Field Experiences Specialist

Position Overview

Montana State University Billings (MSUB) invites applications for the position of Field Experience Specialist within the College of Education. The Field Experience Specialist plays a critical role in supporting the College of Education’s Educator Preparation Program (EPP), Elementary Education, Secondary Education, Special Education, Reading, and School Counseling programs. This position is responsible for designing, communicating, evaluating, and continually improving all K-12 field experience systems and placements to ensure alignment with Montana Office of Public Instruction (OPI) requirements, state rules, and MSUB’s commitment to preparing highly effective educators.

The Specialist serves as the liaison between MSUB and school district partners to ensure successful, standards‑based clinical placements.

• Process student applications for Practicum Placements.
• Coordinate with appropriate school districts to place students in appropriate clinical experiences.
• Assign supervisors to students in clinical experiences.
• Supervise students in clinical experience.
• Design and facilitate training and support for faculty, university supervisors, and cooperating teachers in accordance with the PEPPS standards and COE instructional framework.
• Recruit and supervise university supervisors and recruit cooperating teachers.
• Develop and implement practicum and student teaching seminars in coordination with faculty of record.
• Work in collaboration with all academic departments, including those in other colleges, to maintain essential communication and alignment to specific field experiences within each major.
• Coordinate with faculty, advisors, field supervisors, and students to address difficulties and conflicts that arise within field experiences.
• Create and maintain the student teaching handbook.
• Oversee and coordinate field placements for undergraduate and graduate programs, including elementary, secondary, reading, special education, and school counseling.
• Coordinate with the Licensure Specialist regarding criminal background reports determining eligibility for placements.
• Develop and maintain Memorandums of Understanding with school districts.
• Coordinate with the director of Montana’s Teacher Residency Program for placements.
• Coordinate with other Field Experience Coordinators for all placements in our region.
• Collaborate with accreditation lead on curating and disseminating key assessments.
• Manage and curate program key assessments in the appointed online data system (e.g., Experienceable Learning Cloud).
• Stay up to date on all the requirements of the multiple pathways to teacher licensure in coordination with the Licensure Specialist and the accreditation faculty member.
• Attend and relay information from state OPI, national NASDTEC meetings and the Montana Council of the Deans Meetings.

Required Education

• Bachelor’s degree in education or related field.

Required Experience

• Worked in a P-12 setting as a teacher or administrator for at least 3 years.
• Working independently with minimal supervision.
• Communicating verbally, technologically, and in the written word.
• Using appropriate computer programs (specifically Excel, Word, Outlook, and other MSUB systems).
• Maintaining and storing confidential information.
• Developing and maintaining professional relationships with students, faculty and staff, teachers, and school districts at large.
• Coordinating resources and directing teams to achieve program goals.

Preferred Education

• Master’s degree in education or related field.

Preferred Experience

• Supervised teacher candidates in the field.
• Experience working in higher education.
• In‑depth knowledge of COE / CLASS / CHPS program requirements.

Special Requirements :
Physical Demands:
This position has supervisory duties? No

Montana State University Billings is committed to providing a working and learning environment free from discrimination. As such, the University does not discriminate in the admission, access to or conduct of its educational programs and activities nor in its employment policies and practices on the basis of race, color, religion, national origin,…