie Course Hero, Quizlet, Google Docs, etc.) by any means (e.g., posting, uploading, attachments, etc.) without the express written permission from the creator of these works and the Department Chair. Any of these actions violate the Academic Honesty policies of Brigham Young University-Idaho (please see Academic Honesty) and will be dealt with as such. The materials in this course are also intellectual property and taking any materials from the course and posting them outside of this course in any manner will be construed as theft and distribution of intellectual property. If you engage in any of these actions, or use any of these materials without authorization, the instructor has the right to impose an appropriate academic sanction (e.g., give you a failing grade for the assignment and/or fail you from the course). Additionally, the respective Course Lead, Program Lead, and/or Department Chair also reserve the right to impose appropriate academic sanctions regardless of any imposed by the instructor.

Course Assignments

*For all of your writing in this course, it is expected to be the highest quality. Be sure to proof read your papers and check for any spelling or grammatical errors (history indicates that "spell-check" is insufficient).

Syllabus Quiz (50 points possible) You will carefully read the syllabus and complete the online syllabus quiz posted in I-Learn. This assignment is due no later than Saturday of the week after the canvas course opens to students, whichever comes first. Late assignments will be docked 10% per day that they are late.

Internship Goals and Objectives (75 points possible) You will establish specific goals, with related actions to focus your internship experience. Goals are what you hope to accomplish and actions are the specific steps you will take to accomplish the goals.

  • Your goals and actions should relate to what you hope to accomplish in the internship and the professional growth you hope to obtain from the experience, based on the Magarrell (2003) criteria located in this course. See below for the Magarrell (2003) criteria.
  • You should set four specific goals, with at least two actions related to each goal, one goal from each of the four  Magarrell (2003) criteria sections. You will report on your progress toward these goals in your final internship paper.
  • Please submit your goals and actions assignment by uploading it in I-Learn by no later than Saturday of the first week of your internship course. Read the directions for this assignment in the module link to the assignment. 

Weekly reflections journal (25 points per week possible)

You will need to write a weekly reflection journal for each week during your internship experience. These will be submitted as you go, not all at the end of the semester. For each reflection entry you are to think deeply about and make connections between your academic training in the classes you've completed in the Marriage and Family Studies major and your actual hands on experiences in the internship. Although you will provide a brief description of what you experienced that week, this will not be the primary focus of your reflection journal. You will not just provide a description of what you did at the internship site, but rather connections and reflections. Reflections entries should be NO LESS than 500 words. If approached properly the reflection process can lead to great personal growth in confidence and skills. Please be aware that your reflection entries will be read only by the Internship Coordinator and the TA. All personal thoughts, insights, frustrations, etc. will remain confidential.

Formatting matters! 

  • For each entry, put the following information in the top left-hand corner: Your name, Internship Site, dates worked this week, hours worked this week, total hours worked thus far, week of your internship.
  • Journal Entry Paragraphs:
  1. A brief description of what you actually did during the week
  2. What you learned during the internship that week
  3. (This is a key paragraph.) What you learned about yourself. Please take the time to ponder on this question before you write.
  4. What connections you can make between what you learned/experienced that week and the coursework/training that you have had at BYUI (think of, and name, at least one specific course in this section)
  • Submit reflection entries by uploading them to I-Learn no later than Monday after the week the work completed. Like all late work, reflection entries may be docked 10% per day after their due date, up to 50% off.
  • Interns are nearing the end of their education at BYU-Idaho and, as such, should have the capacity to provide deep, meaningful reflection. Therefore, weekly journals that do not possess adequate depth will receive deductions. Note that there are columns for 16 reflection entries but you only need to submit one reflection per week that you serve in your internship.

Internship Presentation (50 points possible)

The purpose of the power point presentation is to inform new or potential Marriage and Family Studies majors about possible internship and career possibilities in the field.

