Social Work Student Handbook

2011-2012

Department of Social Work & Sociology Virginia Union University

Revised 08/19/2011

Table of Contents
Section
Welcome Introduction Curriculum General Education Requirements Major Courses for Juniors and Seniors Social Work Minor Field Education Freshmen and Sophomore Experience Junior Field Practicum Senior Field Practicum Field Placement Courses Program Policies Criteria for Admission Life Experience Policy Advising Policy and Procedure for Termination from Program Re-application and Re-admission to the Program Grievance and Appeal Procedures Transfer Credits Graduation Application Graduate School Applications Graduate Record Examination Academic and Classroom Policies GPA Textbooks Class Attendance Policy Tardiness Policy Repeated Course Work Late Work Extra Credit Work Incompletes Cell Phone Policy Laptop Computer Policy Dress Code Academic Dishonesty Writing in the Social Work Program The Social Work Club

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2 3 5 5 6 7 8 8 9 9 10 12 12 12 12 13 13 14 15 15 15 16 17 17 17 17 17 17 17 18 18 18 18 18 19 20 23

Appendices
National Association of Social Workers Code of Ethics National Association of Black Social Workers Code of Ethics Required Courses for Social Work Majors Council on Social Work Education 2008 Educational Policy and Accreditation Standards 25 28 29 38

Department of Social Work & Sociology 1500 N. Lombardy Street, Richmond, VA 23220

Fall 2011 Dear Social Work Student: It is a pleasure to welcome you on behalf of the Department of Social Work faculty. We look forward to working with you while you are a student at Virginia Union University. Our social work curriculum is designed to enable you to acquire knowledge, skills and values essential for professional generalist practice. It facilitates the integration of theory and practice in community settings, while sustained, critical self-reflection helps students to develop multicultural competency skills. This program is fully accredited by the Council on Social Work Education (CSWE). Social work is a very demanding, challenging and rewarding profession, and we know that you will commit yourself to your studies as you prepare to enter the field. Welcome, as you prepare to be a professional social worker and colleague. Sincerely,

Vernita Elliott Walton, MSW Chair, Department of Social Work

Introduction
The mission of the Virginia Union University Department of Social Work is to produce generalist practitioners who have personal backgrounds of social injustice and discrimination and who are competent in working with at-risk populations. Graduates will have client advocacy skills, a strong sense of self, adaptability and a sense of responsibility for their profession. Academic credit for life experiences and previous work experience must not be given, in whole or in part, in lieu of the field practicum or of courses in the professional foundation areas specified in the Curriculum Policy Statement. The instructional methods of the social work courses will include a variety of teaching and learning strategies such as lectures, class discussions, group projects, written and oral assignments, guest speakers, field experiences and audio visual materials. Each student will be expected to fully use the electronic data retrieval resources available in the University Library. Computer literacy is essential and must be evident in literature reviews, journal searches and bibliographic development. Discriminatory practices of any kind will not be tolerated and will be handled expeditiously through appropriate University administrative channels. Upon graduation from VUU, the student who majors in social work will receive a Bachelor of Social Work degree (BSW) and is expected to: 1. Demonstrate competence in beginning practice with individuals, families, groups and communities; 2. Utilize current social work knowledge in making responsible decisions based on selfawareness and knowledge of the values and ethics of the profession; 3. Demonstrate an ability to apply knowledge of social policy formulation in advocating for desired change; 4. Understand and confront differences in racial, cultural and ethnic backgrounds and the necessity to combat the effects of social inequalities; 5. Be prepared to pursue graduate education. Specific program competencies include the ability to: 1. Assess and identify client problems from a bio-psycho-social perspective. 2. Develop and implement an appropriate plan of intervention. 3. Enhance the problem solving, coping and developmental capacities of the client. 4. Link clients with resources, services and opportunities. 5. Evaluate the effectiveness both of the intervention and of ones practice techniques.

6. Understand the impact of diversity on human behavior and the helping profession. 7. Advocate on behalf of clients subject to discrimination. 8. Promote the effective and humane operations of services, programs and resources. 9. Advocate for changes in those systems that have discriminatory practices. 10. Effectively utilize research knowledge and skills to evaluate ones own practice, to understand the process of scientific practice, and to contribute to the body of social work knowledge.

Curriculum
Social workers need a broad liberal arts academic background which is reflected in the General Education Requirements of the University. In addition to these general requirements, social work majors must complete specified courses in social work and other disciplines. They may elect courses from a broad spectrum of both restricted and unrestricted electives. General Education Requirements The Universitys general education requirements, covering the freshman and sophomore years, provide each student with a strong background in the major divisions of knowledge. At the end of the sophomore year, each student should have successfully completed a minimum of 61 semester hours or its equivalent in the following courses:
Freshman Year Fall English 101 or above Math 115 or above Physical Ed 101 OR intercollegiate sport Credit Hours 3 3 1 Spring English 102 or above Math 121 or above CSC 160 (Keyboarding) Credit Hours 3 3 1

History 145 OR 146, 201, 202

Science 150 and 150L (Biology)

General Studies 004 Orientation Health 101 Personal & Community Health Foreign Language 101or above

1 1 3 15

SWK 200 Freshman Seminar Foreign Language 102 or above

1 3

15 Spring SWK 256 Communication Skills CCJ 335, Math 201 OR PSY 203 (Statistics) Credit Hours 3 3

Sophomore Year Fall SWK 255 Introduction to SW Psychology 101 OR 201

Credit Hours 3 3

Humanities 225 World Lit 1 OR Eng 323, 324, 328, 329, 354 Humanities 210 (Fine Arts) OR Hum 211, 212; Art 308, 309; Mus 201, 202, 301, 302; SPD 305 Speech and Drama 217 OR 203 Sociology 200

Humanities 226 World Lit 2 OR Eng 323, 324, 328, 329, 354

African American Heritage: Art 310 OR Rel 235; His 225, 226; Eng 331, 337; Mus 321, 333; Nsc 290

2-3 3 16 - 17

Economics 200, 231 OR 232

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Major Courses taken during Junior and Senior Years

Junior Year Fall SWK 302 Human Behavior I SWK 309 Social Research I SWK 311 Social Welfare Policy I SWK 314-Ethics Restricted Elective

Credit Hours 3 3 3 3 3

Spring SWK 303 Human Behavior II SWK 310 Social Research II SWK 312 Social Welfare Policy II SWK 324 Practice I Social Work Elective OR Restricted Elective

Credit Hours 3 3 3 3 3

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Senior Year Fall SWK 424-Practice II SWK 426 Field Placement I SWK 428 Senior Seminar I SWK 380 Social Discrimination Social Work Elective Free Elective

Credit Hours 3 4 1 3 3 2-3 16 - 17

Spring SWK 425 Practice III SWK 427 Field Placement II SWK 429 Senior Seminar II Social Work Elective Free Elective

Credit Hours 3 4 1 3 3

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Restricted electives include courses from: Sociology, Religion, Political Science, Philosophy, Criminal Justice, and Public Administration that are not already required. Free electives can be any course at all in which the student earned a D or higher. They may be social work electives, or courses toward a minor. Students must earn a C or higher in Eng 101 and 102, all social work classes and restricted electives. Students must earn a minimum of 121 credits to receive a BSW. Students have an opportunity to minor in several different areas, including Criminal Justice, Legal Studies and Psychology. If a student intends to have a minor, the student must plan with the advisor to take the appropriate courses beginning in the sophomore year.

Students may choose to major in another discipline and minor in Social Work. Requirements for the minor are as follows. SOCIAL WORK MINOR
Requirement: 18 hours Course SWK 255 Introduction to Social Work ^ SWK 302 Human Behavior I OR SWK 303 Human Behavior II SWK 309 Research I * SWK 311 Social Policy I OR SWK 312 Social Policy II SWK 314 Ethics Any other social work class Credits 3 3 3 3 3 3 18 Offered Both terms Both terms Fall only Both terms Fall only Both terms

^ It is recommended that SWK 255 be taken first, or concurrently with another SWK course. *Psychology Majors who have completed the research sequence through Psychology and CCJ majors who have completed the research course through CCJ may substitute those research courses for SWK 309. At least two social work electives are offered each term. They may include: Spirituality and Social Work Family & Children At-risk Populations Health and Aging Substance Abuse Special Topics Conflict Resolution

Field Education
The intent of field education is to connect the theoretical and conceptual contribution of the classroom with the practical world of the practice setting. It is a basic precept of social work education that the two interrelated components of curriculumclassroom and fieldare of equal importance within the curriculum, and each contributes to the development of the requisite competencies of professional practice. Field education is systematically designed, supervised, coordinated, and evaluated based on criteria by which students demonstrate the achievement of program competencies. Throughout the four years of the undergraduate social work program, students are learning in the classroom and applying their skills in volunteer experiences in the community, culminating in the two formal field practicum semesters during their senior year. Courses require the student to apply their volunteer/ practice experiences in specific assignments. For example, the ethics course will draw on student experiences in case studies, the research course will use student experiences to talk about the types of research projects that can be done in agencies, and the policy course will look at specific policy issues that arise in the various sites where students are working. By embedding practice experience within the courses, students will be able to see the ways that social workers apply each of the curriculum areas in their settings, and students will be able to examine their practice experiences from the lens of the social work courses. With the assistance of the professor and the supervisor, the student will be able to see how practice informs policy and research and how these in turn inform practice and contribute to best practices based on the evidence of research implemented in practice. The BSW field education provides a broad exposure to practice with an emphasis on developing those skills which are generalist in nature. These include general interview and intervention skills grounded in social work ethics that can be utilized at almost every social work agency. Generalist practice skills are initially taught and rehearsed in the classroom setting, but are brought to a level of competence only when practiced in the field with supervisors, colleagues and clients. VUU social work students have the opportunity to observe and practice generalist skills in a variety of settings over their undergraduate years in their volunteer settings. These skills are tested for competency in the formal field practicum through the evaluation tool of the learning contract at both the midterm and semester final evaluation with the DFI and field instructor. It is unusual for a paid work experience to be counted toward field experience; the decision to allow paid work experience to be used for field experience will be made by the DFI in consultation with the Department Chair. Field experience should include experience in the area that the student thinks that he/ she is interested in for a professional career, for example, choosing to work with children, with the elderly, in a community organization. Field experience should be treated as professional job experience and students must dress and behave professionally. Field supervisors will be people who will be able to write job and graduate school references and will be part of a students professional network. . Freshman and Sophomore Field Experience Freshman and sophomore social work majors will spend 40 hours per semester in community service. This can be done in conjunction with work completed for the community service scholarship. These 40 hours are normally done in one agency or institution and will normally be done in the sage agency for both the fall and spring semesters. Up to 15 of the 40 hours each semester may be done in programs sponsored by the Social Work Department, the Social Work Club or the Office of Career Services. Time

