A Brief History...
Co-op is an excellent way to give you hands-on, relevant work
experience making you an excellent candidate for employment.
The first co-op program started at the University of Cincinnati in the early 1900s. Dr. Herman Schneider, an engineering professor, realized that his students' education was incomplete without practical experience. He made arrangements with local employers to hire students on a schedule that alternated between school and work. With that, co-op was born. In recent years, co-op has spread to virtually all majors, not just engineering,in many universities. Employers find that co-op allows them to screen potential full time hires. Students are trained while they are co-ops. When they graduate, they are fully trained, productive, prospective employees.
Co-op at Georgia Southern has existed for 20 years, primarily for engineering and technology students. In 1986, it was centralized in the Office of Career Services and was offered to all majors. Cooperative education is a balanced educational program in which undergraduate and graduate students participate in planned work experiences related to their academic major and/or career interests. Students supplement their classroom learning with relevant, practical training and experience. The purpose of the Cooperative Education Program at Georgia Southern University is to produce optimal educational results for students by integrating planned work experience with classroom Instruction.
Program Goals
The four goals of the Cooperative Education Program are to:
- Provide students with structured periods of work related to their academic major and/or career choice which will facilitate their educational and career goals.
- Enhance the career development process of students by providing meaningful experiences for them to explore and participate in the world of work.
- Provide employers with opportunities to contribute to the education and development of prospective employees.
- Provide effective service links between industry and Georgia Southern University.
Choosing to Co-op
To look further into the Cooperative Education Program, you
must first arrange a meeting with Wallace
Brown, our Experiential Education Coordinator. You may
contact him in the Office of Career Services bv 912-681-5197
to setup an initial contact .Throughout each academic semester
possible openings for the coming semesters are posted to Eagle
Career Net. This dynamic content management system allows
employers to self-list employment opportunities on our site.
Student Responsibilities
1. To maintain a complete and up-to-date file, including a
resume, a current transcript or transcript release form, and
information release form. Also to update resume on Eagle Career
Net each semester.
2. To have at least 30 semester hours or equivalent of college
credit and an overall GPA of at least 2.5 at the time of application.
Exceptions may be made upon written recommendation of the
student’s advisor, but under no circumstances will a
student be allowed to participate without a minimum 2.0 overall
GPA.
3. Inform coordinator of acceptance of a co-op offer. Inform
coordinator of contact information including work phone number,
address, company name, supervisor, and supervisor’s
phone number.
4. Accept employer’s conditions for participation in
the program, which may include a minimum number of required
work semesters.
5. Maintain a minimum overall GPA of 2.5 during academic semesters
while participating in co-op.
6. Register for the designated cooperative education course.
7. Meet specific requirements of the employer for acceptance
and retention in the co-op program.
8. Arrange for the co-op coordinator to be supplied with a
list of job responsibilities and ensure that the coordinator
is notified of any changes.
9. Maintain regular contact with Academic Advisor and co-op
coordinator throughout work and academic semesters. Notify
them of any conditions or problems which might threaten the
student’s continuance in the program.
10. Maintain a satisfactory work record as attested by the
performance evaluation submitted by the employer at the end
of each work semester.
11. Submit an evaluation of the work experience at the end
of each work semester.
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