CONTACT

Melissa Parker

Melissa Parker

Assistant Professor of English and Intern Coordinator
Norris Hall
P843-863-5513
Emparker@csuniv.edu

Enriching the student experience

The Experiential Learning Initiative, or ELI, began as a Quality Enhancement Plan (QEP).  It continues as an ongoing opportunity for students to engage in enriching experiential courses and practical experiences.  ELI provides students enriched educational opportunities via internships, practicums, clinicals, field courses, travel courses and other real-world applications of classroom theory.  Commencing with the 2021 freshman class, all students are required to earn 2 experiential requirements (or ELRs). Charleston Southern has many options available to students right here on campus!

How will it help me?

Studies have shown that benefits of experiential learning for students include higher job placement rates after graduation, better understanding of course material, and the development of professional skills for the postgraduate environment.

What is required?

An Experiential Learning Requirement (ELR) corresponds to an internship, service-learning project, study away course, or applied learning course such as clinicals, practicums, courses in professional skills development, and so on. Commencing June 1, 2021, new students (0-59 hours) will be required to complete two ELRs will be required for first year and sophomore students admitted in the 2020-2021 academic year; transfer students with 60 or more hours transferred in will have to complete one ELR. One ELR must earn academic credit (minimum 1 academic credit hour). See the Undergraduate Catalog for more information. Students who entered under an earlier catalog must complete a minimum of one academic ELR.

For the second experiential learning requirement, students may opt for a Service Learning Experience. This can be earned via non-credit bearing internships, service work, mission trips, and so on, so long as the student creates some form of document—paper, journal, video, presentation, etc—about learning from the experience. To receive the service learning credit, the student must:

  • Submit a proposal to her or his advisor;
  • If approved, the advisor signs the student up for the 0 credit GNED 303 (Service Experiential Learning) course to serve as a placeholder on the transcript and degree audit;
  • The student participates in his/her experience;
  • If the advisor is satisfied, the student is awarded a passing grade and has completed a Service Learning Experience. Again, note that is only in addition to an academic experience—the student MUST earn at least one academic credit bearing ELR to complete  

Internship Opportunities

Dubois Middle School is looking to put the MEN back in MENTOR! They are looking for young men that are willing to volunteer for 1 hour a week or month to read to a middle school male.

I-Beam is a branded elementary school initiative which seeks to provide long-term mentoring and academic support to at-risk children in the East Cooper area schools. Support for a community-wide mandate insures that all East Cooper school children “learn to read so that they can read to learn.” An interning student with this organization would aid in the creation and implementation of marketing materials to engage new churches and schools into partnerships to benefit the elementary school students. Additionally, the intern will produce the marketing materials to include videos. Potential subjects include:

  1. Orientation session for mentors
  2. Example mentoring sessions
  3. Testimonials from Mentors, Students, Teachers, and the Library Professionals
  4. Historical narrative of I-Beam founders
  5. Steps to establish a new church-school pair

The precise combination of activities of the fall intern will be refined as the semester unfolds, within the limitation of the internship’s 114 hours.

EMAIL SCOTT WELLS

MarComm is currently looking for students who are highly motivated and interested in participating in an internship! There are 3 internship positions available:

  • Reporters/Writers (2 positions)
  • Graphic Design (1 position)

For more information, please contact Marketing and Communication or stop in at the Hunter Center, room 125.

EMAIL

The BGEA Internship Program is an opportunity for college students and recent graduates to work in their field of expertise in the context of a Christian ministry.

LEARN MORE

M.B. Kahn is looking for math, science, or graphic design students to participate in an internship geared toward aiding in the construction of 5 new county libraries here in Charleston!

