Expectations for Specific Fieldwork Courses
Students are responsible use the E*Value software platform to log-in their “duty hours” for each type of fieldwork placement in the curriculum, represented by the different course numbers for the progression of placements (OT 660, OT 661, OT 662, OT 663, OT 664, OT 761 and OT 762). Students are obligated to be on-site from the start through the end date of the placement as assigned unless approved by the site and fieldwork office.
Level I and Level II Fieldwork Attendance
Attendance is mandatory for all fieldwork experiences, and students are not permitted to request time-off for personal reasons. Absence from the fieldwork site, except in the case of illness, bereavement, emergency situations, or religious observances, will be considered unexcused and may result in a grade of “F” for that course.
Students are expected to attend all fieldwork experiences during the hours specified by the fieldwork facility, including evening, weekend and holiday work schedules, rather than the Institute’s academic calendar.
Attendance may be required for pre-placement orientations, as well as for end-of-placement debriefing and wrap-up.
In the case of illness, bereavement, or other unanticipated absence, students must contact the fieldwork site or fieldwork faculty and speak with the fieldwork education supervisor before the start of the scheduled fieldwork hours to report the absence. In the case of an anticipated absence, as for religious observance, the student is expected to discuss the absence with the Fieldwork Educator in advance of the scheduled session. In addition, all absences must be simultaneously reported by the student via email or by phone, to the designated Fieldwork Faculty for the specific course, as listed on the syllabus.
Make-Up Time for Level I and Level II Fieldwork Experiences
For Level I Fieldwork, make-up of 1 session in any placement, missed due to illness or other justifiable cause, will be at the discretion of the fieldwork faculty (Supervisor and/or Student Program Coordinator). Absence from two or more sessions in any fieldwork experience will require that all missed time be made up.
For Level II Fieldwork, sites may require that students make up any missed days prior to completion of the fieldwork. Absence of greater than three days in any Level II Fieldwork experience will require that all missed time be made up. In some cases, absences of greater than 3 days may also require a medical provider’s clearance to return to the fieldwork facility.
Students should keep the fieldwork office informed of any missed days during fieldwork, even as a result of a clinical instructor’s absence requiring missed fieldwork days to ensure that all requirements of 12 full time weeks for fieldwork can be met.
Plans for make-up of any missed time in the placement will be determined by the fieldwork facility’s Student Program Coordinator and/or Fieldwork Educator, in conjunction with the AFWC or CEPSA, based on the fieldwork site’s ability to schedule such time. Missed time may be made up following the experience or during it by adding additional hours. Students are expected to be flexible in making up time and must keep fieldwork a priority in their schedules. Missed time not able to be made up within the academic term may result in a grade of Incomplete.
Inclement Weather/Snow Policy
On-campus classes may be canceled when the Institute is closed for inclement weather. For Level I Fieldwork, students must still contact the fieldwork facility designated contact person (student coordinator or direct supervisor) prior to the start of the scheduled fieldwork session to confirm a plan, which may include: absence or missed attendance due to extent of weather disruption; reformatting participation to online telehealth services; shifting hours/time, or verifying original schedule.
In the case of full-time Level II fieldwork experiences, students are expected to make every reasonable effort to report to the fieldwork site for all scheduled fieldwork hours unless instructed otherwise by fieldwork facility’s personnel. If travel to the facility is impossible, or if tardiness is unavoidable, the student is expected to contact their fieldwork site before the start of the scheduled fieldwork hours to report the absence or delayed arrival. The student must also report via email or by phone, to the designated Fieldwork Faculty for the specific course, as listed on the syllabus. Schedule disruptions for students’ attendance during Level II fieldwork should be avoided whenever possible.