What is a Field Study?
• A field study is a stand-alone course in a student’s field-of-study that is unpaid, independent and with a nonprofit agency for 1, 2, or 3 credit hours and requires that each student perform 30, 60, or 90 hours of volunteer work respectively for each credit hour. In a Field Study, a student will earn academic credit while performing service in an environment directly related to their major.
• In Field Study (similar to a directed study) a faculty sponsor directs the student’s work with a non-profit agency in the community. The student and the faculty sponsor agree on learning objectives and an action plan to be accomplished during the service.
• Volunteer UWF! helps to connect the student with a community agency with a need. The student will keep a journal, write a paper, and earn academic credit. The field study project should accomplish the objectives and action plan discussed with the faculty sponsor and must include a reflection about the experience.
How do I find a place to complete my Field Study requirements?
• Schedule a meeting with a Volunteer UWF! team member.
• Think about what interests you (Major, interest areas, social issues, nonprofit organizations, etc.)
• In the meeting, a member of the Volunteer UWF! team can help you identify local non-profit agencies and Community Partners that match your interests.
• Check out JasonQuest. JasonQuest is a great resource for students to utilize to explore possible service sites, agencies, and social issues.
• All students who are interested in participating in service are required to have a JasonQuest account.
• Although Volunteer UWF! does not “place” or “assign” students to a specific non-profit agency or Community Partner, we do assist students with determining interest areas, making academic and major connections, exploring social issues and community needs, as well as locating contact information and information regarding appropriate non-profit agencies.
• Also, students are not limited to volunteering with an agency currently listed in JasonQuest.
How do I get a Volunteer UWF! Timesheet and other Volunteer UWF! Forms?
• If you have not attended a Volunteer UWF! Service Learning or Field Study Orientation Session, you should schedule a meeting with a Volunteer UWF! team member.
• Everyone can access Volunteer UWF’s! website at http://uwf.edu/volunteer or the Career Services’ website at http://uwf.edu/career . Timesheets and other forms will be available on the website for you to download and print out. Hard copies of the timesheets and forms are always available to pick-up in the Volunteer UWF!/Career Services office in Building 19 on campus. You can also email volunteer@uwf.edu or career@uwf.edu to request a copy of the Volunteer UWF! Timesheets or other forms to be emailed directly to you.
• There are various timesheets and other forms available, depending on what type of service you are completing—individual, student organization, service learning, field study, etc. Please look for the appropriate timesheet or other forms on the website, or specify what type of service you are completing when requesting a copy of the timesheet or other forms.
• Don’t forget, though, that timesheets are always due the Monday Prior to Final Exam Week each semester, no later than 5:00 pm. **Each semester’s deadline is posted on the Volunteer UWF! website and around campus.
How do I know when my Field Study Paperwork is due?
• First and foremost, all Volunteer UWF! Timesheets are due not later than 5PM the Monday Prior to Final Exam Week in each semester. This date will be posted on the Volunteer UWF! website, announced in your classes, and posted around campus. Your Timesheet is always due on or before this date.
• The other supplemental paperwork (Learning Objectives/Action Plan; Agency Agreement Forms, etc.) typically are due back in to Volunteer UWF! no later than the end of the 5th week of the semester. This date is also posted on our website, announced in your class, and can be found by contacting Volunteer UWF!.
• Sometimes, the other supplemental paperwork deadlines depend a lot on the professor that is hosting the Service Learning Class or the professor that is sponsoring your Field Study class. However, the Volunteer UWF! team also has a firm deadline for paperwork. We will tell you of the deadlines when you attend an orientation session! There are also informational emails that are sent out to keep you up to date on what you need to do and when your paperwork is required. Last but not least, if you ever have any confusion, you can contact a member of the Volunteer UWF! team at 474-2254 to ask one of them when the paperwork is due!
Is my Field Study Paperwork due the same day as the other volunteer time sheets?
All Volunteer UWF! Timesheets are always due the Monday Prior to Final Exam Week, but the Learning Objectives/Action Plan; Agency Agreement Forms, etc. are due at a different time—typically determined by your professor and a Volunteer UWF! representative.
The deadlines will be posted on the Volunteer UWF! website, announced in your classes, and/or posted around campus. The other supplemental paperwork (Learning Objectives/Action Plan; Agency Agreement Forms, etc.) typically are due back in to Volunteer UWF! no later than the end of the 5th week of the semester.
How can I obtain the necessary Field Study Paperwork & Forms?
When you come into the Volunteer UWF! office for your Service Learning and/or Field Study Orientation Session, a Volunteer UWF! representative will go through each page of the paperwork and explain everything. Copies will be given out at that time as well as via email before/after your orientation session takes place.
If you are enrolled in a Service Learning or Field Study course, a Volunteer UWF! representative typically will also hand out the Service Learning or Field Study paperwork in one of your classes or at an individual appointment, too—as you can see, there are many ways to receive the information! When all else fails, please contact Volunteer UWF!, and we can email a copy of the paperwork to you.
Are there places to volunteer on campus?
Most definitely! Once again, this is where JasonQuest really comes in handy to find out what events and places within the University are in need of volunteers. Schedule a meeting with a Volunteer UWF! team member and depending on your interests, a member of the Volunteer UWF! team can help you identify on campus departments, programs, and organizations that match your interests.
Field Study Forms: