Work Experience Education
Work Experience Education (WEE) is a structured educational process that combines real-world work experiences gained by students with regular academic or vocational instruction and is considered to be an integral part of the community college curriculum. Work Experience Education courses provide experiential learning activities to strengthen student learning and reinforce the student’s effective work habits, attitudes and career awareness, thereby enhancing the student’s marketable skills.
Work Experience is a District-initiated program of education consistent with California Administrative Code, Title 5, Section 55250, consisting of General Work Experience Education and Occupational Work Experience Education. Title 5 Section 55250.3 defines Work Experience Education to include employment of student in part-time jobs selected and approved as having educational value for the students employed therein and coordinated by college employees.
Work Experience is part of the Work-Based Learning Continuum and provides students with opportunities to receive college credit for learning through paid and unpaid work experiences.
Districtwide Work Experience Forms and processes
Transition to electronic processes - San Diego City, Mesa, and Miramar Colleges have agreed to transition to electronic forms for all Work Experience requirements.
- City - transitioning spring 2024
- Mesa - fully online
- Miramar - transitioning spring 2023
WORK EXPERIENCE ONLINE FORMS CHANGE EVERY SEMESTER. Institutions must ensure students and faculty are utilizing the correct online forms for the term enrolled.
Process Summary for fully online process for Faculty and Coordinators
Fall 2023 - WORK EXPERIENCE ONLINE FORMS: FALL 2023 COURSES ONLY AT MESA and MIRAMAR
Checklist for students
- Checklist for Students – Fall 2023
Orientation Materials:
Before Enrollment:
- Work Experience Application - Fall 2023
- Watch the WE Application Tutorial on the home page.
- Employer Agreement – Fall 2023
- Emailed directly to and completed by Site Supervisor
After Enrollment in Work Experience Course:
- SDCCD Sexual Harassment Training
- Self-Enroll in Canvas course to complete - learn more here
- Alternate Site Visit Request - For Faculty Only: As Needed for Remote Visits Fall 2023 - Alternative site visit no longer needed as of fall 2023 per revised Title 5 regulations (see below)
- Learning Agreement - Fall 2023
- Cumulative Work Record - Fall 2023
- Final Evaluation - Fall 2023
- To be completed by both Student AND Site Supervisor - Same link, 2 submissions
- Student Work Experience Post Survey - Fall 2023
Optional - Highly Encouraged!
- Site Supervisor / Employer Work Experience Survey - Fall 2023
SUMMER 2023 - WORK EXPERIENCE ONLINE FORMS:summer 2023 courses only at Mesa and Miramar
Checklist for students
- Checklist for Students – Summer 2023
Orientation Materials:
Before Enrollment:
- Work Experience Application - Summer 2023
- Watch the WE Application Tutorial on the home page.
- Employer Agreement – Summer 2023
- Emailed directly to and completed by Site Supervisor
After Enrollment in Work Experience Course:
- SDCCD Sexual Harassment Training
- Self-Enroll in Canvas course to complete - learn more here
- Learning Agreement - Summer 2023
- Cumulative Work Record - Summer 2023
- Final Evaluation - Summer 2023
- To be completed by both Student AND Site Supervisor - Same link, two submissions
- Student Work Experience Post Survey - Summer 2023
Optional - Highly Encouraged!
- Site Supervisor / Employer Work Experience Survey - Summer 2023
For Faculty Only:
- Alternative Site Visit Request - for Faculty Only - As needed for Remote Visits - Summer 2023
Districtwide Resources:
- Student Handbook
- Faculty/Instructor Handbook
- Work Experience Online Forms Process Summary for Faculty and Coordinators
- Learning Objectives Resource Guide and Worksheet
- Required Gender Equity, Sexual Harassment, and Violence Prevention Training - Frequently Asked Questions
- Alternative Site Visit Request Form: Required for initial site visits unable to be held in-person. Completed by instructor and signed by Work Experience Coordinator and Dean - Alternative site visit no longer needed as of fall 2023 per revised Title 5 regulations (see below)
- Employer Flyer - Intro to Work Experience
- Employer Letter
- Employer Letter - Template
- Employer Resources - Defining a High Quality Internship - NACE
- Employer Resources - Internship Labor and Employment FAQs
- District Plan
- Districtwide Paper Forms: Still available throughout transition to electronic processes (2022-23); do not use without Work Experience Coordinator permission; City College requires use of these forms spring 2023, summer 2023, and fall 2023. These forms will no longer be available after fall 2023.
- Application: Initial step in participating in WEE courses. Completed and signed by student and employer/site supervisor as initial step in participating in WEE courses and submitted to Work Experience Coordinator once position is secured.
- Learning Agreement: Includes learning objectives and must be signed by the Supervisor, Student, and Instructor. Signed by student, instructor, and worksite/supervisor. Includes three measurable job-oriented learning objectives.
