Non Partner Site Placements

Partner sites provide most of the requirements for student placement. However, students will need to source some of their placements with properties that do not participate in the Student Placement Program.

Extramural Practical Work Placements - Electives

Students who commenced prior to 2010 have the option to complete 4 weeks of Discretionary Experience to develop further skills in other areas or to further their skills with the core species listed above. This includes Veterinary Practices, Wildlife Parks/ Zoos, Alpaca farms etc.

Students who commenced since to 2010 are required to complete 2 weeks of Elective Experience to develop further skills in other areas or to further their skills with the core species listed above. This includes Wildlife Parks/ Zoos, Alpaca farms etc. It does not include Veterinary Practices.

Students use Partner properties or source Non Partner organisations. On completion of these placements, students are required to complete an online Self Assessment / Skills Sheet, a Feedback Form and have their supervisor complete a Supervisor’s Report. No assignments are required.

Use of Non Partner Sites

Non Partner Site properties may be used for core unit of study requirements (Horse Stud, Beef Cattle, Dairy Cattle, Sheep, Pigs, Poultry) only in the event that all available Partner Site placements have been allocated for any particular placement period. The Extramural Unit will email students when applications for Non Partner Site placements are being accepted and for which species.

Procedure for Applying for Placement to a Non Partner Site

Students wishing to attend a Non Partner Site for VETS4236 Preparation for Veterinary Practice, Animal Husbandry Placement Requirements should refer to the Deadlines tables below before proceding further.

This is the procedure for setting up a Non Partner Site placement:

1. Ascertain that the property is not a Partner Site by searching the 'All Animal Husbandry Properties' list on the VVC, Animal Husbandry Properties pages. These Partner Sites have previously indicated their willingness, or otherwise, to host students.

2. Email the Extramural Admin Unit with at least the Name, Suburb/Town and State of your proposed Non Partner Site, requesting approval to contact the property for the purpose of arranging a placement. The Extramural Admin Unit will advise you of the outcome of your initial Non Partner Site application.

3. If approval is given, proceed to contact the site to request a placement. Ascertain that the property is a commercial operation and that it meets the minimum requirement for stock numbers as follows:

• Beef Cattle: no less than 50 breeding cows
• Dairy Cattle: more than 50 milking cows
• Horse Stud requirement for current 3rd Year: Stud work essential, must be a commercial stud
• Horse requirement for current 2nd and 1st Year: acceptable establishments include Equestrian, Performance, Racing, Riding Schools, Stables & Trainers, and Horse Studs. Hobby farms are not accepable.
• Sheep: no less than 500
• Pigs: no less than 30 sows and preferably 100
• Poultry: minimum 1,000 laying chickens, minimum 3,000 broiler chickens
• Elective Experience (students enrolled in 1st Year from 2011): any commercial enterprise that is not a Veterinary Clinic.

4. If you have a positive response from your request to attend the property and if the property meets the stock requirements you should download an AH Non Partner Site Application Checklist (pdf). This checklist will assist the faculty in tracking the progress of your Non Partner Site placement.

When arranging your dates you need to be aware of the Submission Deadlines for the Required Documents which are given in the tables below. Make sure you allow enough time for your supervisor to complete and return these documents.

Submit the AH Non Partner Site Application Checklist to the Extramural Admin Unit in Faculty office as soon as possible but certainly by the deadline published in the tables below.

5. When the AH Non Partner Site Application has been submmited the Extramural Unit will advise you to return to this webpage to download the Required Documents that you will need to have completed before your placement can be set up. You will need to a download Principals Agreement Form. You may also need to download a Site Profile Survey if the property is new to the faculty.

AH_Principals Agreement Form (pdf)

Property Profile Survey (pdf)

Zoo & Wildlife Profile Survey (pdf)

6. Forward the Required Documents to your contact at the Property. Students generally complete as much of the Principals Agreement Form as they are able to before forward these forms to their property contact. The completed Principals Agreement Form and Site Profile Survey may be forwarded from the Property directly to the Faculty. However, the student is responsible to ensure that the documents arrive before the deadline. Faculty will email a student when these documents are received.

Students should be checking their Uni email account daily around this time period for instructions/information from the Extramural Unit relating to the progress of their Non Partner Site placements.

7. Within a day of receiving the required documents from a Non Partner Site students will be advised by Uni email to enter a preference on the VVC by a given deadline. Their preference will be allocated and they will be asked to check their allocation details on the VVC.

8. Students will receive a Confirmation Email from the Extramural Admin Unit when their placement has been finalised. Confirmation indicates that the placement will be included as part of the student's course requirement and that their visit to the Property is covered by University insurance policies. Do not attend a site for which a placement has not been confirmed. Such a visit will not be considered part of the student's course requirements and will not be covered by University insurance policies.

After Receipt of the Confirmation Email and Prior to Placement

Students will be instructed in the Confirmation Email to contact the Non Partner Site informing them that the Faculty Extramural Admin Unit has set up their placement and a placement commencement package which will include a letter from the Faculty, a Supervisor Report Form, and Site Contracts, will be sent to the property within two weeks of the commencement date of your placement.

Students are required to contact their property by phone unless the property has indicated otherwise. This is to be done as soon as you receive the Confirmation Email. Students and supervisors exchange contact phone numbers and confirm arrival arrangements.

Students need to make sure that they have checked maps and itinerary to reach the property on time as agreed with the supervisor at the property. If you predict that you will be delayed in your arrival contact the site to inform them of your circumstances.

If staying on site students should advise the site of any health or diet requirements. Students with unusual requirements should be prepared to take their own supplies.

Students should arrive with the Report Template with Skills Sheet for the appropriate species so that they can discuss the skills they are required to become competent in while on placement. These can be downloaded from the 'Practical Reports' menu link

Deadlines for Non Partner Site Applications Checklist and Required Documents

The following deadlines apply to Non Partner Site placements in 2012 and 2013. Dates may change when the University publishes the dates for the Christmas holiday season over December/January. Students will be notified by UniEmail of any updates are made to this page.

The Non Partner Site Applications Checklist should be submitted by the relevant deadline. Students will be notified by email what documents are required in order to proceed with their placement, and they will be reminded of the deadline. You will notice that the Required Documents deadline is only 48 hours after the Checklist. Students need to anticipate any difficulty in meeting these deadlines and plan accordingly. A deadline is a deadline.

Students will not be placed on work experience placements outside the following Placement Periods. Placements will not be made over mid-semester breaks at Easter or in September. Nor will students be placed when the University is closed over the Christmas season.

Winter 2013

November/December 2013 Placements

January 2014 Placements

February 2013 Placements

Code of Conduct While on Farms

Property owners and their staff always look for enthusiasm from the students and a keenness to learn and to understand their situation.

Be aware that drought affects many properties. When you arrive at a property, you need to find out from the owner, what the current situation is on their property concerning water and what water policies they have in place.

Review the Student Code of Conduct.

Dress Code

Students are required to meet the Dress Code while attending all extramural placement including those organised with Non Partner sites.