Are you interested in getting hands-on experience school- or community-based research in psychology with children and adolescents?  If so, then you might be interested in an experiential learning opportunity in the Division of Global and Community Health within Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences. This exciting opportunity enables students to gain hands-on exposure to a broad array of aspects of the research process in school- and community-based psychological research.  Hands-on experiences include conducting research assessments in schools; meeting with adolescents and their parents, either online, at their homes, and elsewhere in the community for research recruitment and data collection; performing office and other administrative tasks; and performing other related duties.  Opportunities exist to be involved to varying degrees on several studies, including

  • GEMS, a study of self-regulation, disruptive behavior, and substance use among middle school girls
  • PASS, a study of school mental health, school climate, and behavior among elementary school students
  • CHAPTER, a study of experiences with racial discrimination in African American families
  • Healthy Children, a study of school climate, bullying victimization and perpetration, disruptive behavior, and substance use among urban middle school students

Candidates must be comfortable working with racially diverse families.  Some research experiences require the use of a personal vehicle. Interested candidates should forward cover letters and resumes to Dr. Colleen Halliday-Boykins at hallidca@musc.edu.

Charleston Shucker Company is seeking a student interested in Marketing, Sales, Advertising and Communication. The individual hired for this position will need strong critical thinking skills, excellent verbal and written communication skills and knowledge of web and social media. We are looking for someone with great ideas and the drive to learn and grow. For information about the Charleston Shucker Company please visit www.charlestonshuckerco.com. If you are interested in an internship with this company, please email Lindsey Ballenger or call 843-819-9070.

The purpose of this position is to provide support for all aspects of Summerville DREAM, Inc. (DREAM) communications, thereby assisting the Executive Director and Board of Directors in achieving the organization’s mission to promote the positive image and development of the historic downtown district of Summerville, South Carolina. Summerville DREAM is currently looking for communication and graphic design students.

Eye Candy Cosmetics is a growing cosmetic company in search of a Digital Marketing Intern to help them continue to grow their social media presence. Their motto is “We Take You From Bland To Glam!” And they do this by offering unique cosmetic products! If you’re interested in learning more about this internship opportunity, please contact T.J. Cheeks at GlamorousEyeCandy@gmail.com.

Palmetto Christian Academy is looking for a student(s) that can announce during basketball games and help with newsletters and social media!

Point of Contact: Nathan Smith
Phone:  843-725-2291
Great opportunity with flexible dates and hours for students who are motivated, want exposure to a broad range of technologies and are eager to learn new technologies and programming languages. Specific tasking will include, assisting current staff in building solutions to automate business processes, application development and the customization of software. Additional responsibilities may include other development related tasks, assisting our staff with the maintenance of enterprise system and Tier 1 support.
List all other requirements (minimum student year, applicable majors, software/hardware experience, etc.):  Year:  Sophomore and above preferred Major/Field of Study: Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Software Engineering, or related technical field. Desired Experience: Some software development/coding in at least one modern programming language such as C, C++, C#, or Java. Knowledge of the following is beneficial: SQL, JavaScript/JQuery, PHP, and Perl.
Point of Contact: Jay Jeffries
Phone:  843-266-7552

Across multiple projects we have the need for research and development of software solutions.  We are anticipating the use of Java to manipulate database tables.  We also have the need to research options for infrastructure migration from a physical machine to either a data center or a cloud environment.  We have inherited some power shell scripts to automate the buildup of virtual machines to automate the work performed by software integrators and need assistance testing the completeness of the scripts.

List all other requirements (minimum student year, applicable majors, software/hardware experience, etc.):  Seeing a student in their Junior Year studying Computer Engineering or Computer Science with some 3GL software development classes (C/C++/Java).

Internship Position Title:  Software Developer Intern
Internship Period: 6 weeks
Point of Contact: Andrea Shirley
Phone:  843-308-4633

Detailed description of position:  We have a web-based interview management application that streamlines interview preparation, execution, and evaluation.  We will need the Developer to complete the web-based Interview Question Management System (IQMS).  The Developer will be required to enhance the UI, client and server side functionality.

List all other requirements (minimum student year, applicable majors, software/hardware experience, etc.):  At a minimum, the candidate should be familiar with HTML, CSS, and JavaScript.  The ideal candidate would be pursuing a degree in Computer Science or a related field, has experience writing full stack web applications, and is familiar with ExpressJS, Bootstrap, PostgreSQL, JSON, ExpressJS, and Firebase.

