What is an ADES practicum?

As explained in the calendar, the practicum is a required course earning 6 credit hours to be completed by you with support from a member of the ADES faculty selected by the department and an organizational representative. It is an emergency management experience in a supervised professional setting geared to the integration of theory and practice.

The practicum provides you the opportunity to apply concepts, principles and skills acquired through your studies in an organization in the disaster and emergency field, for example in municipal, provincial or federal government agencies, industry, relief or voluntary organizations.

The practicum, like all other courses, carries prerequisites and writing requirements. It is evaluated on a pass/fail basis. The practicum is an individual undertaking for students with advanced third- or fourth-year status. It may be possible that large projects are divided into two or more related topics and students will interact in their completion but every student must submit an individual and unique practicum.

Why is it important?

The practicum puts the “applied” in the ADES program. After three years of study, your academic work will enrich and challenge the field work you take on — just as your hands-on placement enriches and perhaps challenges your academic disaster studies.

Bear in mind that the ADES practicum combines doing, thinking and writing. It is more than job experience and more than an independent study in an area of interest. It also differs from prior work or life experience for which you may apply for credit.

Successfully completing your ADES practicum will give you a feel for the kinds of real-world issues that complicate disaster risk reduction — and for its rewards. Enjoy it!

What will you learn through a practicum?

After successfully completing the practicum course you will be better able to:

· Identify, understand and apply relevant emergency management related skills;
· Understand how the agency does or might fit into the larger emergency management context;
· Develop or strengthen professional verbal, written, and leadership skills;
· Provide written reports and other feedback to supervisors;
· Analyze and describe the interaction of theory and practice in a written practicum report submitted for faculty evaluation;
· Develop and strengthen presentation skills through public speaking about the practicum to the department and/or the sponsoring agency.

When and how do I start?

Generally students will complete their practicum experience during their last two terms of study, e.g. fall and winter of your third year. In some cases, you may wish to complete the practicum in the spring or summer between your third year and fourth years. This will be allowed with the faculty’s permission. Important! -- The course must be completed over two consecutive terms. If you do register for the practicum during the shorter spring or summer terms you should discuss the implications with the ADES faculty.

Whichever route you elect, early planning is essential! The surest way to fall behind is by getting a late start so read the timeline and checklist below carefully. You should begin planning your practicum – at least selecting possible areas of interest – early in your third year.The Practicum Planning Flow Chart illustrates alternative paths into the practicum depending on your student status, agency opportunities and faculty availability.

The Practicum Planning Workshop

An informational workshop is conducted every fall. Watch for the date as attendance is mandatory for ADES students prior to registering for the practicum. Students will have the opportunity to speak with faculty and agency representatives about their ideas. We encourage students currently enrolled in the practicum course and those who have recently completed a practicum to attend as well to share their experiences.

The department maintains a binder with one-page descriptions of practicums completed by other ADES students and requests we have received for practicum students from interested agencies. The ADES Practicum Binder also contains short evaluations from students about their placements. Ask for the binder anytime in the main office.

We can also put you in contact with other ADES students about their practicum experience. They’ll be happy to share their ideas about developing and completing a successful ADES practicum.

Any ADES faculty member can help you develop ideas about possible placements—and take advantage of the final presentations given by practicum students to the ADES faculty, other interested faculty, students like you, and representatives from the client organization. What better way to learn about the practicum experience?

What is required before I begin?

You must be registered in “Disaster and Emergency Practicum” (40:448) course. Registration requires the approval of the Dean of Science and students must obtain permission of the Department prior to enrollment in 40:448 ( i.e. during the preceding term). Permission will be granted based on the selection of an appropriate project, the availability of a faculty member to supervise the practicum and evidence of knowledge of research methods. Furthermore before beginning your practicum you must have:

· Advanced student status, generally at the fourth year level
· Successful completion of the Environmental Ethics course
· Demonstrated knowledge of research methods.

Note: Check with your ADES faculty to determine well in advance how and when you plan to meet this requirement. Be aware that research courses in other departments may not be offered regularly so plan ahead.

These activities are required during your practicum:

· Completion of the agreed number of hours
· Submission of a written monthly report summarizing hours, duties, problems, lessons learned, and other observations you may wish to make
· Participation in regularly scheduled meetings with both your faculty advisor and the agency advisor (generally separate meetings)
· Mid-term evaluation by the agency advisor

These outcomes are required to complete your practicum:

· Presentation of agency reports and other relevant materials to the department
· Completion of the Practicum Evaluation Form
· Final evaluation by the agency advisor
· Passing grade on your final report (recommended by your faculty advisor and determined by the department as a whole)
· Presentation at Final Practicum Meeting for the department on your goals and accomplishments

How do I get approval for my practicum proposal?

Faculty approval is required of your proposal for a site and a project in order to insure a good fit between student, faculty and agency. To make this happen without a hitch:

Do your homework. Read reports and evaluations from past practicum, talk to other students, and consult with faculty about possible placements.

