Practicum

The purpose of WU practicum units is to facilitate students’ acquisition of the practical skills of their degrees within their local context.

As a distance education institution, WU students need the assistance and supervision of on-site personnel. This involves two separate loci of responsibility: the faculty mentor and the local mentor.

The faculty mentor

The faculty mentor is the faculty member overseeing the practicum, with the following responsibilities:

1. Oversee placements:
   1. Determine that the student is adequately prepared for the practicum and will not need unduly large amounts of assistance and support.
   2. Determine the details of placement in consultation with the student’s church or ministry organization, and the student.
   3. Consider the proposed placement and either approve it, approve with modifications or conditions, or not approve it.
   4. Ensure that all parties to the practicum understand their role and responsibilities.
2. Ensure that the mentor-student relationship functions well.
3. Ensure that student is on track to attain WU objectives and graduate on schedule.
4. Ensure that relationships with the organization are also working well.
5. Solve problems during implementation of the practicum, including:
   1. Answer questions from local mentors and students.
   2. Decide on a course of action if a practicum mentorship ends prematurely.
   3. Approve any extensions or leave of absence for practicum students.
6. Process reports from local mentors and practicum students.
7. Gather evidence and information and make the final assessment decisions on each unit.
8. Recommend any needed improvements or updates to the procedures and materials for the practicum mentorship.

The local mentor

The local mentor is a local person who mentors the practicum student, with the following responsibilities:

1. Monitor the student’s practical work to keep it on track to attain WU unit objectives and graduate on schedule.
2. Act as a guide and a personal advisor to facilitate personal learning.
3. Give one-to-one practical training in skills.
4. Provide information to be used in assessment, although the teacher of record makes the final assessment decision on each unit.

Note: Local mentors are not responsible for the students’ achievement of academic competencies of WU degree programs.

Practicum placements

Practicum placements include written arrangements for the following:

1. The identities of the local mentor, student, and organization
2. The period of the placement
3. The student’s responsibilities to organization (including any particular limits to the student’s responsibilities)
4. The unit objectives that the student aims to acquire
5. Any remuneration to the student from the organization
6. Any particular conditions as negotiated
7. A confirmation that the practicum will be implemented according to WU policies and procedures.