REQUEST FORM FOR THE ISSUANCE OF INTERNSHIP REFERENCE LETTER (IRL)

Please fill in the form and submit it (soft copy) to your Course Instructor at mcmi619@vu.edu.pk. You are required to provide precise information for the issuance of IRL in the appropriate places mentioned below. Before submitting the request, make sure the information provided is complete and correct OTHERWISE it may result in rejection of your request or delay in processing. Before sending your request for the issuance of internship reference letter, make sure that the organization is willing to provide you internship and require a reference letter. Internship Reference Letter is NOT COMPULSORY therefore request for IRL should be made only if required by the organization. Your internship MUST be approved by the Head Office of the organization and/or must be according to the policy of the organization in this regard. Make sure the Internship Completion Certificate shall only be acceptable if issued by the designated authority.

Please provide your answers to the below mentioned statements in Yes/No: Is the mentioned organization willing to offer you internship? Yes/No Have you done the preliminary arrangements regarding internship by

meeting/contacting the concerned/authorized person in the organization? Yes/No Do you receive post via TCS at your address? Yes/No

Organization’s Information Name of concerned official

Designation

Name of the Organization

Address

City

Note:

All fields should be in Title Case (first letter of every word should be capital). Designation should be clear. Avoid using abbreviations like AVP, OM etc. Provide complete postal address which should clearly depict location of the organization. Specify the name of branch as well (if required).

Student’s Personal Information Student Name

Student ID

Complete Postal Address

City

Current Contact Number Mobile: Residence:

Note

All fields should be in Title Case (first letter of every word should be capital). The student name should be complete as mentioned on VU ID Card. Postal Address should be complete on which the student is expecting to receive his/her internship

reference letter. Don’t skip house number, street number or anything else related to address.

VIRTUAL UNIVERSITY OF PAKISTAN

Format of Internship Report – (MCMI619)

1. Title Page

The title page of the report will include:

a. Name of the organization b. Name of the internee, Student ID and session c. Submission date of the internship report d. Name of the University e. VU logo

2. Letter of Undertaking You are required to fill in the Letter of Undertaking provided in the ‘Download’ section of the course

VULMS and attach here the scanned copy after signing it. 3. Scanned copy of the internship certificate (provided by the organization) Attach the scanned copy of your (original) Internship Completion certificate provided by the organization.

4. Dedication (Optional)

If you want to dedicate your work to someone, you may write the dedication note under this section of your internship report.

5. Acknowledgement

In this section you acknowledge the help and support of all the people who helped you in completion of your internship and internship report e.g. the library staff, course instructor, family or any other person.

6. Executive Summary

Executive summary previews every section of the report in a short form. It can be called as micro image of the report. It helps the reader to get a quick glance at the report before reading it in detail. Everything important that you have done, discovered and concluded should be mentioned but briefly and concisely.

7. Table of contents

List the important headings and sub headings in the report with page numbers. Also make a separate list of tables and figures in the table of contents if you have used any.

8. Overview of the Organization (word limit: min. 500 words)

a. Brief history

b. Introduction of the organization c. Policy of the organization d. Competitors

9. Organizational Structure (word limit: min. 500 words)

a. Organizational Hierarchy chart b. Number of employees c. Main offices d. Introduction of all the departments e. Comments on the organizational structure

Note:

In section #8-9, students are expected to collect information from various sources such as interaction with the organization’s personnel (managers, internship supervisor, colleagues etc.) and company website, documents, brochures etc. but it is necessary to mention the sources of information in APA format.

10. Plan of your internship program (word limit: min. 300 words)

a. A brief introduction of the branch/ area office of the organization where you did your internship

b. Starting and ending dates of your internship c. Names of the departments in which you got training and the duration of your training

11. Training Program (word limit: min. 2000 words)

a. Detailed description of the operations/activities performed by the department(s) you worked in.

b. Detailed description of the task(s) assigned to you OR detailed description of the project assigned.

12. Reflective Journal Entries (word limit: min. 2550 words)

a. In reflective journal writing, student will reflect on all activities during each day of internship in that organization and then will enter in reflective journal on daily basis.

b. Entry for a single day should be very comprehensive and should include all important happenings of that particular day. A comprehensive journal not only includes information on assignments and tasks you are given, but also your impression of the organization and the staff at your internship.

c. In case of any leave or holiday students will also mention it in reflective journal along with reason for observing that leave.

