This document is Part I of the Handbook on Cooperative Education at Los Angeles Valley College (California). It was designed to standardize the procedures and policies that have proven appropriate for this college. For comparative purposes, the author studied the administration of cooperative education programs at four other California community colleges by interviewing coordinators and by examining procedural guides; several publications on cooperative education and pertinent sections of the state educational code were also reviewed. This part of the handbook describes the philosophy of the program, instructor/coordinator duties, registration procedures, writing of student objectives, contingency plans for emergency circumstances, class unit and numbering systems, evaluation and grading procedures, procedures for instructor/coordinator visits to the job site of each student, and the importance of good public relations. Also included are student registration forms, information to be distributed to students, forms for the verification of weekly hours and attendance, sample letters from the coordinator to the employers, and a sample certificate to be sent to each employer in recognition of his service to education. A bibliography is appended. (DC)