Overview

Effective communication, including active listening, is a critical component of problem solving. Should a problem occur during the internship experience, the best procedure to follow is to first talk directly with the person involved. To maintain the working relationship developed, remember to approach the conversation(s) with respect. Keep a simple record of when conversation(s) occurred, what was discussed and what was agreed upon to solve the problem. If necessary a plan for improvement should be crafted by the KSC Supervisor in collaboration with the Intern and Cooperating Professional.

Should the problem continue, the KSC Supervisor will contact the Coordinator of Graduate Education Programs or Education Department Chair and provide any documentation that may be helpful in understanding the problem. The Coordinator or Chair may want to have an individual conversation with each of the people involved and/or a group conversation with all involved. If the problem remains unresolved after these conversations, contact the Educator Preparation Office.

If solutions cannot be found and/or issues or challenges persist, there are generally three options remaining: Placement Change, Withdrawal from internship, Removal from Internship.

Placement Change

Sometimes a problem arises within the placement itself. If this occurs, the supervisor, working in consultation with the intern and the cooperating professional, may make a written request to the Educator Preparation Office to move the intern to a different placement or to adjust supervision.

Withdrawal from Internship

Withdrawing is an intern’s decision. This can be a very wise choice and a good career move, if done for the right reasons. While the intern has the right to withdraw from internship at any time, this decision could have a major impact on completing his/her academic program(s) on time. Before making the decision to withdraw, the intern should contact his/her academic advisor(s), cooperating professional, supervisor and the Educator Preparation Office to discuss other potential alternatives.

Removal from Internship

If the intern consistently fails to meet the basic expectations around content knowledge, planning and preparation, and/or professional behavior, and classroom performance and/or dispositions remain unchanged, the supervisor will first ask the intern to withdraw from internship. If the intern refuses, the supervisor makes the removal from internship decision in consultation with the cooperating professional, the appropriate administrators at the school, and the Educator Preparation Office staff. This process takes into account the needs of everyone involved and is guided by a protocol established by the Educator Preparation Office. As part of this protocol, both the intern and the cooperating professional submit a written explanation of the situation. All documentation related to the removal from internship, including the intern’s performance and dispositions, are housed in the KSC records system.

Process

Step 1: Direct Communication

Documentation: Keep a clear, written record of each conversation, including:

The date and time
Key points discussed
Agreed-upon solutions and action items

Step 2: Involve the Clinical Supervisor

Action: Report the problem to your clinical supervisor and share your documented records.
Supervisor Intervention: The supervisor may conduct:

Individual meetings with each person involved, and/or
A joint group discussion to resolve the matter.

Step 3: Contact the Educator Preparation Office

Action: Reach out to the Educator Preparation Office for formal guidance and mediation.

Rev. 2026

Resolution Process for Internship Issues