MSW Student Guide

University of Michigan School of Social Work · 2025–2026

Volume 3: Field Curriculum

3.06 - Field Absences and Employment-Based Policies and Procedures

§3.06.02 · Absences From Field Placement

activeschool policy

Academic Year 2025-2026 · Maintained by Office of Student Services

Policy details & cross-references
Section3.06.02
Volume3: Field Curriculum
Effective2025-09-01
Last reviewed2025-09-01
Review cycleannual
Responsible bodyOffice of Student Services
Contactssw-adedpgm@umich.edu
SourceOfficial guide
Tags
gradesattendancefield-educationcurriculumsupervisionabsences-from-field-placement
Related policies
Summary: • Students participate in field education on assigned days throughout the term, with the exception of university holidays and university recesses which include fall study break, Thanksgiving, winter break (December), spring recess, legal holidays, and other holidays officially observed by the field site.

University Holidays and Recesses

• Students participate in field education on assigned days throughout the term, with the exception of university holidays and university recesses which include fall study break, Thanksgiving, winter break (December), spring recess, legal holidays, and other holidays officially observed by the field site. • Students must complete the required clock hours for field each term and holidays or recesses do not count toward the accumulation of field education clock hours. • When university recesses and holidays conflict with those of the field site, it is expected that the student will observe the schedule of the university.

Time Off

It is the student’s responsibility to make arrangements for completing all placement hours.

• Students should seek approval for any requests to vary from their established field schedule for a given term with their field instructor/task supervisor. • Short Term Unexpected time away - at times students may be unable to attend field due to illness or personal circumstance. Every effort should be made to notify the field instructor/task supervisor as soon as possible. • Extended/Consecutive Days Off - There may be circumstances in which a student is absent from field education for an extended period of time (defined as missing more than the equivalent of two weeks of field- e.g. 32 hours for students in field 16 hrs/week or 48 hours for students in field 24 hrs/week), and as a result the hours cannot be made up in the same term. In this case, the student, field instructor/task supervisor, and field faculty will develop a plan for the student to complete field education activities and make up the required hours in the subsequent term. The student will be granted a grade of I or “Incomplete” or “Y” until the hours are complete, and then the grade will be updated. • Field instructors/task supervisors are encouraged to reach out to their assigned Field Faculty with any attendance concerns

Global Independent Study

• Students completing Global Independent Study courses must receive permission from their field instructor/task supervisor and have notified their field faculty by the time their Placement Verification Form is due for the semester in which the Global Independent Study is taking place. • It is recommended students work with their field instructor/task supervisor to complete their required term hours before the end of the term. • Students are not allowed to miss more than two weeks of field education to complete a Global Independent Study.