ANTH 682 – Internship / Field Placement (3 units)

*Note: This syllabus page repeats a lot of the same information that is on the website - the website should be your main resource for the internship process. The information, where repeated, should be identical - if you find any discrepencies, please alert the instructor.

INSTRUCTOR                                                                                             

The instructor for this course is the Anthropology Graduate Coordinator (bottom of this page) and your advisor.

COURSE DESCRIPTION: Engages students with the work of research libraries, museums, community organizations, government agencies, and other institutions to enhance students’ knowledge of sources, research methodologies, institutional cultures, and work environments.

An exciting part of the MA program is completing applied anthropological fieldwork (internship). The internship may take place at one or more advisor-approved locations that provide training relevant to the program focus or career path. With advisor approval, field schools may be used to fulfill all or part of the internship hours; however, students cannot dual-count internship hours and outside-elective units for field schools unless there are more hours than the units cover.  Internships may be paid or unpaid, and can be related to new or present employment as long as new learning/training activities comprise the required hours and there is a supervisor for the internship hours. Students are encouraged to think outside the box, and consider all organizations, not just those that advertise "internships."

Students may receive credit for hours completed prior to enrollment in Anth 682 as long as those hours took place while enrolled in the MA program. If internship hours and assignments are not completed during the semester enrolled in 682, a grade of RP (in progress) will be given. The internship (135 hours) and course must be completed prior to completing the MA program.

The internship will follow the Humboldt Policy on Academic Internship and policies set forth by the Humboldt Center for Community Based Learning (CCBL).

LEARNING OUTCOMES. Upon successfully completing this course, students will demonstrate:

Course Learning Outcomes

1. Perform anthropological field/lab/case/project work, and while doing so: engage successfully with team members, stakeholders, and clients; correctly utilize methods, materials, and technology; and demonstrate awareness of and responsiveness to changing circumstances.
2. Explore potential career areas and develop marketable experience.
3. Explore practical aspects and roles of anthropologists in addressing human and environmental problems.
4. Consider ethics, diversity, equity and inclusion as critical aspects of anthropological work.

Related Applied Anthropology MA Program Learning Outcomes (PLO’s) and what you will do in this class to demonstrate them (SLO’s)

• Communicate substantive knowledge of the field of applied anthropology, and adeptly apply disciplinary principles, theories, methods and approaches to address complex issues within academic and non-academic settings. (PLO 1)
• Identify realms where anthropology can be applied, and explain the contributions of anthropological approaches therein. (SLO 1a-Developed)
• Employ a wide range of graduate level academic and professional skills enabling one to function effectively in academic and non-academic settings. (PLO 3)
• Design/perform anthropological field/lab/case/project work, and while doing so: engage successfully with colleagues, stakeholders, and clients; correctly utilize methods, materials, and technology; and demonstrate awareness of and responsiveness to changing circumstances. (SLO 3b-Developed)
• Display knowledge and competency in anthropological and professional ethics and demonstrate social responsibility in all realms of application. (PLO 4)
• Identify and evaluate the importance of and challenges to ethical practices in historical and modern realms where anthropological approaches are applied; evaluate, select, and apply solutions; model ethical practices. (SLO 4-Developed)
• Demonstrate critical awareness of our globalized world and recognize multiculturalism and diversity as fundamental characteristics. (PLO 5)
• Recognize diverse perspectives, and employ cultural humility and broad-mindedness when engaging with colleagues, Tribes, disenfranchised communities, community partners, and other stakeholders. (SLO 5a-Developed)
• Identify inequities in one’s field of practice and work to rectify them through engaging diverse perspectives. (SLO 5b-Developed)

Related Cal Poly Humboldt Master’s Student Institutional Learning Outcomes (ILO’s)

• Develop specialized field knowledge and integrated knowledge across content areas. (ILO 1)
• Evaluate a range of viewpoints embedded within varying frameworks that may include temporal, cultural, linguistic, sociopolitical, or technological contexts. (ILO 2)
• Engage in critical inquiry using effective search and evaluation strategies. (ILO 3)
• Integrate knowledge and practice through application of disciplinary or interdisciplinary learning across a variety of contexts. (ILO 4)
• Communicate ideas effectively to multiple audiences orally and in writing. (ILO 5)
• Reason ethically in evaluating various perspectives, policies, and/or practices relevant to one's field of study. (ILO 6)
• Demonstrate research knowledge, practices, and dispositions associated with equity and social, racial, economic, and environmental justice as these apply to effective practices in the discipline. (ILO 7)

THE PLATFORM for this course is the Website: www.humboldt.edu/anthropology/internship This class is fully online & self-paced based in your internship. There are no required books, Canvas interactions, or class meetings.

Please contact your instructor ASAP if you have questions or concerns, or just want to chat about the course. You can contact your advisor/instructor via email, phone, or during scheduled online and in-person office hours. Follow up if you do not get a response

For technical questions, such as the suitability of your home computer for the course, installing plug-ins, problems with your password, etc., contact the Humboldt Help Desk at help@humboldt.edu or 707-826-4357.

EVALUATION & ASSIGNMENTS

CR = Credit on all assignments with no more than moderate issues with assignment quality/timely submission; AND most time logs indicate performance is average or higher; AND final evaluation indicates meets basic expectations or higher in most categories.

