Field Directors

Do any schools allow students to accrue practicum hours over school breaks? One dean just informed us that isn't allowable for students to participate in practicums over winter break, between semesters. She said we report an end to the fall semester and the start of a spring semester. There is about a month in between. My concern is that, especially for our clinical placements, requiring a month break isn't good client care. What loopholes do other schools use? We currently do not have a J-Term, which would help with this issue.

Do any schools allow students to accrue practicum hours over school breaks? One dean just informed us that isn't allowable for students to participate in practicums over winter break, between semesters. She said we report an end to the fall semester and the start of a spring semester. There is about a month in between. My concern is that, especially for our clinical placements, requiring a month break isn't good client care. What loopholes do other schools use? We currently do not have a J-Term, which would help with this issue.

If a student is unable to complete their hours, due to a medical leave for example, instead of being allowed to finish their hours right away do they need to wait to finish hours until a new seminar starts or do they have to start all over in a future semester?

Thanks

Do any schools allow students to accrue practicum hours over school breaks? One dean just informed us that isn't allowable for students to participate in practicums over winter break, between semesters. She said we report an end to the fall semester and the start of a spring semester. There is about a month in between. My concern is that, especially for our clinical placements, requiring a month break isn't good client care. What loopholes do other schools use? We currently do not have a J-Term, which would help with this issue.

If a student is unable to complete their hours, due to a medical leave for example, instead of being allowed to finish their hours right away do they need to wait to finish hours until a new seminar starts or do they have to start all over in a future semester?

Thanks

Do any schools allow students to accrue practicum hours over school breaks? One dean just informed us that isn't allowable for students to participate in practicums over winter break, between semesters. She said we report an end to the fall semester and the start of a spring semester. There is about a month in between. My concern is that, especially for our clinical placements, requiring a month break isn't good client care. What loopholes do other schools use? We currently do not have a J-Term, which would help with this issue.

Hello from Montana,

we allow students to continue and count practicum hours over school breaks, including winter and spring break. Our winter break is 5 weeks+ and some folks use that time to make up hours and, as stated by somebody else, especially students with their own caseload or ones in employment based placements cannot take several weeks off. There have been no issues for us with students doing hours over break and I actually think it reduces stress for students since they can focus on practicum without simultaneously doing classwork. 

Best

KAT

If a student is unable to complete their hours, due to a medical leave for example, instead of being allowed to finish their hours right away do they need to wait to finish hours until a new seminar starts or do they have to start all over in a future semester?

Thanks

Do any schools allow students to accrue practicum hours over school breaks? One dean just informed us that isn't allowable for students to participate in practicums over winter break, between semesters. She said we report an end to the fall semester and the start of a spring semester. There is about a month in between. My concern is that, especially for our clinical placements, requiring a month break isn't good client care. What loopholes do other schools use? We currently do not have a J-Term, which would help with this issue.

I agree with Kat, a number of our students use breaks as a strategy for reducing average hours per week and balancing their various commitments, and for students with caseloads, it is often essential for their practice and learning.

Having students covered by liability insurance outside of official university terms is possible because our university has so many disciplines requiring practicals of some sort that it has a blanket policy renewed annually based on anticipated numbers of students covered - so it's not purchased on a student-by-student or semester-to-semester basis. This is a change at our university in just the last 5 or so years, and I only learned about it last year, when financial aid told us we couldn't offer our fall course "off-cycle" to cover winter break.

While our seminars run biweekly during the fall and spring semesters, and students therefore don't have that resource during winter break, their assigned practicum liaison is available throughout if problems arise and I'm also available for support. 

Hello from Montana,

we allow students to continue and count practicum hours over school breaks, including winter and spring break. Our winter break is 5 weeks+ and some folks use that time to make up hours and, as stated by somebody else, especially students with their own caseload or ones in employment based placements cannot take several weeks off. There have been no issues for us with students doing hours over break and I actually think it reduces stress for students since they can focus on practicum without simultaneously doing classwork. 

Best

KAT

If a student is unable to complete their hours, due to a medical leave for example, instead of being allowed to finish their hours right away do they need to wait to finish hours until a new seminar starts or do they have to start all over in a future semester?

Thanks

Do any schools allow students to accrue practicum hours over school breaks? One dean just informed us that isn't allowable for students to participate in practicums over winter break, between semesters. She said we report an end to the fall semester and the start of a spring semester. There is about a month in between. My concern is that, especially for our clinical placements, requiring a month break isn't good client care. What loopholes do other schools use? We currently do not have a J-Term, which would help with this issue.

Hello all, 

We've allowed students to complete field/practicum hours over the break.  Please consider some thoughts: 

1. Students have used the time to complete hours to bank them for the spring semester.  For example, students who are interning in school districts. In NYS, there are multiple days the schools are closed. Last week in January-High Schools-Regents Week, A week in February-School break and a week in March/April for the Easter break. Without completing hours over the December-January break there would be no way for students to "bank" hours if they need to.
2. Some liability coverages are for the full year.  This would be a conversation with the controller's or the legal department to clarify if this is the case for your institution. 
3. Depending on the agency and services, we want to ensure clients have a continuity of care.  If the student will be on "break" then the student with the support of their supervisor has to create a plan of support for the clients they are working with.  This is good practice as they will have to continue with this through their professional career.  I hope the feedback is helpful.  Karen

I agree with Kat, a number of our students use breaks as a strategy for reducing average hours per week and balancing their various commitments, and for students with caseloads, it is often essential for their practice and learning.