sheets will be completed by the student and signed off by the agency supervisor, and maintained in the DFIs office. For Freshmen who declare social work to be their major, the hours will be monitored by the GST 004 (fall) instructor and the SWK 200 (Spring) instructor. In the fall Sophomores will have their hours monitored in the SWK 255 class and in the spring it will be in the SWK 256 class. The instructor hands out and collects the log sheets, and community service journal and turns them in to the DFI. The course instructors will provide assignments to incorporate the community service into the course. Students may do a written and/or oral report of the semester's activities. Junior Field Practicum Junior social work majors are required to complete 80 hours of field experience over a period of two semesters. They will choose an agency in which to volunteer; they will usually work in the same agency over both the fall and spring semesters. They may earn up to 15 hours per semester by attending programs sponsored by the Social Work Department, the Social Work Club or the Office of Career Services. Juniors will incorporate their field experiences in their policy, ethics, practice and research classes in various class assignments. The instructor in the ethics (fall) and practice 1 classes will distribute and collect the log sheets and turn them in to the DFI. Juniors will have a formal evaluation of their field experience at the end of each semester. Juniors should be working with a social worker in the agency that they choose for their field experience. Senior Field Practicum Senior students are required to complete 400 hours of field instruction over a period of two semesters. Seniors are enrolled in field practicum I and II will complete a minimum of 400 hours of field work. This is assured through a log that the student maintains which is signed by the field supervisor. The Director of Field Instruction (DFI) will review the log to verify that the 400 hours have been reached before the final grade is given for Field Practicum II. Each semester includes 200 hours of field instruction for which the student receives four hours of credit. To further integrate the field experience, the student concurrently enrolls in the field instruction seminar. The field seminar is offered each semester for one credit hour and it includes discussion of field experiences with emphasis on self-awareness, social work values and ethics and diversity issues. The field instructor and the student agree on a work schedule that will accommodate the students course schedule and the agencys needs. The student works approximately 20 hours per week for a period of 1314 hours per semester. Supervision meetings with the student to provide on-going feedback on performance should be scheduled regularly. Two evaluations are required each semester (mid-term and final) where the DFI meets with the field instructor and the intern. Students beginning field are informed of the 400 hour requirement at the beginning of the year and are expected to have completed close to 200 of those hours by the end of the first semester of field. Students are also informed of educational workshops, conferences, service opportunities, lectures and seminars that are offered either through one of the local agencies or institutions, or through the department or university that they may attend that will count toward their 400 hour requirement. Seniors (as of May 2013) must have a 2.4 overall GPA; Seniors prior to that year must have a 2.0 overall GPA. All Seniors must have completed all of the course requirements in order to enroll in the first semester of field practicum. They must complete an application during their junior year and successfully

interview with a field agency assigned to them by the DFI. The senior students advisor is responsible for reviewing the transcript and determining that the course work has been completed (with a C or higher in all social work courses). In unusual cases, a senior student in placement might be completing a junior course; whether or not the student will be allowed to take such a course during placement will be determined by the DFI in consultation with the department chair. The DFI prepares a Field Manual that is distributed to all students beginning the field practicum and to all field supervisors who are working with the program that semester. The Manual specifies the policies, criteria and procedures for selecting field settings; placing and monitoring students; maintaining field liaison contacts with field education settings; and evaluating student learning and field setting effectiveness congruent with the programs competencies. The Manual is also published on the websites for the Field Seminar I & II and Field Practicum I & II courses. Changes in the Manual are made each summer to fit with the needs of the program and CSWE and are made by the DFI in consultation with the department chair. All field instructors submit a resume or CV to the DFI when they are accepted as a part of the VUU social work field program, so that the DFI is able to verify their educational background. Field instructors are expected to have a BSW and a minimum of 3 years of experience in their field, or an MSW and at least 1 year of experience in their field. In unusual situations with a specialized placement, the field instructor may not have a BSW or MSW degree, but has the appropriate qualifications for that placement. In those cases, the DFI will maintain close contact with the instructor and spend additional time reviewing the students written work in the Field Seminar courses to determine whether the student is able to work from a social work perspective. If not, then the DFI will set up extra consultations with the student to review appropriate behaviors and verbal skills until the student is able to satisfactorily demonstrate competency in a social work context. The site visits with the student and field instructor will also focus on demonstrating social work competency. Generally, students who are placed at specialized sites will only be those who have already demonstrated higher levels of social work skills. The program values the participation of field instructors in the education of its social work majors. Orientation to the program is provided for both the field instructors and the seniors at the beginning of the first semester of their field placement. Orientation includes distribution of the Field Manual, an explanation of the various forms, and team building exercises to help the students begin to build a positive relationship with their supervisors. Resource people from the university such as the campus counselor talk about conflict management and the career services director talks about professional behavior and appearance. The DFI communicates with the field instructors and interns at least once a month through email, sending out notices of continuing education events that are open to students and instructors, reminding participants about upcoming deadlines for paperwork such as field learning contracts, and establishing dates and times for field visits. Students and instructors are encouraged to contact the DFI for clarification about written assignments and expectations, and for assistance in managing situations that might require an intervention by the DFI that can not be resolved between the student and the supervisor. Students, and field supervisors are recognized at the end of the second semester at a luncheon held in their honor, which continues the process of networking among the field supervisors and strengthens their relationship with the program.

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The program recognizes that at times a student would benefit from doing a field placement at his/ her place of employment. In order to insure that the student will gain a new experience and develop additional professional skills, the student must do the hours of field work in a different area of the agency, preferably under a different supervisor. The student will normally not get paid for the field work, and the field work will need to be completed outside of the students expected hours of employment. In cases where a student requests a placement at the place of employment, the DFI will meet with the students employment supervisor, the student and field supervisor to develop a plan for the placement that will provide a suitable learning opportunity. Field Placement Courses Field Instruction allows social work students to apply skills and theory, gain experiences and information, and practice under the supervision of a qualified field instructor. The objectives of field placement are to: 1. Identify as a professional social worker and conduct oneself accordingly 2. Apply social work ethical principles to guide professional practice 3. Apply critical thinking to inform and communicate professional judgments 4. Engage diversity and difference in practice 5. Advance human rights and social and economic justice 6. Engage in research-informed practice and practice-informed research 7. Apply knowledge of human behavior and the social environment 8. Engage in policy practice to advance well-being and deliver services 9. Respond to contexts that shape practice 10. Demonstrate effective assessment, intervention and evaluation with clients.

The objectives of the field seminar are to: 1. Demonstrate effective and appropriate oral and written professional communication 2. Demonstrate effective social work skills with a variety of clients through written reports. 3. Demonstrate an understanding of the impact of diversity and an ability to function with diverse populations through written reports. 4. Set priorities, organize the work-load and manage time effectively; 5. Use personal reflection and self-correction for professional development through written reports. 6. Research the agency to understand its history, support and mission and the key issues that it is currently facing. 8. Demonstrate an ability to integrate the field experience with key areas of social work study.

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Program Policies
Criteria for Admission into the Program Students may declare an intended major or minor in social work at the time they begin at VUU, or at any time while at VUU. Transfer students may also declare social work as their intended major or minor. The student will remain an intended social work major until the completion of the freshman and sophomore years. At this point, students must be formally admitted to the social work major in order to enroll in upper division social work courses. For acceptance into the Professional Undergraduate Social Work Program, the following criteria must be met: 1. Cumulative grade point average (GPA) of 2.4; 2. Grade of C or above in each of the social work classes: (SWK 200, SWK 255, SWK 256) and in English 101 and 102; 3. Completed 61 credit hours, which includes Eng 101 and 102, Mat 115 and 121 (or higher), Statistics, SWK 200, 255 and 256. Each applicant will complete the application for admission to the Professional Undergraduate Social Work major during the spring of their sophomore year or at the beginning of the semester in which they transfer to VUU, if it is later. Processing of the application and acceptance into the program is contingent upon the decision of members of the social work faculty at a specially called meeting. The process may include an interview with the members of the social work faculty and a member of the advisory board. Students will be informed of the departments decision within ten (10) working days following the meeting of the faculty. Any student who disagrees with the decision has the right to appeal using the procedures established by the Department of Social Work. Life Experience Policy Academic credit for life experience and previous work experience must not be given, in whole or in part, in lieu of the field practicum or of courses in the professional foundation areas specific in the Curriculum Policy Statement. (See EPAS 3.2.5).

Advising It is the intention of the social work department that students graduate after four years of enrollment at VUU as a social work major. Students are to meet with their advisor during the designated advising period in order to develop an appropriate schedule for the next semester. Students are notified by email of the advising time scheduled for each semester and are expected to sign up to make an appointment with their designated advisor. In the case that the students designated advisor is not available, the student may meet with one of the other faculty advisors. At each academic advising session, the students transcript will be reviewed, GPA will be checked, and if the student has a 2.0 GPA or higher (for seniors in 2011-2012) or a 2.4 GPA or higher (for freshmen, sophomores, and juniors in

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2011-2012), the advisor will complete a social work major curriculum sheet and note which classes should be taken in the remaining semesters. Freshmen and sophomores who have a GPA below 2.4 will be advised as to which courses need to be taken in the next semesters, but will also be advised that they need to bring the GPA up to a 2.4 prior to applying to the program for their junior year. It is crucial that students work with their advisor in order to take the required courses in the required sequence so that the student graduates on time. Students who self advise may end up needing additional semesters to complete the required sequence of courses. Social work faculty advisors also provide professional advising as they discuss potential graduate school plans, assist students with completing graduate applications, and write references for students for both graduate school applications and for job searches. Social work faculty advisors develop lasting relationships with social work majors to promote their personal and professional development as future colleagues in the profession. Policy and Procedure for Terminating a Student from the Program A student will be terminated from the Social Work program for: 1. Not earning a C or higher on a social work course after taking the course twice; 2. Not maintaining a 2.4 cumulative GPA by the beginning of the junior year; students who are seniors prior in the Fall of 2011 must maintain a 2.0 cumulative GPA. 3. Failure to articulate and demonstrate the knowledge, values and skills of the profession; this would include a violation of the NASW Code of Ethics, or failure to perform satisfactorily in the field practicum experience. Re-application and Re-admission to the Program Students denied admission to the program because of poor academic performance prior to their junior or senior year may reapply once they have met the minimum criteria as set forth in the Catalog and the Student Handbook. Students denied admission or terminated from the program based on non-academic reasons may reapply after two semesters. Admission or re-admission will be based on the students: 1. Acknowledgement of unethical/ unprofessional conduct and/or lack of demonstrated satisfactory progress in the field, and documented evidence of corrective action taken; 2. Ability to articulate and demonstrate individual and professional self-awareness; 3. Adherence to the Code of Ethics. Students will be monitored closely by social work faculty to assure compliance with standards set forth by the profession. Each student is given a copy of the Universitys Student Handbook upon enrollment in the University. The Universitys Rights of Redress are stated therein. In addition, students are given the Departments

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Program Manual upon officially declaring social work as a major. The manual specifically delineates steps to be taken in grieving and appealing a decision made by social work faculty.

