Contract Agreement

AGREEMENT BETWEEN Youngstown State University AND (Student’s Name)

I. PURPOSE

This agreement is entered into between Youngstown State University (hereinafter "The University"), and (Student’s Name) (hereinafter “The Student”) for the purpose of defining the relationships and responsibilities between the parties for The University’s provision of the Child Welfare Workforce Professional Education Program to The Student.

II. RESPONSIBILITIES OF THE UNIVERSITY

A. Educational Instruction

The University agrees to provide a program of special social work educational instruction, hereinafter referred to as the Child Welfare Workforce Professional Education Program (CWWPEP), to The Student. Specifically, The University agrees to enroll The Student in its social work school, and to provide the aforementioned educational instruction to The Student through such school. The University further agrees to assign such faculty and staff as are necessary to achieve this function. The University further agrees to implement a system of evaluation and grading of The Student that is within the parameters of generally accepted academic standards for such educational instruction as it will deliver hereunder. The University agrees to confer a degree upon The Student if such party successfully completes the course of instruction delivered hereunder.

The University certifies to The Student that it is fully accredited as a post-secondary educational institution by a generally recognized national accreditation body, and that such accreditation is both currently in force and has been granted to The University without reservation or encumbrance. The University further certifies to The Student that it has received permission, as applicable, from the Ohio Board of Regents to offer degree instruction in social work.

B. Workforce Development and Job Readiness

To prepare The Student for employment in a public children services agency upon graduation, The University agrees to use its best efforts to develop and provide the below-listed services in addition to those supportive educational services customarily provided to The Student by The University. The Student understands, and agrees, that performance of the activities noted below may be performed, in whole or in part, by The University, or, at The University’s sole discretion, by a party whose performance is governed by a contract with the state wide coordinator of the Ohio Child Welfare Training Program. To the extent that the below-listed activities are performed by such contractor, The Student further understands and agrees that this agreement will create no legally enforceable rights against such contractor, the state wide coordinator, or the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services (hereinafter ODJFS).

(1). The University will orient The Student to the CWWPEP, and The Student’s responsibility under this agreement.

(2). The University will provide The Student with special advising services designed to evaluate individual educational and job skill needs. Based on such evaluation, The University will develop an individualized learning plan that addresses The Student’s individual needs.

(3). The University will establish an evaluation plan to determine The Student’s progress and success in mastering the learning objectives.

(4) The University will analyze information on The Student’s learning needs, and enhance curriculum development, field based education, and other program elements to meet those needs to the extent possible.

(5). The University will recruit and train practicum supervisors whose responsibility it will be to assure The Student a high quality field education experience that addresses the competencies taught in the CWWPEP. The University will provide ongoing, on-site technical assistance and coaching to such field supervisors, and will ask The Student to assist it in evaluating the quality of the field supervision and field learning experience.

(6) The University will establish partnerships with local public children services agencies for the recruitment of field practicum supervisors to ensure The Student’s field placement results in the achievement of the desired competencies, and to facilitate the rapid and smooth job placement of The Student in a public children services agency immediately after graduation.

(7) The University will provide pre-employment consultation to public children service agencies to ensure that such agencies are ready to successfully receive The Student into employment upon graduation.

(8) In the event that The Student has not begun employment with an Ohio public children services agency in a client direct client service or supervisory capacity within 90 calendar days of graduation. The University will use its best efforts to develop and secure an employment offer in direct client service or supervisory capacity for The Student from an Ohio public children services agency. If The University determines that issues related to the employability of The Student, governmental budgetary constraints or hiring freezes, create a reasonable likelihood that The Student will not be offered employment by an Ohio public child welfare agency in a direct client service or supervisory capacity in the near term. The University may terminate its efforts to secure such an employment offer for The Student from an Ohio public children services agency. The Student understands and agrees that these efforts by The University will not extinguish, or otherwise lessen, The Student’s concomitant duty to independently seek employment in a direct client service or supervisory capacity with an Ohio public children services agency.

(9) Pursuant to an agreement between The University and the ODJFS, The University will seek funds from the ODJFS that will be used to provide a Five Thousand and 00/100 Dollars ($5,000.00) Child Welfare Employment Incentive payment that The Student will receive after successfully graduating from the CWWPEP and obtaining employment with an Ohio public children services agency in a direct client service or supervisory capacity. The Child Welfare Employment Incentive payment must be remitted to The Student no later than 60 days after The Student has met the conditions of successful CWWPEP completion and obtaining qualifying employment in and Ohio children services agency.