Tips for writing Reflective journal

The following is a helpful formula for reflective journal writing.

Formula D-I-E-P

D – Describe objectively what happened

Answer the question, “What did you, see, read, hear etc?

I – Interpret the events

Explain what you saw and heard; Your new insights; Your connections with other learning, your feelings etc; Your hypotheses; your conclusions; Answer the question what might this mean?

E – Evaluate the effectiveness and efficiency of what was observed

Make judgments clearly connected to observations made.

Evaluation answers the question, “What is your opinion about what you observed or experienced? Why? P – Plan how this information will be useful to you

What are your recommendations? (Be concrete)

Consider: In what ways this learning experience will serve you in your future? Remember your Journal Entries, attempt to:

a. Analyze your own performance as a learner

b. Evaluate your gains in understanding and completing tasks

c. Verbalize how you feel about your learning

d. Make connections with other experiences, ideas

e. Demonstrate transfer of learning

f. Integrate the concepts taught in courses

13. Work Samples (word limit for this section is not specified as it depends on the nature of work

sample)

Compile at least 2 samples of your work during your internship. Some examples of work samples include:

news stories, articles, interviews, spreadsheets, log sheets, correspondence, videos, CDs with audio or

visual clips, photos, layouts, press releases, media lists, speeches etc. Each work sample should have a

short description of your role in that work sample or how you used the sample.

14. Critical Analysis (word limit: min. 1500 words)

Relate the theoretical concepts with your practical experience during your internship in the organization.

Execute an overall analysis of the organization.

15. SWOT Analysis (word limit: min. 1000 words)

Clearly describe all the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats of the organization where you

have done internship. Remember that strengths and weaknesses are internal to the organization and

represent its culture while opportunities and threats correspond to the environment outside the

organization.

Strengths are those qualities which distinguish or give an edge to the organization over other organizations.

Weaknesses are the attributes of an organization that are harmful in achieving the objectives of an organization.

Opportunities are the external factors that are helpful in achieving the objectives of the organization.

Threats are the external factors which could damage the business performance of the organization.

16. Conclusion (word limit: min. 350 words)

In this section you are required to describe the organization according to your evaluation/assessment in

the light of critical and SWOT analyses.

17. Recommendation (word limit: min. 300 words)

In this section you are required to suggest solutions for all the problems or discrepancies (you have

pointed out in critical/ SWOT analysis) found in the organization.

Note:

Section # 10-17 are NOT expected to be copied from anywhere, the student must provide

information in these sections based on his/her personal observation, learning and experience

gained during the internship. Cheating or copying in these sections is NOT acceptable and hence

the entire internship report can be completely rejected as per ZERO TOLERANCE POLICY

of the university. The university may also take a legal action according to plagiarism policy as

defined by HEC (Higher Education Commission).

18. References & Sources

In this section, provide all the references and sources in APA format that you have used for data

collection in your Internship Report.

19. Annexes

At the end of your report, attach all of the supportive material you have used for the preparation of your

report, like brochures, forms, newsletters, interviews, questionnaires, news reports, articles, features,

columns etc.

NOTE

i. Complete all the required parts as mentioned in the format of Internship Report. Remember,

each part is essential, therefore, DO NOT skip any part as every part is included in evaluation criteria.

ii. Words required for internship report (excluding work samples) are 9,000 – 11,000. iii. There is no specific range of words required for work samples as it will vary from task to

task. However, these words will be in addition to the specified word limit of 9,000 to 11,000 words of internship report.

iv. There should be harmony among the ideas that you describe in the Critical analysis, SWOT analysis, Conclusions and Recommendations.

v. Internship Report should be submitted within the due date as mentioned in the ‘Semester

Calendar’. Submissions made after due date shall not be considered. vi. Students are required to upload their Internship Reports on VULMS of the course against the

relevant Assignment link. Internship Reports submitted via e-mail will not be accepted. Students can upload their Internship Reports only once that will be considered as their final submission and will not be replaced in any case.

