Cooperative Education Program MENTOR GUIDEBOOK · 3 Co-op Program Mentor Guidebook- Alberta School...

Cooperative Education

Program

MENTOR GUIDEBOOK

1

Co-op Program Mentor Guidebook- Alberta School of Business

Contents

1 Introduction and Executive Summary

2 Work Term Timelines

3 The role of the “Mentor”

3.1 What do successful mentors do?

3.2 How does mentoring benefit the mentor?

3.3 How does mentoring benefit the student?

3.4 Some suggestions for ensuring a positive mentoring experience

4 Learning Objectives

4.1 Purpose

4.2 Characteristics of Objectives

4.3 Preparation and Timing

5 Site Visit

6 Work Term Report

7 Employer Evaluation of Co-op Student

8 Business Career Services and Co-op Program Contacts

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Supervisor’s Guidebook to Managing and Mentoring Your Co-op Student

1-Introduction and Executive Summary

This guide is intended to support the co-op student’s direct supervisor (mentor) in developing and

assessing the co-op students’ learning during their Co-op work term(s).

The ALBERTA SCHOOL OF BUSINESS Co-operative Education program integrates semesters of full-time

study on campus with full time employment. The program requires students to complete three Co-op

work terms, each spanning a minimum of 13 weeks (over a 4 month period) of full-time (35+ hrs/wk)

paid employment during the program. The work term periods coincide with the regular academic

semesters (January to April, May to August, and September to December). Students who complete the

three Co-op work terms are awarded their B Com Degree with a specific Co-operative Education

designation.

Employers agree to maintain the FT employment status of the student for a full 13 weeks per work term.

Any issues related to FT time status, reduction of length of a work term below 13 weeks, or changes to

original employment terms must be brought to the attention of the students Co-op Coordinator.

Each co-op student is assigned a Co-op Coordinator, who is designated by the School of Business to

engage with both the student and the company mentor through the work term. Any program questions

or concerns from either the student or mentor can be directed to the assigned Co-op Coordinator.

Co-op students are evaluated on their work term performance through a combination of;

A mid-term on-site visit with the student, mentor and Co-op Coordinator

Work term report submitted to the Co-op Coordinator by the student

A performance evaluation completed by the student’s mentor near the completion of each 4

month work term

The success of a Co-op work term can be judged from a variety of perspectives;

To what degree the Co-op student has been exposed to new and challenging professional

development opportunities, and has learned valuable life-long lessons and Employability Skills

(Appendix 1)from these experiences

To what degree the Co-op student has brought “value” to the organization through their work

contributions, and the company has been enhanced by the presence and work of the student

To what degree the mentor has had a positive experience and has gained leadership skills by

managing the Co-op student, and has gained insight into the competencies and capabilities of

students from the U of A School of Business

To what degree the organization or company feels their investment of time and resources to

support a Co-op student and the Co-op program has fostered a beneficial relationship with the

U of A School of Business

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To what degree the U of A School of Business feels the co-op placement has enhanced the

relationship between the school and the company/business/organization

2-Work Term Timelines

For EACH 4 month work term, there are several key dates and deadlines that the mentor and student

need to be aware of;

DATES ACTION

1st week Student is oriented, meets mentor and other staff, receives work email and phone# and updates their Work Term Record with all the required information

2nd week In conjunction with their mentor, student establishes their Learning Objectives. For more information on Learning Objectives, See section 4.

4th week Students on their 1st work term (911) upload their preliminary work term report and Learning Objectives to CareerConnect Students on their 2nd work term (912) upload their work term report proposal (written in conjunction with their mentor), and Learning Objectives to CareerConnect Students on their 3rd work term (913) upload their Learning Objectives to CareerConnect

5th week Student begins communication with their assigned Co-op Coordinator to start organizing the site visit (Section 5)

End of 2nd month, beginning of 3rd month

Site visit with student, mentor and Co-op Coordinator

1st of the final month

Student uploads final work term report to CareerConnect (Section 6)

15th of final month

Mentor meets with student to review Learning Objectives, and completes online work term evaluation form through CareerConnect (Section 7). Link to eval form is sent to mentors via email.

3-The role of the “Mentor”

3.1 What do successful mentors do?

Participate in onboarding of new student including; review of all pertinent company policies

related to dress code, attendance, sick leave, communication and feedback processes

Take on role of the primary supervisor throughout the work term

Help the student set short-term Learning Objectives for each work term, and long-term career

goals beyond the assigned work terms

Help the student understand the industry as a whole, and the organizational culture of the

specific business

Recommend and/or create learning opportunities

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Transfer knowledge in a variety of business skills such as; communication, critical thinking,

responsibility and leadership, flexibility, technical skills, and teamwork

Provide ongoing performance feedback, point out strengths as well as areas for development.

