Cooperative Education Opportunities

The Department of Literature and Language offers opportunities for students to obtain practical experience that will enable them to compete in the job market. Cooperative Education, commonly referred to as "Co-op," is an option within the regular academic structure that can be incorporated into any degree program. By co-oping, a student can earn up to twelve semester hours of academic credit for work experience related to the major. Co-oping offers several practical advantages: 1) It can help students pay their college expenses. 2) It helps students gain professional experience. 3) It offers opportunities to apply classroom concepts in work situations. 4) It helps students develop career goals and make informed job choices. 5) Co-op placement often leads to offers of full- time employment after graduation. 6) Studies at several universities have indicated that students who co-op receive significantly higher starting salaries after graduation than students without relevant work experience. To register to co-op, a student must meet three qualifications: 1) The student must have completed at least thirty semester hours toward the bachelor's degree. 2) The student must be available for at least two semesters of co-op work. 3) The student must have a minimum 2.2 cumulative grade point average. (Most employers specify at least a B average.) The Cooperative Education Coordinator in English of the Department of Literature and Language will assist students in the application process, supervise the work experience, and assign a grade based on the student's performance. A student who wishes to co-op should make an appointment for an interview with the career adviser six to eight weeks before a co-op assignment is to begin. After learning about the student's interests, aptitudes, and qualifications, the Coordinator will help

the student develop an effective resumé and will refer the student to appropriate employment opportunities. Employment is Competitive Employers will select applicants they feel are best qualified for the positions available. When a student is hired for a co-op position, the work schedule and the rate of pay will be negotiated between the student and the employer. The Cooperative Education Coordinator will assist the student in satisfying the requirement for CEP 300, the course for which the student will register to receive credit for co-oping. To receive a grade, the student will be required to write out learning objectives, keep a log or journal, and prepare a final report. During the work experience, the adviser will visit the student at the job site and will be available for consultation with both employer and student. NKU's co-op program is flexible in scheduling. There are two options: 1) ALTERNATING - students are employed full-time one semester and are in school the following semester. 2) PARALLEL - students are employed twenty hours a week (minimum) and attend classes (at least six semester hours) on campus. For unpaid internships or work experiences involving fewer than twenty hours, it may be possible for a student to receive credit by registering for ENG 490 (Special Project in Writing). To explore this possibility, see the Cooperative Education Coordinator in the Department of Literature and Language. Co-op jobs are most plentiful for those interested in business writing, technical writing, or journalism, but opportunities exist in other areas, such as marketing, public relations, and publishing. If a student is already employed in a field relevant to the major, that job may also be considered for co-op credit. The Cooperative Education Coordinator is Dr. Margo Jang.

	"She had made amends with her living, and thoroughly expected everything to happen to her, given time and the way her luck ran. She was round and sturdy, but elastic like a gathering of sunflowers in a balmy night."--Ntozake Shange