from bridgewater state university’s inception in 1840 by horace mann as one of the first normal schools in america to the current day, bsu has worked to ensure that our students receive an accessible, affordable, and exceptional education. bsu aspires to be the leader in our mission class for closing equity gaps for black/cape verdean, latinx, native american, asian, and other students of color. bsu’s institutional values, the work of the presidents special task force on racial justice, and leadership of the leading for change higher education diversity consortium underscore the campus commitment to racial equity and other forms of social justice.
bridgewater state university is an educational community in the southeast region of ma, close to cape cod and rhode island. the university and the school of social work are actively engaged in racial justice work and organizational reflection to advance a culture and environment that is inclusive of the broadly diverse members of the bsu community and committed to student success.
the school of social work offers bsw and msw degree programs. our student body numbers about 550 students in both programs. the school has 18 full time faculty, 3 field education staff and two administrative assistants. we serve the southeast region of ma and beyond with over 280 internship opportunities for our students.
bsu ssw seeks a field education specialist to join a school of social work and a field education staff team committed to equity-minded practice, strengthening a justice-informed social work community, and helping to advance the school’s strategic plan.
position responsibilities include placing students in field practicum sites with specific responsibilities for msw students in bsu ssw’s hybrid saturday msw program pathway. annually, the department places approximately 280 undergraduate and graduate social work students. the field education specialist will be an important addition to a dedicated team of field education staff with responsibility for working collaboratively with faculty, staff, students, and field practicum supervisors. specific responsibilities will include working with a diverse group of undergraduate and graduate students in quality internships, helping to expand our network of agency partners.
opportunity to teach a section of the sifi (seminar in field education) seminar. comfort with technology is important. ability to work some saturdays and evenings, as needed. this position is eligible for remote work privileges up to two days a week upon a successful completion of three months of on-campus employment at the discretion of the manager and/or vice president. remote work privileges can be canceled at any time and for any reason by both the employee and the university. the scheduled days of remote work privileges will be determined by the manager and regularly reassessed.
supervision received: the staff associate, field education specialist shall work under the direct supervision of the director of field education.
essential duties:
- recruit, develop, and approve diverse field practicum sites at all levels as assigned by the director of field education.
- provide field education support, interviewing and placing of msw and bsw students in field practicums, including students entering the msw sat hybrid program pathway.
- collaborate and consult with the director of field education, associate director of field education, the school of social work chair, the msw & bsw program coordinators, curriculum committee, and social work faculty.
- assume duties as assigned, including evening and weekend responsibilities to support expanding programs and the quality of educational settings.
- work with the associate dean, the faculty, and the diversity, equity inclusion and accessibility (deia) committee to ensure equity and inclusion in field policies and practices.
- provide ongoing monitoring and troubleshooting of internships.
- consult with faculty, supervisors, field education liaisons and students on field placement concerns and performance issues. work with those involved to ensure appropriate resolution.
- promote and maintain strong working relationships with the partnering agency staff and the professional social work community.
- as needed, work with and mentor students helping them to clarify their professional goals and learning objectives. provide consultation to students, faculty, and field coordinators to assist students in meeting their goals and objectives.
- implement regular programs of orientation and training to field education instructors and supervisors for purpose of enhancing the quality of student supervision and learning experiences.
- support the review of strategies and policies to ensure equitable field work practices and integration of classroom content relevant for diverse populations into curricula.
- develop comfort with the field education program’s data management system, reporting data and creating reports.
- represent the ssw’s field education program to the local community and make contributions to the social work knowledge base at the local and state levels.
- assist in the recruitment and orientation of students via participation in information sessions, recruitment visits and orientation workshops in consultation with the msw program coordinator and the director of field education.
- mediate field education related conflict including that between and among staff, faculty, students, and agencies.
- analyze and intervene in sensitive issues involving students and agencies, assisting in problem-solving.
- other duties as requested by the director of field education.