Resources For Faculty

Benefits of CWE for the College

Cooperative Work Experience strengthens the relationship between the college and the business community. The interaction of student-instructor-employer provides valuable, current input concerning labor market conditions and the implications for curriculum. Student success and a skilled work force benefit the college and the community at large.

Responsibilities of the College

The college provides organization, coordination, program supervision and maintenance of student records. A college instructor will visit and counsel with the student and employer during the semester and, together with the supervisor, determine the student's grade.

Responsibilities of Supervising Faculty

  1. Assist the student in writing three clearly defined learning objectives and complete related paperwork during the first class session.
  2. Visit each student's job-site twice during the semester (the first visit may be a phone call) to discuss and finalize the learning objectives with the employer and to evaluate the performance and objectives at the semester's end.
  3. Meet with the student near the end of the semester to evaluate his/her objectives.
  4. Notify employers if a CWE student drops the class at any time during the semester.

Curriculum

Students can receive transferable college credit toward their CTE certificate or degree by successfully completing CWE. CWE units are often transferable and will receive credit toward their occupation certificates based on the individual certificate requirements. Units for CWE are based on total hours worked during the semester as follows:

*** STUDENTS ARE ADVISED TO CONSULT WITH THEIR CWE EMPLOYER BEFORE REGISTERING FOR CWE TO DETERMINE THE TOTAL NUMBER OF HOURS TO BE WORKED DURING THE EXPERIENCE.

*** STUDENTS ARE REQUIRED TO WORK THE AMOUNT OF HOURS REQUIRED FOR THE NUMBER OF CWE UNITS THEY REGISTER FOR. EXAMPLE: A student that registers for a 2 Unit Unpaid CWE course must complete 150 hours with the CWE employer by the end of the experience.

CWE UNITS AND REQUIRED HOURS

NOTE: available CWE Course Hours Vary by Department and are Dependent on How the CWE Course was Created.
  # OF CWE UNITS
1 Unit 2 Units 3 Units  4 Units
UNPAID CWE
Required hours
60 120 150 240
PAID CWE
Required hours
75 150 225 300

NOTE: Only students enrolled in a CTE certificate program are eligible for CWE at Saddleback College. If a student is currently working in the field of their major, those work hours can also be used to fulfill the program requirements.

CWE Contact Person