By Emily Andersen
Leaving for a semester to do an internship can be a setback. BYU offers SALT as a solution that will benefit all who partake.
SALT- Semester Away? Let''s Talk, an advisement program offered through the department of Continuing Education helps students who are away from campus doing an internship, as well as the departments the students come from.
'It''s a win-win situation all around,' said Hiatt. The program helps the students, the departments, and the university, said Hiatt.
Jim Backman, Director of Academic Internships said the SALT program is designed to help students who are completely away from campus for an internship, but want to continue going to school full time.
Backman said students who are part of the social work, recreation management and youth leadership, and health sciences departments can sign up to do their internships through Continuing Education.
After signing up under Continuing Education and paying the regular tuition rate for the university students can take classes through Independent Study without additional cost, Backman said.
Duane Hiatt, Director of Editorial and Media Productions for Continuing Education said students also benefit from being able to sit down with an advisor who will help determine which classes to take while they are away from campus.
Students will benefit from having someone who knows the programs to help them to plan their schedule, Hiatt said.
This program also benefits the departments who participate, said Backman.
The departments who participate-social work, recreation management and youth leadership, and health sciences- receive 40 percent of the tuition that students paid to Continuing Education back Backman said. The departments can then use the money to develop more programs to help interns, Backman said.
'Working with SALT is a plus, not a minus,' said Howard Gray, coordinator of Therapeutic Recreation internships. 'The past years working with SALT have been a tremendous blessing.'
Gray said that students are required to do an internship their last semester in the program, which is called the SALT semester. The department of Therapeutic Recreation uses SALT as a way for students to turn in assignments while they are away from campus.
Gray said that their relationship with the SALT program allows them to put their students in the best possible internships.
Backman said that the university as a whole benefits from this program because students who enroll through SALT are not counted in BYU''s overall enrollment. Other students can then take the place of those doing internships, Backman said.
This program started in 1999 by the Office of Academic Internships and Continuing Education Evening classes.