THE OFFICE of the Associate Dean for Student Formation suspended on-site practicum until December 2021 due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, prompting practicum coordinators to prepare alternative online programs for graduate and undergraduate students.
According to the Loyola Schools Office of Placement and Career Services (LSOPCS) Director Ronald Rodriguez, these alternative programs will prepare students for careers in various industries through online classes, webinars, and work-from-home internships.
Preparing for practicum
Associate Dean for Student Formation Leland Dela Cruz, PhD explained that the Loyola Schools (LS) administration suspended on-site practicum until December 2021 as nationwide herd immunity might not be achieved this year.
“I remember asking [LS administrators] whether we should have the [suspension] until intersession only or just do it for the entire year. We just thought we should do it for the entire school year. Anyway, if, by some miracle, things improve after intersession, we can always just withdraw the policy,” he said.
Dela Cruz added that the LS administration hopes to prepare students for online practicum by immediately informing them about its policy and procedures. Rodriguez said that they have already begun disseminating relevant documents such as the memorandum of agreement and the training contract to help students secure their practicum courses this intersession.
The University will also host an online job fair in April to give students more company options for their internships. To inquire about student internship offers, the LSOPCS contacted different partner companies that have previously joined Ateneo’s career fairs or requested job postings.
“So hopefully that would make the process a little bit easier rather than cramming everything by June. So at least as early as possible, we have identified host companies and students can already initially apply. At least they will have an idea whether they already have a place where to go,” Rodriguez said.
Alternative programs
Rodriguez claimed that regular office hours will still be followed by students, but host companies may adjust the work hours given the remote environment. Since they are still student interns, he added that working overtime is not allowed even with the current online set-up.
“Just the same in an office: You won’t be talking to anyone straight from 9 [AM] to 5 [PM], ‘di ba? So companies and the students and the internship coordinators can look into these details,” he shared.
According to Dela Cruz, the LS administration consulted with the Sanggunian and practicum coordinators in AY 2019-2020 to craft academic guidelines in view of the COVID-19 pandemic. He said that last school year’s policies on remote internships will also be carried out in 2021.
For example, he said that the Political Science Department converted its intersession internship to an online class discussing career experiences with speakers such as Pasig City Mayor Vico Sotto.
Additionally, the Department of Information Systems and Computer Science contacted different companies that gave practicum students project assignments to work on under the faculty’s supervision. Dela Cruz also said that some School of Science and Engineering departments decided to redesign their internships into online laboratory classes.
“The practicum is actually handled by the different departments and programs, except that we felt like [the LS administration] had to come up with the policy last year with respect to how internships or practicum will be managed. So I think, essentially, [the policy] would be the same,” he shared.
Internship challenges
Despite making the necessary adjustments for online practicum, Rodriguez shared that it was still difficult to look for host companies accepting student interns. “In terms of adjustments, we need to prepare for the possibility that companies might not be able to accommodate internships in a remote format because some industries were affected, and their need for interns [was] not available,” he said.
He also added that poor internet connectivity would make the work-from-home arrangement difficult for students since they may be required to regularly attend online meetings and work on projects.
According to Dela Cruz, the high number of junior students required to take practicum this year is also a challenge. He added that more degree programs such as those under the English Department are now required to take practicum due to the new curriculum’s requirements.
With this, both Rodriguez and Dela Cruz said that simulating a work environment similar to on-site internships would be difficult to do online. However, they both hope that students can still learn from the program despite the online adjustments.
“[Online practicum] would still be helpful because [students] would get an opportunity to work with professionals from different industries, hopefully to be mentored by them and gain insights on […] the world of work […],” Rodriguez said.