III. RESPONSIBILITIES OF THE STUDENT

A. The Student agrees to complete the entire CWWPEP, which includes required elective courses, within 36 consecutive months on The Student’s enrollment in same. The Student agrees to plan such required elective courses with The University.

B. The Student agrees to complete a field placement practicum at an Ohio public children services agency assigned by The University.

C. The Student agrees to affirmatively seek and accept a bona-fide offer of full-time employment in a direct client service or supervisory capacity from an Ohio public children services agency. Relocation may be necessary to obtain the qualifying employment. If required for such aforementioned employment, The Student agrees to take any civil service exam necessary for a position offered to The Student. The Student agrees that the terms of such aforementioned employment will be governed, in part, by a contract between The Student and the Ohio public children services agency, and expressly understands that such employment contract will require The Student to remain in the employ of the Ohio public children services agency for the term of 1 calendar year for every 3 academic quarters or 2 academic semesters that the student participated in the CWWPEP with a maximum of two years of eligibility. The Student further understands that should The Student fail to complete the aforementioned period of minimum employment, proceedings will be initiated against The Student by the Ohio Attorney General’s Office to recover the Child Welfare Employment Incentive that was provided to The Student under this agreement.

New CWWPEP graduates who are actively seeking, but unsuccessful in finding a PCSA casework job within one hundred eighty (180) days of graduation may request an extra one hundred eighty (180) days for job search purposes upon submission of appropriate documentation of their situation, not to exceed a total of three hundred sixty (360) days.

2. CWWPEP graduates who are laid off from PCSA casework jobs before their time commitment is completed will be allowed a new one hundred eighty (180) day job search period that will start on the date of layoff. For any such graduate who secures a new PCSA job, the total time worked on both jobs will count toward fulfilment of their commitment. Program graduates who are laid off and who are unsuccessful in finding a new casework job will be required to pay back a pro-rata share of their tuition reimbursement based on time already worked. 3. CWWPEP graduates who are terminated from their original PCSA casework job before they work the duration of their commitment time may request a new one hundred eighty (180) day job search period. Requests may be granted depending on the reason for termination. (Time worked for employment commitment will be tallied as noted above.) Program graduates who are terminated before they work their commitment time and who are unsuccessful in finding a new PCSA casework job, must pay back the full amount of their tuition reimbursement payment. 4. A graduating CWWPEP BSW student who wishes to enroll directly into an accredited MSW program following graduation may request an extension of the one hundred eighty (180) day time limit for PCSA casework job placement. If approved, the extension will be for a maximum of two (2) years from the date of BSW graduation. The graduating MSW would then have one hundred eighty (180) days to secure appropriate PCSA employment. (A graduate who begins but then opts out of this MSW option before completing their degree, would have one hundred eighty (180) days from the concluding date of the last school term attended to secure appropriate PCSA employment.)

E. The Student acknowledges and understands that The Student is responsible for paying all fees required to attend The University while enrolled in the CWWPEP, and that nothing in this agreement may be construed as altering or eliminating that requirement. The Student understands that The University reserves and retains all available paths of recourse for non-payment, including but not limited to late payment charges, holds on the account, cancellation of registration and the inability to register for subsequent academic periods.

F. The Student agrees that nothing in this agreement is to be construed as altering other policies, procedures, requirements, conduct codes, or standards now, or in the future, published by The University and made applicable to the general student population, or to all students participating in the CWWPEP.

IV. MISCELLANEOUS PROVISIONS

A. The Student expressly acknowledges that the receipt of the Child Welfare Employment Incentive provided under this agreement may create tax liabilities for The Student, and further, The Student agrees that they will be solely, and exclusively, liable for any such liabilities.

B. The Student expressly agrees to waive any confidentiality statute, regulation, or policy concerning information or records held by The University, or The Student’s Ohio public children services agency employer, solely to the extent that such waiver is necessary for ODJFS to allow Child Welfare Employment Incentive claims to be paid under this agreement, or for any state or federal official to perform an audit of this agreement or the agreement between ODJFS and The University.

C. The Student gives permission to The Student’s Ohio public children services agency employer to share information regarding The Students performance with The University for as long as The Student is under the University Partnership agreement.

__________________________________ ________________________________________

Student University Representative

Date:______________________________ Date:________________________________