PSU Policy on Liability, Workers' Compensation, and Internships
Liability: Portland State University provides General Liability insurance coverage for students in SUPERVISED, qualified internships, where academic credit is being earned under PSU faculty supervision. Portland State also provides Professional Liability (including medical malpractice) coverage for students who perform internships for earned credit as a clinical component required by their academic program, i.e.: Social Work, Pre-Professional Health Studies: Public Health, Community Health; Physician's Assistant, Physical Therapy; Criminal Justice & Criminology, etc. Students performing elective internships where there is no faculty or staff supervision and no academic credit is earned are NOT covered by Portland State University’s liability insurance program.
Worker's Compensation: Portland State University does not provide Workers' Compensation Insurance for students performing internships. The Oregon Tort Claims Act (ORS 30.26--30.300) permits the university to accept responsibility only for the acts of its officers, employees and agents. Since students performing off-campus internships do not qualify as such, Portland State University does not accept any liability for the acts, omissions, and conduct of those students. If a student is in an unpaid position, or receiving a stipend directly from a sponsor or potential employer, it is highly advisable for the employer to obtain a rider to its existing workers' compensation policy to cover the intern.