Community Partners

Fresh Perspectives and Innovation: Academic internships consistently provide a source of motivated pre-professionals throughout the year. Interns bring new ideas and viewpoints, which can spark innovation and creativity within your team. 

Mentorship Opportunities: Your staff will have the chance to mentor interns, share their expertise, and contribute to shaping the next generation of professionals. Academic internships provide opportunities for staff to develop and refine supervisory skills. 

Assessment and Training: Internships provide a low-risk way to evaluate and train potential future employees. Students enrolled in internship courses for academic credit are typically more committed and perform well, as their grades depend on their performance. They work closely with an instructor and are motivated to succeed. 

Cost-Effective Solutions: Interns can assist with special events and short-term projects, offering a cost-effective solution for managing these tasks. 

Increased Visibility and Collaboration: Hosting interns elevates your organization’s presence on campus and strengthens its brand among students and faculty. It also allows for deeper connections with FIU, paving the way for future partnership opportunities and collaborations. 

We welcome community-based organizations to partner with FIU by hosting student interns as part of an academic course. Organizations are encouraged to establish an Affiliation Agreement with the university to formalize this partnership. 

For more information or to begin the process, please contact us at caseinternships@fiu.edu.  

Community internship partners are crucial in providing students with meaningful, real-world experience while adhering to the Fair Labor Standards Act and FIU internship policies. As a host organization, partners are expected to: 

• Provide a structured learning experience aligned with the student’s academic program. Clerical tasks and unrelated duties should not be part of the intern’s regular responsibilities. 

• Offer an orientation covering company policies, procedures, and confidentiality requirements. 

• Assign a qualified supervisor to guide and mentor the intern, ensuring professional development. 

• Support the intern’s learning by providing necessary resources and feedback on performance. 

• Communicate concerns or issues with the internship instructor or liaison. 

• Maintain a safe and structured work environment while ensuring compliance with FIU policies. 

• Be flexible with scheduling during midterms, final exams, and academic breaks. 

To establish clear expectations, partners should provide interns with an official offer letter outlining key details, including start and end dates, supervisor contact information, expected weekly hours, and whether the internship is paid or unpaid.  

For more details, please review our CASE General Guidelines for Enrollment-Based Internships in the Community here.  

The National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE) identifies the following key characteristics of high-quality internships: 

• A learning experience with a real-world opportunity to apply the knowledge gained in the classroom. It must not be simply to advance the operations of the employer or replace the work that a regular employee would routinely perform. 

• Learned skills and knowledge that are transferable to other employment settings. 

• A defined beginning and end that is mutually agreed upon and consistent with institutional sponsor guidelines and schedules. 

• A position description with clear responsibilities and required/desired qualifications. 

• Clearly defined learning objectives/goals supportive of the student’s academic program goals and institutional requirements. 

• Direct supervision by a professional(s) with relevant expertise and educational and/or professional experience who provides productive feedback, guidance, and the resources and equipment necessary to successfully complete the assignment. 

• CASE Community Partner Handbook for Enrollment-Based Community Internships   
• FIU Employer Internship Manual 
• FIU Employer Internship Best Practices