This includes providing clear work plans and opportunities to improve performance in cases

where the student may have been deficient or delinquent in their work.

3.2 How does mentoring benefit the mentor?

The mentor has the opportunity to:

Contribute to a student’s development

Develop leadership skills

Reflect upon one’s own career

Share experience and knowledge

Discover new ways of thinking

3.3 How does mentoring benefit the student?

Increases personal and professional knowledge and organizational awareness

Enhances understanding of one’s role in the organization

Develops an environment that supports constructive criticism

Provides an effective learning tool

Stimulates thinking about potential future career options

3.4 Some suggestions for ensuring a positive mentoring experience include:

“Start where the Co-op student is”, by building on his or her strengths, interests and abilities

Set your student up to succeed at the activity, by offering achievable challenges

Allow the student to take small risks, but within a safe, supported setting

Expose the student to activities, experiences and opportunities that he or she would not

otherwise have been aware of

Set consistent, scheduled meetings with the student to discuss projects and tasks, as well as

performance

Develop a tracking/reporting system for ongoing assessment

Provide the student with presentation and networking opportunities

4-Learning Objectives

Objectives are a common management tool in today’s business world. Integration of specific “Learning

Objectives” for the student in the Co-op Work term allows for a deeper understanding of this important

project and management tool.

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Learning Objectives are required at the start of each work term, and should be prepared by the student,

in consultation with the mentor. Four or five Learning Objectives will suffice to begin with. These can be

both personal and professional objectives, and where possible they should be measurable. These

objectives are “milestones” the student hopes to achieve throughout each placement, which can be

carried by the student into future employment endeavors. Utilizing the identified “Employability Skills”

(Defined, Demonstrated, and Evaluated) in Appendix 1 is a key component for developing Learning

Objectives for students in the Alberta School of Business Co-op Program.

Some objectives will come directly from the requirements that the supervisor has regarding the work to

be performed by the student (i.e., in order to carry out the specified job duties an objective will need to

be achieved).

Some objectives may reflect the student’s desire to learn a specific skill or carry out a specific activity as

part of their job (i.e., the student may ask the supervisor if they can become involved in, and so learn

about, something related to the job and in which the student has an interest).

4.1 Purpose

To learn and practice the skill of writing objectives.

To establish a method of communication between the student and the direct supervisor based

on specific job duties and timelines for assigned work duties.

To give the student a mechanism for measuring their own development.

4.2 Characteristics of Objectives

Objectives must be clear and convey the same message to both the student and the employer. See

Appendix 2 for a standardized format by which to document the Learning Objectives. One strategy for

setting Learning Objectives is using the SMART goal setting framework

Specific – State exactly what you want to accomplish, what is the observable activity and action

and what is the end result

o Is the plan or project adopted for action or use, or does it solve a problem?

Measurable –This must be clearly stated so that all parties know the standard by which the

work should be completed.

o How will successes or failures be measured?

o How will you demonstrate your Learning Objectives, and how do you know when you

have improved your skills in this area?

o How many times must the activity be done to demonstrate competence?

Achievable – Is it possible to achieve this learning objective during this placement?

Relevant – How aligned is this learning objective with your role and responsibilities in the

workplace?

Time bound – By when do you think you will have begun to work on this learning objective? By

when must the objective be met?

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4.3 Preparation and Timing

Students are required to prepare a variety of Learning Objectives within the first two weeks of beginning

their work term. All Learning Objectives should be done by the student with the guidance of the mentor.

Students should prepare draft objectives for discussion with the supervisor and follow this by writing the

final objectives, reviewed by the supervisor, and then submitted to their Co-op Coordinator no later

than the 4th week of the work placement, in conjunction with the preliminary work term report.

Not all activities need to be reflected in Learning Objectives, but it is expected that most significant

activities encountered will be covered. Students should keep the original sheet and provide a copy for

their supervisor.

Learning Objectives are discussed in the Site Visit, and are evaluated in the work term evaluation at term

end.

5-Site Visit

The Co-op Coordinator will contact the student to arrange a site visit to take place in the second or third

month of the placement. It is the student’s responsibility to arrange the meeting with the consent of

his/her mentor.

The site visit is an informal meeting that lasts approximately 30 to 45 minutes, of which half the time is

spent with the student and half spent with the mentor. The mentor does not need to prepare any

specific documentation for the site visit. However, it is valuable for the mentor to be aware of the

purposes of the site visit:

Review the student’s work performance and progress and discuss how this relates to their

Learning Objectives

Ensure the student is progressing in their work term report

Discuss the student’s future plans and goals

Ensure the placement is a positive experience for both parties

Evaluate company satisfaction with the student

Obtain feedback on student preparation and administration of the program

In the case of students who are placed in isolated areas for a work term, it is sometimes difficult to have

a site visit due to prohibitive travel costs. In these cases the site visit may be done through a telephone

call or via email.

6-Work Term Report

Cooperative education research supports that much of the learning potential from work term

experiences is achieved from reflective processes. As such, each work term assignment has been

designed to enable students to reflect upon their work term learning. The work term reports provide

students with the opportunity to draw attention to evidence of learning outcomes that were achieved

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for each four-month work term. Students are required to complete a work term report for each WKEXP

course. The specific work term report criterion varies depending which work term the student is

engaged in;

1st work term (911)- Reflective Journal

2nd work term (912)- Project Report or Ethics Report (Report subject and content must be

agreed upon by the mentor, prior to the proposal being submitted to the Co-op Coordinator by

the 4th week of the work term)

3rd work term (913)- Career Plan

The formal academic assessment is based on a written work report prepared by the student. The work

report will be evaluated by a Co-op Coordinator and be graded as either satisfactory or unsatisfactory

(Pass/Fail). The work term report is not reviewed or evaluated by the mentor, but in the case of the 2nd

work term (912) the report may be reviewed by the mentor to ensure compliance with business

confidentiality issues.

The work report is required for each semester of placement. Students must ensure the report is

submitted to their Co-op Coordinator by the due dates for each semester (Dec 1, April 1, and Aug 1).

7-Employer Evaluation of Co-op Student

An evaluation of the student as an employee is done by the supervisor near the completion of the Co-op

semester using the “Employer’s Evaluation of Co-op Student” form, available online through

CareerConnect. The content of the Evaluation form is based on the Evaluative criteria found in

Employability Skills document (Appendix 1). This evaluation is particularly important for the student’s

growth and development. It is expected that employers discuss the evaluation with each student and

ask for their feedback, as this benefits their personal and professional development.

A link to access this form will be provided to the mentor at least 2 weeks prior to the due date.

Students must ensure the evaluation is completed by their supervisor for submission to ALBERTA

SCHOOL OF BUSINESS Co-op by the due dates for each semester (Dec 15, April 15, and Aug 15). The

student is responsible for ensuring the employer completes this evaluation by the date due.

8-Business Career Services and Co-op Program Contacts

Dale McNeely Director, Business Career Services 780-492-5622

Coordinator, Cooperative Education (c) 780-288-5662

[email protected]

Melanie Tymofichuk Coordinator, Cooperative Education 780-492-8006

[email protected] (c) 780-288-5664

Enzo DiCurzio Coordinator, Cooperative Education 780-492-7216


mailto:[email protected]

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Devan West Coordinator, Cooperative Education 780-492-2224


Michelle Height Career Coordinator 780-492-2166


Ann Simmonds Recruitment Assistant 780-492-2166

[email protected]

General Business Career Services Number: 780-492-2320

E-Mail: (Contact your assigned Coordinator, or Business Career Services Director)

Mailing Address:

Business Cooperative Education Program

2-21 Business Building

University of Alberta

Edmonton, AB T6G 2R6

Websites: Co-op: http://www.business.ualberta.ca/co-op

CareerConnect: https://careerconnect.business.ualberta.ca/home.htm

mailto:[email protected]

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APPENDIX 1 Employability Skills and Evaluation (consolidated)

Communication Skills

Definition of Skill Demonstration of Skill Evaluation of Skill

Students will have the ability to communicate effectively both orally and in writing, to understand and analyze the communication of others, and to use the language appropriate to discipline and genre.

I can: • read and understand information presented in a variety of forms (e.g., words, graphs, charts, diagrams) • write and speak so others pay attention and understand • listen and ask questions to understand and appreciate the points of view of others • share information using a range of information and communications technologies (e.g., voice, e-mail, computers) • use relevant scientific, technological and mathematical knowledge and skills to explain or clarify ideas

Written Communication

Consistently exceeds expectations – Writing is

always clear, error free, rarely requires checking and editing; demonstrates a good understanding of the topic and audience.

Consistently meets and sometimes exceeds expectations – Writing is

clear and needs only minimal checking and editing; demonstrates some understanding of the topic and audience.

Meets expectations –

Writing is usually clear but requires some checking and editing; requires some assistance in understanding the topic and audience.

Expectations are not consistently met – Writing

sometimes lacks clarity and contains errors, frequently requires checking and editing; requires significant assistance in understanding the topic and audience.

Does not meet expectations – Writing is

always unclear and contains major errors, always requires checking and editing; requires explicit instruction in understanding the topic and audience.

Not Applicable – The

student has not had the opportunity to demonstrate this skill

Verbal Communication

Consistently exceeds expectations –

Always clear and concise, tone and language is always professional and appropriate for the context.

Consistently meets and sometimes exceeds expectations –

Frequently clear and concise, tone and language is professional and appropriate for the context.

Meets expectations

– Clear and understandable, tone and language is typically professional and appropriate, requires some coaching.

Expectations are not consistently met –

Sometimes struggles to be clear and concise, tone and language is sometimes incorrect, unprofessional or inappropriate for the context.

Does not meet expectations –

Frequently has difficulty being clear and concise, tone and language is often incorrect, unprofessional or inappropriate for the context.

Not Applicable – The

student has not had the opportunity to demonstrate this skill.

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Quantitative / Technical Skills


Student will have the ability to convert and explain information presented in mathematical forms; demonstrate accurate, full and complete explanations and implications of information; make judgments and draw appropriate conclusions based on the quantitative analysis of data, while recognizing the limits of this analysis.

I can: • locate, gather and organize information using appropriate technology and information systems • decide what needs to be measured or calculated • observe and record data using appropriate methods, tools and technology • make estimates and verify calculations • develop new and/or further understanding of information, data, or relationships between different sets of data or over time • access, analyze and apply knowledge and skills from various disciplines (e.g., the arts, languages, science, technology, mathematics, social sciences, and the humanities)

Consistently exceeds expectations – Very thorough in performing work required for this position, including technical work. Excellent attention to detail with no errors. Highly productive both in quality and quantity of work.

Consistently meets and sometimes exceeds expectations – Thorough in performing work required for this position, including technical work. Good attention to detail with few errors. Good productivity for their level of experience.

Meets expectations – Usually thorough in performing work required for this position. Work usually passes review with minor changes; attention to detail is satisfactory. Sufficiently productive for their level of experience.

Expectations are not consistently met – Work is sometimes careless and demonstrates some lack of professional/technical competency. Attention to detail needs improvement; work routinely displays errors. Student is less productive than expected.

Does not meet expectations – Work is usually careless, demonstrates a significant lack of competency of a technical/professional nature. Poor attention to detail with significant errors. Produces significantly less work than expected.

Not Applicable – The student has not had the opportunity to demonstrate this skill.

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Critical Thinking and Research Skills


Student will identify issues and explain why/how they are problems; identify contexts relevant to stakeholders; formulate point of view; acknowledge objections and rival positions; Identify and evaluate assumptions; evaluate evidence; and thoroughly discusses implications, conclusions, and consequences.

I can: • assess situations and identify problems • seek different points of view and evaluate them based on facts • recognize the human, interpersonal, technical, scientific and mathematical dimensions of a problem • recognize and weigh the relative value of different sources of information, and select appropriate information for analysis and reflection. • identify the root cause of a problem • be creative and innovative in exploring possible solutions, prepare hypotheses, and subject these to analysis • implement solutions • evaluate solutions to make recommendations or decisions • determine if a solution works, and act on opportunities for improvement

Consistently exceeds expectations – Always approaches work in a logical manner. Student demonstrates a high level of intuition in anticipating organizational requirements. Excellent ability to identify relevant information without assistance.

Consistently meets and sometimes exceeds expectations – Often approaches work in a logical manner with little assistance. Demonstrates good intuition in anticipating organizational requirements. Good ability to identify relevant information.

Meets expectations – Usually approaches work in a logical manner with minimal assistance. Demonstrates initiative in anticipating organizational requirements. Has a reasonable ability to identify relevant information when completing projects.

Expectations are not consistently met – Sometimes has difficulty justifying reasoning and sometimes does not approach work in a logical manner. May require explicit instructions for routine projects and assistance in identifying relevant information.

Does not meet expectations – Fails to take a logical approach to projects or tasks. Often has difficulty being logical, clear and relevant. Requires explicit instruction and cannot independently determine where to find pertinent information.


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Ethical and Personal Awareness


Students will have familiarity with the fundamental aspects of ethics, including what constitutes an ethical issue or problem, ethical concepts and principles, and their application to individual, group and corporate behavior.