Grievance and Appeal Procedures 1. During regular Departmental meetings, faculty will address the concerns of students experiencing academic and /or non-academic problems, with the specifics of such concerns presented by any faculty member who has some knowledge of the student and his/her problems. Faculty, at this time, will determine if there is a need for referral for the student. A written account of the discussion will be maintained by the students advisor. 2. The faculty advisor will then meet with the student within ten (10) working days to address and explore the problem(s), the extent of its severity and how it may be resolved. If a referral is warranted, it will be given. 3. Departmental faculty will keep abreast of the students status and will decide within the semester whether or not the student will be recommended for termination from the program. A written record will be maintained and placed in the students files. The student and the advisor will be asked to sign the recommendation and the student will be given a copy of it. 4. The student is informed in person by their advisor within five (5) working days of the facultys decision, and in writing by the chair of the Department within seven (7) working days. A summary of the meeting with the advisor, and a copy of the chairs letter will be kept in the students file. 5. If the student disagrees with the decision, the student may submit a written appeal to the Department Chair. The appeal must state the specific reasons for appealing the decision. The written appeal must be submitted within ten (10) working days of receipt of the chairs letter. 6. The Department faculty, excluding the chair, will review the appeal and submit a written recommendation to the chair about whether the appeal should or should not reverse the decision. The review and written recommendation is to be received by the department chair within seven (7) working days of receiving the appeal. 7. The Department chair then reviews the students appeal and the facultys recommendation. The chair makes a decision to uphold or rescind the original decision. The chairs decision will be rendered within seven (7) working days of receiving the faculty recommendation. 8. The student is notified in writing, by the chair of the decision. Notification will be by certified mail. 9. The student, if still dissatisfied with the chairs decision, may appeal to the Dean of the School of Humanities and Social Sciences. The written appeal must be submitted to the Dean within ten (10) days of receipt of the department chairs decision. The Dean will respond in writing and by certified mail within fourteen (14) working days of receipt of the students appeal of the department chairs decision. 10. The last stage of an appeal is to the Vice-President of Academic Affairs. A written appeal must be submitted within ten (10) working days of receipt of the Deans letter. The Vice-President will respond within fourteen (14) working days of receipt of the appeal and this decision will be also sent by certified mail.

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Transfer Credits
Credits taken from other institutions may transfer for comparable required courses if the student obtained a C or higher for the course. The grade will not transfer, just the credits; this means that a transferred course will not help or hurt the students GPA at VUU. Transfer students need to be aware that NOT ALL CREDITS will transfer to VUU. Students who believe that they should receive more credit than they have gotten from their transfer courses may ask the Registrars office to reconsider the courses . Students who transfer into VUU from another institution will have their transcript reviewed by the Registrars Office to determine what credits will transfer to VUU, and will then have the accepted credits reviewed by a social work faculty advisor to determine which credits will count toward a social work major. Students who intend to transfer to social work from another major will have their transcript reviewed by a social work faculty advisor to determine which credits will count toward a social work major. In each case, the advisor will complete a social work curriculum sheet that indicates which courses have been successfully completed and which ones remain to be taken to meet the requirements of the major. Social work major courses must be taken at VUU. If a student wants to take a course (not a social work course) from another institution during the summer, the student needs to fill out a form in advance with the students advisor to make sure that the course is comparable. The student must also be sure to tell the other institution to send an official transcript to the Registrar at VUU in order to receive credit for the course here. Graduation Application Students who plan to graduate in a particular semester must complete an application in the Registrars office and bring it to the Advisor, in the semester prior to graduation. At that meeting with the Advisor in the semester prior to graduation the student and Advisor will complete a Course Audit. The advisor will submit the Audit to the Registrar along with the graduation application.

Graduate School Applications Social work faculty advisors provide professional advising as they discuss potential graduate school plans, assist students with completing graduate applications, and write references for students for both graduate school applications and for job searches. Students who are planning to attend graduate school should look at different schools during their junior year and then plan to complete the application process in the fall of their senior year, as most of the scholarships are distributed by the end of December. It is appropriate to apply to more than one program. Be aware of what each program offers: if you are interested in working with the elderly, then look for a program that offers a certificate in gerontology. A graduate school fair is held each fall when you have an opportunity to meet with representatives of various programs. The Career Center also has information on file about different schools. Faculty need time to prepare references, so allow at least two weeks for the faculty member to write a reference. Provide the faculty member the correct forms with the appropriate information filled in, and give the faculty member a due date for it. It does not hurt to remind the faculty member that the reference that he or she is writing is due shortly. It is helpful to provide an updated resume with the reference form, and to sign up for a time to talk to the reference writer about your plans for your graduate degree and why you think that a particular school is a good fit for you.
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Plan to write several drafts of the statement that you will be including in your graduate school application. What you write and how you write it are very important in your application process. You may ask faculty members to review it with you; you may also ask the Writing Center staff to review it with you. Graduate Record Examination Students who are planning to attend graduate school should plan to take the Graduate Record Exam (GRE) and any other required exams in the first semester of their senior year. Not all graduate programs require the GRE, so check the requirements of your top choices. Preparation books are available to help students prepare for the exam and include sample exams.

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Academic and Classroom Policies

The Social Work program seeks to instill academic, professional and personal integrity in all of their students. It is the expectation of the Social Work program that all students will conform to the guidelines, policies, requirements, and regulations set forth in the Virginia Union University Student Handbook, University Catalog, website, and other official published guidelines and regulations as well as to all departmental policies. These policies are described below. GPA: Students who will be juniors as of Fall 2011 must maintain a 2.4 GPA throughout their junior and senior years or they will be terminated from the program. Students who are seniors in the fall of 2011 must maintain a 2.0 GPA. Sophomores must have a 2.4 GPA to be admitted to the program. Once a student is terminated from the program due to low GPA, they will not be readmitted. TEXTBOOKS - Students are required to have access to textbooks and must bring them to class. CLASS ATTENDANCE POLICY - Attendance and punctuality are very important for success in an academic and professional setting. Students taking courses in the Social Work program are required to adhere to the following attendance and punctuality policies: - Students enrolled in classes that meet one (1) time per week are allowed a maximum of one (1) unexcused absence per semester. - Students enrolled in classes that meet two (2) times per week are allowed a maximum of two (2) unexcused absences per semester. - Students enrolled in classes that meet three (3) times per week are allowed a maximum of three (3) unexcused absences per semester. Attendance will be taken each class day at the beginning of class and students are required to sign in on an attendance sheet at the beginning of class. It is the students responsibility to make sure that he/she has signed in for each class period of each course. The accumulation of four or more unexcused absences may result in having the final course grade lowered by one full letter grade. Excessive unexcused absences will result in a grade of FA and the student will be required to take the course during another semester. It is the students responsibility to provide documentation for any absences that are acceptable excused absences, including being away for University sponsored events, attending a funeral of a family member, being in the hospital, having an illness that has been documented by a health care professional who attests that the student could not attend class, or being required to appear in court. Attendance will be taken each class day at the beginning of class. TARDINESS POLICY - Students are expected to be in class on time. If a student is not present when attendance is taken, that student will be recorded absent. Two (2) tardies will be recorded as one (1) unexcused absence. A similar policy will be in place when a student leaves class early. Two (2) early departures will be the equivalent of one (1) unexcused absence. Students are expected to be present for the entire class. REPEATED COURSE WORK - Students may not take the same social work course more than two (2) times. LATE WORK - Assignments that are late will not be accepted. Assignments are due at the beginning of class and will be collected at that time. The only exception is if the student has an excused absence on the
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assignments due date. If a students assignment is late due to an excused absence, the student will have one (1) week from time the student returns to class to turn in the assignment. It is the students responsibility to provide documentation for the excused absence and to discuss with the instructor their intent regarding the assignment. Late assignments will be accepted only if the student has submitted the required documentation for the excused absence prior to submitting the assignment or with the assignment. EXTRA CREDIT WORK - Extra credit work will NOT be available. INCOMPLETES - Will be given only if a student can provide evidence of extreme circumstances. Such cases will be rare. CELL PHONE POLICY - Cell phone use is prohibited in the classroom. All cell phones and similar electronic devices must be turned off or set on vibrate during class. Text messaging is strictly prohibited during class. Violations of this policy may result in being asked to leave class and receiving an unexcused absence that day; having the cell phone confiscated by the instructor; or after repeated violations, being referred to the Office of Judicial Affairs. LAPTOP COMPUTERS- Some professors find the use of laptop computers in the classroom to be distracting and may require all laptops to be put away, unless the student is using it to make a presentation in class that day. DRESS CODE - Dressing appropriately is considered a part of the learning process and is expected in a professional discipline such as social work. Virginia Union University has a prescribed dress code and some attire is inappropriate in the classroom setting. All students will be expected to adhere to this dress code or be refused access to class. Students are prohibited at all times from wearing the following items in the classroom: Pajamas, bathrobes, bras, lingerie, and boxer shorts as outer wear; Bedroom slippers; Trousers worn in a baggy fashion (mid-hip with undergarments revealed); Undershirts or appearing in class without a shirt, top or blouse; Du-rags and head rags for men and women ; Caps, hats and hoods for men and women ; Curlers, rollers, head rags, and other items used to groom the hair; Bodysuits, micro-mini skirts, midriff shirts, see-through blouses, low cut blouses, tight fitting tops and blouses, and/or other such attire that reveal cleavage; and Clothing, jewelry, hats or other garments or accessories with obscene or offensive language, gestures, or profanity

ACADEMIC DISHONESTY POLICY - Academic dishonesty is any form of giving, taking, or prescribing information or material by a student with intent to gain an unfair advantage in an academic evaluation. The most common forms of academic dishonesty include the following: Plagiarism: To use the words or ideas of others without proper attribution it may include failure to use quotation marks or incomplete citation of the sources used. Inappropriate Collaboration: To work with someone in developing, organizing, or revising a project without prior faculty approval.

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Cheating: To copy from anothers paper; give, or receive unauthorized assistance; obtain advance knowledge of questions; or use any unauthorized devices (such as cell phones). Dishonesty on Papers: to submit as ones own any material prepared by another person. Falsification of Data: To deliberately falsify data or documentation. Interfering with the Work of Other Students: To sabotage, disrupt, or intentionally obstruct another students work. Copyright Violations: To duplicate or reproduce print, audio-visual, and/or computer software without proper authorization. Any person who engages in academic dishonesty is subject to one of the following penalties: First offense The student will be awarded a grade of F points for the particular assignment involved. That is, the student will receive zero (0) points for that assignment. Second offense (in the same course), the student will receive an F in that course. Third offense The student will be referred to the Office of Student Integrity and Conduct for disciplinary action.

