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Faculty Externship Program

The Faculty Externship Program is a paid summer experience offered to Ball State University faculty members. This program provides an opportunity for faculty to work with an Indiana business, applying the skills they teach and research in their department.

Program Description

To participate in the Faculty Externship Program, faculty must first complete the Skills Infusion Program. The Skills Infusion Program helps faculty align their academic coursework with the skills Indiana employers are seeking in new hires and interns. The program also discusses how the NACE competencies are applied in the workplace.

The Faculty Externship Program takes place over the summer term and includes:

• 40 hours of on-site learning and shadowing
• A written externship experience summary
• A final narrative report
• A department/college presentation to be made in the following fall semester

How to Get Started

Faculty are permitted to participate in a maximum of one paid Faculty Externship Program experience through the Career Center. To begin, faculty must:

• Contact their department chair and/or Dean for approval
• Complete the online application process
• Identify an Indiana business of interest

The Career Center will arrange placement at the summer externship site between May and August. The business identified may correlate directly with the faculty's area of teaching and research or align with skills required for success in that industry.

Responsibilities of Awarded Faculty Member

Awarded faculty members are responsible for:

• Coordinating with the Career Center for approval of their Indiana externship site, dates of on-site experience, and payment schedule
• Signing an externship agreement and returning it to the Career Center before the externship begins
• Spending a minimum of 40 hours on site engaging with an Indiana employer during the summer
• Completing the externship and submitting a written externship experience summary report to the Career Center by August 17, 2026
• Sharing their summer externship experience with their individual department/college via a final presentation during the upcoming fall semester

Payment

Payment for the externship experience is up to $2,500. Once documentation of the written externship experience summary and final narrative reports is received, a payment request will be generated to be paid through the Ball State payroll operations on the next available pay cycle.

2026 Participation Timeline

• March 9: Externship interest form due to the Career Center
• March 16: Applications reviewed for approval by College Deans and award notifications announced
• March-May: Awardees work with the Career Center to confirm externship goals and location
• May 4-August 14: Externship takes place over the summer term (40 hours on site of an Indiana industry)
• August 17: Written externship experience summary report received to the Career Center
• Fall Semester: Faculty presentations must be completed within the fall semester

Testimonials

Faculty members who have participated in the Faculty Externship Program have reported positive experiences, including gaining insight into how their skills translate into diverse fields and acquiring industry-specific skills for their students.