Primary Responsibilities of Field Liaisons:

1. Communicating with the Field Instructor a minimum of once each quarter to (a) identify appropriate learning opportunities for the student, (b) consult with the student and Field Instructor on the progress of the experience, and (c) review student records.
2. Consulting with Field Instructors and students regarding existing Field-related problems, including appropriate problem-solving activities.
3. Evaluating the student’s performance and assigning a grade for Field Education.
4. Assessing the student for appropriateness in the social work profession, including adherence to the professional code of ethical conduct.
5. Providing evaluative information to the Director of Field on the quality of the agency’s Field Experience and recommending revisions in the agency’s Field Experience program.
6. Teaching Field Education courses to social work field students to help them understand the integration of social work theory and practice.
7. Attending Field Liaison orientations led by the Director of Field on the requirements of the social work Field program.
8. Providing MSW supervision for students who may not have an agency supervisor with a MSW degree with post 2 years’ experience.
9. Record keeping in the Meditrek system.
10. Adhering to Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) as designated below:
    1. Login to the courseroom at least 4 times a week. The following count as logins:
       1. Posting a beginning of the week announcement.
       2. Posting an announcement after the weekly meeting to provide a summary/recap of the meeting.
       3. Logging in to engage in blog posts.
       4. Logging in to grade blogs and assignments.

Below you will find a list of current course rubrics. Most of these rubrics will be visible in the course by the Fall 2017 term.  

As a part of the required process of Field Education, students are to engage in synchronous meetings weekly during Field. To facilitate those meetings, faculty utilize video conference/phone platforms.

Meeting Functions:

• Provide students a supervision format where they can co-learn and share Field experiences.  
• Provide a time for faculty to check in with them about hours, appropriate tasks, challenges in Field, and help to reinforce the social work perspective.
• Adds to learning with special topic discussion. 

If you have resources, readings, discussion exercises, please send them to the Director of Field.

Student Learning Agreements

The Student Learning Agreement is a critical part of the overall learning and evaluation process. Students will be introduced to the agreement during their face-to-face Skills Lab. They will download the Agreement and Student Guide to reference it during the Skills Lab.

The role of the Field Liaison is very important in the process. As you will now reinforce the use of the Agreement and its importance.  

Suggestions to facilitate the Learning Agreement process:

1. Week 1 - Post an announcement about the importance of the Agreement and provide a link to the copy of the Learning Agreement and Student Guide. Downloadable copies are below.
2. Week 2 - Send a reminder to students that they should be discussing their agreements with their Field Instructors. 
3. Week 3 - When the Agreement is submitted, give feedback about suggested tasks or areas of improvements.
4. Mid-term - Do a check-in with students about their hours, tasks, etc.  
5. End of Term - During the site visit, review the Agreement and discuss potential areas for improvement and possible ways to adjust the Agreement for the next term.

Students may struggle to understand how to make goals, or understand the tasks that are associated with Foundation and Concentration placements. Your practice experience and wisdom goes a long way in helping them establish a good learning experience.  

Prior to Field Education course, the Field Education Coordinators have been the main point of contact for the agency. They have established contract with the agency, explained social work Field expectations, and vetted student tasks and supervision. Once the student is placed, you, as the Field Liaison, take on that role to ensure that the student is able to get the tasks and hours needed at the site.

Here is a suggested approach to engage the Liaison role with the agency and student before the site visit.

• Prior to the term start, you will receive a list of your students and agency assignments from the Field Office.
• Once the list is received, reach out  with an introductory email/communication.
  • Explain your role.
  • Provide your contact information.
  • Introduce that you will conduct a site visit later in the term, but they should reach out with student concerns at any time.
• Ensure students know that agency concerns should be brought to you right away, as they can generally be resolved if there is early intervention.

Required Agency Check-in and Site Visit

 Field Liaisons are expected to check-in with the agency prior to week 4 and complete the check-in sheet in Meditrek. The student does not have to be present for this check-in.  It is designed to confirm students' proposed hours, tasks, supervisor, etc. Liaisons can check in via phone, email, or Adobe. 

