1. Cooperative Education Home
2. Student Responsibilities
3. Employer Responsibilities
4. Faculty Responsibilities
5. Frequently Asked Questions

Students participating in the Cooperative Education Program are responsible to follow the appropriate procedures in the Cooperative Education Handbook.

• Eligibility Requirement
• Conversion Checklist
• Credits
• Sample Employers/Positions
• Registration
• Staff Responsibilities
• College Central Network
• Fall 2009 Co-op Calendar(DOC) - VERY IMPORTANT 

Eligibility Requirements

Students must have:

• completed 32 or more credits (transfer students must have completed 16 credits at Ramapo). Individual exceptions may be requested from the Director
• a 2.0 or better GPA
• signed an ethical conduct agreement

Cooperative Education offers students the opportunity to:

• obtain better direction for academic studies
• enrich academic courses
• earn academic credit towards graduation
• combine theoretical and experiential learning
• gain exposure to specialized facilities and equipment
• work in another geographic area in the United States or abroad
• increase interpersonal skills
• develop confidence, maturity and responsibility
• clarify career goals
• test career choices
• gain professional experience in chosen career fields
• gain a competitive edge over students without relevant work experience
• develop career research, resume writing and interviewing skills
• earn income towards educational costs
• increase the likelihood of higher starting salaries after graduation
• bridge the gap between college and the work world

Credits for Cooperative Education Courses

Employment schedules are highly individualized and may be full or part-time. A Cooperative Education assignment must be the length of an academic semester and a minimum of fifteen hours per week. Individual exceptions may be made upon consultation with the assigned Cooperative Education faculty advisor. Each Cooperative Education course is worth four academic credits. Students may take up to two Co-ops in their academic career at Ramapo College. Students' work is evaluated by their employer and Cooperative Education faculty advisor.

Registration

Cooperative Education is an academic course for which students register with permission from the Cooperative Education staff. The Cooperative Education staff places students throughout the year and will guide them through appropriate registration procedures.

After acceptance of a Cooperative Education position, students must:

• obtain a Co-op Three-Way Learning Agreement
• select a Cooperative Education faculty advisor
• determine specific learning objectives with a Cooperative Education faculty advisor
• obtain an academic assignment from a Cooperative Education faculty advisor
• complete and distribute copies of the Three-Way Learning Agreement as indicated on the document
• receive "Registration Authorization" from a Cooperative Education coordinator

* Note* (Registration authorization only gives permission to take the course).

The student must then...

• register for the designated Cooperative Education course
• complete the appropriate form with Academic Advisement if the Pass/Fail option is selected.

Grading and Evaluation

At the completion of the Cooperative Education placement a three-way Evaluation takes place:

• students are evaluated by their employer supervisor
• students' learning is assessed by their Cooperative Education faculty advisors who assign a grade based on the quality of related academic assignments
• students are given the opportunity to evaluate their completed Cooperative Education experience

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Conversion

If students are already in positions or have recently acquired a new position on their own for which they wish to convert to Cooperative Education they must:

• not have been in the position more than two years, or
• demonstrate that new learning is taking place with expanded duties and responsibilities, new projects, etc.
• submit a current resume
• present a job description of previous duties as well as a job description on company letterhead of expanded duties while participating in Cooperative Education
• present this information to the Cooperative Education staff, who, with a Cooperative Education faculty advisor, will determine the suitability of the job for Cooperative Education. If approved, the Program Registration steps must be followed.

If a student wishes to remain at the same site for another Cooperative Education semester, he or she must submit a new letter from a work supervisor listing new responsibilities. This new learning will also be described on the Co-op Learning Agreement. The student must then continue with the required registration procedures.

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Sample Employers

Today, more than 62,000 corporations world-wide employ Cooperative Education students. Building upon a strong domestic corporate base, Cooperative Education at Ramapo has been expanded to multinational companies abroad. These are some of the firms where Ramapo students have worked:

• The Britto Agency
• CNBC
• EMI Capitol Records
• Ernst & Young
• Essex County Juvenile Detention Center
• The Feminist Press
• Global Alliance for Women's Health
• Global Business Dimensions
• Mahwah Museum
• The Margaret Sanger Papers
• Meadowlands Environmental Center
• Mercedes Benz
• Merrill Lynch
• MTV
• Nets Basketball
• Konica Minolta
• KPMG
• Orange & Rockland Utilities
• Rolling Stone Magazine
• Senator Loretta Weinberg
• Sirius Satellite Radio
• Sharp Electronics
• United Nations Department of Public Information
• United Parcel Service
• Universal Music
• Walt Disney World

Sample Positions

• Assistant Controller
• Audit Intern
• Budget Analyst Intern
• Community Resource Counselor
• Computer Programmer
• Copy Editor
• Customer Service Representative
• Graphic Designer
• Historical Researcher
• Human Resource Assistant
• Jr. Accountant
• Legal Assistant
• Legislative Intern
• Market Researcher
• Media Planning Assistant
• Public Relations Assistant
• Research Laboratory Assistant
• TV/Video Production Assistant
• Urban Marketing Intern
• Web Applications Programmer

Staff Responsibilities

The Cooperative Education Staff will:

• interview students to assess eligibility for the program
• counsel students in resume writing and interviewing skills
• contact employers in the community to secure jobs, and work with employers to ensure positive Cooperative Education assignments
• visit employers prior, during and/or after placement to determine program suitability and develop partnerships
• recruit faculty participants for the program
• work closely with the Cooperative Education faculty advisors to maintain the academic integrity of the program
• publicize the program through the news media, civic organizations, and colleagues
• maintain records for institutional reporting
• create appropriate promotional materials
• meet each semester with the Cooperative Education faculty for planning and implementing Cooperative Education initiatives, policies and procedures
• maintain supportive relationships with students throughout their Cooperative Education experience.

College Central Network

In this economy finding a job can be extremely difficult, especially if you don't know where to look. Ramapo's new online database, College Central Network, can help students and alumni in the search for jobs by simply registering and posting a resume. College Central Network can also be used to find cooperative education internships and we encourage students to use this great resource as an alternative to the older manual system.

Get started today at http://www.collegecentral.com/ramapo/