Be realistic. Think about what your daily obligations are to family, school, work and community. How will this experience fit in? Can you give what is required? Will you get back what you want?

Don’t rush in. Be assertive about the kind of practicum you would like but let the faculty make first contact with a potential sponsor. Talk first with a faculty member and then with the agency.

Be creative. Where do you think you could make a contribution? What areas are especially interesting to you? How do you want to spend your time? What will the final product look like?

Be specific. A detailed proposal is more likely to be approved.

What does a Practicum Proposal look like?

Once you have some specific ideas about the practicum and have consulted with at least one faculty member, complete a draft version of your proposal using the standard Practicum Proposal Guide.

Once you have had your proposal reviewed by a faculty member and potential agency advisor, consider their ideas for change and revise accordingly. Is it still the place, time and project for you? The best practicum can be undone by factors beyond your control. What might these be in your case? How would you solve the problem?

The final Practicum Proposal can be submitted at any time but no later than four weeks before the final date for late registration. It must be reviewed by the ADES faculty who collectively accept or reject the proposal and assign the advisor. The paperwork is then forward it to the Dean of Science for final approval and sent to Financial and Registration Services to accept your registration

Occasionally it may be necessary for a proposal to be considered by the BU Protection of Human Subjects Committee. Your faculty advisor will make this determination and assist you in the review process.

Looking for hints? Check out the Practicum binder for samples of successful proposals.

What is required to complete the practicum?

Your time and energy—your ideas and your skills.

Six credit hours are earned through the practicum which means you are obligated to a minimum of 120 hours working in a combination of on-site and academic activities. There is no simple ratio of on-the-job time to library time, for example, but be aware that the final product will clearly reflect the time allocated. Remember that a lecture-based 6 credit course would have 3 hours of classroom time each week plus readings, assignments, studying etc. Think of the practicum as being a very hard, high demand course when planning your time. Leave yourself time to do your best.

A timeline of activities is required.

This is the first task for you to complete with your faculty advisor and your agency advisor. Following the ADES Practicum Timeline, secure the necessary signatures and submit it to the ADES office. Time flies —don’t let the term slip by before you get started on your practicum. Extensions are granted only for exceptional circumstances.

What are my responsibilities to the agency advisor?

First and most important, remember that you embody the ADES program and represent Brandon University in all the activities and interactions your practicum provides. Most people with whom you will work will be curious about ADES. Be a good ambassador by understanding the expectations of your client as well as the limits of your assignment—and meeting these responsibly.

Each practicum is unique but the minimum requirements to your agency are:

· 3 meetings with your supervisor arranged at your mutual convenience. It is your responsibility to initiate these meetings.

· Attendance at other meetings or events that may be required or suggested, as feasible. Be aware that some travel and travel time may be required.

· A short written report to your agency supervisor summarizing your activities. This applies regardless of the work product. The report should be 3 to 5 pages in length and relate directly back to the proposal (see above). Use this report to let others know what you actually did, not just what you hoped or intended to do. In the report, include a section with suggestions for future practicum placements in this agency. Also include a section on how you think the product or tangible outcome of your placement might be put to use. This report may be excerpted from your final practicum report.

What responsibilities does the agency advisor have to me?

This person cares about your and your project or they would not agree to supervise your practicum. However, they are also very busy people. It is up to you to initiate and maintain a professional working relationship.

In addition to agreeing to meet with you at least three times during the agreed-upon length of the assignment, you should feel free to ask for information, technical assistance, guidance, introductions, documents, workspace and other resources. But do be realistic about what is possible or feasible. Do not expect “directions” or close supervision, but do let your faculty advisor know as soon as possible if your agency advisor is consistently unavailable or unhelpful.

Your agency advisor has also agreed to help evaluate your practicum work process and the outcome of your efforts. About halfway through your placement, the faculty advisor will ask for short written feedback from the agency perspective about how the practicum is going. This is an opportunity for change—use it.

You, too, should feel free to provide feedback to your faculty advisor about the support you have received from the agency.

What are my responsibilities to the faculty advisors?

The faculty advisor normally comes from within ADES. Under special circumstances an advisor may be from another department determined to be relevant. This person is interested in working with you and will assess your work at the completion of the practicum.

Ideally, you should arrange monthly meetings to trouble-shoot, brainstorm, identify and discuss relevant readings to support your work in the field, and share ideas about how to make the most of your practicum. A minimum of 3 meetings are required. It is your responsibility to initiate these meetings and to ask for help or advice – the faculty advisor is not there to watch over your shoulder.

Reach consensus early with the faculty advisor about how often and when your meetings will occur, and whether interim reports by e-mail or telephone conversations may be required.

Determine with your faculty advisor the due dates for the draft version and the final version of your practicum report (see below).

