UT Health Science Center: COHP107 Supervision of Student on Clinical or Fieldwork Assignment – Academic Policy
Version 2	Publication Date: 01/27/2025

No./Title: COHP107 Supervision of Student on Clinical or Fieldwork Assignment – Academic Policy		Resp. Office: STUDENT AFFAIRS Approval Body: Academic Council	Effective Date: March 2019
Category: Student		Last Review: January 2025	Next Review: January 2028
Contact: Neale Chumbler Executive Associate Dean for Academic, Faculty and Student Affairs		 901.448.3164	nchumbl@uthsc.edu
Related Policies:

Introduction

The programs in the College of Health Professions (COHP) utilize a variety of off-campus facilities for the clinical training component of their curricula.

Purpose

Students are only placed in facilities where an affiliation agreement exists between the university and the facility. Students are provided clinical supervisors who direct their educational experiences at the clinical or fieldwork sites.

Procedure

Each department or program has guidelines or criteria for verifying the qualifications of the individuals who serve as clinical supervisors. The department chair or appropriate program official is responsible for determining if personnel at the facility have the appropriate education, credentials, training, and skill set to supervise students as outlined in the appended guidelines.

APPROVAL HISTORY

Effective: March 2019

Approved: March 25, 2019, HPFO

Approved: March 27, 2019, COHP Dean

Approved: January 13, 2025, HPFO

Approved: January 15, 2025, Dean

University of Tennessee Health Science Center College of Health Professions

DEPARTMENT OF AUDIOLOGY AND SPEECH PATHOLOGY

Guidelines for External Preceptors

The Department of Audiology and Speech Pathology requires an external preceptor who supervises student(s) at external clinical practicum sites to meet the following qualifications:

• Hold current license to practice audiology or speech-language pathology in the state in which the instructor practices.
• Hold current certification to practice audiology or speech-language pathology.
• Have at least one year of clinical practice experience.
• Preceptor must complete a minimum of 2 hours of professional development in the area of clinical instruction supervision.

DEPARTMENT OF DIAGNOSTIC AND HEALTH SCIENCES

Guidelines for Clinical Supervisor or Volunteer Clinical Faculty Credentials

VOLUNTEER CLINICAL FACULTY CREDENTIALS:

The Department of Diagnostic and Health Sciences requires clinical site supervisors or volunteer clinical faculty who interface with students to be certified and licensed (if applicable) in the respective area(s) of the laboratory where they will be assisting or overseeing students who are on clinical rotation as follows:

Medical Laboratory Scientist:

• Minimum of an associate’s degree
• National generalist certification as an MLS (ASCP or AMT), CLS (NCA), or MLT (ASCP)
• At clinical affiliation sites in states having licensure for medical laboratory personnel, a medical laboratory technologist/supervisor license is preferred.

Cytotechnologist:

• Minimum of a baccalaureate degree
• National certification as a cytotechnologist, CT(ASCP) or specialist in cytotechnology, SCT(ASCP)
• License as a special analyst cytotechnologist or medical laboratory supervisor-cytology in Tennessee or
• If outside of Tennessee, licensed by the state where the clinical affiliation site is located if that state offers licensure for medical laboratory personnel.

Histotechnologist:

• National certification as a histotechnologist, HTL(ASCP) or histotechnician, HT(ASCP)

Health Informatics and Information Management

• Minimum of a baccalaureate degree in Health Information Management or related field.
• Based on the content of the directed practice, the UTHSC faculty review prospective clinical instructors to ensure that these individuals have attained the appropriate education, credentials, and training to supervise the student.

Pathologists’ Assistant

• Be a medical laboratory professional who demonstrates the ability to effectively coordinate clinical experiences of the students;
• demonstrate knowledge of the program discipline;
• have at least one year experience as a medical laboratory professional.

DEPARTMENT OF OCCUPATIONAL THERAPY

Policy for Credentialing Fieldwork Educators

The Department of Occupational Therapy requires fieldwork educators to meet the following criteria to supervise occupational therapy students:

• Be currently licensed, or otherwise regulated, in the state in which the educator practices.
• Have at least one-year full-time (or its equivalent) experience in the practice of occupational therapy when supervising Level II Fieldwork students.
• Have at least three-years full-time (or its equivalent) experience in the practice of occupational therapy when supervising students in a fieldwork setting where occupational therapy does not exist and provide a minimum of 8-hours of direct supervision per week during the rotation.
• Have graduated from a program approved by the World Federation of Occupational Therapy and at least one-year full-time (or its equivalent) experience in the practice of occupational therapy when supervising students outside of the United States.

DEPARTMENT OF PHYSICAL THERAPY

Guidelines for Volunteer Clinical Faculty Credentials

The Department of Physical Therapy requires a clinical instructor to meet the following criteria to supervise physical therapy students while the students are engaged in their clinical experiences:

• Hold current license to practice physical therapy in the state in which the instructor practices.
• Have at least one year of clinical practice experience.