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Writing in the Social Work Program

Written communication is an essential part of the social work profession, so there is a great deal of emphasis on writing skills throughout the social work program. Students who need to improve their writing skills are strongly encouraged to get personalized assistance from the Writing Center in Ellison. These hints are intended to promote better writing. 1. Before you start to write your paper, carefully read the assignment or question so that what you write matches the assignment or question. 2. Know when your paper is due, and then set aside time to do the research and think about the topic before you have to start writing it. Plan to finish writing it at least a day before its due so that you can take the time to carefully edit and proofread it. 3. Be clear on the type of format that your professors want you to use. For example, what size margins, what font, what size type, what spacing (double or single). Do you need a cover page? Do you need to include a reference/ bibliography page and if so, what format are you expected to use? Do you need to use footnotes or cite your references in the text? How many pages are required? Do the page numbers need to be at the bottom or top of the page? Social work uses APA format and sites are available online to give information on how to use this format. There are also books written that give detailed information on the APA style. 4. Know what kind of research materials you are allowed to use in your paper. Most social work classes require that you use peer reviewed journal articles. Recent copies of journals are kept in the periodical room of the library; older copies are in the stacks. Many journals articles can be found on line. The library also has a collection of books, videos and DVDs that provide social work information. 5. Make an outline before you start to write so that you know the overall flow of the paper. If you get stuck writing one part of the paper, you can go on to another part and come back to it later. 6. One of the librarians, Ms. Lemon, is designated as the librarian for social work. You may talk to her to get help locating relevant material for your assignments. 7. Always back up your work: you may back up your work on your school network account, on a CD or a thumb drive. DO NOT assume that nothing can happen to your work. Save it often as you work on it and then back it up. 8. Always print out the articles that you used on line and keep them, so that when you write your reference page you have the full information for each entry. You will also have them available if your professor asks to see one or more of the articles. 9. If your professor allows it, bring a draft of the paper to his or her office and ask them to review it with you A FEW DAYS before it is due; asking for help the day before it is due is NOT the best timing. 10. After you write your paper, READ IT CAREFULLY and look for and then fix any spelling, grammar and punctuation errors.

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11. Read your paper out loud, so that you can find incomplete sentences or sentences that are not clear, and then fix them. Ask someone else to read your paper and look for errors and for sentences that are awkward or not clear, and then fix them. 12. Plan time to print your paper so that you arent stuck trying to print it when you should be in class turning it in. Have a back- up plan in case your printer or the library printer isnt working. 13. Keep a copy of the final paper on your computer, or email it to yourself. Once in a while, a professor misplaces a paper, and you may need to supply another one. 14. Make sure your name is on the paper and PLEASE staple your paper together before you hand it in!! DO NOT assume that your professor will have a stapler available for you to use in class. 15. Assume that your professor will read your work carefully. If sections of it appear to have been plagiarized, the professor will check to see if you have copied directly from another source without giving credit to that author. Plagiarism may result in a grade of F or in earning no points for the assignment. If it appears that two or more students have copied work from each other, then each of the students is subject to receiving an F or no points for the assignment. More penalties may be given.

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Commonly Misused Words: You can improve your writing skills by improving your vocabulary. This is a list of words that our faculty have found to be frequently misused. Review these words to be sure that you know the appropriate context for each one, and add to it those words that you find yourself misusing. Keep this list handy and refer to it as you complete your papers and other assignments. 1. cite 2. sight 3. site 4. than 5. then 6. theyre 7. there 8. their 9. your 10. youre 11. or 12. are 13. our 14. oar 15. hour 16. here 17. hear 18. to 19. too 20. two 21. know 22. no 23. because 24. cause 25. cousin 26. whole 27. hole 28. hold 29. I 30. eye 31. fare 32. fair 33. hair 34. hare 35. bear 36. bare 37. knead 38. need 39. basis 40. bases 41. cease 42. seize 43. adolescents 44. adolescence 45. causal 46. casual 47. ethic 48. ethnic 49. where 50. wear 51. were 52. were 53. loose 54. lose 55. its 56. its 57. whether 58. weather 59. choose 60. chose 61. choice 62. whose 63. whos 64. loser 65. looser 66. higher 67. hire 68. paste 69. paced 70. past 71. passed 72. use 73. used 74. threw 75. through 76. ethic 77. ethnic 78. guess 79. guest 80. accept 81. except 82. access 83. assess 84. 85.

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The Social Work Club

The Social Work Club is open to social work majors and minors and to other students who have an interest in expanding their understanding and knowledge base of the social work profession. The objectives of the Club are: 1. To encourage the professional growth of students through the development of leadership skills and attendance at workshops and conferences related to social work and social welfare issues; 2. To serve as a vehicle for social work majors to interact with each other outside of the classroom; 3. To plan and implement campus-wide activities in recognition of National Social Work Month each March and other community service activities throughout the year; 4. To expose and encourage student participation in community volunteer activities; 5. To better acquaint the University family and the community with the Social Work profession and its students. The Club advisor is a member of the social work faculty and serves as a supportive guide in meeting club objectives. All social work majors and minors are expected to be a part of the Club. Each spring the Club elects a President, Vice President, Secretary and Treasurer, and each class elects a class coordinator; the freshman class elects a Coordinator in the fall. The Officers and Coordinators meet with the Club Advisor (a member of the social work faculty) each month to plan the monthly meetings and coordinate long term planning. The Coordinators are responsible for disseminating information and recruiting participants from their classmates. The President also serves as a member of the Advisory Board for the program. The Club sponsors students attending the Rally in the Valley (part of the Virginia Consortium of Social Work Educators fall event) and Project Homeless Connect each fall, and the Urban Leagues Annual Gala in the spring, as well as other events on and off campus. To maintain its status as a student organization, each year the Club has to sponsor several events including: spiritual event, leadership event, community service event, personal development event and an academic event. The Club collects dues from its members and conducts fundraising activities to support its programs.

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Appendices
NASW Code of Ethics NABSW Code of Ethics Required Courses for Social Work Majors Council on Social Work Education 2008 Educational Policy and Accreditation Standards

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National Association of Social Workers Code of Ethics

Ethical Principles
The following broad ethical principles are based on social works core values of service, social justice, dignity and worth of the person, importance of human relationships, integrity, and competence. These principles set forth ideals to which all social workers should aspire. Value: Service Ethical Principle: Social workers primary goal is to help people in need and to address social problems. Social workers elevate service to others above self interest. Social workers draw on their knowledge, values, and skills to help people in need and to address social problems. Social workers are encouraged to volunteer some portion of their professional skills with no expectation of significant financial return (pro bono service). Value: Social Justice Ethical Principle: Social workers challenge social injustice. Social workers pursue social change, particularly with and on behalf of vulnerable and oppressed individuals and groups of people. Social workers social change efforts are focused primarily on issues of poverty, unemployment, discrimination, and other forms of social injustice. These activities seek to promote sensitivity to and knowledge about oppression and cultural and ethnic diversity. Social workers strive to ensure access to needed information, services, and resources; equality of opportunity; and meaningful participation in decision making for all people. Value: Dignity and Worth of the Person Ethical Principle: Social workers respect the inherent dignity and worth of the person. Social workers treat each person in a caring and respectful fashion, mindful of individual differences and cultural and ethnic diversity. Social workers promote clients socially responsible self determination. Social workers seek to enhance clients capacity and opportunity to change and to address their own needs. Social workers are cognizant of their dual responsibility to clients and to the broader society. They seek to resolve conflicts between clients interests and the broader societys interests in a sociall y responsible manner consistent with the values, ethical principles, and ethical standards of the profession. Value: Importance of Human Relationships Ethical Principle: Social workers recognize the central importance of human relationships. Social workers understand that relationships between and among people are an important vehicle for change. Social workers engage people as partners in the helping process. Social workers seek to strengthen relationships among people in a purposeful effort to promote, restore, maintain, and enhance the wellbeing of individuals, families, social groups, organizations, and communities. Value: Integrity Ethical Principle: Social workers behave in a trustworthy manner. Social workers are continually aware of the professions mission, values, ethical principles, and ethical standards and practice in a manner consistent with them. Social workers act honestly and responsibly and promote ethical practices on the part of the organizations with which they are affiliated.

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Value: Competence Ethical Principle: Social workers practice within their areas of competence and develop and enhance their professional expertise. Social workers continually strive to increase their professional knowledge and skills and to apply them in practice. Social workers should aspire to contribute to the knowledge base of the profession.

Ethical Standards The following ethical standards are relevant to the professional activities of all social workers. Some of the standards that follow are enforceable guidelines for professional conduct, and some are aspirational. The extent to which each standard is enforceable is a matter of professional judgment to be exercised by those responsible for reviewing alleged violations of ethical standards. 1. SOCIAL WORKERS ETHICAL RESPONSIBILITIES TO CLIENTS 1.01 Commitment to Clients 1.02 Self Determination 1.03 Informed Consent 1.04 Competence 1.05 Cultural Competence and Social Diversity 1.06 Conflicts of Interest 1.07 Privacy and Confidentiality 1.08 Access to Records 1.09 Sexual Relationships 1.10 Physical Contact 1.11 Sexual Harassment 1.12 Derogatory Language 1.13 Payment for Services 1.14 Clients Who Lack Decision Making Capacity 1.15 Interruption of Services 1.16 Termination of Services 2. SOCIAL WORKERS ETHICAL RESPONSIBILITIES TO COLLEAGUES 2.01 Respect 2.02 Confidentiality 2.03 Interdisciplinary Collaboration 2.04 Disputes Involving Colleagues 2.05 Consultation 2.06 Referral for Services 2.07 Sexual Relationships 2.08 Sexual Harassment 2.09 Impairment of Colleagues 2.10 Incompetence of Colleagues 2.11 Unethical Conduct of Colleagues 3. SOCIAL WORKERS ETHICAL RESPONSIBILITIES IN PRACTICE SETTINGS 3.01 Supervision and Consultation 3.02 Education and Training 3.03 Performance Evaluation 3.04 Client Records 3.05 Billing

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3.06 Client Transfer 3.07 Administration 3.08 Continuing Education and Staff Development 3.09 Commitments to Employers 3.10 Labor Management Disputes 4. SOCIAL WORKERS ETHICAL RESPONSIBILITIES AS PROFESSIONALS 4.01 Competence 4.02 Discrimination 4.03 Private Conduct 4.04 Dishonesty, Fraud, and Deception 4.05 Impairment 4.06 Misrepresentation 4.07 Solicitations 4.08 Acknowledging Credit 5. SOCIAL WORKERS ETHICAL RESPONSIBILITIES TO THE SOCIAL WORK PROFESSION 5.01 Integrity of the Profession 5.02 Evaluation and Research 6. SOCIAL WORKERS ETHICAL RESPONSIBILITIES TO THE BROADER SOCIETY 6.01 Social Welfare 6.02 Public Participation 6.03 Public Emergencies 6.04 Social and Political Action As revised by NASW in 1999

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National Association of Black Social Workers Code of Ethics

In America today, no Black person, except the selfish or irrational, can claim neutrality in the quest for Black liberation nor fail to consider the implications of the events taking place in our society. Given the necessity for committing ourselves to the struggle for freedom, we as Black Americans practicing in the field of social welfare, set forth this statement of ideals and guiding principles. If a sense of community awareness is a precondition to humanitarian acts, then we as Black social workers must use our knowledge of the Black community, our commitments to its determination, and our helping skills for the benefit of Black people as we marshal our expertise to improve the quality of life of Black people. Our activities will be guided by our Black consciousness, our determination to protect the security of the Black community, and to serve as advocates to relieve suffering of Black people by any means necessary. Therefore, as Black social workers we commit ourselves, collectively, to the interests of our Black brethren and as individuals subscribe to the following statements: I regard as my primary obligation the welfare of the Black individual, Black family, and Black community and will engage in action for improving social conditions. I give precedence to this mission over my personal interest. I adopt the concept of a Black extended family and embrace all Black people as my brothers and sisters, making no distinction between their destiny and my own. I hold myself responsible for the quality and extent of service I perform and the quality and extent of service performed by the agency or organization in which I am employed, as it relates to the Black community. I accept the responsibility to protect the Black community against unethical and hypocritical practice by any individual or organizations engaged in social welfare activities. I stand ready to supplement my paid or professional advocacy with voluntary service in the Black public interest. I will consciously use my skills, and my whole being as an instrument for social change, with particular attention directed to the establishment of Black social institutions.

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Required Courses for Social Work Majors

GENERAL EDUCATION COURSES A total of 121 credits is required to receive a BSW from VUU
COMPUTER SCIENCE: 1course CSC 160 Introduction to Computing (1cr.) Introduces students to the basic concepts and procedures required to use the computer as a learning, problem-solving, communications, and research tool. This on-line course features word processing, spreadsheets, presentation software, databases, and Internet applications. For nonbusiness majors. May be replaced by CSC 163 (3 cr.) May place out of this course by exam. FRESHMAN COMPOSITION: 2 courses ENG 101 Freshman Composition I (3cr.) Focuses on standards and appropriateness of acceptable written expression from the sentence to short composition; involves student exploration and expansion of creative self-expression. A grade of C or better is required. Prerequisite: ENG 100 or satisfactory placement scores. ENG 102 Freshman Composition II (3cr.) Principles of rhetorical expression and their application to the writing of expository themes; special attention given to the effective use of the library, resource materials, and preparation of the longer essay and library paper. Prerequisite: ENG 101. A grade of C or better is required. GENERAL STUDIES (SOCIAL WORK SECTION): 1 course GST 004 Orientation and Interpersonal Awareness (1cr.) Focuses on developing the personal skills necessary for success in the classroom and as a foundation for career success. Emphasis is placed on interpersonal awareness. PERSONAL WELLNESS: 2 courses PED 101 Fundamentals of Physical Education (1cr.) Rules, techniques and fundamental skills needed for participation in sports and games appropriate for various seasons. May be substituted by one semester on an intercollegiate sports team or with a membership at a fitness club. HLH 101 Personal and Community Health (1cr.) A study of health information derived from scientific studies that are related to major health problems. Materials are presented to assist the student in living a more effective life and making better decisions concerning his/her physical, mental, and emotional health. WORLD CIVILIZATIONS/ AMERICAN HISTORY: 1 course HIS 145 World Civilizations I (3cr.) The historical development of world cultures, including the ancient Near East, the Far East, Greece, Rome, Africa, and Europe, up to the 16th century. OR HIS 146 World Civilizations II (3cr.)

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The development of world cultures and history from the 16th century to the present. OR HIS 201 American History I (3 cr.) A survey of American history on the national, state and local levels from the Colonial Period to the Civil War. OR HIS 202 American History II (3cr.) A survey of American history on the national, state and local levels since 1865. AFRICAN-AMERICAN HERITAGE: 1 course HIS 225 African-American History I (3cr.) A study of the role and contributions of African Americans in the development of the American nation from colonial times through the Reconstruction Era. Offered annually, fall semester. OR HIS 226 African-American History II (3cr.) A study of the role and contributions of African Americans in modern American society since 1865. Offered annually, spring semester. OR MUS 321 History of African American Music and Musicians (3 cr) An historical survey of music by African Americans from 1619 to the present (Work Songs, Sorrow Songs, Blues, Gospel, Jazz, Classical, Avant-Grade, Electronic). Offered alternate spring semesters. OR: ART 310: African American Art REL 235: Black Religion ENG 337: African American Literature-1 ENG 338: African American Literature-2 NSC 290: African American Perspectives in Science

FINE ARTS REQUIREMENT: 1 course HUM 210 History and Appreciation of Art (2cr.) General education requirement, offering the student a rich background in the history and philosophy of art as created and developed by all races and cultures from prehistoric and primitive to modern times. Prerequisite: Sophomore standing. OR HUM 211 History and Appreciation of Music (2cr.) General education requirement for all students to develop their understanding of music as a vital part of todays world. Special emphasis on evaluating musical form and content, style, periods, and interpreting music from the Medieval Period to the present. Prerequisite: Sophomore standing. OR HUM 212: History and Appreciation of Theater ART 308: Art History 1 ART 309: Art History 2 MUS 201: Music Literature 1 MUS 202: Music Literature 2 MUS 301: Music History 1 MUS 302: Music History 2 SPD 305: Theater History

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LITERATURE REQUIREMENT: 2 courses (MUST TAKE EITHER 225 OR 226; MAY TAKE BOTH) HUM 225 World Literature I (3cr.) Provides a survey of representative literature from peoples around the world from antiquity to the seventeenth century. Prerequisites: ENG 101 and 102. Offered fall and spring semesters. HUM 226 World Literature II (3cr.) Provides a survey of representative literature from peoples of the world. Included in the survey is a focus on literature produced by the Western World from the latter portion of the seventeenth century to the present. Prerequisites: ENG 101 and 102. Offered fall and spring semesters. OR ENG 323: American Literature 1 ENG 324: American Literature 2 ENG 328: British Literature 1 ENG 329: British Literature 2 ENG 354: Contemporary Literature

FOREIGN LANGUAGE REQUIREMENT: 2 courses FRE 101-102 Elementary French (3cr. per semester) An introduction to the language and civilization of France, including grammar, syntax, vocabulary, pronunciation, diction, conversation, and composition. Prerequisite for FRE 102: FRE 101. May test out of 101. OR SPA 101-102 Elementary Spanish (3cr. each semester) Pronunciation, conversation, grammar, composition, and reading for students having no previous knowledge of the language. Prerequisite for SPA 102: SPA 101. May test out of 101. OR the completion of a higher level language course. MATH REQUIREMENT: 2 courses MAT 115 College Algebra (3cr.) Provides students with the necessary foundation for higher-level mathematics for science, business, mathematics, and interdisciplinary studies. Topics emphasized include real number system, polynomials, factoring, rational expressions, equations and inequalities, radicals, functions and their graphs including exponential inequalities. Prerequisite: MAT 100, satisfactory placement score, or permission of Department Chair. MAT 121 Contemporary College Mathematics (3cr.) Designed for liberal arts and interdisciplinary studies majors. Topics Include set theory, logic, counting methods, probability, statistics, mathematics of finance and trigonometry. Additional topics may include fractal geometry, graph theory and/or voting and apportionment. Prerequisite: MAT 115, satisfactory math placement test scores, or permission of Department Chair. OR 6 credits of higher math classes

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STATISTICS REQUIREMENT: 1 course MAT 201 The Basic Practice of Statistics (3cr.) Instruction provided to students on summarizing data using graphical methods, measures of central tendency, dispersion, position, correlation, regression, data collection, elementary probability, and inferential statistics. Prerequisite: MAT 112 or higher. OR OR PSY 203 Research Methods 1 CCJ 335 Statistics for the Social Sciences

SOCIAL SCIENCES: 3 courses ECO 231 Principles of Economics (3cr.) Provides instruction on basic topics in macroeconomics. Topics include supply and demand analysis, inflation, unemployment, national income determination, fiscal and monetary policy, and international economic issues. OR OR AND PSY 101 General Psychology I (3cr.) An introduction to the major concepts of psychology as a behavioral science, intended primarily for psychology, criminology/criminal justice, social work, and biology majors. Laboratory experiences required. OR AND SOC 200 Principles of Sociology (3cr.) A focus on the empirical and theoretical bases of sociology. Students are taught the fundamental concepts and principles of the discipline and are introduced to sociological methods of interpreting data. Prerequisite for all other sociology courses for students majoring or minoring in sociology. SCIENCE REQUIREMENT: 1 course SCI 150 Introduction to Biological Science (4cr.) and SCI 150L Introduces students to topics that are organized around major life functions and the structures that serve them. Topics include cellular structure and function, maintenance and regulation, reproduction and development, genetics, and basic ecological principles. Designed for nonscience majors. Three hours lecture, two hours laboratory weekly. SPEECH REQUIREMENT: 1 course SPD 217 Informative and Persuasive Speaking (2cr.) Provides instruction on the fundamentals of informative speaking. Students acquire awareness and understanding of informative and persuasive speeches. OR SPD 203: Voice & Diction (3 cr.) PSY 201: Human Growth & Development ECO 200: Consumer Economics ECO 232: Micro-Economics

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ELECTIVES: 6 courses 1 or 2 courses from a related area: criminal justice, philosophy, political science, psychology, public administration, religion, and sociology (a grade of C or better is required) AND 2 or 3 courses from social work (a grade of C or better is required) FOR A TOTAL of 4 courses of social work AND related electives AND 2 courses (6 credits) from any area (which may include social work electives).

SOCIAL WORK COURSES * indicates the course is an elective Social Work majors must receive a grade of C or higher on all social work courses and must maintain a 2.0 total GPA

SWK 200 Freshman Seminar (1 cr) The Freshman Seminar for social work majors is a one credit course, held once a week for 50 minutes. It follows the first semester freshmen orientation class, GST 004, and is an effort to follow through with students into their second semester, freshman year. The course focuses on expanding information from the GST 004 Orientation class, in areas of critical thinking skills and social work as a major and a profession. The course also provides the opportunity to advise social work students, in conjunction with the Center for Undergraduate Studies, so that students are prepared to register for their sophomore year courses, and are aware of the required courses, time frames, and pre-requisites in order move from one semester to the next, with the ultimate goal of graduating with a BSW degree. Prerequisite: GST 004; Offered spring term. SWK 255 Introduction to Social Work (3 cr) This course is an introduction to the profession of social work and to the history of social welfare. Through an examination of the historical and current US social welfare system, students will gain an understanding of the development and the mission of the profession of social work. Students will discover that social work is a helping profession that strives to make a difference by providing service to others and a field of action by promoting social change. The course will introduce students to social work practice roles and methods, social service settings where social workers are employed, and to the variety of people with social challenges that they serve. Prerequisite: none; Offered in the fall term. SWK 256 Communication Skills (3 cr) This course focuses on professional communication skills for social workers. It includes verbal communication, active listening, and interviewing skills. The course also introduces professional writing skills for client related work such as case notes and psychosocial assessments. Heavy emphasis is placed on developing writing skills for professional papers and research using the American Psychological Association (APA) format. Prerequisite: SWK 255; Offered in the spring term. *SWK 290 Conflict Resolution and Interpersonal Skills (3 cr) This course focuses on skill development in two essential components of work practice: solving problems and managing conflict. Developing conflict resolution skills and multicultural competence with sensitivity to values, perspectives and methods of relating to different cultures are integral aspects of this course. Students are invited to critique their own worldviews, values and perspectives and their impact on social interaction. The class is highly interactive and includes small and large group activities. In

