School of Fashion: Students
Apr 8, 2016
A petition is underway regarding FSN 402 Internship, specifically asking the School to no longer require tuition fees for enrolment in this course.
Experiential learning opportunities are central to the Ryerson student experience. Internships are in demand by students and employers alike, and they offer a program-approved opportunity to integrate career-related experience into a student's education by participating in planned, supervised work. When a student receives course credit for an internship or placement there is a direct, tangible benefit to that student. Having internship experience is an asset to graduates for employment, especially so in a highly competitive recruitment environment.
Whereas it may appear that tuition for FSN 402 is unjustified because students do not attend a traditional weekly lecture, there are, in fact, a number of academic costs associated with this program requirement. Administering this program requires resources, including insurance coverage for student participants, administrative supervision and other infrastructure costs.
We appreciate the feedback we've been given and we agree there is room for improvement. We need to ensure there is a clear value exchange between student and employers. This past summer, we began to assess how we can better design programs to ensure career preparedness: the School of Fashion is in the midst of doing a full evaluation of the learning outcomes of experiential opportunities, of which internships are a part. We will continue to consult with all our stakeholders, including students, on implementation strategies in the coming months.
I appreciate your enthusiasm and passion and I look forward to a successful wrap up of the academic year.
Robert Ott,
Chair and Associate Professor,
School of Fashion
Faculty of Communication & Design
Ryerson University
Experiential learning opportunities are central to the Ryerson student experience. Internships are in demand by students and employers alike, and they offer a program-approved opportunity to integrate career-related experience into a student's education by participating in planned, supervised work. When a student receives course credit for an internship or placement there is a direct, tangible benefit to that student. Having internship experience is an asset to graduates for employment, especially so in a highly competitive recruitment environment.
Whereas it may appear that tuition for FSN 402 is unjustified because students do not attend a traditional weekly lecture, there are, in fact, a number of academic costs associated with this program requirement. Administering this program requires resources, including insurance coverage for student participants, administrative supervision and other infrastructure costs.
We appreciate the feedback we've been given and we agree there is room for improvement. We need to ensure there is a clear value exchange between student and employers. This past summer, we began to assess how we can better design programs to ensure career preparedness: the School of Fashion is in the midst of doing a full evaluation of the learning outcomes of experiential opportunities, of which internships are a part. We will continue to consult with all our stakeholders, including students, on implementation strategies in the coming months.
I appreciate your enthusiasm and passion and I look forward to a successful wrap up of the academic year.
Robert Ott,
Chair and Associate Professor,
School of Fashion
Faculty of Communication & Design
Ryerson University