Computer Networking Internship Program NET 490 Gary C. Kessler

The Computer Networking internship program is intended to give students real-life, hands-on experience in their field of study, and to provide them with practical experiences using the knowledge learned during classes. It is also intended to show them the practice of computer networking rather than just the "theory."

STUDENT INFORMATION

• The student must be enrolled in a degree or certificate program at Champlain College.
• The student will work at least 120 hours at the host location. These hours are usually performed within a given semester (e.g.: 10 hours/12 weeks), although the internship period may be set during any time frame agreed upon by the student, internship coordinator, and the host organization.
• The student should expect to perform the duties required within the host's accepted work environment (i.e., dress codes, work hours, etiquette, etc.).
• The student should not expect to be reimbursed for this work as he/she will be receiving three college credits. Some host organizations do, in fact, pay interns a salary but that is not a requirement for the host.
• The student should expect to obtain a positive experience, using knowledge learned in the class setting in the real world. It is also hoped the student will obtain new skills as well.
• The student will fill out a weekly time and information sheet to provide a log of what they are learning and observing, as well as tracking hours; this form should be signed by the host supervisor. Timesheets are to be submitted to the internship coordinator as soon as possible after the conclusion of the week's activities via mail, fax, e-mail, or in-person. Part of the grade of the internship is the timeliness with which timesheets are submitted.
• At the conclusion of the internship, the student will be asked to submit a 3-5 page, single-spaced reflection paper documenting what they learned during the internship. The idea here is to focus on the big picture; rather than indicate the learning of new technology tasks such as how to add users on a Unix server, this paper should focus on the whole internship experience as seen by the student:
• How was the infosec function managed?
• How was "information security" viewed by the users?
• How was information assurance incorporated into the management of the organization? Was infosec used as a strategic resource?
• Were there any technical or personnel policies or procedures that were particularly impressive and that you think you would emulate in other organizations in your career? Or, were there any that were so bad that you will avoid?
• What do you think of the field now that you've been in it?
• The internship coordinator may periodically visit the student at his/her place of internship.

HOST INFORMATION

• The host should expect the student to have at least basic knowledge in the required field.
• The host should expect the student to behave as a professional: on time, neatly dressed, working the required hours, etc.
• The host should give the student work in his/her area of knowledge.
• The host should realize that there may be some time required to train the student in their system.
• The host is not required to pay the student for time spent unless they so desire.
• The host and the student will mutually work out a schedule between them.
• If the student is currently an employee of the host, the internship should not be part of the student's current responsibilities. The student should be asked to participate in an area that will furnish a positive and new learning experience.
• If there are any questions or concerns about the student internship, the host should feel free to call on the faculty member responsible for the internship to obtain his/her support and help.
• The host should assign a supervisor for the intern who will be expected to monitor the intern's work and progress.
• At the conclusion of the internship, the supervisor will be asked to provide some brief feedback to the internship coordinator to assist is assigning a grade.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

• If a student sets up their own internship site, it will be their responsibility to have the host supervisor contact the faculty member overseeing the internship. There has to be a mutual understanding of the goals and objectives of internships, in general, and this internship, in particular.
• Before an internship can commence, there must be a written statement agreed to by the faculty advisor, student, and internship host that provides the following information (this need not be a formal proposal; an informal e-mail will suffice):
• The duties that the intern will have
• Any necessary prerequisite knowledge
• The internship supervisor and contact information
• Approximate schedule
• Goals and objectives of the internship

STUDENT REQUIREMENTS IN A NUTSHELL:

• The internship must be approved by the internship coordinator.
• The intern must meet with the internship coordinator and provide all necessary host site and supervisor information before the internship starts.
• The internship duration is 120 hours at the host site.
• Timesheets must be submitted at agreed-upon intervals (usually weekly) so that the internship coordinator does not lose sight of any of the interns. Electronic submission of timesheets (even if the hours are 0) are acceptable (with signed paper copies to follow).
• The intern must stay in weekly contact with the internship coordinator in person, via phone, or via e-mail.
• The intern will submit a "reflection paper" at the end of the internship and have a final wrap-up meeting with the internship coordinator.

Course outcomes:

Upon completion of this course, students will be able to:

• Analyze a real-world information technology (IT) operation, including the choice of systems, operational procedures, and relationship with management and users.
• Describe an organization's professional "workplace requirements" and how you complied with them, including expectations about attendance, dress, attitude, skills, self-reliance, teamwork, ethics, and general professionalism.
• Describe the personal lessons learned, such as good and/or bad IT practices that were observed and your perspective on the industry.
• Relate what the experience taught about the real-world IT environment in written and verbal form.

This course also addresses the college's core competencies in the following way:

• Oral/written communication: Information technology professionals have to be able to effectively communicate in both written and verbal form. This course requires weekly written reports as well as a final written report and meeting to review the internship process. Communication with managers, users, customers, and vendors within the purview of the internship experience will vary by internship location.
• International awareness: International issues are not specifically addressed in the internship, although some internship venues might involve global issues.
• Technology: This program specifically requires the intern to be involved with the use, implementation, management, and/or design of information technology systems.
• Critical Thinking: Information technology necessitates daily troubleshooting and analysis. The internship program puts the intern in a position to see the everyday, real-life problems that occur with computers and networks and helps the intern to learn how to critically think to solve problems and to find out-of-the-box and innovative problem solutions.

Instructor contact information:

	GARY KESSLER
	CHAMPLAIN COLLEGE		HOME OFFICE
	Champlain College West Hall, Room 107 Burlington, VT 05401		2 Southwind Drive Burlington, VT 05401
Phone: Fax: Cell phone: E-mail: URL:	+1 802-865-6460 +1 802-865-6446 gary.kessler@champlain.edu digitalforensics.champlain.edu/gck/		+1 802-658-5017 +1 802-238-8913 kumquat@sover.net www.garykessler.net

Texts and supplementary resources:

N/A.

Course calendar:

Week	Topic
0	Prior to the beginning of the internship, students are required to meet with the Computer Networking internship coordinator to discuss logistics, the internship site, responsibilities of the student, etc.
1-??	Internship hours at host site. Weekly timesheets must be turned into the internship coordinator.
Last	Present paper to internship coordinator for final meeting.

Grading:

Grades will be calculated roughly as follows:

• Evaluation by host site: 50%
• Completing appropriate number of hours: 10%
• Maintaining weekly/biweekly communication with internship coordinator/timesheets: 15%
• Final paper: 15%
• Final meeting: 10%

I will use the College's standard numerical scale for calculating final grades:

A	A-	B+	B	B-	C+	C	C-	D+	D	D-	F
93+	90	87	83	80	77	73	70	67	63	60	59-

Academic Honesty Policy

The Champlain College Student Handbook (The Rudder) describes the College's Academic Honesty policy.