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addition, students will examine various urban cultures, including hip hop. Prerequisite: none. Offered spring term SWK 302 Human Behavior and the Social Environment 1 (3cr) This is the first of a required two part-course for social work majors. It provides a systems, ecological and macro perspective to the reciprocal relationships between individuals and their environments throughout the life cycle. It provides a conceptual framework that can serve as a foundation for examining human behavior and human events in the context of the social environment. Social Work 302 covers biological, psychological, social and environmental aspects of the lifespan from conception through young adulthood. Prerequisite: SWK 255 or permission of the instructor. Offered fall term. SWK 303 Human Behavior and the Social Environment 2 (3cr) Social work 303 is part two of a required two-part course for social work majors. It provides systems, ecological and macro perspectives to the reciprocal relationships between individuals and their environments throughout the life cycle. It provides a conceptual framework that can serve as a foundation for examining human behavior and human events. SWK 303 continues the study of human behavior throughout the life span, beginning from middle adulthood through old age and death. Prerequisite: SWK 302. Offered spring term. *SWK 306 Substance Abuse (3 cr) This course examines the definitions, incidence and etiology of alcoholism, substance abuse, and chemical dependence. Included are the five definitions of substance abuse, the physiological effects of alcohol/drug use, and the influence of substance abuse on individuals, families and society. The course also addresses pharmacological properties and psychosocial and cultural aspects of psychoactive substances. The course uses a bio-psycho-social framework for assessment, classification, and treatment of substance use disorders. Special emphasis is placed on the unique characteristics of diverse population groups as related to substance abuse incidence and treatment. Prerequisite: none. Offered fall term. *SWK 307 At-Risk Populations (3 cr) This course provides a strengths-based perspective for intervening with those most vulnerable within the population within society. The course focuses on an ecological and person-in-environment assessment for viewing human needs and problems generated by the dynamic interaction between persons and their environment. A generalist social approach is used to guide interventions with persons who are at risk. Special attention is given to those with diverse lifestyles. Offered alternate spring terms SWK 309 Social Research Methods I (3cr) Social Research Methods is a two term course in the science of discovery. The Research 1 course introduces students to basic research concepts and methodologies. It considers the application of scientific methods to knowledge development in both social work and the social sciences. It examines the evaluation of practice by the social work practitioner with an emphasis on the relationship with the research process, including problem identification formulation, sampling, research design and measurement. Emphasis will also be given to the effect of gender, racial, cultural and ethnic bias on the research process and research findings. People want to understand what is going on in the world around them and are constantly seeking the answers to questions that begin with what, why and how. The main concern in seeking answers to our inquiries is how much confidence can be placed in the accuracy of the conclusions that we reach. Science is one approach to finding out what has developed over the years. We can accept conclusions that we have reached through the use of the scientific method with confidence. Prerequisite: MAT 201 OR CCJ 335 OR PSY 203; Offered fall term.

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SWK 310 Social Research Methods II (3cr) This course is the second of a two semester sequence that requires students to complete a research project. The course will introduce students to sampling techniques, measurement and basic statistical analysis exercises, all of which represent essential skills needed by generalist social work practitioners. In this semester, students will concentrate more on the practical application of theories and techniques learned in SWK 309 (Research 1). This will allow for a better empirical understanding of the effect of gender, racial, cultural and ethnic bias on the research process. The role of ethics in the research process will continue to be a focus of classroom activities, and students will be introduced to the IRB certification process. Prerequisite: SWK 309 AND one of the following: MAT 201 OR CCJ 335 OR PSY 203. Offered spring term. SWK 311 Social Welfare Policy 1 (3 cr) This is the first of a two term sequence. The purpose of this course is to help students understand what drives social welfare policy, how it impacts lives, how it can be changed, and how social workers can advocate for clients. This course is designed to develop policy analysis skills so that students will be able to identify gaps in the service delivery system and inequitable or oppressive aspects of current policy delivery. The course also develops beginning policy practice skills so that students will know how to work toward social change congruent with social work ethics and the profession's commitment to social and economic justice. Prerequisite: SWK 255; Offered fall term. SWK 312 Social Welfare Policy 2 (3cr) This is the second course in the social welfare policy and services content area and it builds on SWK 311 by exploring in depth the current social welfare delivery system through policy analysis using a variety of frameworks and the development of policy practice skills. Working primarily within formal organizations in delivering social services, generalist practitioners need to understand how global, national, state and local agency policies affect the delivery of services to persons in local communities. Prerequisite: SWK 311; Offered spring term. SWK 314 Social Work Ethics (3cr) This course provides a concentrated study and understanding of social work values and ethics on the micro and macro levels, and their application to direct practice, social policy formulation/application and organizational policies and procedures. Emphasis will be placed on utilizing an ethical decision-making model and the NASW Code of Ethics as they are applied to a variety case examples and a research project. Prerequisite: SWK 255 or permission of the instructor; none; Offered fall term. SWK 324 Social Work Practice I (3cr) This course is the first of a three term sequence in social work practice for social work majors only. It is designed to provide a beginning orientation to generalist practice, including the concepts, skills, tasks, and activities essential to beginning professional social work practice in the micro, mezzo and macro levels. Attention is given to the methods social workers employ in the treatment process. In this part of the sequence, effort is made to help the student conceptualize a generic model for generalist practice while detailing specific ways to practice. In addition to interviewing processes, the emphasis is on teaching contracting, relationship dynamics, problem identification and assessment, goal planning and application of concepts. Practice I targets individuals, families and groups and focuses on clinical skills. It includes an experiential component with 15 hours spent working in two different settings. Prerequisites: SWK 255, 256, 302 and 314; majors only. Offered spring term. *SWK 350 Social Work and Spirituality (3cr) This course is designed to introduce students to the importance of integrating spirituality in social work practice while exploring their own spiritual perspectives. Social workers serve people from diverse

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spiritual cultures. This course is designed to assist students to appropriately utilize their clients spiritual resources and strengths to address presenting problems. Prerequisite: none; Offered alternate fall terms. *SWK 360 Health and Aging (3cr) This course will focus on problems and issues which most directly affect older persons and their families. The course is designed to provide students knowledge of the aging process, with a focus on social work intervention through social policy and social services that are designed to help elders and their families. Prerequisite: none; Offered alternate spring terms. *SWK 370 Families and Children (3cr) This course examines current and historical child welfare and family policies and practices that occur in the field of social work. The ecological perspective will be utilized to analyze both child welfare family practices and policies. Family social work concepts and several child welfare policies will be the major focus of the course. Prerequisite: none; Offered alternate fall terms. SWK 380 Social Discrimination (3 cr) This course explores the identification and etiology of institutional and individual prejudice, stereotypes, racism and discrimination, and their effects on the recipients. The inquiry is developed primarily using a social justice model that incorporates social work values and practice. Emphasis is placed on the difficulties faced by racial and ethnic minority populations as well as women, youth, the aged and LGBT populations. Prerequisite: none; Offered fall and spring terms. SWK 424 Social Work Practice II (3cr) This course is the second of a three semester sequence in social work practice for social work majors only. It is designed to expand on the skills and knowledge developed in Practice I. It utilizes the systems approach in mastering the core concepts, skills, tasks and activities that are essential to the practice of social work. The course assists the student in becoming acquainted with how cultural, ethnic, gender, age, disability, race and sexual orientation issues affect practice. The relationship between practice, research and theory is also explored. Practice II targets case management, frontline practice and service delivery; it focuses on advocacy for services. It also supports an experiential component of 200 hours (Field Placement 1) in a single setting, monitored through the Senior Seminar I course. Prerequisites: SWK 255, 256, 302, 303, 314 and 324. It is to be taken concurrently with SWK 426 and 428; majors only. Offered fall term. SWK 425 Social Work Practice III (3 cr) This course is the last of a three-semester sequence in social work for social work majors only. It is designed to provide a beginning orientation to the common core of concepts, skills, tasks, and activities essential to beginning professional social work practice at the micro, mezzo and macro levels. A major thrust of the instructional focus is to integrate key concepts from human behavior, research, policy and practice courses already taken by the student. Practice III targets organizations, communities and institutions and focuses on macro practice. It supports an experiential component of 200 hours (Field Placement II) in a single setting, normally the same setting for both Practice II and III, monitored through the Senior Seminar 2 course. Prerequisites: SWK 255, 256, 302, 303, 314, 324, 424 and 428. It is to be taken concurrently with SWK 427 and 429; majors only. Offered spring term. SWK 426 and SWK 427 Field Placement I & II (8 cr; 4 per semester) This is a two term 400 total hour educationally directed field practicum open only to social work majors. Field placement is an integral part of the social work curriculum. It provides students opportunities to apply theory and skills learned in the classroom as they engage in supervised service activities. Prerequisites: SWK 255, 256, 302, 303, 314 and 324; majors only. Taken concurrently with: SWK 424, 425, 428 and 429. Offered fall and spring terms.

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SWK 428 and SWK 429 Senior Seminar 1 & 2 (2 cr: 1 per semester) This is a two-semester course that provides an opportunity for social work students to correlate and synthesize specific social work requirements. It allows for the integration of all previous course material, operationalizing the social work curriculum with the applied experience of the field practicum and focuses on managing professional ethics, the development of the professional self and an ongoing ability to process the field experience. Active participation of the student is required since the seminar supports and supplements field instruction. Prerequisites: SWK 255, 256, 302, 303, 314 and 324; majors only. Taken concurrently with SWK 424, 425, 428 and 429; offered fall and spring terms. *SWK 490 Selected Topics (3 cr) These topics provide students with an in-depth study on a particular topic of current interest in social work. Topics may include: Social Legislation, Global Mental Health, Social Work in the Urban Setting, Community Organizing and others. Prerequisite: SWK 255 or permission of the instructor. *SWK 499 Independent Study (1 3 cr) This course provides an opportunity for students to select and research a relevant social work topic under the supervision of the instructor. Prerequisite: SWK 255, SWK 309 and permission of the instructor.

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Council on Social Work Education 2008 Educational Policy and Accreditation Standards
Purpose: Social Work Practice, Education, and Educational Policy and Accreditation Standards
The purpose of the social work profession is to promote human and community well-being. Guided by a person and environment construct, a global perspective, respect for human diversity, and knowledge based on scientific inquiry, social works purpose is actualized through its quest for social and economic justice, the prevention of conditions that limit human rights, the elimination of poverty, and the enhancement of the quality of life for all persons. Social work educators serve the profession through their teaching, scholarship, and service. Social work educationat the baccalaureate, masters, and doctoral levelsshapes the professions future through the education of competent professionals, the generation of knowledge, and the exercise of leadership within the professional community. The Council on Social Work Education (CSWE) uses the Educational Policy and Accreditation Standards (EPAS) to accredit baccalaureate- and masters-level social work programs. EPAS supports academic excellence by establishing thresholds for professional competence. It permits programs to use traditional and emerging models of curriculum design by balancing requirements that promote comparability across programs with a level of flexibility that encourages programs to differentiate. EPAS describe four features of an integrated curriculum design: (1) program mission and goals; (2) explicit curriculum; (3) implicit curriculum; and (4) assessment. The Educational Policy and Accreditation Standards are conceptually linked. Educational Policy describes each curriculum feature. Accreditation Standards (in italics) are derived from the Educational Policy and specify the requirements used to develop and maintain an accredited social work program at the baccalaureate (B) or masters (M) level.

