There will be times when severe weather, especially snow and ice, will make a student question whether it is safe to commute to the field site. Students are expected to make every reasonable effort to attend field education in accordance with their schedule. At the same time, students are advised to use good judgment about the risks of travel. Students must make their own judgment about the safety of traveling to the field site in these situations. If they deem it unsafe, they need to provide adequate notification to their field instructor. Again, makeup arrangements are to be worked out between the field instructor and/or task supervisor and student. This is another professional decision-making opportunity that students are likely to encounter during their professional careers.

When a field placement and the University have made different decisions regarding the weather cancellations, the student should defer to the field placement. Exceptions to this are rare and determined by the dean of the U-M SSW and the director of field education.