Who are the sponsors of the Summer on the Cuyahoga (SOTC) program?
The Summer on the Cuyahoga program is a collaborative effort among local alumni of seven schools, which for 2012 are Case Western Reserve, Colgate, Cornell, Ohio Wesleyan, Smith, University of Chicago and Yale. Summer on the Cuyahoga is a 501(c)3 nonprofit entity. The programs are supported primarily by volunteer time and monetary contributions from alumni of the respective schools. Additional support comes from family, community and corporate foundations as well as participating employers.

Who is eligible to participate in the SOTC program?
Undergraduate students of the participating schools (Case Western Reserve, Colgate, Cornell, Ohio Wesleyan, Smith, University of Chicago and Yale) in good standing who have completed their sophomore year are eligible to participate. Graduating seniors are also eligible.

Because this organization depends on the volunteer commitments of the participating local alumni groups, students of other undergraduate colleges or graduate schools are not eligible for this program, but they should visit www.Cleveland.com/Jobs or iCleveland regarding employment opportunities. They should also contact their Cleveland-area alumni club to encourage them to contact Summer on the Cuyahoga for participation in the future.

What are the key program dates?
October through Spring: Employers post job descriptions.
December-February (or until positions are filled): Students apply for positions, employers review applications and arrange for phone interviews with students. Employers are encouraged to extend offers by March 9, 2012.
June 9th and 10th: Students arrive.
Monday, June 1th-Friday, August 3rd: Students work and participate in program for 8 weeks.

Upon arrangements with the employer and approval of SOTC, students may extend their 8 week internship. During their extended time in Cleveland (either at the beginning or end of the official program) they will be housed with local alumni.

When and how do I post a job description?
SOTC begins to accept job descriptions in the fall (mid-October). Simply visit the Employers' Area to create a password-protected account and complete the SOTC job description Form. We have found that using a standard form for all employers allows students to be more effective in their job search.

Occasionally, input errors occur. It’s best to copy and paste your job description from a word document so that you have a record of the job description.

If I post a job description, do I have to hire an intern?
No. Simply posting the job description allows you to receive applications from students of the participating schools. If you do not find a student who meets the criteria you have set in the job description, you are under no obligation to hire one.

Can I advertise this internship position elsewhere, or does it have to be exclusive to the SOTC program?
You may advertise the internship position through any and all sources available to you—it does not have to be unique for the SOTC program. SOTC is simply providing another mechanism for you to reach students at schools that you might not otherwise pursue. We request that if you fill your position from other sources that you remove the position from our web site and alert the applicants that the position is filled.

When and how do the students apply?
The website “opens” for student applications on December 2nd. Students go through their school-specific website to view the job descriptions and apply to the positions. While they use our site for the application process, their application is e-mailed directly to the employer for evaluation. Again, it is the employer—not SOTC—who makes the hiring decision. When you log in to your password-protected account at SummerOnTheCuyahoga.com, you will be able to access your personal applicant database and view a summary of the applicants, review their applications online and update their status (i.e., In Review, Offer Extended, Declined). When the student logs in to his or her password-protected account, they will also be able to see the status that you set.

How do I evaluate or interview the applicants?
You are encouraged to review applications as they are submitted rather than holding them all to the end of the application process. In our experience, there is a large influx of applications that are submitted in the final week or two. We also encourage you to respond to all applicants, as any positive personal contact they have with a Cleveland employer will contribute to their perception of Cleveland as a place of potential employment opportunities. As explained above, you may change the status of each student’s application by logging in to the SOTC website. Clicking on "save status" will enable you to send an automated rejection letter to a student.

Once the employer identifies a group of students to be interviewed, the employer can proceed with phone interviews, skype interviews or in-person interviews. Most employers prefer to conduct phone interviews when filling these internship positions.

How do I extend an offer to a student?
When you are ready to extend an offer to a student, you will log in to the SOTC website and issue a Commitment Letter for that student. When you submit the information through the website, it will be emailed to the SOTC Executive Director who will then forward it to the student. The student is expected to reply within 48 hours, and their position in the SOTC program is not reserved until they complete and submit their portion of the Commitment Letter. We have learned that this is the most effective means of tracking employer offers, student acceptances and therefore positions in the SOTC program. Of course, you may verbally discuss the offer with the student, but both parties must also complete this Commitment Letter process.

Is there a cost to participate?
There is only a cost for employers who hire a student that participates in the SOTC program. If you post a job description but don’t hire a student, there is no cost to you.

All employers are to pay a stipend/salary directly to the student for an eight week internship. A longer internship would, of course, have the expectation of additional compensation for the days worked beyond eight weeks. In addition, each employer pays a $1,100 employer fee which covers the cost of housing and events for the summer.

What is the students’ program and work schedule?
The program runs 8 weeks: June 1th-August 3rd. The students will be working regular work weeks (or per whatever is stated in the job description) and participating in several SOTC program activities each week. There will be no more than a few instances in which important events may require the student to be absent from work for a couple of hours. (For example, in past years students had breakfast and discussion with corporate or community leaders during an extended lunch)