Background

Collaborate with placement approvers to find the best placement site by ranking sites in order of your preference.

 

The Site Preference List

Watch the video and/or follow the step by step instructions for details.

1. If your program requires you to submit a site preference list, you will see a Site Preference List step on the left side of your site placements workspace.
   • Click here to create a list of site preferences. 
2. Click on each site to view the details about it. 
   • Click the Add button to add the site to your list.
     • If you are already placed at the site, you will not be able to add it to your list. 
   • Click the Remove button or the X button next to the site name to remove the site from your list.
   • Be sure to list your sites in order of preference (most preferred at the top)
     • To re-order them on your list, use the arrows on the right or click and drag.
3. Once you have the minimum required number of sites on your list, the Submit Preferences button will activate, allowing you to submit your list for review and/or approval.
   • You can leave your preference list in process and come back to it at any point before submitting it.
4. Click the Submit Preferences button when you're ready for your list to be reviewed, and then click Yes.
   • Your preference list's tile will change status from In Progress to Decision Pending.
5. Once you submit your preference list, your program faculty will review it.
   • You can only make changes to your list after you submit it if it is in Decision Pending.
   • You can view your submitted list by clicking the site preference list tile on the Site Placement homepage.
6. One or more sites may be assigned from the preference list for completion of placement paperwork
   • One or more site may also be granted for proceeding.
7. After the preference list is marked Completed, follow the next steps to continue the placement process.

Continuing the Placement Process

Site is Assigned

Sites Are Approved/Declined

Once you've submitted your site preference list, and its status is Decision Pending, your program may assign a site to you, either from your preference list or from any other site approved for your program. You will know you are assigned a site if the message in the green box in the Select a Site tab tells you that a site is being selected for you. If you are assigned a site from your preference list, the preference list status will change to Completed and the assigned site will appear as a new step beneath the site preference step tile on the left. Click on the Select site step to view and start the paperwork for your assigned site. You can also access the assigned site's application paperwork by opening your preference list and clicking In Progress. Refer to the Assigned Site Placements section below if you have been assigned a site.  NOTE: Your program can assign you sites that are not on your preference list. You are not guaranteed to be placed at a site on your list.

Some programs will approve and/or decline sites on your preference list. If a site is approved, you can choose to move forward with the site application process. You do not have to complete application paperwork for all approved sites on your preference list. If it is declined, you cannot move forward with the application process for that site.  Once your preference list is reviewed, the status in your preference list tile will change from Decision Pending to Completed and you will receive a coms hub message notifying you of your approved sites. Open the list from either location and click the Start button next to the approved site(s) in order to begin the placement paperwork.  If all your preferred sites are declined or do not work out, you may submit another preference list with different preferences. If you have been approved to apply to a placement site, refer to steps 5-8 of the Applying to an Approved Placement section of this article below and the article Selecting or Suggesting a Site and a Supervisor.

 

Edit Your Preference List While Pending Approval 

If your site preference list is still in the Decision Pending status, you can still make edits to it.

To edit your list:

1. Navigate to your Site Preference List section.
2. Click the Edit Preferences button beneath your current preference list to make changes to your list.
3. Once you click Edit Preferences, the Decision Pending status will be reverted, and you will be taken back to the sites table with the Preference List Picker populated with your existing preferred sites. You can now add or remove sites from your list and reorder your preferences as needed.
4. Once you are satisfied with your changes, click the Submit Preferences button to resubmit the updated list for review.
5. After submitting your edited preference list, the reviewers will be notified to review your updated list.

Once your preference list has been reviewed and approved (or rejected), the Edit Preferences option will be disabled, and you will no longer be able to make further edits to that list. For each list you submit, a new Edit button will appear, allowing you to make edits for that particular list before it is reviewed. 

Assigned Site Placements

Your field team will assign you to your placement site in Experiential Learning Cloud. Complete any placement paperwork in Experiential Learning Cloud related to your site assignment for a strong start to your field experience.

