Field Directors

I suppose that it depends upon the circumstances that led to the students not completing the second semester practicum.

Did the student simply not complete the required number of hours within the confines of the semester? Again, why not?  That can happen without any error or deficiency by the student. Shit happens. ;-) I've often had students, significantly short of hours, end the semester with an incomplete grade, allowing them to finish the hours through the summer or winter break, or following semester. ALWAYS WITH THE CONSENT OF THE AGENCY BASED FIELD INSTRUCTOR.

I had a student diagnosed with cancer, and hospitalized, 5 or 6 weeks into the spring semester: we granted her a medical leave of absence.  A full year later, cancer free,  she started the spring semester over. We did allow her to carry over the hours from the previous spring. (We could do that as we require 50 hours beyond the CSWE requirement.)  But it turned out, we didn't need to: she was full on committed to her placement agency exceeding the requirement by 100 hours, plus the carry over. (OK, OK, her course load that semester was fairly light as she'd completed what elective courses she could while hospitalized and in recovery.

But aside from unanticipated illness or emergency, or inadequate opportunity / support from the agency, (like the only qualified FI leaving) HOW DOES THIS HAPPEN?   Was this poor planning or was it some, I dunno, deficiency or failing on the student's part?  If so, that would likely change the dynamic. 

I really tried hard to work with students, field instructors, and agency administrators to see that students completed both semesters of field, in the same agency, if at all possible. 

Perhaps I'm naive.  Our students are required to take "field 1" and "field 2," sequentially. This was part of their enrollment plan. In the program where I taught, these were to be the final 2 semesters before graduation. (although every year there were one or two students who came to the major late in their junior year and knew they had some elective or two to complete in the summer after "graduation."  We allowed students to "walk" in the spring with their class mates although they didn't rcv. their diploma until all grades were posted at the end of the summer semester.)

How involved / invested is your program involved in finding, vetting and supporting field agencies?  This is important. (and sadly an increasingly common failing in social work education.) 

I STRONGLY believe that students need a strong measure of continuity in their field placements to adequately prepare for practice.  And honestly, I've lately come to be concerned how many placements are arranged, particularly in "online degree programs," NOT by the school but by the students, themselves.  And I feel very strong that such arrangements are FULL OF POTENTIAL MISUNDERSTANDINGS, INADEQUACIES AND RISKS, for the student as well as for the profession.

Is there a detail that I'm missing?

I hope this might have been useful.    

Gary Bachman MSSW, LSCSW , Professor Emeritus, &  NHR   (now happily retired)

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