1

LETTER OF UNDERTAKING

I ………………………………… Student VU ID…………………………. hereby confirm that the

internship report I have provided is solely my own effort. I did not copy my report partially or

completely from any other student or from any other source either against payment or free and I did not

provide any plagiarized material in any section of my report. I further confirm that the documents

(internship completion certificate & evaluation form) that I have provided are genuine (i.e. not

forge/fake) and have been issued by the authorized person in the organization. If I am found guilty of

misstating, misleading or concealing the facts about my activities (either academic or non-academic but

relevant to this course) at any stage, the university is authorized to take disciplinary action against me

according to university policies and regulations.

I hereby also confirm that I have carefully read and understood all the guidelines, rules and regulations

provided by the course instructor on VULMS. I assure that I will follow the instructions regarding

presentation & viva voce and will appear on the scheduled date for presentation & viva voce which will

be intimated to me at my VU-email ID by the Course Instructor. In case of any negligence, I shall be

held responsible.

Name……………………………….

Signature……………………………

Date…………………………………

Student nameStudent ID

Degree program

Title of the Internship Report

Introduction of the Organization

Describe the overview, policy and competitors of theorganization.

Organizational Hierarchy Chart

Describe the hierarchy of the organizational structure.

Introduction of Departments

Give a brief introduction of all departments of the organization and comments on the organizational structure.

Training Program

Describe the tasks assigned to you in differentdepartments.

Reflective Journal Entries

Mention five reflective journal entries here.

Work Samples

Provide two samples of your work done during internship.

If the samples are in the form of text then paste them here.

If samples are in the form of pictures then scan the pictures and paste them here.

If samples are in the form of audio or video then provide details of the samples here.

Critical Analysis

Relate the theoretical concepts with your practicalexperience during your internship with the organization.

Execute an overall analysis of the organization and itsfutures prospects.

Critical analysis should be in bulleted form.

SWOT Analysis of the Organization

SWOT Analysis should be in bulleted form.

Conclusion

Describe the organization according to your evaluation/assessment in the light of critical and SWOT analysis.

Conclusion should be in bulleted form.

Recommendations

Suggest solutions for all the problems or discrepancies (you have pointed out in critical/ SWOT analysis) found in the organization.

Recommendations should be in bulleted form.

Thank You

Plagiarism Sensitisation Document

Academic integrity is extremely important and an integral part of coursework at the Virtual University of Pakistan. Plagiarism is a serious offence to academic integrity; it is academic theft and dishonesty. It is essential that academic integrity procedures and policies are respected and practised at all times.

As a student of Virtual University

• Do share ideas with one another• Do consult books, journals, magazines, internet sources as much as possible• Do take care in downloading sources and taking notes • Do use sources wisely and fairly• Do take great care to distinguish your own ideas and knowledge from information

derived from sources• Do place quotations properly within quotation marks and cite them fully • Do acknowledge paraphrased material completely • Do expect to make mistakes managing and citing sources. Do expect to correct

them• Do learn the myriad rhetorical purposes that including and citing sources can

serve• Do have fun with sources, think of using them as weaving, building, playing with

blocks, or any other metaphor that you associate with "taking what's at hand and making something of it”

• Do discover an argument so you have a distinctive voice in your own assignment/paper, and are not overwhelmed and intimidated by sources

• Do develop and assert your own ideas and beliefs – to think for yourself. But at the same time do engage the thinking of others, to place your own writing within the context of academic discourse by using and criticizing arguments from that discourse

• Do use the word processor to help you manage sources (for example, put sources you are quoting or paraphrasing in a different font and font color until the final draft so you don't accidentally forget they came from some other writer)

• Do observe the practice of careful record-keeping. Always write down the author, title and publication information (including the URL and other identifying information for web pages) so you can attach names and dates to specific ideas later while writing your assignment or paper

• Do learn to like your writing; even when it is bad, hand it in any way, and know we will always find something to like about it.

• Do learn how to write in your own style. Writing is a valuable exercise that tests your ability to explain a topic

• Do consult your instructor if you are in any doubt about the preparation of academic work before the work is prepared or submitted

• Do consult us (i.e. your instructors) whenever you have a question about the course, are feeling overwhelmed, or unhappy with an assignment or your work; we can discuss and find a way to make things work

Plagiarism – definition and what constitutes plagiarism

Plagiarism includes lifting information (text or graphics) from an original source without

quotation marks (in the case of text), reference, or acknowledgement, as well as

paraphrasing without reference or acknowledgement to the original source.

