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The BPD Field Education Committee (FEC) was created with membership appointments designated in May, 2000 and serves as a link
between field education and BPD Board of Directors. The committee is charged with the responsibility of interpreting the needs
of and providing recommendations for undergraduate social work field education to the BPD Board. Subsequently, goals and
objectives were developed; some of which are fairly ambitious and long-term tasks:
1. Interpret the needs of undergraduate
social work field education the BPD Board
2. Create a networking system for field directors/coordinators through
development of a Field Directory listing, website, listserve, surveys and identifying common needs such as a need for increased
technology to access BSW programs, and agencies and identifying gate keeping and legal issues relative to disabilities of
students.
3. Identify and coordinate pre-conference training workshops at annual conferences related to current needs
and issues in baccalaureate field education.
4. Identify outcome assessment and evaluation procedures/instruments
for undergraduate social work field education.
5. Develop program professional policies relative to "screening-out"
of students based on personal behaviors, non-academic performance, and termination of students linked to educational objectives.
6. Develop a general statement responding to the new Curriculum Policy Statements of the CSWE accreditation educational
policy.
In reference to our tasks, considerable progress has been made towards the creation of a viable system for
networking and information dissemination for field educators on the national level. A Field Directory for Baccalaureate Social
Work Programs was created and is currently available online through our new field web page accessed through the BPD web page.
Additionally, the field web page provides a link to the Field List Serve and the mechanism to subscribe to that resource.
Included also is a link to current field manuals and forms available online, as well as committee membership, goals, and
objectives.
In reference to the upcoming annual conference, the FEC committee has planned two board sponsored field
sessions related to: 1) gatekeeping and 2) models of field instructor training. These topics were selected based on survey
of field issues and training needs identified by participants at last year's conference. The pre-conference workshop will
focus on one university's model of program professional policies relative to "screening out" and termination of
social work students due to personal behaviors incongruent with academic, legal, and ethical requirements of the profession.
Both program director and field directors of a given program are encouraged to attend. Additionally, an informal session
with the FEC committee and field educators is planned for dialogue and exchange about field issues, in general, EPAS and program
outcome measures, and future planning to address those issues.
And speaking of EPAS, the committee solicited input
and feedback from field educators regarding each draft of EPAS at which time your comments and concerns were forwarded to
the BPD Board for inclusion in their formal response to CSWE Accreditation Standards. Overall, it has been a busy and productive
year for this new committee. We hope we will continue to hear from each of you regarding your concerns, issues, opinions,
and/or recommendations regarding field..the heart of social work education!
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