By Erin Kelly
For many Northeastern students, spring break will be a time to relax, take a vacation somewhere tropical or maybe enjoy a weekend of skiing. Students on co-op, however, don’t have this same luxury.
Students employed from the beginning of January to the end of June are not entitled to a week of spring break, unlike students enrolled in classes.
“I don’t get any breaks given to me, and the co-op department tends to stress not asking for time off. I’m not planning on taking any time off as of now,” said Erin Lewis, a sophomore communication studies major who is on co-op working as a Media Relations Intern at Lowell Spinners, an affiliate of the Boston Red Sox.
The Cooperative Education Student Handbook states: “The university calendar does not allow for vacations at any time during co-op terms. You are expected to work from the beginning of the co-op term to the end of your assignment.” Students looking for time off during spring break are not living up to the professionalism that comes with having a full-time job, said Kellianne Murphy, co-op coordinator for the School of Journalism.
“Asking for time off during spring break is very unprofessional given that students have already been instructed of the rules and regulations,” Murphy said. “Although they still remain undergraduates, they are employees of that company.” However, Craig Bettinson, director of cooperative education for the College of Arts and Sciences, said getting time off is not a lost cause.
“The length of time for co-op is a requirement. Does it mean a student couldn’t get a week off? No. That’s something they have to negotiate with the employer,” Bettinson said. Although it is possible to ask for time off for spring break, there are definite downsides, said Loyd Stephen, a senior finance and insurance major.
“If you’re more concerned about getting a nice tan and going on spring break, I’m sure there’s a bunch of other students out there waiting to take your spot at a top-notch firm in a heartbeat,” he said.
Taking time off for spring break may also send the wrong message to your employer, Lewis said.
“Unfortunately, I think it would be unwise for college students to plan a spring break trip during their employment period since a common assumption would be that your social involvement is prioritized above your dedication to the internship position,” Lewis said.
While the winter months are a time where Seasonal Affective Disorder, a type of depression that impairs one’s daily life, is common, students not receiving a break should try to find alternative ways to relax, like Northeastern’s Spiritual Life retreat held this past weekend at the Warren Conference Center in Ashland.
The retreat, co-sponsored by the Spiritual Life Center and the Student Activities Fee, is themed, “unplugged,” and 40 to 50 students planned to attend, said Shelli Jankowski-Smith, director of Spiritual Life, before the event.
“It’s really about checking out of your everyday busy life and moving inward, listening to your spiritual side and exploring spiritual practices,” she said.
Whatever co-op students decide, the delivery of a request for time off is the most important detail when proposing the situation to one’s employer, Bettinson said.
“If a student knows [of a vacation] in advance of accepting a co-op position, that’s something they arrange prior to accepting the offer,” Bettinson said. “It’s all in the approach, timing and reasoning with the supervisor.”
Bettinson also stressed that the need for time off would come up on co-op, as it does for someone working full-time, but there are certain situations that are acceptable.
“As you can imagine, saying to a boss, ‘my grandmother is very ill and has only a few days left and my family is in New Jersey and I need to take Friday off,’ is one thing, opposed to … the other end of the spectrum where students say, ‘I just need a break,'” he said
