Find answers to your frequently asked questions about supervising and working with UBC Arts Co-op students.
What to Expect in the Work Term
Arts Co-op provides a supportive structure for students and supervisors to make the most of the work experience. For each 4-month work term, you can expect a few things to take place.
Once the co-op student is oriented to the workplace and assigned their tasks and responsibilities, they are required to create a performance plan.
Although students can complete these on their own, we recommend that they meet with their supervisor to establish realistic yet challenging learning goals.
By reviewing the performance plan, you can:
- Align the student's goals with the work you expect them to perform.
- Get to know the student’s learning goals and potentially adjust the role based on the student’s abilities and interests.
- Build rapport with your student, who may then feel more comfortable sharing their objectives and experiences with you.
The site visit is a dedicated time for you, the student, and an Arts Co-op Career Educator to discuss the student’s learning, progress, performance, and experience. It's an opportunity to reflect on accomplishments, and discuss and/or resolve any problems or concerns that you or the student may have.
The meeting can take place either online, in person, or by phone.
Timing
Midway through the term, an Arts Co-op Career Educator will coordinate a site visit with you and your student. The student is responsible for scheduling the meeting and will check with you about your availability.
Agenda
The Arts Co-op Career Educator will first meet with the student individually and then together with you. We will focus the conversation around the following areas of feedback:
- Overall performance and accomplishments so far
- Suggestions for areas of development
- Goals for the remainder of the work term
- Potential extension of work term
- Any issues, challenges, or concerns
In addition to the site visit, we encourage you to check-in regularly with your co-op student to discuss their tasks and projects, progress towards learning goals, new interests, and any problems or concerns.
Co-op Assignments
Throughout the term, your student will be required to submit several co-op work term assignments. These are designed to help students reflect on their learning, articulate their skills and experiences, and develop their professional network. It is up to the student to discuss and share copies of these assignments with you to ensure nothing confidential is submitted.
Some of the assignments include:
- E-Portfolio
- LinkedIn Profile
- Informational Interview
- Skills Matrix
Final Evaluations
At the end of each four-month term, the student and the supervisor each complete online evaluations. We will email you a link in the final weeks of the work term. We encourage you to meet and discuss your evaluations with each other before the end of the work term.
Duties & Responsibilities
During a co-op work term, employers, students, and the Arts Co-op office have a set of duties and responsibilities they must abide by.
- Outline hours of work, start and end dates, job duties, and advise the student on confidentiality in the workplace.
- Provide the student with an orientation to the workplace, as well as the functional workspace and any required equipment.
- Provide the student with a supervisor who will oversee their work, discuss expectations and give feedback.
- Participate in the site visit to assess the student’s progress, performance, and experience.
- Provide guidance for the student’s co-op work term assignments, if appropriate.
- Complete a final evaluation of the student’s performance during the work term.
- Honour the acceptance of a work term by fulfilling the terms of employment to the best of their abilities.
- Respect the policies, procedures, confidentiality, and proprietary information of their employers (assume job information is confidential unless told otherwise).
- Conform to all the conditions and rules that apply to employees in the organization, such as work attire and business hours.
- Arrange for a site visit with their employer and Arts Co-op Career Educator.
- Accept feedback and suggestions for improvement from their supervisor and/or Co-op Career Educator in a positive manner.
- Complete and submit co-op work term assignments to the Arts Co-op office.
- Share copies of co-op work term assignments with their work supervisor and discuss any issues of confidentiality prior to submission.
- Complete the final evaluation for the work term.
- Act as a resource to students and employers during work terms.
- Conduct site visit to discuss the student’s work progress and to identify future work opportunities for Arts Co-op students.
- Address any problems that arise from either the student or employer.
- Review the employer’s final evaluation of the student and the student’s evaluation of the work term.
- Review the success of each work term at its completion, and make appropriate changes to the program based on student and employer feedback.
Arts Co-op Office Support Services
We offer a full range of recruitment services at no cost, including:
- Assisting with drafting job descriptions
- Advice on determining salary levels
- Compiling and sharing applications for your posting
- Advice on the hiring process
- Monitoring student progress during the work term
Get Involved
The success of our program depends on our employers. We invite you to support our students in a variety of ways:
Many of our employers have found that working with co-op students on a short-term basis is a low risk way to find star employees to hire after graduation.
To learn more about hiring another co-op student, contact the Arts Co-op office.
Help us reach others in your network about hiring a UBC Arts Co-op student.
We hope you'll join the 99% of our employers who would recommend our program to other organizations in their field.
We invite you to be involved with the development of our program.
If you wish to help as a guest speaker at our student training sessions or deliver a workshop or information session about your organization, contact us.
Co-op Student of the Year Award
If you would like to recognize a student for excellent performance, consider nominating them for the Arts Co-op Student of the Year award. Indicate your interest in the end-of-term evaluation form, and we will reach out to you when the nomination period is open.
The annual award recognizes outstanding achievement in all aspects of a student’s performance, including academic and job achievements, as well as contributions to co-operative education and extra-curricular activities.
The winner receives a bursary and may be nominated for the provincial or national Co-op Student of the Year competition.
Tips on Remote Work
As many of our employers have hybrid or remote work arrangements, we have some tips on how to work with students remotely, courtesy of CEWIL (Co-operative Education and Work-Integrated Learning Canada).