Ensuring a positive experience for the employer and student is a prime goal of UBC Science Co-op. To assist in reaching this goal, the program has implemented several steps that both students and employers take part in during and upon completion of the work term. To facilitate these steps, you will have a Co-op Coordinator working with you and the student during and upon completion of the work term.

During the Work Term

• Co-op Goal Setting: In order to gain the maximum benefit from their placement, we strongly recommend our students to formulate learning objectives at the beginning of their placement. We recommend supervisors to meet with the students to develop tangible goals at the beginning of work term.
• Site Visit: Midway through the work term, a representative from the Co-op Program will visit you and the student to discuss the student's work progress and their work term report. Most visits are done in person, but in some cases the visit is done by telephone. The site visit will be conducted by either the Co-op coordinator or a faculty advisor.
• Work Term Report: During their work term students are required to write a scientific or technical report or presentation discussing their project(s) and what they learned during their work term. They're required to complete this report by the end of the term. The projects are necessary components in assisting students with developing their writing skills and providing the employer and UBC with documentation of the students' work term. Employers should provide some guidance to the students in what content they could include in their report.

After the Work Term

All forms are to be completed in our online database, PlacePro. Supervisors will receive a reminder email near the end of the work term with login information to complete the forms online. Students will only pass their work term when all required documents are submitted with satisfactory standing by the supervisors:

• Employer Evaluation of Student: In order to assist the student with their professional development, we ask that you complete this form which will allow you to assess the student's progress throughout his or her work term. We strongly recommend that you discuss its content with the student before they leave the work place. At the end of the evaluation, you will be asked to rank the student's performance. Please note that an Unsatisfactory evaluation means the student has failed their co-op work term.
• Work Term Report Evaluation:

  Work term report can happen in various format:

  1. Confidential work term report - report containing confidential contents and should be graded by the employer. Please refer to the "Guidelines for Marking Workterm Reports" on the right.
  2. Non-confidential report - report can be submitted to UBC for our faculty markers' evaluation
  3. Oral Presentation - Many employers like the idea to have their co-op student prepare an oral presentation at the end of the work term for his/her team, managers and/or other co-op students. Not only does it provide excellent public speaking opportunity for the student, it is also beneficial for other members of the company to learn about the student's accomplishments during the work term. The Oral Presentation Evaluation can be completed online.
  4. Progress Report: Some of the students may write a progress report if they are working for more than one term at a same placement. Progress reports are usually non-confidential and are evaluated by UBC markers.