5.6 Early Termination of Field Placement

Although every effort is made to ensure a successful field education experience, early termination of a field placement is sometimes necessary due to compelling circumstances. These may include a serious and irresolvable conflict between the student and the agency Field Instructor, serious breaches of ethical conduct on the part of the student, unsatisfactory performance by the student, the loss of a qualified Field Instructor, closure or reorganization of the agency, serious climate problems in the agency, serious safety issues for the student, or the student's withdrawal from field education for personal or medical reasons. Short of these circumstances, termination of the placement should be considered as the option of last resort and only after every attempt has been made to complete the placement.

A request to terminate the placement early may be made at any time by the student, the Field Instructor, or the Field Consultant. The decision to terminate a placement should involve the student, the Field Instructor, the Field Consultant, and the Chair of Field Education. This decision is typically made after a joint conference among the student, Field Instructor, and Field Consultant, and involves consultation with the Chair of Field Education. Although the Social Welfare MSW Program generally requests that agencies not terminate a student before this consultation process occurs, Field Instructors, agencies, and Field Consultants hold the right to terminate a placement. Students, however, are not allowed to terminate placements on their own, and must work with their assigned Field Consultant on their concerns. Students who refuse to continue in placement without approval of their Field Consultant are likely to receive an unsatisfactory grade and face additional consequences for dropping a required course without advance approval.

In some situations, students who are reluctant to continue in their field placement may be instructed to give the opportunity more time. Students who refuse to make consistent, good faith efforts to resolve professional concerns or conflicts may be subject to academic consequences.  Students are expected to maintain their composure and professionalism even if they have strong feelings about their situation.

If a decision is made to terminate a placement before its intended ending, the following steps are typically completed:

  1. The Field Consultant requests and reviews a written evaluation from the Field Instructor of the student's performance up to that point, shares that evaluation with the student, and allows at least one week’s time for the student to respond in writing, if desired.
  2. If the student’s performance is deemed deficient or problematic by the Field Instructor, the Field Consultant will initiate a consultation process usually involving the Chair of Field Education, the Field Instructor, other Agency Personnel such as the Training Coordinator or Program Manager, the student, or the Berkeley Social Welfare Associate Dean. After gathering a variety of perspectives and available sources of information, final responsibility for determining the grade rests with the assigned Field Consultant.
  3. The Field Consultant communicates in writing to the student his/her/their grade, the related rationale, and how much credit, if any, they shall receive for days served and what requirements remain to complete their field education experience.

If the Field Instructor's recommendation of an unsatisfactory grade is deemed valid by the Field Consultant, the student will receive an "Unsatisfactory" for that grading period, and no additional placement may be provided in that semester. An unsatisfactory grade in either field placement is likely to be grounds for the student being placed on academic probation and facing dismissal if the concerns are not resolved by the following semester. This would especially be the case if a student had performed in a manner inconsistent with the NASW Code of Ethics or the Berkeley Student Code of Conduct or in a manner that caused or could have caused harm to a client, colleague, to the agency or School.

Students who receive an unsatisfactory grade do not receive partial credit for their experience even if they were successful during parts of the experience. If and when students who receive an unsatisfactory grade are permitted to repeat field requirements, they will usually have restricted choice and be assigned to a well-established placement with an experienced Field Instructor by their Field Consultant. In addition, insertions may be made to the learning agreement that addresses areas that were problematic in the original placement, they may be more closely monitored, and they may be assigned an independent study or other remedy.

Calculation of Make-Up Days Following Early Placement Termination

Although a substantial number of days may have been successfully completed before a placement is prematurely terminated, the student is usually expected to complete another placement in full because of the cumulative nature of field learning and competency attainment process.  

In some circumstances, students may petition their Field Consultant in writing for hours of credit that may be applied toward their next placement. Students are expected to include their rationale for the request and a time breakdown. In evaluating the number of days of credit to be authorized, if any, the following factors will be taken into consideration:

  1. The student must have performed satisfactorily in the placement on any day for which credit is given. If the student is terminated for unethical or unprofessional behavior or for failing to meet agency standards, generally no credit is awarded.
  2. Credit is generally not given for orientation activities that are agency specific. Credit may be given, however, for orientation activities that are likely to be generalizable to the next field placement.