Field Placement Officer- ALFE

**The salary for this position starts at $50,000 and will depend on qualifications and experience.
***This is a Professional and Administrative 10 month, continuing position. Appointment dates for Fiscal Year 2024 are August 12, 2024 - June 8, 2025.

The Field Placement Officer is the direct contact for faculty, students and community members regarding field experience and student teaching support. It is a highly visible position that requires the ability to engage a variety of audience members with integrity and professionalism.

The following duties are typical for this position:

60% Placements:

• Serve as the point of contact and coordination for local school and community administrators, teachers, faculty, staff, and students for student teaching and relevant, clinical experience placements.
• Solicits, secures and coordinates school-based clinical experience placements for undergraduate teacher education students.
• Tracks students' licensure requirements for compliance, and matches these needs with available opportunities in surrounding schools and community sites.
• Conduct school site visits and other outreach to sustain and develop new partnership opportunities and increase cooperating teacher pool for clinical experiences.
• Maintain regular contact with supervisors of clinical experiences and troubleshoot administrative and/or placement issues with students and faculty.
• Participate in pre-placement meetings and orientations for students.
• Conduct pre-placement meetings for new supervising faculty and cooperating teachers.
• Conduct orientations for new supervising faculty and cooperating teachers
• Hold drop-in Q&A sessions for University Supervisors each semester.

25% Compliance:

• Collaborate with faculty and the Licensure Officer to determine the nature of the field experiences that students require to meet licensure requirements.
• Maintain student fieldwork and academic files and records associated with fieldwork.
• Ensure accuracy of database for tracking placements (including international student teaching), including fieldwork sites, site supervisors and clinical teachers; ensuring diverse experiences and ensuring that candidates meet the number of required hours.
• Track, review, and monitor the status of placements and all associated paperwork including requirements for district placements (background checks, etc...)
• Participate in ongoing analysis of clinical experiences.
• Prepare projected budgets for clinical experiences.
• Responsible for the preparation of student teaching and field experience agreements.
• Work with the education department head and department faculty to ensure currency and accuracy in field experience and student teaching handbooks.
• Assist with revisions and updates to handbooks.
• Work with tech support to maintain accurate information on Field Experience sections of the Accreditation Licensure and Field Experience (ALFE) Office and Education Department websites.

15 % University and Professional Events:

• Participate in and attend PELSB meetings.
• Contribute to the Community Advisory Council on Teacher Education (CACTE) /Advisory Board meetings.
• Attend Principal/Superintendent Advisory Board meetings.
• Participates in Student Teaching Placement meetings with program faculty.
• Participate in all Professional Development Plan Meetings (PDP) where field experiences may be impacted.
• Attend MN Clinical Experience Coordinator Meetings.
• Other duties as assigned.

Qualifications

Required Qualifications:

• BA/BS plus four years of related experience, or master's degree plus at least two years of relevant experience.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Demonstrated record of serving diverse people in an inclusive environment
• Familiarity with working within state or federal standards (PELSB preferred)
• Familiarity with local and regional pk-12 schools
• Experience working in recruiting, student advising or support services
• Experience working in program accreditation, licensure or teacher preparation programs
• Graduate-level study or degree in a related field
• Previous or current teacher certification
• One year or more pk-12 teaching experience
• Experience monitoring budgets
• Knowledge of MS Word and MS Excel
• Knowledge of Google Suite of tools

About the Department

The Accreditation, Licensure and Field Experience Office (ALFE) is part of the College of Education and Human Service Professions at the University of Minnesota Duluth. The office primarily supports the Department of Education, its students, faculty, and departmental leadership. ALFE completes on-going program and unit level review with the Minnesota Professional Educators and Licensing and Standards Board (PELSB) to ensure program approval for all UMD teacher preparation programs.

Benefits

Working at the University

At the University of Minnesota, you'll find a flexible work environment and supportive colleagues who are interested in lifelong learning. We prioritize work-life balance, allowing you to invest in the future of your career and in your life outside of work.

The University also offers a comprehensive benefits package that includes:

• Competitive wages, paid holidays, and generous time off
• Continuous learning opportunities through professional training and degree-seeking programs supported by the Regents Tuition Benefit Program
• Low-cost medical, dental, and pharmacy plans
• Healthcare and dependent care flexible spending accounts
• University HSA contributions
• Disability and employer-paid life insurance
• Employee wellbeing program
• Excellent retirement plans with employer contribution
• Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) opportunity
• Financial counseling services
• Employee Assistance Program with eight sessions of counseling at no cost

Please visit the Office of Human Resources website for more information regarding benefits.

How To Apply

Applications must be submitted online. Application review will begin on 8/20/2024. To be considered for this position, please click the Apply button and follow the instructions. You will be given the opportunity to complete an online application for the position and attach a cover letter and resume.

Additional documents may be attached after application by accessing your "My Job Applications" page and uploading documents in the "My Cover Letters and Attachments" section.

To request an accommodation during the application process, please e-mail employ@umn.edu or call (612) 624-8647.

Required application materials to include:

Cover letter detailing related past experience

Resume

Finalists will be asked to provide 3 references

For inquiries please contact:
Stacey Achterhoff, seacht@d.umn.edu

Diversity

The University recognizes and values the importance of diversity and inclusion in enriching the employment experience of its employees and in supporting the academic mission. The University is committed to attracting and retaining employees with varying identities and backgrounds.

The University of Minnesota provides equal access to and opportunity in its programs, facilities, and employment without regard to race, color, creed, religion, national origin, gender, age, marital status, disability, public assistance status, veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity, or gender expression. To learn more about diversity at the U: http://diversity.umn.edu

Employment Requirements

Any offer of employment is contingent upon the successful completion of a background check. Our presumption is that prospective employees are eligible to work here. Criminal convictions do not automatically disqualify finalists from employment.

About the U of M

University of Minnesota, Duluth (UMD)

The University of Minnesota, Duluth (UMD) consistently ranks among the top Midwestern, regional universities in U.S. News and World Report's "America's Best Colleges" issue.

Overlooking Lake Superior, UMD provides an alternative to both large research and small liberal arts environments and attracts students looking for a personalized learning experience on a medium-sized campus of a major university. A firm liberal arts foundation anchors a variety of traditional degree programs, as well as professional and graduate students that draw on UMD's many research institutes and labs.

At the University of Minnesota, we are proud to be recognized by the Star Tribune as a Top Workplace for 2021, as well as by Forbes as Best Employers for Women and one of America’s Best Employers (2015, 2018, 2019, 2023), Best Employer for Diversity (2019, 2020), Best Employer for New Grads (2018, 2019), and Best Employer by State (2019, 2022).