- Cumulative Work Record: Utilized throughout the semester and completed by the student. Completed by the student and submitted to instructor.
- Unpaid Work Experience Volunteer Form: required for all unpaid work experience. Completed by student and signed by Work Experience Coordinator/Instructor and Risk Management.
Work Experience Coordinators
- San Diego City College Faculty Work Experience Coordinator: Nicole Vargas | nvargas@sdccd.edu
- San Diego Mesa College Faculty Work Experience Coordinator: Shawn Fawcett | sfawcett@sdccd.edu
- San Diego Miramar College Faculty Work Experience Coordinator: Kyoka Hashimoto | khashimoto@sdccd.edu
- Districtwide Faculty Work Experience Coordinator: Shawn Fawcett | sfawcett@sdccd.edu
Districtwide coordination is managed through SDCCD Career Education and Workforce Development:
- Susan Villareal | 619-388-6864 | svillareal@sdccd.edu
Work Experience Deans
- San Diego City College: Jeanie Tyler, Dean, School of Arts, Humanities, Communications & Telecommunications
- San Diego Mesa College: Cassandra Storey, Acting Dean, Health Sciences and Public Service
- San Diego Miramar College: Jesse Lopez, Dean, School of Business, Technical Careers, and Workforce Initiatives
- San Diego College of Continuing Educaiton: TBD
Title 5 Work Experience Changes
August 2023 Update: Chaptering of the approved Title 5 Work Experience Changes has been completed.
- Final Approved Changes
- Curriculum Institute Presentation July 2023
- Guidance Memo from the State - August 2023
- Curricular Impacts - will be reviewed and discussed within districtwide subject area meeting(s)
- Process Impacts - will be reviewed and discussed within districtwide process committee meeting(s)
Changes - Below is a brief list of the approved changes:
- Changes "Cooperative Work Experience Education" to "Work Experience Education;"
- Authorizes noncredit work experience education for the first time;
- Removes the requirement for a "local plan," and adds requirements for local board policy and procedures;
- Establishes the respective responsibilities of students, faculty, and employers in work experience education programs;
- Allows for remote site visits;
- Removes the distinction between "occupational" and "general" work experience;
- Revises the credit hour calculation for work experience as follows:condenses calculation into one formula (54 hours = 1 unit of credit);
allows work experience to be integrated into a single course outline of record that may include lecture, lab, or activity hours in addition to work experience hours; and - Clarifies record-keeping requirements.
Pending State guidance, the San Diego Community College District currently plans to implement changes in 2023-2024 and 2024-25. Guided by the Districtwide Work Experience Process Committee, updates will be made to:
- Required Work Experience forms
- Work Experience Handbooks for Faculty/Instructors and Students
- Work Experience policy and procedures
Curriculum updates will be addressed by faculty via the districtwide work experience subject area meeting(s).
Background: In July 2022, the California Community Colleges Board of Governors approved Title 5 Work Experience Education changes.
- As of October 2022, the Chancellor’s Office communicated that they understand implementation will be delayed due the curriculum process
- Revisions
- They are going to give everyone a year to implement
- For any changes that can be implemented right away, colleges/districts are encouraged to do so (where possible)
- A guidance memo will be provided by the Chancellor’s Office
- The Chancellor’s Office expressed concerns regarding some local interpretation of the repeatability. They intend to clarify their goals within the memo and are hoping each college/district will follow the guidance memo (clarification will include that repeatability is allowable).
- Spring 2023 - chaptering delayed
- Summer 2023 - chaptering completed
- Guidance memo - TBD
COVID19 Adjustments
- Fall 2022 - Title 5 regulations in place (2020 suspensions expired Summer 2022)
- Summer 2022 - Continuation of 2020 suspensions (expire at end of Summer 2022)
- Spring 2022 - continuation of Spring 2020 suspensions
- Spring 2020
State & National Resources
- The CA Internship & Work Experience Association (CIWEA) – CA’s leading professional association for educators and employers dedicated to supporting internship and work experience programs in high education.
- The Cooperative Education & internship Association (CEIA) - national membership association providing professional development in the field of cooperative education and advocacy for best practices in work-integrated learning.
Work Experience Process Committee
The Work Experience Process Committee address operations (handbooks, forms, administrative procedures, and risk management) and title 5 compliance for Work Experience and is convened by Instructional Services.
Committee membership includes Work Experience Deans and Work Experience Coordinators from San Diego City, Mesa, and Miramar College as well as the District’s Dean of Career Education and Workforce Development and a Program Support Technician assigned to coordinating Work Experience. District Risk Management attends as needed.
The Work Experience Process Committee meetings are held no less than once per academic year.
2023-2024 Agendas
2022-2023 Agendas
2021-2022 Agendas
2020-2021 Agendas
2019-2020 Agendas:
2018-2019 Agendas: