Student Handbook

Experiential Learning Opportunities


Cooperative Education

Cooperative Education (Co-op) is an educational program that combines classroom instruction with practical work experiences directly related to the student's curriculum. This combined classroom study and work experience is a meaningful way for students to learn and to assist in making informed career choices while earning credit. Students interested in Cooperative Education should meet with their instructor to discuss co-op opportunities. The instructor must submit a co-op request form to the President or designee for approval. The student, instructor, employer, financial aid department, and President must sign the formal co-op agreement.


Live Work

Live Work is performed by students as part of their training program. Such work can be done in school or on a job site and includes service, repair, or production jobs. All projects must be selected with the approval of the instructor and must fit into the training program. Work can only be accepted if it can be completed within a reasonable timeframe, and projects cannot be allowed to remain in the Tennessee College of Applied Technology possession if not being actively worked on. Live Work projects will be assessed for timely completion.


Live Work Fee and Cost of Service Fees

Live work project owners must pay for all expenses related to the project. For off-campus live-work projects, an instructor must always be present with students. All projects are to be completed under instructor supervision and released only after a thorough final inspection. The fee schedule shall be made available to project owners prior to the completion of the project agreement form. Payment of the live work fee will be paid once the agreement form is signed. The fee for the cost of services received is due upon completion of the project.


Relationship to Training

Live work projects performed by students enhance the technical training of students. The Tennessee Board of Regents Guideline Tennessee College of Applied Technology A-30, Instructional Projects at Colleges of Applied Technology, is the basis for all live-work projects performed at the Tennessee College of Applied Technology. Live work will be conducted when training programs require such projects for the acquisition of occupational skills leading to employment. Live work will be assigned to individual students by their instructor as part of the student's training program. All services are to be performed only by students with the instructional assistance of their instructor.


Live Work Projects

Many of the training programs at the Tennessee College of Applied Technology provide repair services and/or live work. The scope and extent of each project will be well-defined before acceptance. Eligible persons may request appropriate training programs to perform needed repairs or services. An instructor shall be responsible for selecting and scheduling individual projects, which may be selected only from authorized categories. No work may be performed from a category that has not been authorized. An instructor may give priority to a project belonging to a student, provided it meets established training objectives.

The sources of individual projects may include those offered by:

  1. Students
  2. Tennessee College of Applied Technology employees and their immediate families
  3. Members of the school's advisory committees
  4. Personnel and institutions of the Tennessee Board of Regents System
  5. Tennessee College of Applied Technology Retirees
  6. Civic Groups
  7. Governmental agencies, and
  8. Non-profit organizations.

Live work may be performed for the public as a much-needed source for skill training. The College President may authorize individual projects offered from individuals and groups not listed above in the event appropriate projects are not available from the above sources.


Administration of Live Work

Administration and control of live-work projects are the responsibility of the instructor. All work performed must be approved in accordance with the President and TBR Guideline Tennessee College of Applied Technology A-30. Persons requesting repair service from various training departments at the Tennessee College of Applied Technology must first be authorized.

 


Customer Obligations

The person, program, institution, or organization for which live work is done shall:

  1. Sign a Live-Work Agreement form as provided in Guideline A-030 in advance of any work or inspection.
  2. Assume all responsibility for the results of the work being done by students.
  3. Bear all actual costs of material and parts involved.
  4. Pay a service charge according to schedule as prescribed by the section on service charges and established by the institution's administration to cover indirect expenses.
  5. Tipping of students or faculty is not permitted.