Once a student has secured a placement and is registered in the associated Field Course, the Seminar Instructor/Faculty Advisor becomes the main point of contact for the student and Placement Supervisor.
Students should arrange with their Placement Supervisor to complete the following forms to give to their Seminar Instructor/Faculty Supervisor before the second week or second class of the term:
Please note: Courses may have additional documents or varying documentation. Please see course specific Field Experience Guide and/or course outline for information.
Without submission of these and other program specific required documents, students may not be able to accrue hours during this waiting period. Students should communicate any challenges in acquiring documentation to their Seminar Instructor/Faculty Advisor and make arrangements to provide it as soon as possible or risk failing the course.
Students are responsible to arrange time to meet with their Placement Supervisor in order to review work and sign timesheets verifying attendance. Students are responsible for providing their Seminar Instructor/Faculty Advisor with their timesheets by the due dates assigned.
Course Outlines
At the beginning of each term, students will have access to the course outline associated with their studies. The course outline includes the following essentials: the start and end date to complete the course, course description and content, learning outcomes, student performance, number of hours required in the field, attendance requirements, appeal process etc. Please refer to the 2019-2020 Admission Requirements and Academic Regulations for more information.
Learning Contract/ Learning Goals/ Learning Plan
The Learning Contact/Learning Goals/Learning Plan is an essential tool that serves to guide the placement experience for that term. The goals that students set in collaboration with their Placement Supervisor make up the Learning Contact; these goals should relate back to the outcomes listed in the Course Outline. The first draft of the Learning Contract must be completed by the due dates established in the course outline or week 3 of the semester.
The contract should provide the student and Placement Supervisor with a clear, behavioural measure of how the student and Placement Supervisor will work towards and assess whether or not the goals set have been achieved. The Learning Contract must be assessed and approved by the Seminar Instructor/Faculty Advisor no later than the third week or third class of the term. Learning Contracts can be revised to accommodate for each student’s success and growing self-awareness. ALS Consultants may provide direction with leaning goals if needed.
Evaluations
Programs have mid-term and/or final evaluations which serve to assess the actualization of the Learning Contract goals. Feedback that is given by the Placement Supervisor is a critical component of a students’ learning. The ongoing dialog of the Placement Supervisor and student should be captured in this document. Evaluations are to be completed by the Placement Supervisor and informed by the student.
Mid-term and final grades are based in part on these evaluations, therefore evaluations must be completed and submitted to the Seminar Instructor/Faculty advisor by the due date for that program. It is the responsibility of the student to communicate and plan to complete the evaluation with their Placement Supervisor in advance of the due date.
In order to facilitate a positive field experience, it is important that concerns are investigated and addressed as soon as they are known. Seminar Instructors/ Faculty Advisors will do everything possible to respond to concerns by engaging in a transparent and collaborative process of communication that will include the student and placement supervisor together. Seminar Instructors/ Faculty Advisors will support both the student and Placement Supervisor in making the Field Placement experience a meaningful and enjoyable one. Changing a students’ placement is not considered an appropriate solution to addressing performance issues in the Field. Seminar Instructors/ Faculty Advisors will work together with the student and Placement Supervisor to re-focus and find creative ways to preserve the placement whenever possible.
It is the responsibility of the Seminar Instructor/Faculty Advisor to follow up with any concerns as brought forward by the student and/or Placement Supervisor by conducting a formal Placement Assessment that will include the students and Placement Supervisor together. In cases where the Seminar Instructor/Faculty Supervisor finds through their Placement Assessment that the student’s learning goals cannot be met within the field agency, or the agency poses a health and safety risk, or the placement has been terminated without cause, they will inform the Program Coordinator. The Program Coordinator will work in tandem with the Field Placement Coordinator to arrange for the student to secure a new placement and re-enter the field as soon as possible. Students are to continue attending placement and Seminar class unless informed otherwise in writing by an FSCS Representative.
Changing placement is only done when absolutely necessary and should only be actioned between week four (4) and ten (10) of the semester. Students requesting to change a confirmed placement will have to complete a Placement Challenges Checklist for review by the Seminar Instructor/Faculty Advisor. Before determining whether changing placements is appropriate, the Seminar Instructor/Faculty Advisor will contact the Placement Employer and student to conduct a formal Placement Assessment. An in-person meeting with the student, Placement Supervisor and Seminar Instructor/Faculty Advisor may be needed. A change of placement will only be granted if, through the Placement Assessment, the Seminar Instructor/Faculty Supervisor finds that there are issues of safety or the learning needs of the program cannot be met. The outcome of the assessment will be provided to the student in writing by the Seminar Instructor/Faculty Advisor. Changing placement without consultation may result in course failure, result in additional fees and/or delay graduation.
Step 1: Student to complete the Placement Challenges Checklist and review together with their Seminar Instructor/Faculty Advisor.
Step 2: Depending on the information in the Placement Challenges Checklist, the Seminar Instructor/Faculty Advisor may propose a solution or may determine that a formal Placement Assessment is required. The Seminar Instructor/Faculty Advisor will email, phone or perform a site visit with the Placement Supervisor and student to understand the issues presented and document information via the Placement Assessment form.
Step 3: The Seminar Instructor/Faculty Advisor will email the Program Coordinator upon completion of the formal Placement Assessment and consult if changing placement is recommended.
Step 4: If it is determined that a change of placement is appropriate, the Program Coordinator will develop the next steps in tandem with the Seminar Instructor/Faculty Advisor and Field Placement Coordinator. The Program Coordinator will communicate this plan to the student.
Step 5: If possible, a new placement will be assigned to the student based on availability and program learning objectives by the Field Placement Coordinator. This may take several weeks or may be delayed until the following semester.
Step 6: The student should contact their assigned placement as soon as possible to arrange an interview and/or confirm the placement.
Note: While changing placements, the Seminar Instructor may determine that the student can continue attending the existing placement or be given a special project to work on while a new placement is assigned. Projects cannot replace attending placement but rather, are a temporary solution before the new placement begins.
Once a placement change has been sanctioned by the Program Coordinator, the Field Placement Coordinator will assign a new placement to the student based on availability and program learning objectives. Students should move quickly to contact the new assigned agency and arrange an interview and/or confirm the new placement. Students who decline a viable placement opportunity may be required to withdraw from the placement course and start over in a new semester at their own cost.
Students who are connected with Accessible Learning Services through the Student Wellness & Accessibility Centre are encouraged to work together with their ALS Consultant, Field Placement Coordinator and/or Seminar Instructor/Faculty Advisor regarding accommodations related to the field.
Students who are not connected with ALS, but request disability-related accommodations such as a unique work plan while in placement, changing confirmed placements or an extension beyond the term may be referred to speak to ALS in order for an accommodation plan to be developed. The development of field placement accommodation plans requires input from the ALS Consultant, the student, Placement Employer and FSCS Representatives.