Point of Contact: Craig Herring
Phone:  843-277-1107 x 410

Detailed description of position:  •  Work directly with the Geodesicx Program Manager, project managers and support staff, supporting multiple Prime Contractor and Subcontractor projects.

  • Introduction into the planning, scheduling, managing and monitoring projects through their life cycle., •               Understand the importance and maintenance of formalized project management documentation (e.g., project plans, financial tracking)., • Streamline systems for data collection and reporting, compile statistics and data for projects and turn data into actionable intelligence for Program and Project Managers., •Manage delivery schedule and milestones for CDRL delivery across the Division Operation., •Analyze business and technical processes to formulate and develop new and modified business information processing systems (e.g., business system workflows and dashboards), • Work with team members to provide technical guidance related to business implications of the implementation of various systems to the Operation., • Support Program and Project Managers and respective teams to implement organizational processes and best practices., • Maintain Division process asset library for process definitions, templates and document samples., • Support business development activities.

List all other requirements (minimum student year, applicable majors, software/hardware experience, etc.):  • Prefer Freshman or sophomore, • Basic understanding of database administration and creation desired. • Computer Information Systems, or Business focus, • Microsoft office, • US Citizen.

Point of Contact: Brock Rabon
Phone: 843-637-1482
KBRwyle Technology Solutions would like to host a Cybersecurity intern to perform as an Ethical Hacker by conducting penetration testing in our Cybersecurity Lab, located on our premises at 5935 Rivers Ave, Suite 100, North Charleston, SC 29406. The intern’s primary goal is to focus on using current cybersecurity tools and techniques to discover vulnerabilities on our corporate network that could be exploited by a nefarious actor and to inform KBRwyle of those vulnerabilities along with recommended fixes/mitigations. This will be done in a Penetration Test Report that will assess potential impacts to the organization and suggest countermeasures to reduce risk. The intern will also be assigned the task of fixing the vulnerabilities as time allows. The students will work under the guidance and supervision of a KBRwyle lead analyst/engineer who will be able to provide the DC Association with a full report of their performance. Our goal is to provide an outreach into the college community and give a talented computer science student hands on experience in a corporate environment. With threats to global cybersecurity never out of the news, we especially hope to increase local academic awareness of growing career opportunities in the Information Security field for those with skills required to perform successfully as an Ethical Hacker.

List all other requirements (minimum student year, applicable majors, software/hardware experience, etc.):  The student should be a rising senior or a senior completing a BS degree in Computer Science or Engineering. It is strongly desired that the intern have experience programming in Python and also another language such as JavaScript and C/C++. The student should demonstrate an interest in cybersecurity through having completed related coursework and/or extracurricular activities. Dean, or department head, Experience with CATIA, SolidWorks, SolidEdge or NX (Unigraphics) is a plus.

Point of Contact: Paul V. Kumler P.E.
Phone: 864-297-6600

Utilize CATIAv5/SolidWorks/SolidEdge/NX (Unigraphics) to perform basic mechanical design functions associated with the Aircraft/Automotive/Machine Automation Industry. Create geometric layouts and graphical representations suitable for manufacturing. Perform basic structural analysis calculations. Complete tolerance stack assessments of completed and in-process designs.

List all other requirements (minimum student year, applicable majors, software/hardware experience, etc.):  Completed first year toward a degree in Mechanical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering Technology, or Aeronautical Engineering, Must be enrolled in a degree program, Must have completed a course in mechanical drafting, Letter of recommendation from college advisor, dean, or department head, Experience with CATIA, SolidWorks, SolidEdge or NX (Unigraphics) is a plus.

Point of Contact: Michael A. Hoyt
Phone: 843-697-8568

The two key areas of focus for the Cybersecurity/Systems Administrator intern include Technology and Process Improvement. The intern will assist the Lab Manager with daily tasks and be part of a team to help improve current business processes. This internship provides a learning environment rich with resources and experience. From the technology side, LCE’s Internship Program provides qualified applicants the potential to learn about the following technologies: Virtualization (VMWare ESX6i Server), Operating Systems (Linux, Windows 2003/2008), Database Technologies (MS SQL 2005/2008, MySQL), Web development/management (internet Information Server, Apache), Information Security (Industry Standards, DoD Standards, Security+), Networking (Cisco, Endian).