1. Program Mission and Goals

Educational Policy 1.0Program Mission and Goals The mission and goals of each social work program address the professions purpose, are grounded in core professional values (EP 1.1), and are informed by context (EP 1.2). Educational Policy 1.1Values Service, social justice, the dignity and worth of the person, the importance of human relationships, integrity, competence,1 human rights, and scientific inquiry are among the core values of social work. These values underpin the explicit and implicit curriculum and frame the professions commitment to respect for all people and the quest for social and economic justice. Educational Policy 1.2Program Context Context encompasses the mission of the institution in which the program is located and the needs and opportunities associated with the setting. Programs are further influenced by their historical, political, economic, social, cultural, demographic, and global contexts and by the ways they elect to engage these

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factors. Additional factors include new knowledge, technology, and ideas that may have a bearing on contemporary and future social work education and practice.
Accreditation Standard 1.0Mission and Goals The social work programs mission and goals reflect the professions purpose and values and the programs context. 1.0.1 The program submits its mission statement and describes how it is consistent with the professions purpose and values and the programs context. 1.0.2 The program identifies its goals and demonstrates how they are derived from the programs mission.

2. Explicit Curriculum
Educational Policy 2.0The Social Work Curriculum and Professional Practice The explicit curriculum constitutes the programs formal educational structure and includes the courses and the curriculum. Social work education is grounded in the liberal arts, which provide the intellectual basis for the professional curriculum and inform its design. The explicit curriculum achieves the programs competencies through an intentional design that includes the foundation offered at the baccalaureate and masters levels and the advanced curriculum offered at the masters level. The BSW curriculum prepares its graduates for generalist practice through mastery of the core competencies. The MSW curriculum prepares its graduates for advanced practice through mastery of the core competencies augmented by knowledge and practice behaviors specific to a concentration. Educational Policy 2.1Core Competencies Competency-based education is an outcome performance approach to curriculum design. Competencies are measurable practice behaviors that are comprised of knowledge, values, and skills. The goal of the outcome approach is to demonstrate the integration and application of the competencies in practice with individuals, families, groups, organizations, and communities. The ten core competencies are listed below [EP 2.1.1EP 2.1.10(d)], followed by a description of characteristic knowledge, values, skills, and the resulting practice behaviors that may be used to operationalize the curriculum and assessment methods. Programs may add competencies consistent with their missions and goals. Educational Policy 2.1.1Identify as a professional social worker and conduct oneself accordingly. Social workers serve as representatives of the profession, its mission, and its core values. They know the professions history. Social workers commit themselves to the professions enhancement and to their own professional conduct and growth. Social workers advocate for client access to the services of social work; practice personal reflection and self-correction to assure continual professional development; attend to professional roles and boundaries; demonstrate professional demeanor in behavior, appearance, and communication; engage in career-long learning; and use supervision and consultation. Educational Policy 2.1.2Apply social work ethical principles to guide professional practice.

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Social workers have an obligation to conduct themselves ethically and to engage in ethical decisionmaking. Social workers are knowledgeable about the value base of the profession, its ethical standards, and relevant law. Social workers recognize and manage personal values in a way that allows professional values to guide practice; make ethical decisions by applying standards of the National Association of Social Workers Code of Ethics2 and, as applicable, of the International Federation of Social Workers/International Association of Schools of Social Work Ethics in Social Work, Statement of Principles;3 tolerate ambiguity in resolving ethical conflicts; and apply strategies of ethical reasoning to arrive at principled decisions. Educational Policy 2.1.3Apply critical thinking to inform and communicate professional judgments. Social workers are knowledgeable about the principles of logic, scientific inquiry, and reasoned discernment. They use critical thinking augmented by creativity and curiosity. Critical thinking also requires the synthesis and communication of relevant information. Social workers distinguish, appraise, and integrate multiple sources of knowledge, including research-based knowledge, and practice wisdom; analyze models of assessment, prevention, intervention, and evaluation; and demonstrate effective oral and written communication in working with individuals, families, groups, organizations, communities, and colleagues. Educational Policy 2.1.4Engage diversity and difference in practice. Social workers understand how diversity characterizes and shapes the human experience and is critical to the formation of identity. The dimensions of diversity are understood as the intersectionality of multiple factors including age, class, color, culture, disability, ethnicity, gender, gender identity and expression, immigration status, political ideology, race, religion, sex, and sexual orientation. Social workers appreciate that, as a consequence of difference, a persons life experiences may include oppression, poverty, marginalization, and alienation as well as privilege, power, and acclaim. Social workers recognize the extent to which a cultures structures and values may oppress, marginalize, alienate, or create or enhance privilege and power; gain sufficient self-awareness to eliminate the influence of personal biases and values in working with diverse groups; recognize and communicate their understanding of the importance of difference in shaping life experiences; and view themselves as learners and engage those with whom they work as informants. Educational Policy 2.1.5Advance human rights and social and economic justice. Each person, regardless of position in society, has basic human rights, such as freedom, safety, privacy, an adequate standard of living, health care, and education. Social workers recognize the global interconnections of oppression and are knowledgeable about theories of justice and strategies to promote human and civil rights. Social work incorporates social justice practices in organizations, institutions, and society to ensure that these basic human rights are distributed equitably and without prejudice. Social workers understand the forms and mechanisms of oppression and discrimination; advocate for human rights and social and economic justice; and
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 engage in practices that advance social and economic justice. Educational Policy 2.1.6Engage in research-informed practice and practice-informed research. Social workers use practice experience to inform research, employ evidence-based interventions, evaluate their own practice, and use research findings to improve practice, policy, and social service delivery. Social workers comprehend quantitative and qualitative research and understand scientific and ethical approaches to building knowledge. Social workers use practice experience to inform scientific inquiry and use research evidence to inform practice. Educational Policy 2.1.7Apply knowledge of human behavior and the social environment. Social workers are knowledgeable about human behavior across the life course; the range of social systems in which people live; and the ways social systems promote or deter people in maintaining or achieving health and well-being. Social workers apply theories and knowledge from the liberal arts to understand biological, social, cultural, psychological, and spiritual development. Social workers utilize conceptual frameworks to guide the processes of assessment, intervention, and evaluation; and critique and apply knowledge to understand person and environment. Educational Policy 2.1.8Engage in policy practice to advance social and economic well-being and to deliver effective social work services. Social work practitioners understand that policy affects service delivery, and they actively engage in policy practice. Social workers know the history and current structures of social policies and services; the role of policy in service delivery; and the role of practice in policy development. Social workers analyze, formulate, and advocate for policies that advance social well-being; and collaborate with colleagues and clients for effective policy action. Educational Policy 2.1.9Respond to contexts that shape practice. Social workers are informed, resourceful, and proactive in responding to evolving organizational, community, and societal contexts at all levels of practice. Social workers recognize that the context of practice is dynamic, and use knowledge and skill to respond proactively. Social workers continuously discover, appraise, and attend to changing locales, populations, scientific and technological developments, and emerging societal trends to provide relevant services; and provide leadership in promoting sustainable changes in service delivery and practice to improve the quality of social services. Educational Policy 2.1.10(a)(d)Engage, assess, intervene, and evaluate with individuals, families, groups, organizations, and communities. Professional practice involves the dynamic and interactive processes of engagement, assessment, intervention, and evaluation at multiple levels. Social workers have the knowledge and skills to practice with individuals, families, groups, organizations, and communities. Practice knowledge includes identifying, analyzing, and implementing evidence-based interventions designed to achieve client goals; using research and technological advances; evaluating program outcomes and practice effectiveness; developing, analyzing, advocating, and providing leadership for policies and services; and promoting social and economic justice.

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Educational Policy 2.1.10(a)Engagement Social workers substantively and affectively prepare for action with individuals, families, groups, organizations, and communities; use empathy and other interpersonal skills; and develop a mutually agreed-on focus of work and desired outcomes. Educational Policy 2.1.10(b)Assessment Social workers collect, organize, and interpret client data; assess client strengths and limitations; develop mutually agreed-on intervention goals and objectives; and select appropriate intervention strategies. Educational Policy 2.1.10(c)Intervention Social workers initiate actions to achieve organizational goals; implement prevention interventions that enhance client capacities; help clients resolve problems; negotiate, mediate, and advocate for clients; and facilitate transitions and endings. Educational Policy 2.1.10(d)Evaluation Social workers critically analyze, monitor, and evaluate interventions. Educational Policy B2.2Generalist Practice Generalist practice is grounded in the liberal arts and the person and environment construct. To promote human and social well-being, generalist practitioners use a range of prevention and intervention methods in their practice with individuals, families, groups, organizations, and communities. The generalist practitioner identifies with the social work profession and applies ethical principles and critical thinking in practice. Generalist practitioners incorporate diversity in their practice and advocate for human rights and social and economic justice. They recognize, support, and build on the strengths and resiliency of all human beings. They engage in research-informed practice and are proactive in responding to the impact of context on professional practice. BSW practice incorporates all of the core competencies. Educational Policy 2.3Signature Pedagogy: Field Education Signature pedagogy represents the central form of instruction and learning in which a profession socializes its students to perform the role of practitioner. Professionals have pedagogical norms with which they connect and integrate theory and practice.4 In social work, the signature pedagogy is field education. The intent of field education is to connect the theoretical and conceptual contribution of the classroom with the practical world of the practice setting. It is a basic precept of social work education that the two interrelated components of curriculumclassroom and fieldare of equal importance within the curriculum, and each contributes to the development of the requisite competencies of professional practice. Field education is systematically designed, supervised, coordinated, and evaluated based on criteria by which students demonstrate the achievement of program competencies.
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Accreditation Standard B2.0Curriculum The 10 core competencies are used to design the professional curriculum. The program B2.0.1 Discusses how its mission and goals are consistent with generalist practice as defined in EP B2.2. B2.0.2 Identifies its competencies consistent with EP 2.1 through 2.1.10(d). B2.0.3 Provides an operational definition for each of its competencies used in its curriculum design and its assessment [EP 2.1 through 2.1.10(d)]. B2.0.4 Provides a rationale for its formal curriculum design demonstrating how it is used to develop a coherent and integrated curriculum for both classroom and field (EP 2.0). B2.0.5 Describes and explains how its curriculum content (knowledge, values, and skills) implements the operational definition of each of its competencies. Accreditation Standard 2.1Field Education The program discusses how its field education program 2.1.1 Connects the theoretical and conceptual contribution of the classroom with the practice setting, fostering the implementation of evidence-informed practice. B2.1.2 Provides generalist practice opportunities for students to demonstrate the core competencies. 2.1.3 Provides a minimum of 400 hours of field education for baccalaureate programs and 900 hours for master's programs. 2.1.4 Admits only those students who have met the program's specified criteria for field education. 2.1.5 Specifies policies, criteria, and procedures for selecting field settings; placing and monitoring students; maintaining field liaison contacts with field education settings; and evaluating student learning and field setting effectiveness congruent with the prog rams competencies. 2.1.6 Specifies the credentials and practice experience of its field instructors necessary to design field learning opportunities for students to demonstrate program competencies. Field instructors for baccalaureate students hold a baccalaureate or master's degree in social work from a CSWE-accredited program. Field instructors for master's students hold a master's degree in social work from a CSWE-accredited program. For cases in which a field instructor does not hold a CSWE-accredited social work degree, the program assumes responsibility for reinforcing a social work perspective and describes how this is accomplished. 2.1.7 Provides orientation, field instruction training, and continuing dialog with field education settings and field instructors. 2.1.8 Develops policies regarding field placements in an organization in which the student is also employed. To ensure the role of student as learner, student assignments and field education supervision are not the same as those of the students employment.

