Ethical and Legal Standards (Employers)

In addition to the U.S. Department of Labor’s guidelines, Career and Talent Development also follows the standards established by the National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE). All of the following criteria must be met: 

The experience must be an extension of the classroom: a learning experience that provides for applying the knowledge gained in the classroom. It must not be simply to advance the operations of the employer or be the work that a regular employee would routinely perform.

  • The skills or knowledge learned must be transferable to other employment settings.
  • The experience has a defined beginning and end, and a job description with desired qualifications.
  • There are clearly defined learning objectives/goals related to the professional goals of the student’s academic coursework.
  • There is supervision by a professional with expertise and educational and/or professional background in the field of the experience.
  • There is routine feedback by the experienced supervisor.
  • There are resources, equipment, and facilities provided by the host employer that support learning objectives/goals.

Learn more here.

Employers who recruit interns with FIU must agree to follow the Career and Talent Development guidelines that include the following:

  • Create a company account on Handshake and provide a comprehensive job description of each internship position desired to be filled by an FIU student or alumni
  • Internship positions must provide clear learning outcomes, internship objectives, and a defined start and end date
  • Employer supervision must be provided on-site and students must be provided with training and mentorship
  • Internships that are virtual, work from home, or require home site visits are not permissible
  • Full-time internship positions are required to provide compensation regardless of academic semester
  • Students will not be held financially responsible for training, materials, and/or other items required to perform job as required by the internship
  • Internship employers are responsible for the ethical and legal conduct of their employees throughout the internship experience
  • Re-disclosure of candidate information is strictly prohibited without the candidate’s written consent
  • Internship programs must meet the requirements of the U.S. Department of Labor – Fair Labor Standards Act’s definition of an internship
  • The extent to which the intern and the employer clearly understand that there is no expectation of compensation. Any promise of compensation, express or implied, suggests that the intern is an employee—and vice versa.
  • The extent to which the internship provides training that would be similar to that which would be given in an educational environment, including the clinical and other hands-on training provided by educational institutions.
  • The extent to which the internship is tied to the intern’s formal education program by integrated coursework or the receipt of academic credit.
  • The extent to which the internship accommodates the intern’s academic commitments by corresponding to the academic calendar.
  • The extent to which the internship’s duration is limited to the period in which the internship provides the intern with beneficial learning.
  • The extent to which the intern’s work complements, rather than displaces, the work of paid employees while providing significant educational benefits to the intern.
  • The extent to which the intern and the employer understand that the internship is conducted without entitlement to a paid job at the conclusion of the internship.

  • A safe, adequate workspace (accommodations for students with disabilities)
  • Access to computers, internet access
  • Telephone
  • Reference/Informational materials
  • Parking

  • Hourly pay
  • Monthly or semester stipend
  • Scholarship or tuition payment
  • Academic credit
  • Transportation or lunch stipend
  • Professional development opportunities

  • Creating an orientation for new interns
  • Holding one-on-one weekly meetings with the intern
  • Being open and available to answer questions
  • Providing the intern with career development opportunities
  • Outlining learning objectives with the intern
  • Reflecting with intern on how their internship relates to their classroom learning
  • Evaluating the intern’s performance throughout the internship

The Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) establishes minimum wage, overtime pay, recordkeeping, and youth employment standards affecting employees in the private sector and in Federal, State, and local governments. Covered nonexempt workers are entitled to a minimum wage of not less than $7.25 per hour effective July 24, 2009. Overtime pay at a rate not less than one and one-half times the regular rate of pay is required after 40 hours of work in a workweek

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The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) (20 U.S.C. § 1232g; 34 CFR Part 99) is a Federal law that protects the privacy of student education records. The law applies to all schools that receive funds under an applicable program of the U.S. Department of Education.