Selection and Maintenance of Supervised Experiential Learning Sites/Affiliation Agreements

The supervised experiential learning site must be conducive to learning and be able to provide experiences to meet specific accreditation-required competencies.

Preceptors at the facility must have the appropriate credentials and expertise relative to their area of practice. The facility must be willing to assign the preceptors and staff the appropriate length of time required to educate and train the students. It is required that all preceptors and staff at the training site recognize that students are there for learning purposes and are not to routinely replace employees.

Reasons for discontinuation of a supervised experiential learning site include failure to provide the students with the required learning opportunities to meet specific required competencies and student complaints related to unethical or inappropriate behaviors experienced at the site. Feedback regarding preceptors and learning sites will occur at the end of each semester.

Each year, the appropriateness of supervised experiential learning facilities will be reviewed by the program based on changes in the program and/or changes that have occurred within the facility that might impact its ability to provide the needed learning experiences.

An affiliation agreement, executed between the University of Nebraska-Lincoln (UNL) and the facility providing experiences, will be reviewed/updated as indicated within the affiliation agreement. All affiliation agreements delineate the rights and responsibilities of both the sponsoring institution (UNL) and the affiliated organization.

The process for establishment of an affiliation agreement is as follows:

1. Program identifies an organization for placement.
2. Program sends the request for an affiliation agreement to be established between the organization and UNL to include the appropriate contact individual to the College of Education and Human Sciences (CEHS) Business Team.
3. The Business Team works with the organization directly utilizing a standard agreement that meets the requirements established by the University of Nebraska Board of Regents.
4. If the organization insists on using its own agreement, the Business Team will review it to ensure it meets all UNL requirements and expectations. Revisions will be requested if necessary.
5. Once the affiliation agreement meets the requirements of both parties, it is signed by the appropriate individual within the organization. For UNL, the agreement is signed by the program director, the Department Chair, and the Dean of the College of Education and Human Sciences (CEHS).