BHPE Practicum Agencies

BHPE — Practicum Information for Agencies

The following information pertains to our Physical Literacy, Sport and Recreation Management and Ecotourism and Outdoor Leadership majors. For more information on the Athletic Therapy practicum model please click here.

Glossary

Agency: an organization that provides students with a supervised practicum experience.

Agency Contact: a representative from the Agency that ensures all policies and procedures are followed between MRU and the agency. This representative could fulfill the role of practicum agency supervisor as well.

Practicum Coordinator: the MRU staff member that manages all practicum placements. They are the liaison between the practicum agency and the student. The Practicum Coordinator establishes a relationship with the agency and helps determine if a position is appropriate and that it aligns with the program's learning objectives. Once approval has been given for a particular position, the Practicum Coordinator will advertise the position to the students. The Practicum Coordinator also approves the practicum placements that students bring forward. This person also ensures compliance with all administrative policies and procedures.

Practicum Agency Supervisor: the student's direct supervisor within the agency. This person agrees to support the student in a supervisory and mentoring capacity. They will orientate, direct and assess the student on a regular basis. This includes assessing the student's performance within their role, completing evaluations and reviewing these evaluations with the student.

Practicum Instructor: the Faculty member responsible for student assignments and evaluating the student experience for the duration of the placement. The role of the instructor is to assimilate all theory taken to date in the program and ensure the student attempts to engage with it in their practicum site. Making the link between theory and practice will take collaboration between the instructor, student and practicum agency supervisor. Students will receive personalized support from their practicum instructor which ranges from academic guidance to career coaching.

General information

What is the Bachelor of Health and Physical Education (HPED) practicum program?

The foundation of all practicum experiences within the BHPE is HPED 2050 — Professional Practice. Students take this course in their second year of the degree. As noted in the course description below, the course is a blended course that will address various professional practice topics through lectures and assignments and a total of 52 hours of practical shadowing and observation within an approved agency.

HPED 2050 — Professional Practice
There are common knowledge, skills and abilities required to enter the workplace in the health and physical education discipline across all majors in the Health and Physical Education Degree. This course will consist of two components. The first component will entail a review of common theory across disciplines including professionalism, ethical behaviour, business practice, interdisciplinary communication, conflict management and confidentiality. The second component of this course will entail practical shadowing and
observation in each student's discipline.

Upon completion of HPED 2050, students in the Physical Literacy (PL), Ecotourism and Outdoor Leadership (EL) and Sport and Recreation Management (SR) majors are required to complete a second practicum course, HPED 3050 — Practicum. This course is usually completed in the third or fourth year of the degree.

HPED 3050 — Practicum
This course is an online course, the student will not be in class. This is a formal industry experience with an organization in the health, ecotourism and outdoor leadership, sport, recreation, and/or physical activity fields/industries. Participants will be required to participate in the specified hours of practicum and to complete assignments. This course requires the completion of 160 hours of work experience. Students will be accepted into the practicum upon completion of the professional practice course, HPED 2050.

What does a practical shadowing and observation mean for HPED 2050 — Professional Practice?

Paris and Mason (1995) define job shadowing:
"Job Shadowing is a work experience option where students learn about a job by walking through the workday as a shadow to a competent worker. The job shadowing work experience is a temporary, unpaid exposure to the workplace in an occupational area of interest to the student. Students witness firsthand the work environment, employability and occupational skills in practice, the value of professional training and potential career options. Job shadowing is designed to increase career awareness, help model student behaviour through examples and reinforce in the student the link between classroom learning and work requirements. Almost any workplace is a potential job shadowing site."

If the first practicum is an observational experience, what is to be expected of the second practicum?

This is a 160-hour practicum experience therefore the student is expected to play an active role but keeping in mind that this is a learning opportunity for the student. They should be treated as a member of your team. This is the student's opportunity to put into practice what they have learned in the classroom. The exact details of the position should align with the learning objectives of the program. The Practicum Coordinator is available to work with you to determine if a position is a suitable practicum experience.

What are the expectations of the practicum agency for HPED 2050?

Complete a Practicum Agreement between your organization and the Department of Health and Physical Education.
Complete the Practicum Position Proposal form provided to you by the student.
Provide an immediate supervisor to work closely with the student who will allow the student to observe them in their duties.
Mentor and support the student's learning experience by providing them with exposure to the supervisor's role and the day to day operations of the agency.
Contribute to the student's learning experience by conducting a performance evaluation and providing feedback to the student. The final evaluation is due at the end of the 52 hours.
Contact the Practicum Coordinator if any questions or concerns arise.

What are the expectations of the practicum agency for HPED 3050?

Complete initial paperwork:
- a Practicum Agreement
- a Practicum Position Proposal
Provide a challenging and professional placement related to the student's academic studies.
Provide an immediate supervisor to work closely with the student and monitor their progress.
Provide an orientation to the workplace, including safety policies and procedures.
Discuss expectations with the student including presentation of self, tasks, projects, deadlines, policies, etc.
Contribute to the student's learning experience by conducting performance evaluations and providing your feedback to the student. There are two evaluations: a midterm evaluation and a final evaluation.
Contact the Practicum Coordinator if any questions or concerns arise.