 

1. When you are eligible to have a site assigned to you, you will see a message in the Select Site step notifying you that program faculty will be assigning your site and/or supervisor.
   • If you are assigned a site in Experiential Learning Cloud, you may not choose your own site or suggest a new site to apply to. 
2. Once your site has been assigned, you will be notified via the communications hub and the site will appear on the left side of your site placements workspace. 
3. You can click the steps beneath the site's name to begin your program's required paperwork for your site placement.
4. You may be assigned a site supervisor or you may be able to select your site supervisor. 
   • If your supervisor is assigned: You will be unable to select your own supervisor. Until you have been assigned a supervisor, you will see a message prompting you to check back later in the Select Supervisor step of your placement process
     • Once you are assigned a supervisor, you will also be notified via the communications hub. 
     • You will be able to complete your program's required paperwork for your connection to your supervisor within the supervisor step of the process (found on the left side of your site placements workspace). 
     • You will also be able to see your supervisor's contact information in this space. 
   • If you are able to select or suggest a site supervisor: You will need to click Select Supervisor. Here, you will be able to select a supervisor's name from a list, or, if you don't see your supervisor's name, you can scroll to the bottom of the screen and select Suggest a Supervisor. 
     • Do not select or suggest a supervisor until your placement site has notified you who your supervisor will be. 
     • If any task is to be completed by an unregistered user (like a new site supervisor), you will be prompted to email the task to them for completion when you click start. Enter the appropriate email in the completed by box and then click submit. 

Applying to An Approved Preference

Your field team will allow you to apply to one or more of your site preferences by approving them.

• Once you’ve been approved to apply to a site from your preference list, you may apply outside of Experiential Learning Cloud and return when you have secured a placement.

1. If one or more of the sites from your preference list have been approved, you will be notified via the communications hub. You may apply to these sites outside of Experiential Learning Cloud and return to the platform once you have accepted a placement offer. 
2. Click Start to begin a placement process with the site(s) from which you have accepted an offer. 
3. If any task is to be completed by an unregistered user, you will be prompted to email the form to them for completion when you open the task. 
   • Enter the appropriate email in the completed by box and then click Submit. 
4. Once you've submitted a form or task, the status will then change to Waiting On.
   • If the approver requests changes to the document/task, it will be returned to you for corrections.
5. Once you have clicked Start next to a site, you can select or suggest your site supervisor.
   • You can do this by clicking the Select Supervisor step beneath the Select Site step. See the video and/or step by step instructions below for details.
6. Any supervisors who are already associated with your site will appear in a list.
   • If you see your supervisor's name, click Start next to their name. 
   • If there are no supervisors already associated with the site in Experiential Learning Cloud or your supervisor is not listed, you can click the Suggest Supervisor button
     • Input the site supervisor’s first and last names. Be sure to review the list of potential matching supervisors first. If you don't see any matches, click the I’m Ready button.
7. A new list of tasks to be completed or delegated by you will appear under the suggested supervisor’s name.
8. Start and submit the list of tasks shown.
   • The tasks will update statuses automatically as they are completed, signed, and submitted by you and anyone else to whom you’ve submitted them.
   • If you have suggested a new supervisor, you will need to enter their email address when delegating tasks. 

 

Terminology Key

Standard Term: Site
Common substitutions: Agency, School, Clinic, Field Agency

Standard Term: Site Supervisor
Common substitutions: Field Instructor, Cooperating Teacher, Preceptor, Primary Supervisor

Standard Term: Task Supervisor
Common substitutions: Backup Supervisor, Secondary Supervisor

 

Standard Term Definitions 

Site: The location in which students are placed for their field experience. 

Site Supervisor: The professional who oversees the student's field experience at their external field site. 

Task Supervisor: An individual who provides on-site supervision for the student field experience, but not as the primary supervisor.

 

Related Articles:

Applying for Site Placement (for Students)

Glossary for Common Terms in ELC