FIELD POLICY

Field is a unique course that is an educationally directed experience, not a work experience, and is comprised of a field placement and an integrative seminar. Its purpose is to educate and prepare social work students for generalist practice at the entry level and for advanced generalist practice level. Under certain circumstances, it may be possible to complete a field placement in an agency where a student is employed. No more than two semesters of field may be completed in this way and they must be completed in the same academic year. Also, in order to be considered for this option, students must have a strong record of achievement in prior course work and, if applicable, field placement.

Course faculty arrange learning experiences in field settings and teach the integrative seminar with a view toward professional development and the integration and application of key competencies and practice behaviors for generalist practice (BSW and MSW 1st year) and advanced practice year students.

In the field, students are expected to demonstrate a level of autonomy beyond existing job descriptions and/or goals of an individual agency. Field placement agency‐based supervisors are educational partners with course faculty who, together, assure that students’ field placements are designed to achieve the social work competencies (as measured by the corresponding practice behaviors) and meet the program’s field placement guidelines.

To ensure that field placements in employment settings achieve high educational standards, approval for field placements must be obtained from the Generalist Field Director. Faculty may also be involved in the approval process. Students should note that it is possible that only part of the competencies, practice behaviors, and guidelines can appropriately be met in the employment setting and so an additional setting (in the same agency or another agency) will need to be identified. In such cases, the student will identify how these will be met in the additional setting(s).