Each full-time student (College Student Affairs Leadership emphasis)  is required to complete EDH 685 Practicum/Graduate Field Experience and EDH 686 Practicum/Graduate Field Experience II. These are field-based experiences designed to allow students to pursue specialized areas of interest and are completed after the completion of 18 graduate credits.

Summer practicum will typically consist of 150 hours of practice; Fall practicum will typically consist of 5-10 hours/week within the placement site. A required component related to the practicum is a seminar course that helps students apply theory to practice. Students will meet in-person with faculty during Fall semester (EDH 686) and meet online during the Spring/Summer semester (EDH 685).

STEP 1: APPLY FOR PRACTICUM

Students must have permission from the Higher Education program coordinator to enroll and apply by February 15th for summer, by May 15th for fall semesters. Please visit this website to apply https://www.gvsu.edu/education/grad/application-login.htm. Please contact your faculty advisor if you need assistance identifying a practicum or have any questions about the application. 

Once your application is processed, you will receive an email notice from the Office of Certification and Accreditation about your ability to register for EDH 685 (Spring/Summer) or EDH 686 (Fall Semester) 

STEP 2: SECURE A PRACTICUM SITE 

It is the student's responsibility to identify a practicum site. Some examples of practica sites on Grand Valley's campus include the offices of Admissions, Housing, Student Life, Dean of Students, Office of Multicultural Affairs, and others. Additional sites in the Grand Rapids area at either a two-year college or at one of several private four-year colleges are possible. Students have also completed their practicum requirement at various colleges around the country.
National Student Affairs Internship Programs

• NODA Internship Program 
• ACUHO-I Housing Internship Program

STEP 3: COMPLETE A PRACTICUM PLAN AND SUPERVISOR AGREEMENT

• Practicum Plan 
• Practicum Supervisor Agreement 

STEP 4: FULLY ENGAGE WITH EDH 685/EDH 685 TO ENHANCE YOUR PERSONAL AND PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT 

STEP 5: COMPLETE EVALUATION FORMS
The instructor of EDH 685/EDH 686 will faciliate the process of completing the following forms. 

• Student Evaluation Form
• Supervisor Evaluation Form

Service-Learning Center and New Student Orientation Practicum

Calvin University is looking for a practicum student to serve on the Service-Learning Center and New Student Orientation team. 

Roles & Responsibilities
The practicum will consist of various responsibilities in the Service-Learning Center. Specific responsibilities will be discussed and decided in April, but possibilities and approximate allotment of time include:
Service-Learning Center (95%)

• Student Coordinator fall training development
  • Schedule & plan the two weeks of training for the S-LC student staff in August. This includes guest speakers, learning about their roles, the S-LC, a mini-retreat, personality assessments, etc.
• School year staff meeting professional development and guest speakers
  • Create a schedule of PDs for our weekly school-year meetings
• Student Coordinator manuals
• Blood Drive coordination prep
• Participate in meetings regarding StreetFest, new student orientation, etc. as it pertains to learning and understanding

New Student Orientation (5%)

• Participate in daily stand up meetings with our orientation colleagues
• Attend weekly staff meetings
• Attend bi-monthly StreetFest Meetings
   

Schedule
The practicum will include between 180-200 hours of work (meeting CSAL requirements and building in flexibility for additional time possibly required to finish projects) between May 13 – July 31, excluding July 1-5 (due to time off for the 4th of July) and Juneteenth. The consistent schedule will likely be 6 hours per day on Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday, though flexibility will not be a problem.
Work Mode
The practicum will be majority in-person, with reasonable flexibility for various personal circumstances in communication with the supervisor.
Supervision
The practicum will be supervised by the Director of Service-Learning Center.

Apply here