  • You will create a power point presentation about your internship experience and share it via YouTube, Prezi, or Zoom/Kaltura so it can be shared with future interns. In the video, you should narrate your presentation slides. To submit the assignment, upload the link to the Internship Presentation assignment on I-Learn.
  • In the power point respond to the following points:
  1. How did you find/arrange the internship?
  2. What were your responsibilities in the internship?
  3. How did you benefit the site you served at?
  4. How did you benefit personally from the experience?
  5. Describe one important connection between your coursework and what you experienced during your internship.
  6. Would you recommend this site/experience to other students?
  7. If yes, whom should students contact to arrange an internship at the site?
  • Be sure to proofread carefully and make the presentation appealing and professional. The presentation should last approximately 8-12 minutes. 
  • Prepare your outline/main points. Remember, your video should only be 8-12 minutes long. Do your best! Many students in the FAML 150 online class will be looking at your presentation for years to come (no pressure).
  • You can use YouTube, Prezi.com or Zoom/Kaltura (found at byui.edu)  to record and narrate your presentation video. Slides are required. 
  • If you create a video that needs to be uploaded (anything other than Prezi), upload this video to YouTube. If unfamiliar with how to upload a video to YouTube, watch this video: (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oZvBuqRxaPs). You may also create a Prezi (prezi.com) and upload the public Prezi link rather than creating a YouTube video.
  • If you run into any technical difficulties, please call 208-496-9000 and they can help.
  • Submit the Internship Presentation in the correct assignment drop box on I-Learn. You will need to do this before end of the semester.

Internship Report (100 points possible) You will write a final written report about your internship experience. In the report:

  1. Describe how well you met your four internship goals (which were chosen from the Magarrell (2003) criteria) and evaluate your effectiveness in your internship experience.
  2. Provide a brief discussion of how your internship experience has furthered your preparation as a professional and disciple of Christ
  3. The Internship Report should be between 3-5 pages, double-spaced.
  4. Submit the Internship Report by uploading it to I-Learn before the end of the semester.

Weekly Signed Time Logs - Do not let 1 point fool you! Completing your weekly signed time logs is required to provide documentation of hours worked in order to pass the internship class. You will complete weekly time logs to be signed by your supervisor, documenting the hours you work at the internship site.

  • Note that you must complete the full 160 hours at the internship site to complete the internship and these hours must be spread over a minimum of 7 weeks.
  • Per University policy, students are to complete at least 10 hours per week.
  • You should complete the time logs weekly, but do not send them in weekly. Keep them and turn them all in at the end of your internship experience. To submit them you can scan them or take photos of them and upload them to I-Learn as PDF or jpeg. 

Online Self Evaluation (25 points possible) - You will complete an online "Internship Self Evaluation". This can be found in the Course Conclusion module.

  • If you and your supervisor agree to a change in the end date for your internship please let me know and the Academic Discovery Center know as soon as possible.

Online Employer Evaluation (75 points possible) -Your supervisor will complete an online "Internship Employer Evaluation" form in regard to your work as an intern. 

  • IT IS YOUR RESPONSIBILITY TO ENSURE THAT YOUR SUPERVISOR COMPLETES THIS REQUIRED EVALUATION. The supervisor will receive instructions from the BYU-I Academic Discovery Office about how to access and submit the Employer Evaluation form via e-mail about 2 weeks before the end date of your internship experience. 
  • If your supervisor has not received this email by the appointed time, you will need to contact the Academic Discovery Center.
  • If you and your supervisor agree to a change in the end date for your internship please let me and the Academic Discovery Center know as soon as possible.
  • Your supervisor will send the completed Employer Evaluation to the Academic Discovery Center. The Academic Discovery Center will process it and then forward it on to me so I can give you credit for it. 

Magarrell Criteria for goals assignment AND final internship report

The ability to evaluate your strengths and weaknesses on the job and then modify your actions accordingly is essential to maintaining employment and expanding your growth as a professional. You will read the following criteria and select one goal from each of the four sections, based on the criteria included in each section. Your goals assignment will be submitted during the first week of your internship semester. Then, as you prepare your final internship report at the end of your internship, evaluate yourself according to the goals you had set from the following criteria developed by Magarrell (2003, pages 37-40):

Job competence

Decision Making: the ability to make sensible, efficient, and effective decisions while taking into account the opinions and concerns of those affected by such decisions.

Problem Solving: seeking different solutions by processing information in new ways in order to evoke useful solutions to challenges being faced by others.

Organizational Skills: the capacity to clearly see what needs to be done and then to proceed in an orderly, logical manner. Also, the ability to involve others in projects such that both efficiency and effectiveness are maintained.

Productivity: creation or production of quality products within reasonable time constraints, whether it be working directly with clientele, or producing materials to assist the Experience Provider.

