What is involved in fieldwork?
Fieldwork assignments entail meaningful contact with the population served by the agency rather than providing only an opportunity to observe clients and procedures at the field placement. It is expected that students will have direct contact with the clients rather than being assigned only menial work such as filing papers or taking telephone messages. The agency must also designate an employee who will monitor the students work, answer the students questions about the agency, and evaluate the students work at the end of the semester. Work in a practicum agency usually entails access to a reliable means of transportation. In some cases, it may be possible to perform fieldwork in the Office of Specialized Services or in the daycare center on campus if these are appropriate sites for the fieldwork course chosen by the student. For example, placement in the daycare center is usually appropriate only for the Fieldwork with Children or Life Cycle I Fieldwork courses.
