First of all, thank you for welcoming a Co-op student into your division for the next few months! This requires some planning and responsibility on your part, and we want to help you out and make sure you know what to do and when to do it. Following is a checklist to help you prepare for the Co-op's arrival and to keep things on track once he/she has arrived.
It may be helpful to print this list and mark the items as you complete them. Click here for a printer-friendly version.
Assign a mentor. The sooner this is done, the better, because it will give the mentor time to prepare, and it will give you and the mentor time to coordinate with each other.
Check out the Mentor Hall of Fame.
Two to Four Weeks Prior to Arrival
Plan out the project(s) that the Co-op will be working on. Think about where he/she will be most useful to you and where he/she can grow professionally.
Discuss the Co-op's assignment with others in your division. Make sure co-workers are aware he/she is coming and know what projects he/she will be working on or will be available to help with.
If you aren't very familiar with the Co-op Program, check it out. The website is located at http://coop.jsc.nasa.gov/.
Ensure that a work space is prepared for the Co-op. This should include a desk, a chair, a computer, a telephone, supplies, and whatever else the Co-op might need for the project(s) assigned to him/her. Also, try to seat him/her near the people he/she will be working with.
Set up a network account, email, etc. for the Co-op. This can take a while and doesn't have to be ready the first second he/she gets here, but setting it up before he/she arrives can really save a lot of time and trouble.
Make any necessary preparations for the Co-op to have access to secured buildings or systems he/she might need. This includes special badging, pass codes, etc.
Plan ahead for any on-the-job training or special classes the Co-op will need to take.
Outline a list of expectations and goals you'd like your Co-op to meet. These can be general goals for his/her overall experience, or specific ones relating to his/her individual projects. This lets the Co-op know you are interested in his/her progress, and it gives him/her something to work toward accomplishing.
Clear you calendar for the morning of your Co-op's arrival.
Meet with the Co-op and the mentor to talk about expectations, goals, projects, etc. Plan on doing a tag-up like this every couple of weeks to make sure everything is going well.
Plan on a group meeting at the end of the tour, during which the Co-op is to give his/her exit presentation. This can be open to other people in the division and branch, too.