In addition, the  Field Liaison must make a minimum of one (1) agency site visit with the Field Instructor each quarter. The student should be present during the agency visit. The visit should take place around mid-term of the quarter. The site visit should be a virtual face-to-face meeting.  All agencies who requested a webcam should have received one from our office. 

Additionally, periodic phone contacts may be necessary. If there are problems in the Field placement that require your attention, additional agency visits may be required. Agencies with no on-site MSW may require additional visits. Please use additional sheets if more visits are required.  

Faculty will fill out a Field Liaison site-visit form in Meditrek for each student. See the Meditrek Guide for Field Liaisons below for instructions on completing the site visit form and the check-in form  in Meditrek.

Evaluation of the Student’s Performance

Evaluation of the student’s performance in the Field site should be an ongoing process. Students receive continual assessment of and feedback about their performance throughout the Field Experience. If, at any point, a student’s performance is evaluated by the Field Instructor as less than satisfactory, the Field Instructor notifies the Field Liaison immediately. A final conference, between the Field Instructor and student, is held prior to the end of the quarter, and the student is expected to participate actively. The Field Liaison will notify the Director of Field if any concerns or issues arise.

Faculty Liaison Role in Evaluation:

• Review the supervisor’s evaluation of the student.
• Pay attention to areas where improvement is needed (especially at mid-term). 
  • Note: When students score lower than 3 on any item, Meditrek sends a report to the Field Office. During the mid-term assessment, you may receive a list from the Field Office highlighting those students who have scored lower than average.
• Suggest changes to the Learning Agreement to reinforce skills in low scoring areas.
• Ensure there are adequate tasks the next term to develop the skills needed.

Blackboard Tutorials and How Tos

How to find find student evaluation of faculty in Blackboard

Meditrek is the system we use to track student Field Experience applications, agency and supervisor information, as well as Time Logs, evaluations, and agency site visits. 

Faculty Liaisons receive login credentials from Meditrek via email. If you have not received login credentials please contact us at Field Office.

Issues Arising in Field Experience

Field experience is quite different from other university courses. While a field experience in a community agency is organized around educational objectives determined by the Master of Social Work curriculum, it also involves professional responsibilities to clients, agencies, and the community. As a result of the involvement of these many stakeholders, it is imperative that field liaisons and field instructors recognize early and respond quickly to a student’s performance problems. When problems occur, it is crucial that the field instructor, student, and field liaison attend to a number of issues: the rights of clients to adequate professional service, the educational needs of the student (including access to corrective and supportive services, as appropriate), and the gatekeeping function of the social work program and professional community.

Students are required to contact their field liaison if they experience a significant issue or problem during the field experience using the following procedures:

1. The field liaison will contact the field instructor to discuss the matter and attempt to resolve the problem.
2. Upon resolution, the field instructor will document the problem and its resolution, including the procedures for resolving the problem. 
3. A copy of the document is also forwarded to the Director of Field.  

If the problem or issue is unable to be resolved in this manner, the field liaison consults with the Director of Field and they meet with the field instructor to resolve the matter. As previously outlined, appropriate documentation is completed to help ensure that the student, field instructor, field liaison, and the Director of Field are in agreement with the resolution. After consultation with the field liaison and others involved, the Director of Field makes the final decision on whether the student should be removed from the placement and if another placement should be located for the student. 

Sharing what you know

One of the strengths of our program is the diversity of practice experience represented by our Field Liaisons. Many of you are pioneers with the program and have adapted to the various changes and growth of the program. As a result, you have developed some best practices, lists of resources, tools, etc. that may be helpful for others.  

I would love to have you share your tips, resources, readings, or other ideas.  

To share:

Submit your attachments or ideas to Director of Field.

Your ideas will be shared/and or posted to the website for others to use.