Clinical Assignment Policies

In order for students to be exposed to a wide variety of clinical settings, it is the responsibility of the Clinical Education Coordinator to make clinical assignments. Once the assignment is given to the student, the only changes that will be made will occur if there is a cancellation by the clinical site or if the student feels there is a critical reason for changing the affiliation and the Clinical Education Coordinator deems the change is necessary. The Clinical Education Coordinator will use the student's home address, as well as the student's learning needs, to determine placement. Students should be prepared to live away from home for no longer than nine weeks during the course of the two-year program. Student input will be solicited, but the decision of the Clinical Education Coordinator is final.

With the decreasing number of clinical sites available as well as the increasing number of students vying for the positions, it is important that changes in assignments be minimal and for critical reasons.

1. The following procedures will be followed concerning clinical assignments:
   1. During Spring Semester, the Clinical Education Coordinator will distribute a clinical site request form to the students.
   2. The Clinical Site Information Form Notebook and the Clinical Survey Forms Notebook are available for review. These notebooks provide general information about each site, as well as previous student evaluations of the site.
   3. On an assigned date, prior to spring break, the students will turn in the completed form to the Clinical Education Coordinator, making certain to include notification concerning scholarship to any facility listed in the Clinical Site Information Form Notebook and sites of employment and volunteer hours. Students will not be placed at any site where they have worked, performed volunteer hours in excess of 10 hours, or have a scholarship.
   4. The Clinical Education Coordinator will have the assignments for each clinical affiliation to the students at least one month prior to the beginning of the affiliation.
   5. If a student feels there is a critical reason for changing an affiliation, a meeting should be scheduled with the Clinical Education Coordinator. The student will need to prepare a letter that outlines the reason a change is justified.
   6. The student should not make any attempt to change the schedule on his/her own by contacting another facility or student.
   7. The Clinical Education Coordinator will make a decision within 24 hours and inform the student in writing of the decision. This letter will include the reason for the denial if that is the decision or action that the student must take to facilitate the change.
   8. The decision of the Clinical Education Coordinator is final Nf the student still feels that he/she is unable to complete the affiliation as assigned, three options are available:
      1. Complete the affiliation at another time, which would mean that the student could not progress in the Program until the affiliation is completed.
      2. Complete the affiliation at the next time the course is offered, which is only once per year.
      3. Withdraw from the Program.