Field Experience: Roles and Responsibilities
Roles and Responsibilities
The primary responsibility for designing and carrying out a successful Field Experience rests with the student.
Prior to beginning fieldwork, the student must:
- Have completed the junior year (undergraduates) or a minimum of 18 credit hours (graduate students) towards his or her program in SILS.
- Have completed no more than one (1) other Field Experience. That is, a student may conduct a maximum of two (2) Field Experiences during his or her program in SILS.
- Develop learning objectives that articulate the knowledge and/or skills he or she wants to acquire during the Field Experience.
- Select a site that will meet his or her learning objectives, with the assistance of a faculty supervisor and the Field Experience Coordinator and/or Director.
- Develop a draft Field Experience Agreement in which he or she:
- Describes the role / assignment at the site.
- Describe how the Field Experience fits into his or her overall academic program, in SILS and more broadly if appropriate, and into his or her career goals.
- Develop a learning contract (see the model here), in which he or she articulates one or more strategies to meet each learning objective, and one or more criteria for evaluating having met each objective.
- Download the Field Experience Agreement form here.
- Gain approval from the site supervisor for the Field Experience Agreement. Review the learning contract with the site supervisor. The site supervisor must sign the Field Experience Agreement.
- Gain approval from the faculty supervisor for the Field Experience Agreement. Review the learning contract with the faculty supervisor. The faculty supervisor must sign the Field Experience Agreement.
- Submit the Field Experience Agreement to the Field Experience Coordinator. The Agreement form must be completed and submitted prior to the first day of classes of the semester in which the Field Experience begins.
- Register for INLS 795: Professional Field Experience (for graduate students) or INLS 397: Information Science Internship (for undergraduate students). Only the Field Experience Coordinator can register students for a Field Experience.
During the Field Experience, students must:
- Spend 135 hours at your site in order to fulfill the Field Experience Agreement (for a 3 credit hour experience).
- Maintain a daily reflective work log of the experience. Students should record in this log the activities that he or she has performed, and the events in which he or she has participated at the site. Students should also record in this log his or her reflections (opinions, questions, comments, etc.) on activities and events at the site.
- Submit a work log to the faculty supervisor after he or she has completed approximately 60 hours on site (about midway through the experience). The log will trigger the faculty supervisor to arrange a site visit (or telephone conference call) to meet with the student and the site supervisor, to review the student's progress towards his or her learning objectives.
- Participate in the required field experience seminars, either in person or by videoconference. Three rounds of seminars will be held, at the beginning, in the middle, and at the end of the semester, with three seminar meetings per round. Students must attend one from each round.
- Meet with the faculty supervisor to identify and agree upon some aspect of the Field Experience about which to write a brief reflective paper.
At the end of the Field Experience, students must:
- Write a reflective paper on the aspect of the Field Experience previously agreed upon with the faculty supervisor. Submit the paper to the faculty supervisor.
- Meet with the site supervisor to review the evaluation of his or her performance.
- Meet with the faculty supervisor to review the reflective paper and his or her overall experience at the site.
- Complete a Student Field Experience Evaluation form and submit it to the Field Experience Coordinator. Download the Student Field Experience Evaluation on the Forms page.
In agreeing to take on this role, the site supervisor takes on responsibility for providing the student with a professional work experience and for mentoring the student in professional development. The site supervisor will facilitate and provide feedback on the student's learning and skill development. Specifically, the site supervisor:
- Agrees to work with the student. Potential site supervisors have the right to reject an applicant. The organization may require that students complete an application process before selection.
- Works with the student to develop the Field Experience Agreement by helping to develop learning objectives; identifying areas, projects, and activities at the site that are appropriate for student involvement; and ensuring that the Agreement details the nature, rationale, methodology, responsibilities, and criteria for evaluation for the work that the student will do.
- Makes necessary arrangements with the site. This includes alerting co-workers and other appropriate personnel, and providing you with any necessary space, equipment, and supplies.
- Orient you to the site, its physical layout, organizational structure, clientele, and services offered.
- Meet with you during your Field Experience as necessary for review and discussion.
- Communicate with your faculty supervisor on your progress.
- Complete a written evaluation form provided by the School at the end of the Field Experience, and meet with you to review the final evaluation.
- Contact your faculty supervisor or the Field Experience Coordinator if any questions or problems arise.
If you are a site supervisor interested in hosting a SILS student through an internship at your site, please fill out the New Site Form!
For helpful tips on running a smooth Field Experience, please refer to the ALISE Guidlines for Practices and Principles in the Design, Operation, and Evaluation of Student Field Experiences.
In agreeing to take on this role, the faculty supervisor takes on responsibility for acting as the link between the School and the Field Experience site. Specifically, the faculty supervisor:
- Reviews and approves the Field Experience Agreement.
- Reviews the reflective work log, submitted upon completion of 60 hours on site.
- At the approximate midway point of your Field Experience, schedule a meeting (or telephone conference call) with you and your site supervisor to learn more about the site and the student's activities there.
- Continues to monitor your progress and remains alert for possible problems requiring intervention.
- Approves the topic and scope of your proposed reflective paper.
- At the conclusion of the Field Experience, meets with the student to:
- provide feedback on the reflective paper,
- review the site supervisor's evaluation, and
- discuss the overall experience relative to the learning objectives.
- Signs the evaluation form certifying that you have completed all requirements and recommending a P, L, or F grade. Turns in the form to the Field Experience Coordinator.
The Field Experience Director is the nominal instructor of INLS 397 and INLS 795, the Field Experience courses. The Director's responsibility is to be the point of contact for site supervisors, and to ensure that Field Experiences proceed smoothly for students and sites. The Director:
- Serves as a clearinghouse for potential fieldwork sites. This involves contacting potential and prior sites to solicit their participation in the Field Experience program, and serving as the point of contact for organizations seeking students.
- Facilitates the process of matching students with sites, and students with faculty supervisors.
- Arranges in-person and videoconference seminar sessions for students conducting Field Experiences throughout the course of the semester.
- Recommends changes in policies and procedures as needed to the faculty through the master's committee.
The Field Experience Coordinator administers the Field Experience program. The Coordinator's responsibility is to be the point of contact for students and faculty supervisors, and to ensure that Field Experiences proceed smoothly for the School and the students. The Coordinator:
- Serves as the point of contact within the School for information about the Field Experience program. Responds to questions about policies and procedures.
- Maintains records on sites and site supervisors, student placements, faculty supervisors, Field Experience Agreements, site and student evaluations, and grade submissions.
- Maintains contact information about sites and site supervisors.
- Maintains the Field Experience website
- Corresponds with site supervisors sending an official letter of welcome with information about the Field Experience program and the site evaluation form, copying the faculty supervisor and the student.
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