Rule 3333-1-63 | Co-op/internship program.
(A) Authority
This rule is established by authority conferred upon the chancellor of the Ohio department of higher education by section 3333.72 of the Revised Code.
(B) Policy and intent
The purpose of the Ohio co-op/internship program is to promote and encourage cooperative education programs and internship programs at Ohio institutions of higher education for the purpose of recruiting Ohio students to stay in the state and attracting back to Ohio students who left to attend out-of-state institutions of higher education, to participate in high quality academic programs that use cooperative education programs or significant internship programs. Such participation supports the growth of Ohio's business by providing them with talented students and an experienced potential workforce, and providing Ohio graduates with job opportunities with Ohio companies and organizations.
(C) Definitions
(1) "Cooperative education program" means a partnership between students, institutions of higher education, and employers that formally integrates students' academic study with work experience in cooperating employer organizations and that meets all of the following conditions:
(a) Alternates or combines periods of academic study and work experience in appropriate fields as an integral part of student education;
(b) Provides students with compensation from the cooperative employer in the form of wages or salaries for work performed;
(c) Evaluates each participating student's performance in the cooperative position, both from the perspective of the student's institution of higher education and the student's cooperative employer;
(d) Provides participating students with academic credit from the institution of higher education upon successful completion of their cooperative education; and
(e) Is part of an overall degree or certificate program for which a percentage of the total program acceptable to the chancellor of the Ohio department of higher education involves cooperative education.
(2) "Internship program" means a partnership between students, institutions of higher education, and employers that formally integrates students' academic study with work or community service experience and that does both of the following:
(a) Offers internships of specified and definite duration; and
(b) Evaluates each participating student's performance in the internship position, both from the perspective of the student's institution of higher education and the student's internship employer.
An internship program may provide participating students with academic credit upon successful completion of the internship, and may provide students with compensation in the form of wages or salaries, stipends, or scholarships.
(3) "Eligible institution" means a state institution of higher education or a nonprofit university or college collaborating with a state institution of higher education.
(4) "Nonprofit university or college" means a nonprofit institution holding a certificate of authorization issued under Chapter 1713. of the Revised Code.
(5) "State institution of higher education" means the university of Akron, Bowling Green state university, Central state university, university of Cincinnati, Cleveland state university, Kent state university, Miami university, Ohio university, Ohio state university, Shawnee state university, university of Toledo, Wright state university, Youngstown state university, the northeast Ohio medical university, any community college, any state community college, any university branch established under Chapter 3355. of the Revised Code, or any technical college.
(6) "Advisory committee" means the co-op/internship advisory committee created pursuant to section 3333.731 of the Revised Code.
(7) "Chancellor" means the chancellor of the Ohio department of higher education.
(8) "Controlling board" means the entity established pursuant to section 127.12 of the Revised Code.
(D) Requests for proposals
(1) The chancellor shall prescribe a competitive process for making awards under this program to eligible institutions. The process shall include the periodic issuance of a request for proposals to all or any segment of the eligible institutions. Prior to the issuance of any request for proposals, the chancellor shall seek the advice of the advisory committee.
(2) The forms that will be used in the proposal process shall be prescribed by the chancellor and made available each time a request for proposals is issued. The requests for proposals process shall be published on the Ohio department of higher education website, located at www.ohiohighered.ohio.gov/omic.
(3) Any request for proposals for the Ohio co-op/internship program shall include:
(a) Instructions for submitting a proposal, including the timelines for proposals, the required format and any specific forms to be used in the proposal;
(b) Eligibility requirements for submitting a proposal;
(c) Instructions for submitting information demonstrating that the pledge of private funds required pursuant to section 3333.74 of the Revised Code will be met, or that the institution is requesting a waiver of the requirement. Section 3333.74 of the Revised Code requires a pledge of private funds equal to the following:
(i) In the case of a program, initiative, or scholarships for undergraduate students, at least one hundred per cent of the money awarded;
(ii) In the case of a program, initiative, or scholarships for graduate students, at least one hundred fifty per cent of the money award.
(d) A description of the criteria that will be used to evaluate submitted proposals;
(e) A description of procedures that will be used to select the award recipients; and
(f) Any special conditions or requirements that may accompany an award of funds.
(E) Proposal review and program awards
The chancellor shall review each proposal submitted in response to each request for proposals. Proposals received by entities deemed to be ineligible to submit proposals as defined in the request for proposals shall not be reviewed. The review of proposals shall include, but not be limited to, the consideration of one or more of the criteria specified in section 3333.73 of the Revised Code.
The chancellor shall seek the advice of the advisory committee prior to deciding on awards to submit to the controlling board for approval. The chancellor shall also seek the advice of the advisory committee subsequent to deciding awards but prior to submitting them to the controlling board.
The chancellor shall notify each lead, or co-lead, applicant of the decision concerning each respective proposal.
(F) Waiver of pledge of private funds
Any request for a waiver of the pledge of private funds required pursuant to section 3333.74 of the Revised Code included in any proposal shall be reviewed by the chancellor with the advisory committee. After such review, if the chancellor determines that exceptional circumstances do not exist, the waiver request shall be denied. If the chancellor determines that exceptional circumstances do exist, the chancellor may waive, in whole or in part, the requirement and shall provide to the controlling board as part of the request for approval of the award, an explanation for the waiver.
(G) Award requirements
(1) Any recipient of an Ohio co-op/internship award granted by the chancellor and approved by the controlling board shall enter into a grant agreement with the chancellor governing the use of the award.
(2) Any recipient of an Ohio co-op/internship award granted by the chancellor and approved by the controlling board shall be required to provide the chancellor with periodic program and fiscal reports as provided in the grant agreement.
(3) Award recipients shall agree to maintain financial and non-financial records documenting the activities of the funded program. Such records shall be subject to inspection and review at the discretion of the chancellor to ensure fiscal accountability, operating progress, and desired outcomes. The chancellor may require an award recipient that violates the terms of its agreement to repay the award plus interest at the rate required by section 5703.47 of the Revised Code. A decision of the chancellor to require such repayment shall be final.
(4) Award recipients shall agree to participate in any common marketing or branding strategy that may be specified by the chancellor for program awardees.
Supplemental Information