This Community of Learning is a collaborative professional learning initiative designed to strengthen field education through structured professional development, reflective supervision, and continuous quality improvement. This initiative supports practicum instructors across participating universities and community organizations while fostering stronger partnerships between academic institutions and community-based practice settings.
This second workshop will focus on the university-agency-instructor-student partnership — clarifying roles, strengthening communication, and addressing concerns early. Includes practical tools for navigating difficult conversations, documentation, and performance issues.
Facilitated by Ebony Hutchinson, MSW, LCSW
This event will be virtual — Zoom link to come.
What is the purpose of this workshop?
The practicum experience depends on a functioning partnership among the university, the placement agency, the field liaison, the practicum instructor, and the student — yet these roles are rarely made explicit, and misalignment is often where placements break down. This workshop equips instructors to build and sustain that partnership proactively, rather than repairing it reactively once problems surface.
What can you expect to learn in this workshop?
By the end of this workshop, participants will be able to:
- Clearly articulate the distinct responsibilities of the university, agency, liaison, instructor, and student within the practicum relationship
- Establish shared expectations early in the placement to prevent common points of breakdown
- Recognize early warning signs of a concern and apply a framework for addressing it before it escalates
- Approach difficult conversations, documentation, and performance issues with structure and confidence rather than avoidance
- Identify what makes a university-community partnership durable beyond a single placement cycle
What can you expect to get out of your involvement in this Community of Learning?
- Greater confidence in the instructor role
- Stronger reflective supervision and feedback skills
- Tools for supporting diverse learners
- A cross-organizational professional network
- Supervisory practices you can apply immediately — not just discuss
Workshop series
Workshop 1 — PREPARE: Building High-Quality Practicum Learning Experiences —Sept. 11, Delmar Divine – Berges Family Foundation Conference Room (10AM-12PM)
Workshop 2 — PARTNER: Building Collaborative Practicum Relationships — Nov. 6, Virtual (10AM-11:30AM)
Workshop 3 — DEVELOP: Developing Professional Identity Through Reflective Supervision — TBA: Spring 2027
Workshop 4 — LAUNCH: Preparing Students for Workforce Readiness — TBA: Spring 2027