Whether you are a faculty member supervising undergraduate research assistants, administrative staff supervising work-study students, or an external organization supervising students in a job or volunteer activity, these resources are designed to help you design thoughtful student experiences.
Time Commitment Design Considerations
These are not strict requirements, but guidelines to support quality and consistency:
|
WBLE Type |
Typical Time Range |
Common Context |
|---|---|---|
|
Project-Based Experiences |
10–60 total hours |
Course-based employer projects, or microinternships |
|
Internships |
150–240 total hours |
Traditional internships, paid or unpaid, may receive academic credit |
|
On-Campus Student Employment |
Varies; often semester-long |
May be converted into WBLEs with learning design (see toolkit below) |
|
Clinical, Practicum, or Co-Op |
As required |
Licensure-based programs in education, healthcare |
These ranges reflect existing national best practices and give faculty and staff a reference point when designing or reviewing opportunities.
WBLE Design Toolkit
To support the development and implementation of high-quality WBLEs, we offer a suite of tools designed to assist both campus partners and employer collaborators. Faculty who oversee student workers may choose to use these resources as well.
These resources streamline the WBLE design process and ensure consistency across departments while making it easier for partners to align with JMU’s quality standards.
- On-Campus Internship or Employment Competency Tracker for Students (.docx)
- On-Campus Internship or Employment Position Description (.docx)
- Reflection Guide for Students (.docx)
- Reflection Guide for Supervisors (.docx)
- Supervisor Feedback and Evaluation Form (.docx)
- WBLE Project Scope Template (.docx)
What Does an On-Campus WBLE Look Like?
The Student Employment Office and University Career Center work together to provide support, training, and guidance in how to elevate an on-campus job to a full work-based learning experience, helping students develop professional skills to prepare them for their career trajectory.
Every on-campus WBLEs should include supervision and mentoring, learning objectives aligned with the position descriptions, regular opportunities for self-reflection, and assessment processes.
Not every campus job will be suitable for meeting the WBLE criteria, so check with the Student Employment Office for guidance.
Students in a WBLE-designated on-campus job will notice several key differences:
- Job descriptions include clear learning objectives and a list of Career Competencies.
- Students and their supervisors complete a short contract and pre-work survey.
- Supervisors hold at least two meetings with each employee per duration of employment (10 minutes) focused specifically on reflecting on skills and competency development.
- Supervisors complete a short survey after each reflection period to reflect on the experience and identify any training or support needs.
- Students will use a skills tracker and reflection guide to monitor their growth.
Supporting Student Learning and Reflection
Student employees will receive foundational onboarding provided by the Student Employment Office to help them approach their jobs as learning experiences. This training will introduce them to the expectations of a WBLE and encourage them to consider both supervisor expectations and their own personal learning goals.
Each student will reflect on three core questions during their supervisor reflection meetings:
- What are you learning here that will help in your schoolwork?
- What are you learning in your schoolwork that applies to this job?
- What are you learning that will help in your future career?
Students will also use two tools, which are also found above:
- On-Campus Internship or Employment Competency Tracker for Students (.docx) to map skills and competency development
- Reflection Guide (.docx) to document growth through employment