Applying, analysing, criticising or quoting other people’s work is perfectly reasonable and acceptable providing you always:

Attempt to summarise or restate another person’s work, theories or ideas and give acknowledgement to that person. This is usually done by citing your sources and presenting a list of references.

Or

By always using quotation marks (or indenting lengthy quotations in your text) to distinguish between the actual words of the writer and your own words. Once again, you should cite all sources and present full details of these in your list of references

All of the following are considered plagiarism:

• Collusion without official approval between two or more students, with the result that identical, or near identical work, is presented by all those involved

• copying another person’s work, including the work of another student (with or without their consent), and claiming or pretending it is your own

• copying words or ideas from someone else without giving credit • failing to put a quotation in quotation marks • giving incorrect information about the source of a quotation • changing words but copying the sentence structure of a source without giving

credit • copying so many words or ideas from a source that it makes up the majority of

your work, whether you give credit or not

• Buying a paper, or turning in a paper written by someone else

Paraphrasing someone else without giving credit

• Copying and pasting text from a web site without quotation marks and appropriate citation

Why Should You Cite Sources

• Whenever you are citing a source, you are actually strengthening your writing • Citing a source, whether paraphrased or quoted, reveals that you have performed

research work and synthesised the findings into your own argument • Using sources shows that you are engaged in "the great conversation," the world

of ideas, and that you are aware of other thinkers' positions on the topic. By quoting (and citing) writers who support your position, you add strength to the position

• By responding reasonably to those who oppose the position, you show that there are valid counter arguments

• Appropriate quoting and citing also evidences your respect for the creators of ideas and arguments--honoring thinkers and their intellectual property

• Giving due credit and acknowledgement to others work adds to your credibility and demonstrates that you know what is going on in your field of study

• Letting your reader know exactly which authorities you rely on is an advantage. It shows that you have done your research and that you are well acquainted with the literature on your topic

• Giving proper citation and referencing is also a courtesy to your readers because it helps them consult the material you have found. That is especially important for Internet sources

• In a nutshell, citing helps make the assignment stronger and sounder and will probably result in a better grade.

Who Is Really Being Cheated When Someone Plagiarises?

You are in University to get an education, to prepare for a better career, and subsequently a more productive life. All the assignments, reports and projects that take so much time, give you a chance to develop and strengthen critical thinking and evaluative skills that enable you to make decisions.

Copying, cheating or plagiarizing short circuits a number of learning experiences and opportunities for the development of skills: actually doing the work of the research paper or assignment rather than counterfeiting it gives you not only knowledge of the subject and insights into the world of information and controversy, but improves research skills, thinking and analyzing, organizing, writing, planning and time management, and even meticulousness (those picky citation styles actually help improve one's attention to detail). All this is missed when the assignment is faked, and it is these missed skills which will be of high value in the working world. A degree will help you get a first job, but performance - using the skills developed by doing the given rigorous assignments

will be required for promotion. If you cheat, you rob yourself of a learning opportunity and make yourself less prepared when you get out in the real world. So, in the long run, plagiarism even hurts the cheater.

Note:

• The responsibility for learning the proper forms of citation lies with the individual student. (Refer to the Academic Integrity Tutorial links)

• It is the responsibility of students to learn the craft of scholarly referencing and to accurately cite the work of others in their own assignments.

• Students are expected to be familiar with the plagiarism sensitization document.• If you have any questions at any time about whether something that you are

considering might involve an instance of plagiarism, please consult with your instructor before you act.

Academic Integrity Tutorials

The following is a list of useful websites providing online interactive tutorials on academic integrity. You will visit all of them to get familiar with plagiarism, citation, referencing, proper quoting, paraphrasing and summarizing etc. In most of the following websites quizzes and tests are given to check your understanding. Do attempt them. However, note that the academic integrity policy and rules given in the following websites do not apply to you. You are subjected to Virtual University Academic Integrity Policy.

There are numerous styles of citation and referencing, however, you are required to use APA citation style in all your assignments and coursework at Virtual University. In the following websites, focus on the APA style.