I can: • deal with people, problems and situations with honesty, integrity and personal ethics • recognize personal and other people’s good efforts • show interest, initiative and effort • assess, weigh and manage risk • act to minimize conflict • be accountable for my actions and the actions of my group • be socially responsible and contribute to my community • take care of my personal health well being

Consistently exceeds expectations – Excellent awareness of ethical concepts and principles. Always follows appropriate guidelines and proactively acts to avoid or mitigate ethical issues.

Consistently meets and sometimes exceeds expectations – Demonstrates good awareness of ethical concepts and principles. Independently applies good judgment for following ethical standards to make appropriate choices.

Meets expectations – Demonstrates some awareness (or demonstrates emerging awareness) of ethical concepts and principles. Requires minimal guidance when making decisions of an ethical nature and following ethical standards.

Expectations are not consistently met – Demonstrates little (or low) awareness of ethical concepts and principles. Does not seek guidance when making decisions of an ethical nature, consequently student does not always follow ethical standards.

Does not meet expectations – Student is dismissive of ethical standards and principles. Student does not seek guidance when making decisions of an ethical nature, despite instruction to do so. Student’s professional ethics are questionable.

Not Applicable – The student has not had the opportunity to demonstrate this skill

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Interpersonal and Team Skills


Student will demonstrate clear, comprehensive, in- depth understanding of teamwork principles, and ability to generate good solutions; able to apply principles to achieve goals and fully engage team members.

I can: • understand and work within the dynamics of a group • ensure that a team’s purpose and objectives are clear • be flexible: respect, be open to and supportive of the thoughts, opinions and contributions of others in a group • recognize and respect people’s diversity, individual differences and perspectives • accept and provide feedback in a constructive and considerate manner • contribute to a team by sharing information and expertise • lead or support when appropriate, motivating a group for high performance • understand the role of conflict in a group to reach solutions • manage and resolve conflict when appropriate • plan, design or carry out a project or task from start to finish with well-defined objectives and outcomes • develop a plan, seek feedback, test, revise and implement • work to agreed quality standards and specifications • adapt to changing requirements and information • continuously monitor the success of a project or task and identify ways to improve

Consistently exceeds expectations – Proactively seeks to improve working relationships and prevent or resolve conflict.

Consistently meets and sometimes exceeds expectations – Contributes positively to the team relationships, manages and resolves conflict appropriately.

Meets expectations – Works well with others to accomplish a mutual goal.

Expectations are not consistently met – Sometimes resistant to the ideas, opinions and contributions of team members, experiences difficulty relating to others.

Does not meet expectations – Does not engage well in a team setting, does not respond appropriately to constructive feedback, does not treat others with respect.


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Initiative and Leadership


Students will demonstrate initiative and leadership that will bring value to their teams and organizations by; approaching their work with a passionate inquisitiveness; continuous learning and self-motivation, using rational and well-founded thought processes in the development of new and unique ideas.

I can: • be innovative and resourceful and take on new challenges, without external impetus • identify and suggest a range of options to achieve goals and effectively translate ideas into action • continually strive to find efficiencies and make improvements in work and duties • Give direction/guidance/training to motivate others • be open and respond constructively to change and critical feedback • develop a strategic, creative, long term vision for myself and my organization

Consistently exceeds expectations – Demonstrates excellent ability to inspire and motivate others. Self-motivated and proactively looks for new work with a high level of enthusiasm.

Consistently meets and sometimes exceeds expectations – Exhibits very good initiative and leadership when called upon. Acts voluntarily in most situations to seek new work.

Meets expectations – Demonstrates good enthusiasm in seeking work opportunities. Showcases average leadership skills.

Expectations are not consistently met – Frequently has difficulty in appropriately applying leadership qualities. Lacks initiative and sometimes has to be told what to do.

Does not meet expectations – Requires explicit instructions for assigned work. Reluctant to complete some tasks and is not proactive in seeking new work.


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APPENDIX 2 First week of Coop Statement of Learning Objectives

Student and Mentor

Please utilize the “SMART Framework” (which can be found under Coop Resources) to establish job

related Learning Objectives you would like to achieve by the end of your coop work term. In addition,

indicate how the objectives will be met in conjunction with your mentor.

1.

2.

3.

End of Coop term Review of Learning Objectives

Mentor’s Review

Please comment on the Learning Objectives established by the student. Were they met?

Mentors Signature: Date:

Students Review

Please comment on your Learning Objectives. Were they met?

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