What are the benefits of accepting a job shadowing student for a 52-hour practicum?

You are developing and mentoring future practitioners in your field.
The process will allow you to reflect on your own work practices.
You can preview prospective employees.
You will establish a relationship with the Department of Health and Physical Education at MRU.

What are the benefits of taking on a student for a 160-hour practicum?

Students tend to present different ideas, perspectives and skills that positively contribute to your organization.
Students can complete a variety of projects, including collaborative research and development projects that you may not have the resources for otherwise.
You are engaging in the opportunity to help develop and mentor future practitioners in your field.
You can preview prospective employees.
You will establish a relationship with the Department of Health and Physical Education at MRU

How are students prepared and supported during the practicum placement?

To prepare for the workplace, students receive instruction and reflect on communication strategies, conflict management, leadership, teamwork, time management, professional accountability and ethical behaviour. Once engaged with their agency, students are supported by an Instructor and Practicum Coordinator who will assist them in navigating their workplace experience and applying their academic learning.

Where to start

When does a practicum start and how long do they continue for?

HPED 2050 and 3050 are offered each semester: Fall (Sept–Dec), Winter (Jan–April), Spring/Summer (May–Aug.). The student must complete all practicum requirements, including the hours, within the semester timelines.

Can students be paid?

HPED 2050 and HPED 3050 are unpaid practicums. Expenses incurred by the students can be reimbursed.

How do I sign up to take on an HPED 2050 — Professional Practice (52 hours of work experience) student?

You can express interest in taking on a student by contacting the Department via email at hpedpracticum@mtroyal.ca or by phone at 403.440.5022. A Practicum Coordinator will be in contact with you to answer any questions you might have, to discuss the learning objectives of the course, to describe the format of the experience and to help you create a placement posting that students can access on our internal job board.

The next step will be the establishment of a Practicum Agreement. To learn more about the Practicum Agreement please email hpedpracticum@mtroyal.ca.

Once the agreement is completed, students will be able to view your placement posting. Students will have numerous positions to choose from so there is no guarantee that your position will be filled.

To create a placement posting please use our Practicum Placement Template, click here.

How do I sign up to take on a HPED 3050 — Practicum (160 hours of work experience) student?

The next step will be the establishment of a Practicum Agreement. To learn more about the Practicum Agreement, please email hpedpracticum@mtroyal.ca.

Once the agreement is completed, students will be able to view your placement posting. Students will have numerous positions to choose from so there is no guarantee that your position will be filled.

To create a placement posting please use our Practicum Placement Template, click here.

When can I start advertising practicum positions to students and when should I complete the recruitment?

There are two options available to you for posting positions. You can create a permanent posting and indicate the semesters that you are willing to take on students or you can post dependent on your needs following the timelines below.

October for the Winter (January) semester
February for the Spring and Summer semester
March for the Fall (September) semester

At the latest, you can set your application deadline three weeks before the end of the recruitment process. This will give you time to review resumes and interview. The deadlines for the recruitment process are:

December 1st for the Winter semester (January until April)
April 1st for the Spring/Summer semester (May until August)
August 1st for the Fall semester (September–December)

What's next

What follows after I have posted a position for an HPED 2050 (52 hour) or an HPED 3050 (160 hour) student?

Your posting should include your requirements for selection (description of intent or cover letter/ resume) and your contact information. Students follow these instructions and get in touch with you directly. You meet with the applicants and decide on the best candidate. You then inform the student directly of your decision. The successful student will provide you a link to the Practicum Position Proposal form. These forms are submitted to the department's Practicum Coordinator and completes the approval process for the placement.

What happens once the student begins their practicum placement?

The forms that are required during the practicum include:

Evaluation Forms
Signing off on the Student Tracking Hours

What do I do if the student is not meeting expectations?

The student should have the opportunity to learn from the experience and to improve their performance. In this regard, the supervisor is required to meet with the student to discuss the situation, clarify goals, provide guidance where necessary, and establish a timeline for improvement. If the concern persists, the supervisor is asked to document the issue and to contact the Practicum Coordinator for support and/or intervention. Subsequently, if the situation cannot be resolved, the agency has the right to terminate the student's practicum placement.

What resources are available if I take on a student who faces disability-related barriers?

A number of resources are available to you through Mount Royal, some of which include:

Access to a Practicum Coordinator and a Practicum Instructor who will provide support to both the student and supervisor throughout the placement.
Practicum Coordinators are supported by the Access Advisors from the Accessibility Services department at Mount Royal. This department can provide information regarding appropriate accommodations for students who face disability-related barriers in the workplace.
Career Services at MRU has compiled information to assist with some Frequently Asked Questions entitled Accessibility in the Workplace. This document can be made available to you.

Who do I contact for more information?

Gisele Marcoux
Academic Advising and Practicum Coordinator
Email: hpedpracticum@mtroyal.ca
Phone: 403.440.5022

Faculties

Students

Campus

Contact Us