Students

Student internships provide work-based learning experiences and help students become more confident and competitive for jobs, graduate school, and other post-graduation goals. Internships help students clarify their career interests and goals, provide them with occupation-specific skills, and expand their professional network.

Internships & Insurance

Employers who use student interns often make it a condition of their employment that the interns have insurance coverage. In many cases the employers do not themselves provide coverage for the interns, but ask either the student, or the school with which the intern is associated, to provide the coverage. The University of California does not generally provide insurance coverage for student interns who are working for non-UC companies and institutions because, among other reasons, the University has no control over what the student is doing and is not directing or supervising their activities.

UC Insurance Covers Interns if Criteria Met

The University will cover student internships if certain criteria are met. The University’s General Liability Self-Insurance Program and/or its Professional Hospital & Medical Liability Self-Insurance Program will provide coverage for third party bodily injury and property damage only (personal injury is the responsibility of the student) for students participating in course-related student internships when ALL of the following criteria are met:

• The internship is a course requirement.
• The internship is not elective.
• The internship is required in order to get a grade in the course.
• The course and/or the internship are not an independent study.
• The course and/or the internship are not in the Extension Program.
• The student is enrolled in the course in the same quarter s/he is participating in internship.
• The student is receiving academic credit in the course in the same quarter s/he is participating in the internship.
• There is a written agreement between the University and Internship Host that defines the responsibilities of the Internship Host, the University, and the Student Intern.
• The student’s responsibilities shall conform with the ethical standards applicable to their other scholastic activities and to the profession in which they will be an intern.

Before the campus Risk Management office will issue a UC Certificate of Insurance showing evidence that the University’s General Liability Self-Insurance Program and/or its Professional Hospital & Medical Liability Self-Insurance Program will provide coverage for third party bodily injury and property damage for a student participating in a qualified student internship, the requesting Department must complete and submit a Request for UC Certificate of Insurance for Student Intern form to the Risk Management Office. The Department must also submit a copy of the Student Intern Agreement. Risk Management will review the Request and the Student Intern Agreement. If the student internship criteria are met and the Agreement is complies with University business standards, Risk Management will sign the Request and issue a Certificate of Insurance if it is required.

Affiliation Agreements: UCLA Example

The terms and conditions in affiliation agreements between UC and outside institutions and organizations where UC students perform internships must comply with University of California business and academic requirements. The UCLA School of Nursing Affiliation Agreement for UCLA Nursing Students has been vetted by University attorneys and school administrators and can serve as an example or template for other kinds of affiliation agreements. This Agreement is used when students enrolled in the School of Nursing at UCLA want to train in medical facilities that are not owned by the University of California. The Agreement contains indemnification language and insurance requirements that show the extent to which the University can take responsibility for and insure student interns.

Affiliation Agreement: Acceptable Indemnification Language

University agreements are required to contain an indemnification provision. Ideally the University expects, at a minimum, that each party to the agreement will take responsibility for liabilities that it causes. The University can take responsibility for the acts or omissions of student interns to the extent described in this indemnification provision:

School shall defend, indemnify and hold Facility harmless from and against any and all liability, loss, expense, reasonable attorneys' fees, or claims for injury or damages arising out of the performance of this Agreement but only in proportion to and to the extent such liability, loss, expense, reasonable attorneys' fees, or claims for injury or damages are caused by or result from the negligent acts or omissions of School, its officers, agents, employees and/or Students.

Facility shall defend, indemnify and hold School and Students harmless from and against any and all liability, loss, expense, reasonable attorneys' fees, or claims for injury or damages arising out of the performance of this Agreement but only in proportion to and to the extent such liability, loss, expense, reasonable attorneys' fees, or claims for injury or damages are caused by or result from the negligent acts or omissions of Facility, its officers agents, and/or employees.