List all other requirements (minimum student year, applicable majors, software/hardware experience, etc.): Candidates should have a basic understanding of computers and operating systems. They should be enrolled in a College or University pursuing a technical degree.

Point of Contact: Courtney Newman
Phone: 843-979-9957
Detailed description of position:  Candidate will have the opportunity to work alongside Mercom’s IT team with exposure to networking, business applications, database, and procurement. The candidate will have the opportunity to diagnose, troubleshoot, and resolve hardware, software, or other system problems. Assist with projects that follow a typical systems development life cycle including testing and implementation. Daily tasks might include user and equipment setup in an Active Directory environment.
List all other requirements (minimum student year, applicable majors, software/hardware experience, etc.):  Pursuing a degree in Computer Science, Information Systems, or related field. Must live near Pawleys Island, SC area or be willing to commute. Seeking a candidate with a terrific attitude who can work well with a team as well as independently. Position requires strong customer service skills and the ability to communicate with end users and manage priorities. Candidate must have completed two years of coursework (entering Junior or Senior year of undergraduate studies).
Point of Contact:  Wayne Collins
Phone: 843-414-7555
Become familiar with and use Collaborative Lifecycle Management tools across all supported projects. Observe and assist with requirements, engineering, design, and testing efforts of command and control hardware and software. Will be exposed to all facets of the business supporting DoD efforts with an emphasis on solving real business problems. Involvement with Charleston metro defense industry events during the internship period. Option to gain technical certifications.
List all other requirements (minimum student year, applicable majors, software/hardware experience, etc.):  All applicants welcome. Technical major preferred. Experience is valued; however, it is more valuable that the applicant is inquisitive and intellectually curious. An analytical emphasis is a good fit. Minimum junior.
Point of Contact:  Mark Pelletier
Phone: 843-308-2519
Detailed description of position:  Under direct supervision, the intern will apply standard engineering and/or computer science techniques, principles, theories, and concepts at a level familiar to first or second year college students. The intern will assist in the research, analysis, compilation, design, development and/or test of computing, communications, cyber security, or intelligence systems in support of customer requirements in one or more engineering disciplines.
List all other requirements (minimum student year, applicable majors, software/hardware experience, etc.):  This job requires the candidate to be actively pursuing a Bachelor’s degree in a relevant technical discipline, preferably electrical engineering, information systems, cyber security, or computer science. Some software engineering/programming experience is desired. The job’s occupational field requires the application of complex, technical professional disciplines and the application of related concepts, practices, and methods. The intern is expected to participate as part of a team and should exhibit proficiency in verbal and written communication.
Point of Contact:  Nancy Straight
Phone: 843-266-6648
Detailed description of position:  The intern will work within a group of several disciplines of seasoned engineers (electrical, mechanical, software, controls, and human factors) primarily supporting the program’s systems engineer.  Responsibilities will include documenting requirements traceability for product design, research of available technologies to include gaps in technologies available commercially, and technical writing.
List all other requirements (minimum student year, applicable majors, software/hardware experience, etc.):  Rising Junior in any Engineering Discipline is acceptable.  Prefer Electrical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering or General Engineering.  Attention to detail, systematic approach to problem solving and ability to work on a dynamic team is a must.

Shipyard Park is a new waterfront sports and events complex opening in Charleston, SC in the summer of 2017.  Our company will be on the cutting edge of sports training, tournaments, and clinics along with a wide variety of events such as concerts, weddings, and festivals.  The Shipyard Park’s number one goal is service.

For the Marketing Internship we are looking for a dynamic individual that is capable and willing to work in a team atmosphere. The intern will assist with the overall daily activities, marketing strategies, office management, and organization of the calendar for 10-20 hours a week. For the Sport Management Internship we are looking for someone to execute the daily operations, schedule teams, practices, and training events at The Shipyard Park.