III. A. Student Selection

The biggest benefits of international co-op placements go to the students involved. They can gain experiences not available in their own countries, grow to new levels of maturity and self-reliance, and satisfy their general zest for travel and meeting new people. However, a successful international co-op placement has to satisfy both the needs of the employer and the academic institution. An unhappy student will spread the word to his or her classmates; an unhappy employer may cease his or her co-op hiring; the institution may decide that international co-op placements are too bothersome for the time and effort required and cancel funding. It came as no surprise then, when the survey results showed student selection to be the most important issue for consideration.

1. Criteria for selecting students.

   Below is a summary of criteria listed by experienced practitioners as being important to consider when selecting the right student for an international co-op placement:

   third-year minimum academic standing, high grade point average; prior co-op experience or related, relevant technical skills; fluency in the local language; good communication and social skills; enthusiasm for and commitment to the aims of the international program.

   flexible, adaptable, self-reliant and motivated; sensitive, tolerant and non-judgmental; outgoing, mature, reliable and independent; a good ambassador, open to new cultures; a close match to the requirements of the job.

   It is important to note here that some flexibility surrounding the above criteria must be observed, otherwise no students would qualify for international placements!

2. Procedures for selecting students.

   There are probably as many different methods for selecting students as there are programs around the world. Each method must be able to gather sufficient information to predict with a high degree of certainty whether or not the student will be successful. If the student is a member of your own co-op program and is someone you have worked closely with during his or her tenure in your program, then you would likely have most of the information you need to make this prediction. This situation, though close to ideal, is not possible in many cases. Therefore, program administrators must design other systems to gather equivalent information about the students.

   A comparison of a few application/selection procedures currently in use shows that some or all of the following are often used when evaluating students for international co-op placements:

   personal interview of the student by the program administrator cover letter, CV two-page resume and copy of transcripts letters of reference from professors and previous employers student agreement form (rules and regulations, 'fine print') work term report from previous co-op experience recommendation from student's co-op co-ordinator

3. Student academic disciplines.

   Listed below are the academic disciplines of the students sent on international co-op placements as reported in the survey:

   accounting arts astronomy biochemistry biogeography biology biotechnology business hotel and catering hotel management marketing tourism management MBA chemistry coaching studies computer science earth and ocean sciences economics engineering chemical civil computer electrical mechanical food sciences forestry geography human performance information management information technology international relations kinesiology law language leisure studies materials science mathematics physics political sciences psychology public administration public relations sport and recreation tourism

A Guide for Developing International Co-op Programs