Introduction:

The PSU COOP Education Program combines classroom learning with work experience to assist students in applying their knowledge and skills to real life situations & building strong partnerships between the PSU and the local business community , as well as enable our students to create future quality career in response to the evolving of local economic and workforce development needs , therefore this program is focusing on the following items.

• Provide a comprehensive, accessible, responsive and proactive Coop Education program services quality to our students.

• Act as the liaison between the University's educational programs and the practical work at the local business community for the development of a distinctive Coop Education program.

Mr. Fahed M.Al-Ahmri
Secretary, Coop Education Program
Tel/Fax: 01-455 2709
Mobile: 0506232257
E-mail: fahmri@mgt.psu.edu.sa

 

 Co-op Services: 

• Terminology
• Qualifications Required
• Duration
• Methods
• Courses
• Implementation
• Commitments
• Schedule

Terminology:
These terms, mentioned in related texts, will be identified with following definitions:

Cooperative Education:
It is the process of associating the students' academic education with practical skills and experiences with the aim of connecting the students' theoretical, academic attainments with practical, authentic reality. This is achieved during a specified training period at institutes and corporations in one of the major sectors.

The Department Coordinator:
He is a chosen employee from the department who is obligated to become an informative agent between the cooperative education program and the department.

The Academic Supervisor:
He is chosen to supervise students seeking cooperative education and to evaluate their performance through a previously designed plan which includes calls for inspections on location.

The Training Supervisor:
He is an employee at the institute where the student receives his training who is in charge of supervising the student. This supervisor is chosen by the institute.

The Evaluation Scale:
Weak (less than 60), Pass (61-70), Good (71-80), Very Good (81-90), Excellent (91-100).

 

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Qualifications Required to be Accepted in the Cooperative Education Program:
Every student at Prince Sultan University (from the Department of Computer Science and Information or the Department of Finance, Marketing and Accounting) is to approach the department coordinator and apply for the program provided that the following requirements are met:

1 Obtaining permission from the department in which he is studying.

2 Completing all required courses at the university must be completed.

3 Registration in intended courses for students seeking cooperative education must be according to specialization.


Duration of the Program:
The program takes place over a period of (28) weeks which is equivalent to (10) accredited academic hours.


Methods in Determining the Participating Organizations in the Cooperative Education Program:
The cooperative education administration is responsible for specifying each student's direction for cooperative education. The training will take place at the location of the selected organization whether it is:

a - Inside the Kingdom
b - Abroad

 

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Cooperative Education Courses:
In an effort to relate cooperative education courses to the educational system at Prince Sultan University they have been divided as follows:
First: Department of Computer Science and Information :

a- Cooperative education for computer science (CS492)
b- Cooperative education for information systems (IS492)

Second: Department of Finance, Marketing and Accounting :
a- Cooperative learning in finance (FIN492)
b- Cooperative learning in marketing (MKT492)


Cancellation or Alteration of Scheme in the Cooperative Education Program:
This is done according to the regulations related to the cooperative education program and the customary procedures followed at the university.

 

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Implementing Cooperative Education and the Required Forms Commitments required by the student (prior to the training period):
The trainee must first discuss the following points with his academic counselor and consent to abiding by them:


1 To understand the objective of the training period.

2 To learn about the organization in charge of the training program and specify the available fields they have to offer during the training period.

3 To know the name(s) of the superior(s) with whom he will be dealing with during training.

4 To learn about the tasks that will be assigned to the trainee by the organization or chosen by the trainee himself, provided that they are harmonious with the objective of the training period and are related to the student's major at the university and its fields of study.

5 To identify the demands of the training course / project.

6 To learn about the skills and knowledge required of the trainee.

7 To constructing a training plan for the trainee. This is done by the academic counselor, the training supervisor and the trainee.

8 To assigning a time schedule that determines when the trainee should be able to accomplish the tasks assigned to him. This should be done after discussion with the academic counselor.

9 To pinpoint the benefits that the trainee will obtain during the training period.

10 To write a complete CV that includes all the information, skills, expertise, and hobbies. (Form number A0004)


 

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Commitments required by the student (during the training period):

A student is required to consent to the following point during his period of training:

1 Attending the entire duration of the training program (28 weeks) at the organization chosen for him or agreed upon by his department. A student is not allowed to transfer to another organization until he receives permission from both his department and the organization itself.

2 Always remember that you are representing the university at the organization you are training at. Thus, you should be careful to arrive on time and follow all the rules required at your place of training.

3 Make sure that the tasks assigned to you are particularly related to your major.

4 Make sure that there is a training program especially planned so that you can obtain the utmost benefit of the experience.

