Dear Mandel School Students,
We are aware that you have been receiving a great deal of information and direction over email during the past few weeks, and that this can add to growing feelings of saturation and being overwhelmed. Although we recognize that there is a good deal of information contained in this correspondence, we ask that you take the time to review it carefully.
First—Thank You...
We want to again extend our sincere appreciation to all of you for the courage, wisdom, and resilience you have collectively demonstrated over the past few weeks. We have been thinking of all of you as you make profound adjustments within your personal, professional and academic lives. We recognize the many challenges that you face and hope that you know that you have the support of the Mandel School community.
What are my next steps?
All students will receive an email from their Mandel School field faculty advisor with information regarding their Spring 2020 field education course and how the field hour reductions will specifically be implemented. Field hour reductions have been made in accordance with the field placement hours required for the MSSA degree and in accordance with Council on Social Work Education requirements.
Field hours will be reduced for all students during the Spring and Summer field periods, in accordance with the specific guidance you will receive from your field faculty advisor. All field education course assignments as stipulated in field syllabi, Canvas or Atrio will still be required. Assignments will be adjusted as indicated by course instructors. Students are expected to work in partnership with their field instructor and task supervisor (as applicable) to reduce or transition existing field education responsibilities. Students may also elect not to apply the field hour reductions and continue to complete field placement hours for the remainder of this field period as planned. Students must follow all established due dates for the submission of field education documentation, including timesheets and fully complete Learning Agreement.
Your field faculty advisor must verify that you have met the reduced hour requirements for your current field education course. Verifications will be completed using field education timesheets that have been fully signed and submitted in the Intern Placement Tracking System. A communication regarding field hour reductions also has been sent to all current Mandel School field instructors and will be made available for reference on our website.
What about field over the summer?
Reduced field hour requirements for Summer 2020 field courses will be provided to students enrolled in specific courses as soon as possible. Field hour reductions will be indicated on all Summer field syllabi. Please continue to work directly with your field instructor to develop plans to modify your field placement responsibilities based on the reduced field hour requirements provided by your field faculty advisor.
Field placement interviews
The field placement interview process for current first-year, On-Campus students will be extended as long as needed to ensure that all students have secured field placements for the upcoming year. The field faculty and placement teams will continue to work with all students that are interviewing for placement.
Moving forward
We hope that the flexibility offered through the reductions in field placement hours will help to further support your health, wellbeing, and success as you conclude this semester and look forward to the summer and beyond. The forthcoming communications from individual field faculty advisors will be sent via email and posted in instructor announcements in Canvas and Atrio.
We hope that you are finding continued strength from friends and family during this time and that you will continue to remain connected with each other and the Mandel School community. We remain committed to each and every one of you.
Sincerely,
Amy Korsch-Williams, MSSA, CNM, LISW-S
Assistant Dean of Academic Affairs-Field Education
Sharon Milligan, MSW, MPH, Ph.D., LISW
Associate Dean of Academic Affairs and Student Services
Chair of MSSA degree program
Grover C Gilmore, PhD
Jack, Joseph and Morton Mandel Dean of Applied Social Sciences