Canadian Universities

You Quote It, You Note It! Acadia University Understanding and Avoiding Plagiarism, Simon Fraser University Academic Integrity Tutorial Episodes, Ryerson University Academic Integrity Tutorial, Brock University Test Yourself, University of Ontario Institute of Technology

American Universities

Searchpath Tutorial 6: Citing Sources, University of Michigan Bruin Success With Less Stress, University of California, Los Angeles Plagiarism: What It Is And How to Avoid It, Montgomery College, Maryland Quiz on Academic Integrity, University of Southern California The Plagiarism Test, University of Michigan

Virtual Academic Integrity Laboratory, University of Maryland University College How to Avoid Plagiarism, University of Maryland University College Understanding Plagiarism, Indiana University Bloomington http://umuc.edu/library/tutorials/apa/apa.shtml A very helpful audio tutorial

by UMUC on APA citation style http://www.lib.uwaterloo.ca/ait/ University of Waterloo Academic

Integrity Tutorial

Plagiarism Tutorials & Tests

Plagiarism Tutorial, (UConn) brief introduction to basic citation practices

How to Recognize Plagiarism (Indiana U), tests paraphrasing techniques

Tools Recommended for Students

Citing Sources, introduction to basic information

Bibliographic Citation PDF guides for MLA, APA, and Turabian formats (Check the guide for APA citation style only as you will be required to use it in all your assignments and research work )

Citation Machine, interactive citation tool for MLA and APA styles

KnightCite, interactive citation tool for MLA, APA, and Chicago styles

University Policy

Penalties exist to reassure honest students that their efforts are respected and valued, so much so that those who would escape the work by fakery will be punished substantially.

Virtual University of Pakistan has Zero tolerance Policy as far as plagiarism is concerned. Strict action is taken in case plagiarism is detected including expulsion from the University.

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Internee’s Evaluation Form (Strictly Confidential)

Internee’s Name: ___________________________________ VU Student’s ID: _________________________________

Course Code: ______________________________________

Organization’s Name & Branch: ___________________________________________________________________________

Supervisor’s Name: _________________________________ Designation: ____________________________________

Starting date of Internship: __________________________ Ending date of Internship: ________________________

Official timing of the student during the internship: _____________ No. of Absents (If Any):______________________

1. Please evaluate the performance elements of the internee. Evaluate all factors indicated below by ENCIRCLING the appropriate number on the scale given below and by commenting where appropriate.

2. Please do not disclose this information to the student and submit this evaluation form directly to the Virtual University of Pakistan at the address: Instructor mcmi619 Department of Management Sciences, Virtual University of Pakistan, Defense Road off Raiwind Road, Lahore.

Rating System

Professional Qualities:

Able to complete given assignments efficiently 1 2 3 4 5

Able to complete given assignments effectively 1 2 3 4 5

Able to work with others (as part of a team) 1 2 3 4 5

Ability to learn new techniques 1 2 3 4 5

Punctuality and attendance 1 2 3 4 5

Ability to approach work with a positive attitude 1 2 3 4 5

Ability to ask appropriate questions to seek clarification 1 2 3 4 5

Personal Qualities:

Reliability and dependability 1 2 3 4 5

Verbal communication skills 1 2 3 4 5

Written communication skills 1 2 3 4 5

Problem solving/critical thinking skills 1 2 3 4 5

Adaptability (ability to accommodate new change) 1 2 3 4 5

Assertiveness and self confidence 1 2 3 4 5

Attendance 1 2 3 4 5

Strengths of the internee: ________________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Areas of improvement, (If any): __________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Virtual University of Pakistan

1= Unsatisfactory 2= Needs Improvement 3= Satisfactory 4= Excellent 5= Outstanding

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Keeping in view the internee’s overall performance during the internship program would you like to offer

him/her a job in your organization if a position becomes available?

If Yes, why: ____________________________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________________________

If No, why: ____________________________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________________________

Supervisor’s Signature: ___________________________ Official Seal/Stamp

Date: ___________________________________________

Contact No(s): ___________________________________

E-mail Address: __________________________________

Details of Department(s) Attended by the Internee during the Internship Program: Duration

Sr. # Name of Departments From (Dates) To (Dates)

Yes No

Thank you for your cooperation!