5 Try to learn how the basics of the job are conducted at the organization you are training at. This can be achieved by asking questions.

6 Supply the academic counselor with a final report on the training plan before the end of the first week of training.

7 Supply the academic counselor with regular reports according to the specified dates and instructions stated in the previously made schedule.

8 Write a daily report on all that has been achieved; to help with:

a filling out the daily record form (form S002) in order to show the assigned daily tasks and to submit it to the academic supervisor when he pays a call.

b writing the final report on all that has been achieved during the program which will be presented to the department to be discussed.

9 The trainee alone is responsible for making sure that the reports have been sent by the organization

10 Collecting the information and necessary items to write the cooperative education report according to its specified rules. Examples of these are:

a names of resources, books, articles, web sites

b Reports: whether they are analytical reports, reports concerning designs, or visitation reports.

c Records of different meetings.


Commitments required by the student (after the training period):
A trainee is required to visit the academic supervisor at the beginning of the academic term which follows the end of the training period to discuss the first draft of the cooperative education report and to find out the deadline for handing in the final draft and the date of the oral exam.

 

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Commitments required by the training organization:
The organization is required to:

1 Supply the university with regular reports about the student's performance.

2 Allow the student to stay in touch with the university as well as allowing administrators from the university to visit the student when needed.


Commitments required by the training organization (during the training period):
1 Providing each trainee selected with the previously specified tasks and fulfilling all the clauses agreed upon in the original contract.

2 Assigning suitable tasks to the trainee without taking advantage of the trainee in asking him to perform routine tasks which have nothing to do with his major, such as assigning him to be a telephone operator or file registrar or translator …etc.

3 Providing the administration of the cooperative education program at the university with the required forms which are as follows:

a An initial report when the trainee first receives his work and this should be sent during the first week of his attendance. A name of the trainee's direct supervisor should be included. (form number B0002)

b A report with the attendance record for the trainee should be sent in every two weeks. (form number B0003)

c A second report (an evaluation of the trainee every two weeks, form number B0004)

d A third report (a final evaluation at the end of the training period); this is handed in at the end of the program and it should include an evaluation of the trainee. (form number B0005)


4 Strengthening the cooperative relations between the training organization and the administration of the cooperative education program by notifying the administration of any negligence in the trainee's performance. Also, maintaining the relations between the university and the its students by allowing supervisors from the cooperative education program to perform field inspections to check on the students at their work place periodically and when necessary.


Commitments required by the training organization (after the training period):
1 Providing trainees who have finished the practical part of the program successfully with a training certificate the specifies the following:

a Name of the position / job that the trainee was holding.

b Tasks assigned to the trainee during the training period.

c Any original or distinguishable traits (if noticed) in the trainee during the
training period.

d Approving the certificate with the official stamp of the organization or cooperation.

2 Contributing (if possible) in celebrating the success of the graduate trainees and acknowledging the outstanding trainees at Prince Sultan University at the end of each school year.
 

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The issued schedule for the trainees' assignments:
 

Note: The trainee should present two copies of the monthly report: one via e-mail, the second a hard copy.

The academic supervisor's evaluation of the trainee:
The academic supervisor visits the trainee periodically with a minimum of one visit every two weeks to be informed of the progress in training and the how committed the trainee is to the previously set plan, as well as discussing all this with training supervisor.

 

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What is required from the department coordinator and the academic supervisor:
1 The coordinator of the department sends the student to the organization in charge of his training along with the required forms and instructions.

2 The coordinator hands in a report to the head of the department containing the number of students who qualify to attend the cooperative education program and the available training positions so that academic supervisors can be assigned to them. .

3 The coordinator passes out a list of the names of the students chosen by the department and the location of their training programs to the selected academic supervisors. The forms that should be filled out by the academic supervisor are also included.

4 The coordinator presents a brief note on the program to the students' academic supervisors in each department, as well as the responsibilities that they will be assigned to and the required forms.

5 Each supervisor is assigned 4 students as well as one teaching course (3 hours a week)

6 The academic supervisor at the university should receive the work initiation form concerning the student from the training organization (form number B0002)

7 The academic supervisor monitors the trainee by paying him a visit every two weeks. (form number A0002)

8 The Academic supervisor should receive notices of the trainee's attendance every two weeks. (form number B0003)

9 The academic supervisor should receive an evaluation form concerning the trainee every two weeks from the training organization. (form number B0004)

10 The trainee presents a complete report on the training period a week after it ends.

11 The department sets up an appointment for the student to present his report as a slide show (power point). The invitation to the show should be open for anyone to attend, in addition to the judging committee who is selected by the department.

12 The judging committee determines the trainee's final grade and hands it to the administration of registration.

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