Cooperative Education & Careers Division

• When do students go on CoOp Placement?
• What is the purpose of Faculty Visits?
• How are visits organised?
• Tips for a successful visit
• What happens in the case of an international placement?
• What about expenses?

The purpose of a Faculty Visit

The purpose of a Faculty Visit is to discuss the work assignment and the student's progress with both the student and his/her supervisor, and to deal with any problems or issues that have arisen during the placement. The visit can also be useful in identifying future CoOp placements or graduate positions with employers.

How are visits organised?

Each College has a number of Faculty Visit Coordinators. The coordinators assign individual faculty members to students for visiting and monitoring purposes. The placement list from the Cooperative Education & Careers Division gives details of the student, their discipline, the employer name and contact details, and the student's supervisor. Visits are clustered geographically where possible to avoid unnecessary travelling.

Tips for a successful visit

• Visit the student early in the placement period.
• Give the employer/supervisor and student advance notice of your visit (minimum of three days), and ensure that they are both available on the day.
• Visit two or three employers on the day to make the most efficient use of time.
• If possible, arrange to meet with the student and employer/supervisor separately, as this is more likely to facilitate an open discussion of progress. Most employers will be agreeable to this.
• If the student or their employer/supervisor identifies an issue or problem with the placement, try resolve the difficulty at the earliest opportunity. Often, poor communication between the student and employer is at the root of the problem. Encourage the student or employer/supervisor to discuss the difficulty with the other party and try to agree on a solution.
• Report any serious difficulties to the appropriate Cooperative Education Manager.
• Ask the employer /supervisor and student to complete the relevant sections of the Student Visit Form, and return it to the Cooperative Education & Careers Division.

What happens in the case of international placements?

For students undertaking international placements, the Division tries to arrange Faculty Visits where practical. If this is not possible, the assigned faculty member monitors the student's progress by telephone (download the Faculty International Monitoring form). This should be returned to the Cooperative Education & Careers Division immediately after the telephone call. Alternatively, the faculty member can e-mail the evaluation form to the student at their UL student address. Once completed please return to: Cooperative Education & Careers Division.

What about expenses?

The normal UL regulations apply to the reimbursement of travel expenses incurred in undetaking CoOp visits i.e. 'Travel should be by public transport where possible... Where convenient public transport is available but not used, the appropriate rail fare will be paid, e.g., those who use cars on the Dublin journey will be paid in this manner. Where convenient public transport is unavailable, there are agreed mileage rates payable to staff using private cars on University business.' 

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