Having students covered by liability insurance outside of official university terms is possible because our university has so many disciplines requiring practicals of some sort that it has a blanket policy renewed annually based on anticipated numbers of students covered - so it's not purchased on a student-by-student or semester-to-semester basis. This is a change at our university in just the last 5 or so years, and I only learned about it last year, when financial aid told us we couldn't offer our fall course "off-cycle" to cover winter break.

While our seminars run biweekly during the fall and spring semesters, and students therefore don't have that resource during winter break, their assigned practicum liaison is available throughout if problems arise and I'm also available for support. 

Hello from Montana,

we allow students to continue and count practicum hours over school breaks, including winter and spring break. Our winter break is 5 weeks+ and some folks use that time to make up hours and, as stated by somebody else, especially students with their own caseload or ones in employment based placements cannot take several weeks off. There have been no issues for us with students doing hours over break and I actually think it reduces stress for students since they can focus on practicum without simultaneously doing classwork. 

Best

KAT

If a student is unable to complete their hours, due to a medical leave for example, instead of being allowed to finish their hours right away do they need to wait to finish hours until a new seminar starts or do they have to start all over in a future semester?

Thanks

Do any schools allow students to accrue practicum hours over school breaks? One dean just informed us that isn't allowable for students to participate in practicums over winter break, between semesters. She said we report an end to the fall semester and the start of a spring semester. There is about a month in between. My concern is that, especially for our clinical placements, requiring a month break isn't good client care. What loopholes do other schools use? We currently do not have a J-Term, which would help with this issue.

Thank you everyone for responding. My dean is going to be reaching out to some of your institutions. Her biggest concern isn't about insurance. Instead it is about how it is reported to the Department of Education. This is above my paygrade, but apparently schools register semester/quarter start and end dates with the DoE. It gets messy with students doing coursework during the in-between time.

Hello all, 

We've allowed students to complete field/practicum hours over the break.  Please consider some thoughts: 

1. Students have used the time to complete hours to bank them for the spring semester.  For example, students who are interning in school districts. In NYS, there are multiple days the schools are closed. Last week in January-High Schools-Regents Week, A week in February-School break and a week in March/April for the Easter break. Without completing hours over the December-January break there would be no way for students to "bank" hours if they need to.
2. Some liability coverages are for the full year.  This would be a conversation with the controller's or the legal department to clarify if this is the case for your institution. 
3. Depending on the agency and services, we want to ensure clients have a continuity of care.  If the student will be on "break" then the student with the support of their supervisor has to create a plan of support for the clients they are working with.  This is good practice as they will have to continue with this through their professional career.  I hope the feedback is helpful.  Karen

I agree with Kat, a number of our students use breaks as a strategy for reducing average hours per week and balancing their various commitments, and for students with caseloads, it is often essential for their practice and learning.

Having students covered by liability insurance outside of official university terms is possible because our university has so many disciplines requiring practicals of some sort that it has a blanket policy renewed annually based on anticipated numbers of students covered - so it's not purchased on a student-by-student or semester-to-semester basis. This is a change at our university in just the last 5 or so years, and I only learned about it last year, when financial aid told us we couldn't offer our fall course "off-cycle" to cover winter break.

While our seminars run biweekly during the fall and spring semesters, and students therefore don't have that resource during winter break, their assigned practicum liaison is available throughout if problems arise and I'm also available for support. 

Hello from Montana,

we allow students to continue and count practicum hours over school breaks, including winter and spring break. Our winter break is 5 weeks+ and some folks use that time to make up hours and, as stated by somebody else, especially students with their own caseload or ones in employment based placements cannot take several weeks off. There have been no issues for us with students doing hours over break and I actually think it reduces stress for students since they can focus on practicum without simultaneously doing classwork. 

Best

KAT

If a student is unable to complete their hours, due to a medical leave for example, instead of being allowed to finish their hours right away do they need to wait to finish hours until a new seminar starts or do they have to start all over in a future semester?

Thanks

Do any schools allow students to accrue practicum hours over school breaks? One dean just informed us that isn't allowable for students to participate in practicums over winter break, between semesters. She said we report an end to the fall semester and the start of a spring semester. There is about a month in between. My concern is that, especially for our clinical placements, requiring a month break isn't good client care. What loopholes do other schools use? We currently do not have a J-Term, which would help with this issue.

If a student is unable to complete their hours, due to a medical leave for example, instead of being allowed to finish their hours right away do they need to wait to finish hours until a new seminar starts or do they have to start all over in a future semester?

Thanks

Do any schools allow students to accrue practicum hours over school breaks? One dean just informed us that isn't allowable for students to participate in practicums over winter break, between semesters. She said we report an end to the fall semester and the start of a spring semester. There is about a month in between. My concern is that, especially for our clinical placements, requiring a month break isn't good client care. What loopholes do other schools use? We currently do not have a J-Term, which would help with this issue.

Do any schools allow students to accrue practicum hours over school breaks? One dean just informed us that isn't allowable for students to participate in practicums over winter break, between semesters. She said we report an end to the fall semester and the start of a spring semester. There is about a month in between. My concern is that, especially for our clinical placements, requiring a month break isn't good client care. What loopholes do other schools use? We currently do not have a J-Term, which would help with this issue.

Do any schools allow students to accrue practicum hours over school breaks? One dean just informed us that isn't allowable for students to participate in practicums over winter break, between semesters. She said we report an end to the fall semester and the start of a spring semester. There is about a month in between. My concern is that, especially for our clinical placements, requiring a month break isn't good client care. What loopholes do other schools use? We currently do not have a J-Term, which would help with this issue.