Affiliation Agreement: Acceptable Insurance Requirements

The University can cover student interns under its General Liability and Professional Hospital/Medical Insurance self-Insurance Programs to the extent described in this insurance provision:

1. School, at its sole cost and expense, shall maintain policies of insurance or programs of self-insurance in connection with its activities under this Agreement as follows:

(a) Professional Liability Insurance coverage for its employees, officers, agents and Students with limits of one million dollars ($1,000,000) per occurrence and a general aggregate of three million dollars ($3,000,000). If such insurance is written on a claims-made form, it shall continue for five (5) years following termination of this Agreement. The insurance shall have a retroactive date prior to or coinciding with the effective date of this Agreement and a deductible of no more than five hundred thousand dollars ($500,000). In the event that a claims-made policy is canceled or non-renewed, then School shall obtain extended reporting (tail) coverage for the remainder of the five (5)-year period.

(b) General Liability Insurance (contractual liability included) of not less than one million dollars ($2,000,000) per occurrence. If such insurance is written on a claims-made form, it shall continue for three years following termination of this Agreement. The insurance shall have a retroactive date prior to or coinciding with the effective date of this Agreement.

(c) Workers’ Compensation Self-Insurance in a form and amount covering School’s full liability as required by law under the Workers' Compensation Insurance and Safety Act of the State of California as amended from time to time.

(d) Such other insurance in such amounts which from time to time may be reasonably required by the mutual consent of the parties against other insurable risks relating to performance.

It should be expressly understood, however, that the coverages required under this Section H.2 (a) and (b) shall not in any way limit the liability of School. School, upon the execution of this Agreement, shall furnish Facility with Certificates of Insurance evidencing compliance with all requirements. Certificates shall further provide for advance written notice to Facility in accordance with policy provisions of any modification, change or cancellation of any of the above insurance coverages.

2. Facility, at its sole cost and expense, shall maintain policies of insurance, or programs of self-insurance, in connection with its activities under this Agreement as follows:

(a) Professional Medical and Hospital Liability Insurance with limits of one million dollars ($1,000,000) per occurrence and a general aggregate of three million dollars ($3,000,000). If such insurance is written on a claims-made form, it shall continue for five years following termination of this Agreement. The insurance shall have a retroactive date prior to or coinciding with the effective date of this Agreement and a deductible of no more than five hundred thousand dollars ($500,000). In the event that a claims-made policy is canceled or non-renewed, then the Facility shall obtain extended reporting (tail) coverage for the remainder of the five (5)-year period.

(b) General Liability Insurance (contractual liability included) of not less than two million dollars ($2,000,000) per occurrence. If such insurance is written on a claims-made form, it shall continue for three years following termination of this Agreement. The insurance shall have a retroactive date prior to or coinciding with the effective date of this Agreement.

(c) Workers’ Compensation Insurance covering Facility’s full liability as required by law under the Workers' Compensation Insurance and Safety Act of the State of California as amended from time to time.

(d) Such other insurance in such amounts which from time to time may be reasonably required by the mutual consent of the parties against other insurable risks relating to performance.

It should be expressly understood, however, that the coverages required under this section H.1 (a) and (b) shall not in any way limit the liability of Facility. Facility, upon the execution of this Agreement, shall furnish School with Certificates of Insurance evidencing compliance with all requirements. Certificates shall provide for advance written notice to School, in accordance with policy provisions, of any modification, change or cancellation of any of the above insurance coverages.

Authority to Enter into Contracts

Academic advisors, faculty members, and students do NOT have the authority to enter into agreements of any sort, including affiliation agreements or internship agreements, on behalf of the University. Specific people and offices on campus have been delegated the authority to sign and enter into agreements and contracts on behalf of the University. The UCSB Procurement Services Office can assist departments with affiliation and internship agreements. A University employee who signs an affiliation or internship agreement on behalf of the University, without authority, has exposure to personal liability. Even if an internship complies with the criteria listed above, the internship agreement must be reviewed, approved, and signed by the Procurement Services office. See "Authority to Enter Into Contracts" under Contracts.

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