School of Social Work

Placement Setting - Roles and Responsibilities

The placement setting is responsible for providing an environment that will be conducive to a student’s growth and development as a professional social worker.  

The Field Instructor is an employee of an agency/organization who has contracted with the School and with with the placement setting to provide a learning experience and instruction to a student for a period set out by the School. The Field Instructor guides the daily activities of the student to clarify and meet their learning needs, and provides consultation to the student as required by the School. As well, the Field Instructor engages in a process of evaluation with the student to assess student performance in the context of the School of Social Work expectations and placement setting requirements. The Field Instructor is responsible for carrying out mid-term and final evaluations of the student and makes a recommendation with regard to the final grade.  The Final grade is assigned by the Ryerson Faculty Consultant who has the academic authority to assign grades.

The Educational Coordinator is an employee of an agency/organizaton who coordinates student placements within the placement setting.  Some Education Coordinators assume the role of Field Instructor as well. Not all agencies/organizations have one employee designated as the Education Coordinator to coordinate all student placements; in some agencies/organizations, each Field Instructor is responsible for all aspects of coordinating placements.   

Consult the BSW Field Education Manual for specific responsibilities.