| Cooperative Education is a three-way partnership among the employer, the student, and the university. The employer plays the role of experiential educator, guiding the student employee as he/she works under supervised mentorship. The student acts as an apprentice, learning as he/she works under the supervision of a professional in his/her field of study. The university’s role is one of facilitator, ensuring that the employer’s staffing needs and the student's educatonal needs are met.
First, employers complete the Cooperative Education Agreement, which is a written agreement to partner with NMSU in the cooperative education process.
Second, employers connect with qualified students. Please see Job Posting and Recruiting Services for more details.
Once co-op students are selected and offered co-op jobs, employers refer those selected to the Co-op Office for paperwork processing. Employers should know that in order for NMSU to certify a co-op, the following information is needed by the Co-op Office:
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Detailed job description from employer. (Co-op jobs must be directly related to the student’s major in order to be a certifiable co-op.)
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Copy of offer letter from employer, including:
• Proposed beginning and ending day/month/year of work assignment.
• Proposed work schedule in hours-per-week.
• Confirmation of salary.
The actual co-op work assignment, or “workphase,” can vary in length, but usually lasts from 3-8 months long. Continuous work assignments lasting longer than 8 months will be considered only on a case-by-case basis, since reasonable academic progress toward graduation is a goal of the Program. Full-time co-op students may work either alternating workphases with semesters at NMSU, or work back-to-back semesters. Some co-op arrangements may call for only one semester of work, or just the summer between regular semesters, depending on employer work projects.
One example of a plan is: First year on Co-Op Assignment: Student works from January to May, attends school from May to August, and returns to work from August to December; Second year on Co-Op Assignment: Student attends school from January to May, returns to work from May to August, and goes back to school from August to December.
Another example: First year on Co-Op Assignment: Student works from January to May, continues to work from May to August, and returns to school from August through December. Second year: Student works from January to May, and attends school from May through December.
These are just some of the varieties of ways to make a Co-Op assignment work for you. For more information, please contact us.
Participant Responsibilities:
The following is a list of responsibilities each partner in the Co-op process agrees to accept:
Employer Provides:
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Job description for each student’s position.
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A signed Cooperative Education Agreement.
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A job related to a major field of study at a suggested salary approximately 60%-85% of the salary for a new graduate.
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Quality supervision and mentoring from a trained professional.
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An evaluation of the student's performance at the end of the work term(s).
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Clearly defined duties and responsibilities that will increase in subsequent work term.
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Feedback pertaining to the academic preparation of students.
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Current information regarding students performance, as requested by the Co-op office, including but not limited to, disciplinary actions or growth plans.
Cooperative Education Program Provides:
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Student applicants who have been approved by the Cooperative Education Coordinator.
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Interested students’ resumes, transcripts, and other materials required by the employer.
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Committed students interested in professional work experience.
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Monitored progress of students during work assignment.
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Protection of full-time students status with the University when one is approved for a Co-op work assignment.
Co-op Students Will:
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Perform professional work commensurate with the level of classes completed.
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Earn the right to work subsequent terms based on performance.
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Return for consecutive work assignments unless the employer cannot re-hire the student based on economic conditions or unsatisfactory performance.
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Follow company policies as outlined for the student such as safety, health, security, and non-disclosure of confidential/proprietary information.
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Provide housing, unless employer offers accommodations.
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Maintain good academic standing with the university.
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Maintain content with the Co-op office on a semester-by-semester basis as long as (s)he is in the Co-op program.
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Notify the Co-op office immediately about any change in work/study loads, resignation, leave-of-absence from work, or termination from a Co-op work assignment.
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