Cooperative Education Program Policies

The cooperative education program is an integral part of Cincinnati State’s past growth, current strength, and continued success. The College’s commitment to cooperative education and other forms of experiential education is reflected in the curricula of most of the associate’s degree programs.

Co-op Education Requirements

Cincinnati State values the cooperative education experience. Each division of the College establishes its own policies regarding how students may fulfill co-op requirements. Students should refer to the academic division sections of this catalog for additional information.

Co-op Registration Policy

• No student may report to his or her co-op job until he or she has registered for the appropriate co-op course and paid for the course.
• A student failing to register for co-op is not eligible to receive co-op credit for that semester.
• Employers of co-op students who fail to register for co-op are notified by the co-op coordinator that the student no longer has co-op status. The employer has the option to allow the student to continue to work full-time without co-op status or to terminate employment. This decision is made by the employer.

Academic Eligibility Requirements for Co-op

To be eligible for placement in cooperative education employment (or comparable clinical experience/directed practice), students must be fully admitted into their academic program and maintain the required grade point average (GPA) as stated in the College catalog (see the Academic Probation, Suspension, and Dismissal section of the catalog). Students must also demonstrate satisfactory proficiency in core or other required courses. Students who do not maintain the required GPA are not eligible for cooperative education or clinical experience/directed practice without the permission of the program's co-op coordinator. Refer to the division sections of the catalog for additional requirements.

Students are also encouraged to attend a Co-op Orientation session, where students learn about the co-op requirements for various degree programs and the options for fulfilling these requirements, along with qualifications for a co-op experience and co-op course registration procedures.

Obtaining Co-op Education Assignments

The College has been quite successful in placing students in cooperative education jobs; however, there is no absolute guarantee of initial or continuing employment. The employer is solely responsible for decisions about hiring, retention, dismissal, promotion, or demotion of a cooperative education student. Initial and continuing employment depends on the skills, aptitudes, and behaviors the individual student offers to each potential employer.

Withdrawal From Co-op/Clinical Experience

If a student is removed from a cooperative education or clinical experience course due to unsatisfactory performance, and the student subsequently withdraws from that course, the faculty member responsible for the course, with the approval of the division dean, may remove the W and assign a grade of U (unsatisfactory) or F (failure).