ProceduresforUseinAppealingFieldPlacement:SchoolofEducation
1.ApplicableAppeal Criteria
a.The placementof a teachercandidatein a fieldexperience,asoutlinedintheOfficeofFieldExperience’s PlacementPoliciesis ajoint,collaborativeendeavorbetweenpartnership/cooperatingdistrictsandschools. Assignment of a teachercandidateto a fieldplacementisoneofseveralprofessionalresponsibilitiesofcooperatingschoolpersonnel, and AuroraUniversityadministrative/facultymembersandissolelyandproperly their joint responsibility. It isessentialforthestandards ofthe academicprograms atAuroraUniversity and theintegrityof thedegreesconferredbythisuniversitythattheprofessionaljudgments ofcooperatingschools, AuroraUniversityadministrative/facultymembers relative tofieldplacementnotbesubject to pressures or other interferencefromanysource.
b.Thefollowingproceduresareavailablefor review offieldplacementappealbaseduponhardshipcause,andnotforreview ofthejudgmentofthecooperatingschool, cooperatingschooldistrict or AuroraUniversity in theassignment of ateacher candidate to a fieldplacement. Appeal offieldplacement,as that term isused herein,islimitedtooneormoreofthefollowinghardshipcauses:
1.A personalsituationexistsinthebuilding to whicha teachercandidateisassigned thatcouldbedetrimental to internshipoutcomes.(Ex:Arelative,
former spouseorformerteacheroftheteachercandidateisemployedattheschool site where the placementhas been arranged.)
2.Theplacementsiterequiresover60minutesof travel from the
teachercandidate'saddressthatisprovidedonthefieldexperienceapplication.
3.Theteachercandidatehas a documented medicaldisabilitythatpreventsreasonableaccesstotheplacementclassroomthatisassigned.
4.The placementclassroomisnot within the State guidelinesforthelicense thattheteachercandidateisearning.(Example: A teachercandidateseekingType09Grade6-12licensurereceivesplacementina thirdgradeclassroom.)
5.The assignedplacement isarranged witha cooperatingteacherwhocannotbegin,continueand/orcompletethe semestercommitmentfor the fieldexperience. (Example: Cooperating teacherinformsteachercandidateat16-weekplacement confirmationinterviewthats/heistaking a leaveofabsenceforpartof thefield internshipsemester; or CT discloses howanother practicumteachercandidate,not fromAurora University,will bein classroom with the AU teachercandidate duringsameclockhoursfor a portion of the semester).
c.Itisnecessary,however,thatanyfieldplacementbecompliantwith universityfieldplacementpolicy.Thispolicyisannounced inwritingforallSchoolofEducationfield experiences, on the AuroraUniversitywebsite at is responsive todocumented,extenuatingcircumstancesthat ateacher candidatehas disclosedand filedinadvance.In cases where extenuatingcircumstancesaredocumentedandoutlinedinadvance,theOfficeofFieldExperiences will determinefieldplacement,incollaborationwith cooperatingschooldistrictsinaccordance with announcedpolicy.
2.Appeal Procedures
a.A teachercandidate who believes thathis/her field placementpresents a hardshipcause, as outlinedabove, mayseek clarificationand, where appropriate, redress,
b.The teacher candidate will appeal the placementassignment in writing to the Placement Appeals Committee, providingthecircumstancesconcerninghardshipcausedbytheassignedfieldplacement. Ifoneormoreofthehardshipcausesisoutlinedanddocumentedintheteachercandidate's written appeal,upon review oftheteachercandidate's written appeal, a conferencewiththePlacementAppealsCommitteemay be scheduled.The Placement Appeals Committee will consistofatleastoneSchoolof Education facultymember,one School ofEducationadministrative/facultymemberor UniversitySupervisor, and a CommitteeChair.The aimofsuch a conferenceistoreachmutualunderstandingaboutthefieldplacementhardshipcauses,theprocessby which thefieldplacement wasdetermined,andtodocumenthardshipreasons,ifany,inthe fieldplacementassignment thatpromptsneed to request a newfieldplacementfor the teachercandidate withthe sameor different cooperatingschooldistrict.Theteacher
candidate shoulddo thiswithin ten calendar days offield placementnoticedelivery(if reasons1-3 are thefoundationforthe appeal)or,whenapplicable,withinfivedaysof meetingtheCooperating Teacher(whenreasons4or5 are
3.Decision. The Placement Committee shall make one of these decisions:
a.That thefieldplacementdoesnotpresent a hardshipcaseandshallstandasassigned.
b.That thefield placementarrangementshouldbe changed.The Committee Chairshall then,as a resultofhis/herconsiderationreporttotheOfficeof FieldExperiencestheneedto resubmit a newplacement requestforthe teachercandidate.The CommitteeChair shallinform theteacher candidateofanypossible delaythat a newplacement request maycause,afterconferring with theOffice ofFieldExperiences on the new placement request.Placementduring thesemesterof the original placement request cannotbeguaranteed.
To file a placement appeal inwriting, please send your appeal to:
Aurora University School of Education, Attn: FieldExperiences PlacementAppealsCommittee, 347 S. Gladstone, IL 60506