Springfield College School of Social Work Professor William T. Fisher Leads Field Education Research

Springfield College School of Social Work Professor and Director of Field Education William T. Fisher is the lead author of a recently released report entitled, “Findings from the 2015 State of Field Education Survey: A Survey of Directors of Field Education on Administrative Models, Staffing, and Resources.”

Guided by Fisher’s leadership, this national survey of social work field directors sought information on a number of important issues related to how field education programs are organized. The research also analyzed who is leading the programs, and how the programs respond to unique student needs. Additional in-depth reports based on the findings are planned for the future.

The research was conducted with the support of the Council on Social Work Education (CSWE), the accrediting body for social work programs in the United States, and the Council on Field Education, which is part of the governance and policy-recommending structure of CSWE.  

CWSE has designated field education as the “signature pedagogy” of social work education, meaning that it is through field experiences and practice in the real world, in conjunction with classroom and project-based learning, that students learn to be social work professionals.

Fisher has more than 25 years of experience in the social work field with emphasis in Mental Health and Substance Abuse Counseling; Community Organizing; and Community Mental Health Program Development.

Fisher earned a MEd, from the University of Massachusetts in 1983; earned an EdD from Columbia University Teachers College in 1989, and earned an MSW from the University of Connecticut School of Social Work in 1997.