Frequently Asked Questions for SLP Off Campus Supervisors

  1. Is there a minimum number or type of clock hours the student needs to accrue during their placement?
  2. NO  The students rarely have a situation where they are in need of a specific number of hours or a specific type of hours. It is the university’s responsibility to place them where they are likely to get what they need and it is the student’s responsibility to monitor what they are accruing and discuss it with the university.
  3. One caveat: For students completing a placement to meet the requirements for the state of CT educational certification (aka Student Teaching), they need to accrue 100 hours. It is very rare for students to have difficulty meeting this requirement in a three day/week placement over 15 weeks or a full time placement over 8 weeks.
  4. Do all students come to placement with the same level of experience or ability?
  5. No, students at UCONN complete three separate and distinct off campus placements. When the student comes to you in the first of those placements, they will be less independent and less experienced than if they are coming in the second or third. Additionally, all students progress at their own pace and with their own strengths and weaknesses. One student may be a natural at documentation and exceed expectations early in this area, while others will struggle to achieve competency by the third placement. What matters is that they all achieve minimum basic competency across all areas by the time they are ready to graduate.
  6. Does that mean we shouldn’t be concerned if a student is not performing well?
  7. No, it is much more productive for the student to receive our support in areas where they struggle than to practice poor skills for long periods of time before they are addressed. Call us as soon as you have a concern and we’ll help you determine what you should expect from a student at a certain point in their development and also brainstorm how we can help you to provide the support the student needs.
  8. Why doesn’t the university always come to visit the student while they are in their placement?
  9. UCONN believes that the ASHA CCC and the CT state license verify that the supervisor meets the minimum competency requirement necessary to supervise a student. As ASHA and CAPCSD develop new programs in coursework and potential certification in the art of supervision, UCONN will work to roll out and support those initiatives. Eventually, we would like to see all off campus supervisors undergo some additional education in the area of supervision.
  10. Visits to off campus placements are made under the following criteria:
  11. The student or supervisor calls with a concern and a second opinion or a conference with the parties is the agreed upon next step.
  12. The supervisor has never been a supervisor before and does not have resources at their facility for more experienced supervisor guidance.
  13. The facility is new to the university and sufficient information about the nature of the caseload to be expected has not determined.
  14. The facility has had changes in its structure, service provision, or management and asks the university to visit in order to facilitate student assignments that meet the new demands of the workplace.
  15. The staff of a facility would like to discuss and problem solve how the university and the facility can best work together to optimize student and supervisor experiences.
  16. The facility requests a continuing education opportunity provided by the university through on-site education. Some examples of the modules available include:
  17. Basics of supervision (1 CEU)
  18. Updates to accreditation and student competencies from CAA and ASHA (1 CEU)
  19. What students are taught in Dysphagia course these days (1.5 CEU)
  20. What do I do if I have a problem with e*value?
  21. Call the Program Assistant, Sirrah Laughery 860 486-2817.
  22. Call the Director of Clinical Education, Wendy Chase 860 486-2629, or 860 486-3265.
  23. Ask your student intern.
  24. Don’t panic, there is nothing we can’t help you figure out and the student will still get their clock hours approved, even if it is not today.