What are the responsibilities of the faculty advisor to me?

Working with students on field assignments is a pleasure and your faculty advisor has agreed to set aside time to meet with you, provide feedback and guidance as the practicum develops, troubleshoot, and liaise with the agency advisor as needed. The faculty advisor will respond to your requests for support so you need to contact them and keep them informed of your progress.

Your advisor will also help in the writing, revising and completion of your final paper if you ask for this assistance and provide drafts of your work early enough to make this possible.

Be certain to provide your advisor with accurate and complete contact information for you at home and on campus.

I’ve fallen behind—what do I do?

Be clear with yourself and others about what the problem is. Talk early and often with your faculty and agency advisor. It may be possible to reschedule tasks or reconsider some of the practicum tasks. Don’t assume that an extension on your practicum paper is possible—ask first.

This isn’t at all what I expected. What do I do?

Again, be clear with yourself and others about what the misunderstanding is. Think ahead and not back--“whose fault was this” is not a very useful question! It may be possible to address your concerns if others know about them early but this is much more difficult midway through your practicum. There should be no surprises if you have been diligent about initiating the required meetings with your advisors. Is it hard to put the problem into words? Ask your faculty advisor for help.

I’ve been asked to leave—now what?

There should be no occasion for this to happen with open lines of communication between you, your faculty advisor and the agency advisor. But do be aware that ADES practicum students work at the pleasure of the participating agency. On rare occasions, a student’s performance may be judged unsatisfactory.

Keep this from happening in your case by voicing any concerns you have on your part about the placement, meeting all agreed-upon obligations to the agency, and making the practicum a priority in your life for these six months.

Students asked to leave under conditions with which the department concurs will receive a failing grade for the term and must begin the practicum proposal process again.

How will I be evaluated?

Both your faculty advisor and your agency advisor evaluate your accomplishments based primarily upon:

· Meeting the basic writing and time commitments
· Responsibility toward faculty and agency advisors
· Project accomplishments relative to goals and objectives
· Final presentation
· Quality of the final report

The Practicum Evaluation Form is available on the website. You should be aware of the expectations of a complete practicum.

What does a good Practicum Paper look like?

A final Practicum Paper is required. Generally, the paper that sums up your 6 credits of work should be no fewer than 25 pages and no more than 100 pages in length—but again, each placement is unique so you and your faculty advisor must determine the final length and scope of the final paper.

The paper includes a clear statement of your overall goals and specific objectives, the outcomes expected by you and your agency advisor (as these were set out originally and as they may have changed over time), a section connecting the practicum with the theory and research in disaster studies, a thorough statement about your achievements (including barriers to achievement), and your observations about the practical utility of the outcomes.

The Practicum Grading Report includes specific evaluation factors that will be used to assess your final report. Using this as a guide to organizing and presenting your report is a good idea. Questions? Ask early and often.

Get the paper in early! Your faculty advisor will use the Practicum Grading Report to evaluate the paper. Be sure to leave yourself time for revisions should these be necessary. The practicum paper must be submitted no later than the last exam date of the term in which you conclude your practicum.

What costs can I expect?

It is not intended that you will incur any substantial costs in order to complete your ADES practicum. Nonetheless, depending on the particulars of your assignment, you may wish to seek outside funds for travel, temporary lodging or reimbursement of auto travel expenses.

Be aware that BU does not accept applications for student travel funds in support of work that earns students credit — so seek assistance elsewhere. In some cases, your advisor or supervisor may be able to help, but do remember that the practicum is a non-funded position not intended to impose financial obligations on the student or the client organization.

It is possible that you may do your practicum as part of existing or summer term employment. The practicum is not, however, simply time on the job as some co-op or internship placements may be. The practicum must be a clear separate project under your control.

Troubleshooting

Often, students produce written documents such as emergency preparedness plans or risk communication materials. In rare cases, the client organization may hesitate to share these with others. See your advisor early and often if this appears likely.

Changes are to be expected as the practicum develops over time. But what if you find yourself on a different track altogether? The regular meetings with your advisor and supervisor will help prevent miscommunication. It may be necessary to seek approval for a resubmission of the Practicum Proposal form.

Final presentations

Share your experience!

At the end of every term, a Final Practicum Meeting will be organized by the department. This is your time to shine, and for other students to hear what a successful practicum is like.

All students who have completed their practicums that term, or are near to completion, are required to present a short summary of their final paper. We’ll bring the food and you bring yourself. We’ll also invite representatives from the client organization and other interested faculty and students from across campus to learn about your accomplishments.

Your evaluation of the practicum experience

Let other students benefit from your experience by completing the Practicum Feedback Form. We ask for your feedback about exactly what you did, how and why and your ideas about room for improvement. You will also complete the standard Brandon University course evaluation form available from the ADES office.

Other questions?

Please contact the ADES faculty early and often. We are here to help.