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3. Implicit Curriculum
Educational Policy 3.0Implicit Curriculum: The Learning Environment The implicit curriculum refers to the educational environment in which the explicit curriculum is presented. It is composed of the following elements: the programs commitment to diversity; admissions policies and procedures; advisement, retention, and termination policies; student participation in governance; faculty; administrative structure; and resources. The implicit curriculum is manifested through policies that are fair and transparent in substance and implementation, the qualifications of the faculty, and the adequacy of resources. The culture of human interchange; the spirit of inquiry; the support for difference and diversity; and the values and priorities in the educational environment, including the field setting, inform the students learning and development. The implicit curriculum is as important as the explicit curriculum in shaping the professional character and competence of the programs graduates. Heightened awareness of the importance of the implicit curriculum promotes an educational culture that is congruent with the values of the profession.5 Educational Policy 3.1Diversity The programs commitment to diversityincluding age, class, color, culture, disability, ethnicity, gender, gender identity and expression, immigration status, political ideology, race, religion, sex, and sexual orientationis reflected in its learning environment (institutional setting; selection of field education settings and their clientele; composition of program advisory or field committees; educational and social resources; resource allocation; program leadership; speaker series, seminars, and special programs; support groups; research and other initiatives; and the demographic make-up of its faculty, staff, and student body).
Accreditation Standard 3.1Diversity 3.1.1 The program describes the specific and continuous efforts it makes to provide a learning environment in which respect for all persons and understanding of diversity and difference are practiced. 3.1.2 The program describes how its learning environment models affirmation and respect for diversity and difference. 3.1.3 The program discusses specific plans to improve the learning environment to affirm and support persons with diverse identities.

Educational Policy 3.2Student Development Educational preparation and commitment to the profession are essential qualities in the admission and development of students for professional practice. To promote the social work education continuum, BSW graduates admitted to MSW programs are presented with an articulated pathway toward a concentration. Student participation in formulating and modifying policies affecting academic and student affairs are important for the students professional development.
Accreditation Standard 3.2Student Development: Admissions; Advisement, Retention, and Termination; and Student Participation Admissions B3.2.1 The program identifies the criteria it uses for admission.

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3.2.2 The program describes the process and procedures for evaluating applications and notifying applicants of the decision and any contingent conditions associated with admission. 3.2.4 The program describes its policies and procedures concerning the transfer of credits. 3.2.5 The program submits its written policy indicating that it does not grant social work course credit for life experience or previous work experience. The program documents how it informs applicants and other constituents of this policy. Advisement, retention, and termination 3.2.6 The program describes its academic and professional advising policies and procedures. Professional advising is provided by social work program faculty, staff, or both. 3.2.7 The program spells out how it informs students of its criteria for evaluating their academic and professional performance, including policies and procedures for grievance. 3.2.8 The program submits its policies and procedures for terminating a student's enrollment in the social work program for reasons of academic and professional performance. Student participation 3.2.9 The program describes its policies and procedures specifying students rights and responsibilities to participate in formulating and modifying policies affecting academic and student affairs. 3.2.10 The program demonstrates how it provides opportunities and encourages students to organize in their interests.

Educational Policy 3.3Faculty Faculty qualifications, including experience related to the programs competencies, and an appropriate student-faculty ratio are essential for developing an educational environment that promotes, emulates, and teaches students the knowledge, values, and skills expected of professional social workers. Through their teaching, scholarship, and serviceas well as their interactions with one another, administration, students, and communitythe programs faculty models the behavior and values expected of professional social workers.
Accreditation Standard 3.3Faculty 3.3.1 The program identifies each full and part-time social work faculty member and discusses her/his qualifications, competence, expertise in social work education and practice, and years of service to the program. Faculty who teach social work practice courses have a master's degree in social work from a CSWE-accredited program and at least two years of social work practice experience. 3.3.2 The program discusses how faculty size is commensurate with the number and type of curricular offerings in class and field; class size; number of students; and the faculty's teaching, scholarly, and service responsibilities. To carry out the ongoing functions of the program, the full-time equivalent faculty-to-student ratio is usually 1:25 for baccalaureate programs and 1:12 for masters programs. B3.3.3 The baccalaureate social work program identifies no fewer than two full-time faculty assigned to the program, with full-time appointment in social work, and whose principal assignment is to the baccalaureate program. The majority and no fewer than two

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of the full-time faculty has either a masters degree in social work from a CSWE-accredited program, with a doctoral degree preferred, or a baccalaureate degree in social work from a CSWE-accredited program and a doctoral degree preferably in social work. 3.3.4 The program describes its faculty workload policy and discusses how the policy supports the achievement of institutional priorities and the program's mission and goals. 3.3.5 Faculty demonstrate ongoing professional development as teachers, scholars, and practitioners through dissemination of research and scholarship, exchanges with external constituencies such as practitioners and agencies, and through other professionally relevant creative activities that support the achievement of institutional priorities and the programs mission and goals. 3.3.6 The program describes how its faculty models the behavior and values of the profession in the programs educational environment.

Educational Policy 3.4Administrative Structure Social work faculty and administrators, based on their education, knowledge, and skills, are best suited to make decisions regarding the delivery of social work education. They exercise autonomy in designing an administrative and leadership structure, developing curriculum, and formulating and implementing policies that support the education of competent social workers.
Accreditation Standard 3.4Administrative Structure 3.4.1 The program describes its administrative structure and shows how it provides the necessary autonomy to achieve the programs mission and goals. 3.4.2 The program describes how the social work faculty has responsibility for defining program curriculum consistent with the Educational Policy and Accreditation Standards and the institutions policies. 3.4.3 The program describes how the administration and faculty of the social work program participate in formulating and implementing policies related to the recruitment, hiring, retention, promotion, and tenure of program personnel. 3.4.4 The program identifies the social work program director. Institutions with accredited BSW and MSW programs appoint a separate director for each. B3.4.4(a) The program describes the BSW program directors leadership ability through teaching, scholarship, curriculum development, administrative experience, and other academic and professional activities in social work. The program documents that the director has a masters degree in social work from a CSWE-accredited program with a doctoral degree preferred or a baccalaureate degree in social work from a CSWEaccredited program and a doctoral degree, preferably in social work. B3.4.4(b) The program provides documentation that the director has a full-time appointment to the social work program. B3.4.4(c) The program describes the procedures for determining the program directors assigned time to provide educational and administrative leadership to the program. To carry out the administrative functions of the program, a minimum of 25% assigned time is required at the baccalaureate level. The program demonstrates this time is sufficient.

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3.4.5 The program identifies the field education director. 3.4.5(a) The program describes the field directors ability to provide leadership in the field education program through practice experience, field instruction experience, and administrative and other relevant academic and professional activities in social work. 3.4.5(b) The program documents that the field education director has a masters degree in social work from a CSWE-accredited program and at least 2 years of postbaccalaureate or postmaster's social work degree practice experience. B3.4.5(c) The program describes the procedures for determining the field directo rs assigned time to provide educational and administrative leadership for field education. To carry out the administrative functions of the field at least 25% assigned time is required for baccalaureate programs. The program demonstrates this time is sufficient. 3.4.5(d) The program provides documentation that the field director has a fulltime appointment to the social work program.

Educational Policy 3.5Resources Adequate resources are fundamental to creating, maintaining, and improving an educational environment that supports the development of competent social work practitioners. Social work programs have the necessary resources to support learning and professionalization of students and program improvement.
Accreditation Standard 3.5Resources 3.5.1 The program describes the procedures for budget development and administration it uses to achieve its mission and goals. The program submits the budget form to demonstrate sufficient and stable financial supports that permit program planning and faculty development. 3.5.2 The program describes how it uses resources to continuously improve the program and address challenges in the programs context. 3.5.3 The program demonstrates sufficient support staff, other personnel, and technological resources to support itself. 3.5.4 The program submits the library form to demonstrate comprehensive library holdings and/or electronic access and other informational and educational resources necessary for achieving its mission and goals. 3.5.5 The program describes and demonstrates sufficient office and classroom space and/or computer-mediated access to achieve its mission and goals. 3.5.6 The program describes its access to assistive technology, including materials in alternative formats (e.g., Braille, large print, books on tape, assistive learning systems).

4. Assessment
Educational Policy 4.0Assessment Assessment is an integral component of competency-based education. To evaluate the extent to which the competencies have been met, a system of assessment is central to this model of education. Data from

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assessment continuously inform and promote change in the explicit and implicit curriculum to enhance attainment of program competencies.
Accreditation Standard 4.0Assessment 4.0.1 The program presents its plan to assess the attainment of its competencies. The plan specifies procedures, multiple measures, and benchmarks to assess the attainment of each of the programs competencies (AS B2.0.3; AS M2.0.4). 4.0.2 The program provides evidence of ongoing data collection and analysis and discusses how it uses assessment data to affirm and/or make changes in the explicit and implicit curriculum to enhance student performance. 4.0.3 The program identifies any changes in the explicit and implicit curriculum based on the analysis of the assessment data. 4.0.4 The program describes how it makes its constituencies aware of its assessment outcomes. 4.0.5 The program appends the summary data for each measure used to assess the attainment of each competency for at least one academic year prior to the submission of the self-study.

Footnotes
1

These six value elements reflect the National Association of Social Workers Code of Ethics. National Association of Social Workers (approved 1996, revised 1999). Code of Ethics for Social Workers. Washington, D.C.: NASW.
2

National Association of Social Workers (approved 1996, revised 1999). Code of Ethics for Social Workers. Washington, DC: NASW.
3

International Federation of Social Workers and International Association of Schools of Social Work. (2004). Ethics in Social Work, Statement of Principles. Retrieved January 2, 2008 from http://www.ifsw.org
4

Shulman, L. S. (2005, Summer). Signature pedagogies in the professions. Daedelus, 52-59.

Eisner, E. W. (2002). The educational imagination: On the design and evaluation of school programs (3rd ed.). New York: Macmillan.

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