The success of your Co-op work experience depends on many factors, including quality of the work assignment as well as your attitude and expectations before and during the actual work experience. You are encouraged to remain flexible and adjust to changes as they occur.
While on assignment, frequently check your Cornell email and keep an open line of communication with ECCS. Contact us if you experience problems during Co-op.
The following documents are designed to encourage you to think critically about what you are learning and contributing during your Co-op experience.
These documents should be submitted in the first two weeks of each work term:
Student/Employer Expectations Agreement (pdf)
This document opens the lines of communication between you and your supervisor/manager by outlining expectations from the start. You should meet with your supervisors during your first week to discuss this agreement.
Learning Outcomes Guidelines (doc)
At the beginning of each work term, you are required to formulate learning outcomes in cooperation with your supervisor. At the end of the work term, you and your supervisor will evaluate your progress toward these outcomes. The individual learning outcomes should be submitted to ECCS within two weeks of beginning each Co-op work term.
This is a useful tool to be used after approximately six weeks on the job:
Six Week Student Performance Assessment Tool (doc)
This assessment tool is designed to facilitate communication between you and your supervisor. Performance feedback is essential for your professional growth. Discussion of these issues at approximately the sixth week of work allows time for improvement and growth before the end of the Co-op experience. Students are not required to submit this form to Cornell; it is for professional development purposes only.
These four assignments must be submitted at the end of each work term:
Assessment of Student Performance Term 1 (doc)
Assessment of Student Performance Term 2 (doc)
This integral piece of the Co-op Program provides an opportunity for you to receive feedback that will be useful in future employment.
Learning Outcomes Evaluation (doc)
This document provides questions for reflecting on what you learned during your Co-op experience. This is a useful exercise as you begin to think about your next job, whether it is the second Co-op work term or a full-time job after graduation.
Work Experience Evaluation Term 1
Work Experience Evaluation Term 2
The Engineering Co-op & Career Services staff use this information to assess and evaluate the work experience and to advise employers of any needed changes. Please follow the link to take the online survey in place of the paper form.
Job Summary Guidelines (doc)
This page provides sample topics and ideas for the job summary and should be used to provide direction to the essay. Students should review the job summary with the supervisor before submitting it to Co-op staff. All job summaries will be made available to the public and therefore should contain no proprietary information.
Click here for a printable Co-op Work Term Checklist (pdf)
Remember this Co-op Equation
| Valuable Engineering Work | + | Professional Development | + | Assessment & Evaluation | = | Program Completion & Transcript Notation |
Your Transcript will read:
“Successfully completed the requirements of the Engineering Co-op Program”