NC = Major issues with assignment quality/timely submission; OR more than one time log indicates problematic performance; OR final evaluation indicates performance is generally not acceptable in more than one category; OR major issues with performance and/or ethical behavior during internship or internship course.

For all students:

• A grade of RP will be assigned if internship hours and/or assignments not completed in the semester of enrollment. Hours and assignments must be completed prior to graduating from the MA program, or within 7 years, whichever comes first.
• Issues with assignment quality will be communicated to the student. Students should be mindful of performance reports from supervisors on time logs and final evaluation, and contact supervisors and faculty as needed.
• Late / Make-Up Policy: For full credit, journals and time cards should be submitted by the end of the semester in which the related hours were completed, but all assignments are accepted even if late. Continued late submission could reduce your overall score in this course by up to a letter grade.

Time Logs: Complete a time log (download from website) on a monthly basis beginning the first month that you are engaged in your internship. You can also put more than one month on a time log. If you intern with more than one agency in a given month, please upload a separate time log for each. It is very important that you complete time logs for each month that you complete hours, so that you can be given credit towards completing your internship. Hour totals should be confirmed with the Anth 682 instructor at the end of each semester until hours are complete.

Evaluations: At the end of the field placement (or at other times requested), students shall provide the Learning Site Supervisor with the “Evaluation of the Student” (see Website). Both parties must sign the form after the evaluation has been discussed. Scan and upload the completed evaluation online (also provide in hard copy to your advisor if requested).

Journal Entries: Please submit five journal entries for your internship – be sure to inform your agency supervisor that you will be doing so. Complete the five entries as you complete your hours, spaced relatively evenly over your hours to represent different phases and/or aspects of your internship. Please submit each journal to the Anth 682 instructor. Please see the journal assignment below for instructions on content. For full credit, journals should be submitted by the end of the semester in which the related hours were completed.

Format: Each journal entry should be at least 500 words (approximately 2 double-spaced pages) unless instructed otherwise by your advisor/instructor. Quality of content is very important.

Content:  Evaluate your field experience. Focus on your experiences with clients and agencies. Each entry should contain a brief summary of activities, and either: (1) Integration of fieldwork and curriculum; or (2) Self awareness, reflection, and exploration. Be aware of confidentiality issues – do not write a client’s / agency’s real name or details that would reveal their identity, and do not include confidential information about the agency you are working with or their clients/activities.

• Integration of fieldwork and curriculum:  Write about how the field experiences related to any material reviewed in program classes, discussions, and readings.  Be thoughtful about this and think in terms of the following, for example:
  • Working with different populations           
  • Cultural competence
  • Agency policy and impact                            
  • Leadership models in the agency
  • Resiliency in the client/community               
  • Ecological/theoretical framework
  • Agency documentation requirements           
  • Impact of anth studies on clients/services                                       
  • Multi-agency collaborations: what works/not

• Self-Awareness, reflection, and exploration:  Journals tend to be the most meaningful when they are used as a place to think about what your experiences have meant to you, rather than just detailing your day to day activities. Ideas:
  • Feelings about the difficult problems/circumstances people face.
  • Observations of staff and their use of skills, how they manage their time, your time.
  • Thoughts about ethical behavior, value conflicts, and ethical dilemmas.
  • Reactions to your role, engaging in relational processes, troubling or powerful experiences.
  • Questions and thoughts about how your activities relate to the profession, how you reconcile differences, and how do you value your experience.
  • How your own background/experiences influences you.

Example:  This week I had an ethical dilemma when I overhead one of my clients telling her friend how stressed out she was and how she “lost it and hit” her kid the night before.  I wanted to pretend I hadn’t heard her but she was talking loud enough for other clients to hear.  I know she was given program information on the limits of confidentiality – specifically that the agency legally must follow up on any reports of child abuse.  Was this child abuse? I reported the incident to my supervisor and we planned an intervention strategy that involved me “gently confronting” the client.  After her initial anger, tears, and lots of rationalization, the client eventually called CWS herself.  While she cooperated with me, the client now seems distrustful of me.  I need more help on how to work on our ongoing relationship.  There are so many issues involved in this one incident: my fear of “snitching” on the client and “getting her in trouble” and maybe making her situation worse; my legal obligation to report suspected abuse; and my supervisor’s “reframe” that we use this as an opportunity to support the client, talk about childhood abuse issues, and ultimately help strengthen her parenting awareness/skills.  I want to support this parent in helping her to identify her strengths and to acknowledge my own strength in this uncomfortable process.

ADDITIONAL GENERAL CLASS & UNIVERSITY POLICIES & RESOURCES

The MA Anth Syllabus Addendum Website www.humboldt.edu/anthropology/masyllabus contains additional information for this and other MA Applied Anth courses on various topics, including: Online environment, tips for how to succeed in MA courses, general course materials and skills needed, evaluation and grading standards, discussion guidelines / netiquette, general MA class policies, university policies and resources, disability resources, and emergency procedures. Please read all aspects of this site carefully.

Students are responsible for knowing information on campus policies and resources on the website below. This includes information such as: Add/Drop Policy, Resources for Students with Disabilities, Academic Honesty Policy, Complaints, Attendance and Disruptive Behavior Policy, Code of Conduct, Financial Aid, Emergency Procedures, Academic/Career Advising, and Counseling & Psychological Services http://www2.humboldt.edu/academicprograms/syllabus-addendum-campus-resources-policies