Initiative: recognition and completion of assignments without being told; doing more than is required; taking on challenging, routine, or mundane projects with zest; assuming responsibility for beginning, or originating new ideas or methods to benefit the Experience Provider.

Professionalism

Personal Appearance: maintaining a professional tasteful image; dressing in accordance with Agency policy: neat, clean, and orderly.

Attitude: a mental and neutral state of readiness, exerting a positive directive or dynamic influence upon the individual's response to all objects, people, and situations with which it is related.

Punctuality: being on time; promptness; immediateness.

Dependability: the quality of being reliable, able to be counted on to do what is expected or required; trustworthy; showing levelheadedness or steadiness in what you have committed to do.

Confidentiality/Trust: keeping information and other experiences within the agreed upon context (i.e., private, limiting the sharing of information).

Adaptability: the ability to change to meet the needs of the agency, clientele, or project without too much difficulty; appropriate flexibility.

Interpersonal Relations

Participant Relations: connections with participants; showing appropriate respect; maintaining a helpful yet professional relationship.

Empathy: the ability to understand what another is going through, thereby allowing you to appropriately direct the individual to needed resources or resolutions.

Staff Relations: connections with staff; appropriate regard and working relations.

Cooperation: the ability to work with others in harmony, carry your share of the workload, and labor or act with others toward a common objective or goal.

Friendliness: extending yourself to others in an amiable and respectful manner.

Communication, Verbal: the ability to accurately transfer meaningful information via spoken words and body language such that the message is received and understood by recipient; proficiency in the oral expression of thoughts, feelings, and information such that confusion and repetition are limited.

Communication, Written: the capacity to accurately transfer meaningful information using written instruments (memos, reports letters, email, etc.) such that the message is received and understood by the recipient; proficiency in the written expression of thoughts, feelings, and information such that confusion and repetition are limited.

Personal attributes

Creativity: the ability to envision and develop unique ways of approaching and carrying out projects or solving problems; bringing to mind possibilities that have not been previously entertained; inventiveness.

Enthusiasm: an intense or eager interest in what is being done, accompanied by excitement, energy, and optimism; an infectious attitude that radiates to others.

Persistence: the willingness to stick to a task under unexpected circumstances until it is satisfactorily complete; endurance; resoluteness; tenacity; persevering in mundane or difficult tasks and seeing them through to completion.

Assertiveness: the willingness to actively participate, state, and maintain a position, until convinced by the facts that other options are better; requires initiative and courage to act.

Stability: mentally and emotionally healthy; steady in purpose; firmly established; durable; enduring.

Self-Motivation: the capacity to draw from within the necessary energy and enthusiasm to complete a duty; the ability to stay focused and on-task when unmonitored by a supervisor or other external control.

Desire to Learn: the willingness to expend the effort to understand and learn what is needed to fulfill responsibilities; openness to receiving feedback and incorporating that information where possible; having an attitude of inquiry and a willingness to do the required research or study to reach a desirable end.

Course Grading

The total points for the course will vary based on the number of weeks served in the internship. Grades will be determined based on the following scale:

Grade Percentage Range
A 100% - 94%
A- 93.99% - 90%
B+ 89.99% – 87%
B 86.99% – 84%
B- 83.99% – 80%
C+ 79.99% – 77%
C 76.99% – 74%
C- 73.99% – 70%
D+ 69.99% – 67%
D 66.99% – 64%
D- 63.99% - 60%
F >60%

University Policies

Students with Disabilities

Brigham Young University-Idaho is committed to providing a working and learning atmosphere that accommodates qualified persons with disabilities. If you have a disability and require accommodations, please contact the Disability Services Office at (208) 496-9210 or visit their website and follow the Steps for Receiving Accommodations. Reasonable academic accommodations are reviewed for all students who have qualified documented disabilities. Services are coordinated with students and instructors by the Disability Services Office.

This course may require synchronous meetings. If you are currently registered with the Disability Services Office and need an interpreter or transcriber for these meetings, please contact the deaf and hard of hearing coordinator at (208) 496-9219.

Other University Policies

Student Honor and Other Policies

Please read through the document called University Policies. It gives important information about the following topics:

  • Student Honor
    • Academic Honesty
    • Student Conduct
      • Sexual Harassment
  • Student with Disabilities
  • Complaints and Grievances
  • Copyright Notice

Go to the Student Resources module to review further resources and information.

Course Summary:

Date Details Due