Professional Documents
Culture Documents
Fall II Seminar Instructors
Fall II Seminar Instructors
Hello Faculty Field Liaisons (and class instructors).
Welcome to the Fall II session. There are three concurrent seminar classes being conducted this term. One beginning
seminar class (SOCU 493), two intermediate seminar classes (SOCU 494) and one terminating seminar class (SOCU 495).
Attached is an orientation notice that is in the process of re‐development. As both new and seasoned Faculty Liaisons, I
would appreciate your input on any additional information you think needs to be included in this document for Field
Instructors. Please remember that the field manual is currently in the process of being revised and will be finalized
between now and the end of November, so most of the policy, procedures and protocols will be embedded in the
manual. This document serves as a brief overview of what Field Instructors need to know.
My suggestions for additional inclusion include:
Timeframes for the learning agreement submission with examples
Communication protocol with the Director on student issues
Liaison responsibilities
A more formalize process for noting course discrepancies or concerns
Please add any areas you think might be helpful for a Faculty Field Liaison to know. We continue to be a work in
progress as a program. I will spend a significant amount of time in the Spring I and II terms, reviewing all of the Seminar
classes, to modify or adapt the courses and make them more relevant for students. Please look for a request for input
during that time, as I would appreciate your feedback on what works and what needs improvement.
Please note:
We have students who either were delayed in beginning their practicum due to placements being secured after the term
started, or those who are having difficulty keeping up with the required time allotments for each week. If you have a
student who is not inputting a minimum of 16 hours weekly, or have a student who is trying to incorporate owed time
due to starting late – please remember to have a conversation with that student about how they will absorb any hours
missing into the remaining practicum sessions. This should be documented and then sent to me for final
approval. Students who began late due to lack of placement automatically receive accommodations, but a written plan
of how they will make up the hours needs to be attached to their file.
Students who commit to field practicum but then find themselves unable to dedicated the necessary time weekly to
meet the required hours are a more complex problem. Please have a conversation with those students with these
obstacles, about the feasibility of them remaining in placement. The standard is that students will complete their hours
in three consecutive terms. This is our current policy and falls in line with many online programs across the country and
the majority of BSW programs that exist. If a student has been placed in an agency in an agency when the term begins,
there is an expectation that they will clock the requisite hours in order to proceed to the next class and finish their
placement within the timeframes given. This issue is specifically noted on the application and addressed with the
student during their readiness interview. Any student who begins practicum on time, but then finds it difficult to keep
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up with the required hours, may need to reconsider if being in Field Practicum is realistic for them in their current
situation. Exceptions made are at the discretion of the Director of Field and usually fall under extenuating
circumstances (e.g. significant illness or injury, death in the immediately family, urgent caregiver responsibility for a
dependent or elderly immediately family member, etc…). A conversation with this student needs to occur with you and
then with me, to see if an alternative can be implemented for their circumstances. Students need to hear the message
that if they cannot abide by the standard for accumulating hours, even after the Director and Faculty Field Liaisons have
sought a remedy – they may have to postpone engaging in field until the circumstances that caused the problem, can be
remediated.
Let me know if you have any questions or concerns regarding your students in Field. As always, I request and appreciate
your keeping me notified of issues that crop up, whether you handle them or ask for my involvement. I will always
include you in the process, if I become involved in a student issue with Field Practicum.
Thank you for your hard work, dedication and expertise. Our students are fortunate to have the caliber of instruction
that they receive from you.
Warmly,
Sibyl Beaulieu, MSW, LMSW
Assistant Professor and Director of Field Education
Social Work Program
Brandman University – Riverside Campus
3550 Vine Street, Ste. 200
Riverside, CA 92501
951.413.2914
sbeaulie@brandman.edu