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Professional Competence & Academic Review in Field Education

The field placement is a critical component of the student's development as a professional social worker, particularly as it reflects the student's ability to internalize academic course content and to combine professional knowledge and skill with a professional demeanor appropriate for practice. The student must maintain a professional demeanor that separates personal problems/issues from practice in order to engage successfully in one's professional responsibilities to clients, the agency, and the community. Should a student's personal problems, psychological well-being, lack of maturity or lack of learning readiness in the student intern role impair the student's field performance and responsibilities to clients, the agency, and/or the community, the field supervisor and the faculty liaison have the responsibility to intervene.

The following criteria will be used to determine the basis of professional competence in field education:

Field placement experience: The agency field supervisor, the faculty liaison, and/or the Director of Field Education’s evaluation of the student will be reviewed. Concerns around the student’s professional competence may arise due to the student’s inability to: (1) establish and maintain positive and constructive interpersonal relationships with clients and field supervisors, (2) poor performance in the field (see mid-semester and final evaluation criteria), and/or (3) lack of professional demeanor.  Any of these concerns will be assessed within the developmental framework of the student’s progress through his or her social work education and experiences.  Lack of professional demeanor may be evidenced by the student’s:

  • Lack of commitment to professional growth and development
  • Tardiness or absenteeism at the field placement
  • Failure to adhere to agency policies, standards, and guidelines
  • Lack of appropriate professional dress and appearance
  • Failure to enact appropriate behaviors with clients
  • Failure to meet project/task/assignment deadlines
  • Inability to accept constructive feedback from the field supervisor
  • Failure to exhibit maturity or learning readiness
  • Failure to maintain professional boundaries
  • Failure to exhibit ethical behavior

Lack of professional competence as exhibited in the student’s performance in field education may result in a lower grade or possible dismissal from the program. 

Additional criteria that may be used to assess a student’s professional competence and lead to an academic review by the School’s Professional Review Committee include:

  • Academic performance: Failure to meet the minimum academic standards set by the University, the College, and the School.
  • Unprofessional behavior or ethical misconduct: Failure to comply with the ethics, values, and principles of the social work profession as defined by the NASW Code of Ethics; exploitation of clients, engaging in sexual activities with clients; participation in dishonesty, fraud, deceit or misrepresentation; and/or involvement in illegal activities (conviction of a felony, breaking the law, specific criminal behavior such as trafficking in and/or possession of drugs).
  • Inability to function within the role of a student: Inappropriate classroom behavior (disruptiveness, tardiness, inattentiveness, behaviors that undermine the work or morale of faculty and students).  The student demonstrates an inability to accept feedback and effectively utilize the problem solving process.
  • Negative attitude: Demonstrates a negative attitude/lack of enthusiasm toward the social work program, the social work profession, and/or the field placement, to such a degree that it impairs the student’s ability to actively participate in the learning experience.
  • Personal problems: This may include either physical, emotional, or life-related problems that interfere with a student’s ability to meet both the academic and professional standards and requirements and/or raise questions about suitability for profession. 
  • Failure to comply with the policies and procedures of Georgia State University and/or the College of Health and Human Sciences and/or the School of Social Work and/or the field placement agency.

For a student who does not maintain professional standards or whose personal problems/issues present obstacles in maintaining professional standards, that student may be removed from placement and receive a failing grade for field education.  In such situations, the student may be denied another field placement and dismissed from the social work program.  Depending on the circumstances for dismissal, a student suspended from field education may be allowed to re-enroll only at such time when he/she demonstrates to the satisfaction of the faculty an appropriate commitment to the demands of and expectations for the field education experience.  If the recommendation is to remove a student from field education, this recommendation must be presented to the Director of Field Education, BSW Program Director, School of Social Work Director, and to the School’s Professional Review Committee for a final decision.