UConn Health provides eligible individuals the opportunity to obtain unpaid training and practical work experience concurrently. While aligned with our mission of providing community educational opportunities, unpaid assignments must comply with state and federal regulations and applicable policies. A department’s decision to sponsor an unpaid experience requires careful thought and planning and must be pre-approved by senior leadership. Unpaid experiences are authorized by Human Resources, must be in compliance with the Appropriate Use of Non-Compensated Individuals policy, and may include:

• Volunteer assignments
• Unpaid internships
• Job shadowing/observation
• Student affiliations and sanctioned programs
• Other assignments deemed appropriate by Human Resources

Participants are responsible for securing the host. As the host, you are responsible for ensuring that appropriate department manager approvals are obtained prior to agreeing to host. Participants of an unpaid experience at UConn Health must meet certain criteria and complete all required documentation prior to starting an experience.

Hosting Participants Under 18

To safeguard the welfare of minors, activities and programs involving participants under 18 years of age must be sponsored by a unit within the University, registered with the University’s Minor Protection Coordinator, and comply with a series of standards outlined in the Protection of Minors Policy. These requirements are in addition to the established UConn Health process and standards.

Overview

There are five steps to hosting an unpaid experience.

1. Inquiry. The UConn Health host is contacted by the individual or his/her school to request an educational experience. For assignments in which a student will receive academic credit, a clinical affiliation agreement must be established. Interested schools should work directly with host departments to establish an agreement.
2. Request. The UConn Health host submits an Unpaid Experience Request Form through Human Resources.
3. Review. Human Resources reviews the request according to policy and state and federal guidelines. If authorized, Human Resources sends the host detailed onboarding information. Please allow 4 weeks for processing.
4. Process. The UConn Health host coordinates with the individual to ensure all appropriate requirements are completed prior to the educational experience.
5. Record Keeping: The host must maintain, in a secure location, a participant file with the required forms and documents for a minimum of 5 years, in compliance with State of Connecticut record retention policy.  Files are subject to audit upon request.

Requirements

Requirements vary based on the type of experience. Human Resources will guide the host on the necessary forms upon submission and review of the Unpaid Experience Request form.

Volunteer

John Dempsey Hospital offers opportunities to volunteer. Please visit the Volunteering page for program information.

Job Shadowing/Observation (1 to 2 days)

• Job Shadowing Release
• Confidentiality
• Confidentiality Acknowledgement
• Safety Checklist for Unpaid Individuals with Potential Exposure to Workplace Hazards

Academic Internship - UConn Student

• Academic Internship Agreement, UConn Student
• Learning Agreement, Attachment A
• Educational Experience Acknowledgment, UConn Student

Academic Student Affiliations and Sanctioned Programs

Email unpaidexperience@uchc.edu to request the current clinical affiliation agreement template, placement request letter, and the health verification form for school sponsored activities.

Non Academic Unpaid Internship

When hosting students that will not receive academic credit for participation in the educational experience, the items below are required.

• Academic Internship Agreement, Non-Affiliated Student
• Learning Agreement, Attachment A
• Verification of Health Requirements

Required Orientation and Additional Compliance Items

All participants in academic and non academic unpaid internships must complete the minimum requirements listed below prior to the start of the experience. The host is responsible for determining any other requirements.

• Background Information Sheet
• Participation Agreement
• Educational Experience Liability Release
• Self Learning Orientation Guidebook
• Self Learning Orientation Acknowledgement
• Confidentiality
• Compliance and Privacy / Security Training
• Safety Checklist for Unpaid Individuals with Potential Exposure to Workplace Hazards
• Student Parking Registration Form

Additional Forms when Hosting Minors

Activities and programs involving minors must be sponsored by a unit within the University, must be registered with the University’s Minor Protection Coordinator and must comply with a series of standards to safeguard the welfare of participants. If hosting a program or activity involving minors, hosts must also collect and complete the forms below. Visit Minor Protection at UConn to register the program or activity.

• Waiver for University Sponsored Minor Programs
• Safety Clearance for Minors