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Yale Divinity School
409 Prospect Street, New Haven, CT 06515
The Part Time Internship (Rel. 986)
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Process for Addressing Problems |
Form Links for Students (.doc format)
Form Links for Supervisors (.doc format) |
The part-time internship helps students gain professional competence, build frameworks for raising practical theological issues, acquire comprehensive and realistic views of the Church and its ministries, and develop ministerial identities. Interns work thirteen and a half hours a week in their sites, which includes travel time as well as one hour of supervision and theological reflection with their supervisors. Specific responsibilities are set out in a Learning Agreement developed by the intern and the supervisor prior to the internship. Interns also spend one and a half hours a week in Practicum, a peer reflection group taught by a practitioner. The internship must be taken for two consecutive semesters, Fall and Spring. It carries 3 credits per semester. These are elective and not Area IV credits.
The Part-time Internship is organized around three orientations of ministry—thinking, doing, and being—and assumes that developing competencies in all three areas is necessary to prepare for ministry. The assignments are developed to help the intern do this.
Reading
How to Think Theologically by Howard S. Stone and James O. Duke
Let Your Life Speak: Listening for the Voice of Vocation by Parker J. Palmer
additional articles, as assigned by individual Practicum teachers
Assignments:
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a Learning Agreement
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13.5 hours of supervised ministry, including travel
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one hour a week of supervision with theological reflection
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Mid-year report
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Final report
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two Observation Reports per semester
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weekly attendance in Practicum
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one one-page Case for Practicum per year
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up to 100 pages of reading for Practicum per semester
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one five-page Theological Reflection paper per year
Grading:
Students are graded on a Credit/No Credit basis. All assignments must be completed for a grade of Credit.
Assignment Details:
The Observation Report is designed to help intern and supervisor be more intentional about what the intern is learning to do. For each report, the intern and supervisor choose an activity that the supervisor will observe the intern doing. They meet both before and after the activity. At the pre-observation meeting, the intern articulates his or her goals and gives the supervisor specific guidance about the feedback needed. At the post-observation meeting, the intern debriefs and the supervisor offers feedback and critique. See the Observation Report form.
The Case is designed to help interns reflect on their own particular practices of ministry in light of the broad themes about ministry discussed in Practicum. Case discussions also help interns learn how to participate in and lead discussions with peers and thus to become ministers practiced in the habit of mutually critical collegiality. See the Case instructions.
The Theological Reflection paper is designed to help interns learn to think about the meaning(s) of ministry. It also helps them integrate formal theological education with the practice of ministry. It invites interns to build upon a case they have previously written, following a specific format. See the Theological Reflection Paper instructions.
Practicum is the peer reflection class that accompanies part-time interns’ work in the field. It follows an action-reflection pedagogical model. That is, it assumes that significant learning takes place through the events of the internships, with the Practicum proving the opportunity for guided peer reflection on those events. Practicum complements the individual theological reflection interns do with their supervisors, and is more focused on themes embedded in the profession of ministry of common interest to all. It also models the sort of peer group many ministry professionals participate in.
Practicum meets weekly throughout the academic year on Thursday from 4:00 to 5:30pm. The first two Thursdays of the year, and four other Thursdays, we meet in plenary sessions. The rest of the meetings are in section (see schedule, below).
Interns are grouped for Practicum into sections according to type of internship and stay in the same section all year. Practitioners engaged professionally in those types of ministries teach the Practicum sections. Interns may ask Barbara Blodgett to be assigned to a different section. The 2007-08 Practicum teachers are: Barbara Blodgett, Herb Brockman, Barbara Cheney, Shepard Parsons, Kyle Pedersen, John Selders, and Rochelle Stackhouse
The Practicum portion of the Credit/No Credit grade for Rel. 986 is based on attendance, submission of at least one case for discussion, and reading. In 2007-08, the attendance policy will be as follows: No more than two absences per semester will be allowed for credit, and they will only be allowed when students explain their absences in advance to the group (this models professional practice).
Schedule of class meetings
9/6 Practicum Plenary 1/17 Practicum
9/13 Practicum Plenary 1/24 Practicum
9/20 Practicum 1/31 Practicum
9/27 Practicum 2/7 Practicum
10/4 Practicum 2/14 Reading week; no Practicum
10/11 Reading week; no Practicum 2/21 Practicum
10/18 Practicum 2/28 Practicum
10/25 Practicum 3/6 Practicum
11/1 Practicum 3/13 Spring recess; no Practicum
11/8 Practicum 3/20 Spring recess; no Practicum
11/15 Practicum 3/27 Practicum
11/22 Thanksgiving; no Practicum 4/3 Practicum
11/29 Practicum 4/10 Practicum
12/6 Practicum 4/17 Practicum
4/24 Practicum
Internship sites are developed by invitation from the OSM and/or by request from a site or student. Potential supervisors complete an application that describes their site and general expectations. Completed applications are due in January for internships beginning the following fall so that students have ample time to review the descriptions and schedule interviews. Priority in placement is given to sites that meet the deadline. The Director gives final approval of all sites and all new supervisors must be trained.
The OSM discourages students from interning in sites where they already work, in their home churches, or in the church sponsoring them for ordination. Experience has shown that interns receive more objective and helpful feedback on their professional and personal development if they are placed in sites that offer a new mentor and a new context for ministry. It can also be difficult for students to intern in sites where the dual roles of employee and intern can create conflicts. The OSM recognizes, however, that some students pursue theological education while already employed in ministry. Therefore, exceptions may be made to the employment rule if the following conditions are met:
1a) a supervisor can be identified who is closely familiar with the site and can provide supervision from
"outside"
1b) the employer is willing to act temporarily as supervisor and
2) learning goals can be established that enable the intern to undertake new challenges beyond his or her
ordinary responsibilities
Likewise, students are not placed with supervisors who are their spouses, partners, family members, or close personal friends, in order to avoid potential conflicts from being in dual roles and relationships.
Early in the second semester the OSM offers an orientation session in which students obtain an application for a part-time internship. The application invites students to describe their experience and background, their goals for supervised ministry, their future interests, and the kind(s) of sites they prefer. Upon completing the application, students schedule placement meetings with the Director of Supervised Ministries. They are encouraged to schedule these meetings reasonably soon after the orientation.
At the placement meeting, the Director reviews the student’s application and suggests appropriate sites. The student reviews the sites’ applications and selects several sites with which to interview. The OSM currently has more potential sites than it does potential interns, so students who meet with the Director early have many options. Placement meetings are scheduled on a first-come, first-served basis via a signup sheet outside the Director’s office.
The student’s application is mailed to the sites they select for interviews. The students then call the supervisors within one week of their placement meeting to schedule interviews. If supervisors do not hear from students within one week of receiving the students’ applications, the supervisors are not obligated to interview those students. Students and supervisors are encouraged to complete all their interviews in a timely manner. Students and supervisors submit their ranked choices to Barbara Blodgett who makes the final matches.
After placements have been determined, students and supervisors begin the process of preparing a Learning Agreement. The student submits a final copy of the Learning Agreement to the OSM for the Director’s approval. In summary, students’ responsibilities during the placement process are as follows:
January
Attend orientation meeting.
Pick up Part-Time Internship application.
February
Meet with Director of Supervised Ministries.
(Bring completed application to meeting)
Schedule interviews with potential supervisors within one week of meeting.
Interview with potential supervisors.
March
Conclude interviews by March 16th.
Director notifies students and supervisors of matches.
April
Complete Learning Agreement with supervisor.
Learning Agreements should be completed before the end of the academic year so that internships can begin right away in the fall. In exceptional cases, they may be finalized during the summer or in the fall. The deadline for finalizing a Learning Agreement and starting an internship is the same as the Registrar’s deadline for registering for a course.
In any supervised ministry program, students not only learn how to practice ministry but also develop specific skills in preparation for their anticipated professional careers. Evaluation and reporting, therefore, not only look back at performance but also ahead toward the student’s continued professional development. Accordingly, reports incorporate two components:
1.) assessment of how well students met their learning goals and developed the competencies identified in the Learning Agreement
2.) identification of the student’s particular competencies in ministry as well as recommendations for continued
development. (Supervisors are discouraged, however, from making specific recommendations about
ordination.This is properly left to ecclesial bodies.)
In supervised ministries, the process of reporting is done cooperatively, in keeping with the assumption that students largely direct their own learning and therefore nothing written about them should come as a surprise. Discussion between intern and supervisor precedes both reports, and both are co-signed. While reports serve to communicate to the Director of Supervised Ministries the student’s progress and potential for ministry, they primarily ensure that the student learns from the process. Students and supervisors write six reports: four Observation Reports, a Mid-Year Report and a Final Report. For a description of the Observation Reports, see 'Assignments' above. For further instructions on creating an Observation Report, click here.
Students and supervisors meet at mid-year to discuss the progress made to date toward the student’s learning goals as well as the working relationship between the two of them. A summary of this discussion, in the form of a report, is drafted by either student or supervisor and then edited by the other. Once a final draft is prepared, it is signed by both student and supervisor and submitted to the Director of Supervised Ministries. Signatures do not necessarily indicate full agreement with the report’s content, only that the report has been read. The mid-year report is read by the Director of Supervised Ministries simply to monitor the progress of the internship. It does not become part of the student’s permanent academic file.
Students and supervisors meet again at year-end to evaluate the internship. The process is similar to the mid-year report except that it is more focused on the intern’s performance and professional potential. Where there is an intern committee, it is invited to share in the reporting process. The supervisor (and/or intern committee) prepares a final written report which is co-signed by the student. It is placed in the student’s permanent academic file.
Berkeley Divinity School students Mid-Year and Final Reports are shared with the Dean of BDS.
In addition, interns meet with the Director of OSM at mid-year to discuss and review the internship. Exit interviews, at the end of the year, are encouraged but not required.
Process for Addressing Problems
If during the course of an internship the intern, supervisor, or Director of Supervised Ministries feels that a problem has arisen and the Learning Agreement is not being honored, the following steps are taken:
1. The intern, supervisor, and Director meet at YDS to discuss the problem and attempt to identify a solution that will ensure learning on the part of the student while retaining the integrity of the internship.
2. If necessary, a second meeting takes place within two weeks, involving other persons as applicable and appropriate.
3. If a resolution is reached that involves continuing the internship, the Learning Agreement is modified as necessary and signed by all three.
4. If the resolution involves terminating the internship, the Director writes an explanation and provides it to all parties, including the Dean of Academic Affairs and/or the Dean of Berkeley.
5. In the case of disagreement, the Director makes a final decision about continuing or terminating the internship.
6. In the event that an internship is terminated after the deadline for withdrawal, the student receives a No Credit grade and the Director’s written statement is placed in the student’s permanent academic file.
7. If the Director determines that the supervisor or site primarily caused the problem leading to the termination, the site will be reevaluated with respect to participating again in the part-time internship program. If the Director determines that the student primarily caused the problem, he or she will receive a notation on his or her transcript indicating a failure of supervised ministry.
In the event of illness or other serious problems that prevent the intern from fulfilling the Learning Agreement, the intern and/or supervisor notifies the Director of Supervised Ministries. If possible, the three arrange a leave of absence, after which the student works additional hours to compensate for lost time. If this is determined not possible, the student may withdraw from the internship (see # 6 above).
Deadlines and fees for terminating or withdrawing from an internship follow the same calendar and policies set by the Registrar, as for all courses.
All internships are subject to Yale Divinity School's policy on sexual harassment. See http://www.yale.edu/divinity/sm/YDS_SexualHarassment.shtml
The Office of Financial Aid gives interns extra aid, in the form of a grant credited to the Bursar Account. Students should contact that office for further information.
In the past, sites were asked to make a contribution toward this aid when applying to have an intern. We have changed that practice and now sites will be contacted by the Office of Development for a contribution to Yale Divinity School once they have an intern.
Sites are asked to reimburse interns directly for travel to and from internships and travel done for internship work at the rate set by the IRS each year. Sites are also encouraged to reimburse interns for any out-of-pocket expenses incurred for internship purposes.
September 2007
6 Th Internships begin; Interns register for Rel. 986
First meeting of Practicum in plenary
14 Fri Last day to start an internship (Learning Agreement must be finalized)
October 2007
24 Wed Last day to withdraw from an internship
November 2007
19 Mon Internships suspend for Thanksgiving recess
26 Mon Internships resume
December 2007
--Interns' midyear meetings--
11 Tue Internships suspend for semester recess
21 Fri Mid-year Reports due; two Observation Reports due
January 2008
14 Mon Internships resume; Interns register again for Rel. 986
31 Th Last day for supervisors to apply for a 2008-09 intern or to invite 2007-08 intern to continue
February 2008
Ministry Writing Assignment due
March 2008
10 Mon Internships suspend for spring recess
24 Mon Internships resume
April 2007
28 Mon Internships conclude
May 2007
9 Fri Final reports due for seniors
27 Tue Final reports due for non-seniors
How to Create a Learning Agreement
THINKING DOING BEING
1. Getting Started
There are three orientations of ministry--thinking, doing, and being—and all are necessary to prepare for ministry. To work toward competency in all these areas may be said to be the goal of theological education in general and supervised ministry in particular. Your Learning Agreement, therefore, should reflect the specific competencies you hope to develop within each of these areas.
Begin by thinking about these three orientations of ministry, identifying what strengths and habits you already have, and which you would like to develop. In what ways do you want to grow as a professional who ministers to others? What particular examples come to mind as things you want to learn or need to work on? In which directions do you need to stretch yourself? This reflection, done in conjunction with a supervisor who will also have ideas about what you need to learn, is the beginning of the process of establishing a Learning Agreement.
Thinking is the intellectual work of ministry. A person oriented toward thinking ministry likes, for example, to make sense of differences between current situations and past experience; to search for meaning; to discover and apply overarching principles; to teach other people. Some specific goals of “thinking ministry” might include, for example, learning how best to interpret texts and traditions for laypeople; understanding human development and the transitions people go through in crisis; comparing ministry in a suburban church to that in an urban setting.
Doing is the performative work of ministry. A person oriented this way might be good at planning, setting priorities, responding to practical needs, etc. The goals of a doer include skill development--for example, becoming effective in leading committee meetings, teaching, delivering clear sermons, caring for adolescents or the elderly.
Being is the personal formation work of ministry. A person whose ministry is oriented this way likes to concentrate on issues of identity, self-awareness, authority, professionalism, and the like. Some of the goals of “being” might include growing into the role of chaplain to a diverse community, setting boundaries and maintaining them, developing spiritual and ethical disciplines, building one’s confidence as a spiritual leader.
2. Establish Learning Goals
The next step is to ask yourself: How can my internship help me develop in the ways I have identified? To answer this question is to discover your learning goals. If doing supervised ministry is akin to taking a course, then a learning goal is a reason you have for taking that course. It is an expression of what, ideally, this experience will contribute to your education. A learning goal is just that – a goal toward which you aspire over time. Sometimes learning goals take a lifetime to achieve, but it is good to make yourself write them down anyway because they will give shape and meaning to your learning experience.
I advise you to identify a couple of learning goals in each area--thinking, being, doing. Try not to make them all about skill acquisition (“I want to learn how to do x”). Identify also what you want to reflect on and who you want to become.
A caveat: Sometimes we cannot fully discern our goals until we begin working toward them! Your learning goals may well crystallize and even change as you proceed with your internship. That is fine; they can always be modified or amended. Do not use this as an excuse for a haphazard approach, but simply remember that goals are goals.
3. Meet with your Supervisor
Make an appointment with your supervisor to discuss the learning goals you have in mind. Solicit your supervisor’s opinion as to whether they are realistic and appropriate to the internship. She or he will have additional ideas.
4. Match Goals with Tasks
The next step is to identify, along with your supervisor, what specific tasks will help you work toward your learning goals. Match reasonable tasks with goals. While some internships come with responsibilities already defined, and may represent the reason you chose the internship, most have some flexibility. Negotiating your particular tasks with your supervisor is an important part of the learning agreement process.
In contrast to learning goals, tasks or assignments are concrete, bound to a time frame, and in some way measurable. While identifying goals helps you keep your overall objectives in perspective, identifying specific tasks helps you frame your internship in manageable, doable ways. You can’t solve the problems of the church or the world in one internship, and you shouldn’t even try! So imagine small and specific projects. Sometimes students write tasks in this form: “By May, I will . . . “
5. Look Ahead
Finally, think about whether there are any particular resources you will need for your tasks–from people to materials. It would be helpful to identify these with your supervisor sooner rather than later. You will also want to know what particular avenues for feedback you will receive--that is, what types of assessment will be available to help you know how well you are working toward your goals and accomplishing your tasks. Many parish placements, for example, appoint a lay team to meet with the intern on a regular basis for this and other purposes.
6. Make it Official
Append your learning goals and tasks to the Learning Agreement form, cosign the form along with your supervisor, make a copy for yourself, and turn it in to the Office of Supervised Ministries. You will need to submit a Learning Agreement in order to register for Part-time Internship with Practicum.
Service of Covenant/Installation for Supervised Ministry Intern
(adapted from the United Church of Christ Order for Affirmation of Ministry)
Introduction
Pastor or other representative of the church:
Dear Friends in Christ, has been called by God to serve among us this year as our Supervised Ministry Intern. She/he has accepted her/his call and stands before us in witness to her/his willingness to serve and to learn. As the people of God in this place, we enter into a covenant relationship with _________________. It is an honor for her/him to be entrusted with responsibility for particular service, and it is an honor for us to receive her/his ministry and to support it. (The intern’s goals and tasks may be outlined briefly.) Let us remember the charge of St. Paul to Timothy/Paul’s words to the church at Corinth: (Read 1 Corinthians 12:4-11 or II Timothy 4: 1-5 or other verse)
Addressing the Intern
Pastor or other representative:
___________________, having prayerfully considered the responsibilities of this covenant, are you prepared to minister among us and learn from us?
Intern:
I am.
Pastor or representative:
Do you promise to exercise your ministry diligently and faithfully, showing forth the love of Christ?
Intern:
I do, relying on God’s grace.
Addressing the Supervisor
Intern Committee Chair or other representative:
__________________, having prayerfully considered the responsibilities of this covenant, are you prepared to support ________________ as she/he continues the pilgrimage of preparation and learning for ministry?
Supervisor:
I am.
Intern Committee Chair or other representative:
Do you promise to exercise your supervision diligently and faithfully, showing forth the love of Christ?
Supervisor:
I do, relying on God’s grace.
Addressing the Intern Committee/Lay Team
Pastor or other representative:
Members of this church’s Intern Committee, having prayerfully considered the responsibilities of this covenant, are you prepared to offer ___________________ your encouragement and constructive feedback?
Intern Committee members:
We are.
Pastor or other representative:
Do you promise to exercise your guidance diligently and faithfully, showing forth the love of Christ?
Intern Committee members:
We do, relying on God’s grace.
Addressing the Congregation
Pastor or other representative:
Members of , are you prepared to receive as your intern, promising to labor with her/him in the ministry of Jesus Christ and give her/him your respect and support?
Congregation:
We are.
Pastor or other representative:
Do you promise also to support __________________ in the role and responsibility of being supervisor?
Congregation:
We do, relying on God’s grace.
Prayer
Pastor or other representative:
Let us pray: Gracious God, we thank you for those who hear and answer your call to prepare for ministry in your church. Look with favor upon _________________.
Grant her/him your Holy Spirit that she/he may grow in the knowledge and love of God. Strengthen us all in our Christian vocation of witness to the world and service to others, through Jesus Christ our Savior. Amen.
Declaration
Pastor or other representative:
In the name of Jesus Christ, and on behalf of the people of ____________________,
I declare that you are recognized and installed as our Supervised Ministry Intern for 2006-2007. In accordance with the faith and order of this church, I extend to you the hand of Christian love.
All:
Thanks be to God!
Last Updated 9/18/07