HDS - Ministry Studies - For Prospective Field Education Supervisors and Sites

Ministry Studies

For Prospective Field Education Supervisors and Sites

An Invitation

Harvard Divinity School's master of divinity candidates, for whom field education is a requirement, and master of theological studies candidates, for whom field education is a choice, count their experience in field education as one of the most important elements of their education experience.

The Field Education Program at Harvard Divinity School is enriched not only by the number, but by the diversity of its field education sites. More than 200 accredited supervisors and sites are the cornerstone of Harvard Divinity School's Field Education Program. These supervisors and sites are listed in our Field Education Handbook.

If you are in a situation that can enhance our ability to provide diverse and meaningful experiences of field education to our students, we encourage you to contact the Office of Ministry Studies to pursue the possibility of becoming a field education supervisor and/or of having your setting becoming a field education site.

How to Begin

The Field Education Handbook provides comprehensive information about the Field Education Program. The general policies section of the Handbook provides all the information about how the program is organized, and details the students', supervisors', and the Office of Ministry Studies' contributions to the partnership that makes the field education program at Harvard Divinity School a premier program in the world of theological education.

Supervision

Supervision includes at least one regularly scheduled hour per week of one-on-one reflective supervision. This meeting should not be combined with a regular staff meeting or a meeting to follow up on projects or tasks the student is working on. In supervision, the student is to reflect theologically with the supervisor on a variety of topics, e.g., critical incidents in the setting, his or her developing role as a person in ministry, the tasks of ministry, and the dynamics of interpersonal relationships. Within the setting and the supervisory process, critical reflection around the issues of inclusiveness and social justice, such as gender, ethnicity, class, culture, age, and sexual orientation, is encouraged.

Site Accreditation Overview

According to the Boston Theological Institute's (BTI) policy, field education sites are accredited by and directly relate to only one of the BTI schools. This does not prevent students from other BTI schools, or interns from schools outside the area, from serving the site. (Procedures are found under the BTI Policy.) However, it does mean that sites and supervisors are responsible for relating to the school with which they are affiliated, for maintaining the required contact, for meeting the school's criteria for field education, for adhering to its policies, and for following its timetables.

An organization that desires to become an accredited, exclusively Harvard Divinity School-related field education site partners with the Office of Ministry Studies and HDS faculty in education for ministry. In doing so, the site provides an opportunity for a student to engage in ministry for 12 to 15 hours per week during the academic year or 35 to 40 hours per week during the summer for a total of 350 to 400 hours per unit of supervised ministry experiences to the student. The following are included in these hours: one hour per week of one-on-one theological supervision, travel time, on- or off-site preparation, participation in worship, and tasks.

The opportunities for ministry education should be direct and concrete, and they should address the general goals of field education as well as the goals of individual students. They should involve the student in both challenging and collegial interpersonal relationships. They should empower the student to function in roles of ministry appropriate to the site and the student's experience, goals, objectives, and available time.

We also require that the site provides a competent, appropriately trained and certified supervisor. A satisfactory supervisory candidate is a person on site, whose own work is fully integrated with the structure of the institution through which ministry is provided. This person must have been in his or her current position for at least one year, and should be able to devote the necessary time to supervise a student. The supervisor must commit to providing guidance on the tasks of the student's role, and also to weekly one-on-one theological reflection meetings.

Site Accreditation Process

In order for a parish, institution, or agency to be considered for accreditation, it must complete the following process:

The potential supervisor and a small committee from the prospective site complete the Site Accreditation Application and submit it to the Office of Ministry Studies by June 15 for the following academic year.
The OMS reviews the application to determine the appropriateness of the site for field education and HDS students at the present time.
The application may be approved, approved with conditions, rejected, or returned for additional material.
If approved, arrangements for on-site supervision are confirmed and the process continues toward the certification of the supervisor.
The approved site is listed in both the online and the printed versions of the Field Education Handbook.

Retention of Site Accreditation

To retain accreditation, the site must maintain regular contact with the Office of Ministry Studies. This contact includes, but is not limited to: attendance at the site fair in the fall to meet prospective field education students; timely response to requests for updated site descriptions each year; the maintenance of proper supervisory certification; and the timely submission of learning agreements and evaluations.

A site may retain accreditation and yet be unavailable to students for up to two years. For example, a site may choose to put its status with the OMS on hold because of a change in leadership or for other organizational reasons. After two years, if the site is still unable to accept Harvard Divinity School students for placement, the site will be removed from the list of HDS field education sites. Once a site is removed from the listing, it must go through the Site Accreditation Application process to be reaccredited.

Supervisor Certification

The Office of Ministry Studies certifies those persons who supervise Harvard Divinity School students in accredited field education settings. A prospective supervisor must have been at the site in her or his current role for a minimum of one year before becoming eligible to be certified or to supervise students. In order to be certified, the prospective supervisor must fill out the Application for Supervisor Certification. The application is then reviewed by the director of field education, and a recommendation is made as to whether or not the supervisor should enroll in the Supervisor Training Class.

If the prospective supervisor's application is approved, the supervisor is then required to enroll in the Supervisor Training Class at the time when he or she agrees to supervise his or her first field education student. Course requirements for the Supervisor Training Class include attending all scheduled meeting times, being prepared for class, and participating in class discussions. Upon successful completion of the class, supervisors will receive a certificate of completion and full status as an HDS field education supervisor.

Supervisor Benefits

The Office of Ministry Studies recognizes that it requires substantial effort and responsibility from its supervisors. We believe these are necessary for the intended partnership in ministry education to occur, and for our students to receive the supervised training that ministry demands. In acknowledgment of and appreciation for the important work our supervisors do, they receive a package of benefits which includes:

Appointment to Harvard University and receipt of a Harvard I.D. card, which entitles them to:
- Use of the Faculty Club;
- Use of the Harvard University Libraries;
- Use of the Harvard facilities that are available on a fee-for-service basis, such as athletic facilities;
- Listing in the online Harvard University Directory.
The opportunity, without payment of tuition, to take one half course for credit each semester at Harvard Divinity School or at one of the other Schools of Harvard University (with the exception of the Extension School). In the event the supervisor does not take advantage of this privilege while officially a supervisor, she or he may register, at HDS only, for up to two half courses the academic year immediately following the last term served as a supervisor. Supervisors who pursue a master of theology (ThM) degree at Harvard Divinity School may count up to four of the courses toward that degree using the field education supervisor benefit (subject to degree requirements).

Registration for all courses, including those taken at other Harvard Schools, is through the Registrar's Office at HDS. The director of field education acts as the supervisor's academic adviser and must sign the study card. The Registrar's Office maintains all course records and will issue records upon request.

Maintenance of Certification

To remain in good standing, the supervisor must attend at least one of the in-service offerings each year. There are several from which to choose, and supervisors should regularly check the OMS Field Education website for up-to-date information on eligible offerings.

Supervisors may retain certification while unavailable to supervise students for up to two years, so long as they continue to meet the requirements for good standing. After two years of unavailability to supervise students, supervisors will be removed from standing and will be required to go through the application process to be recertified, should they wish to participate again in the Field Education Program.

If you would like to become an accredited supervisor in our field education program, or if you have questions, please contact us.