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The Social Work Program's principal mission is preparing students for beginning level, professional generalist social work practice in a culturally diverse society and an increasingly global environment. Central to this mission is preparing students for a profession dedicated to assisting individuals, groups, families, communities, and organizations in their quest for well-being. The program is committed to teaching students to work for the development of a society which promotes equality, justice, respect for human diversity, and adequate sustenance for all its members. The program seeks to train and encourage its students to be active, personally and professionally, in taking leadership roles in addressing social problems and challenging social, economic, and environmental injustice. The program is committed to developing students' skills in culturally competent social work practice, research, social service and social policy formation, and political advocacy in order to further this mission.

Program Goals

The Social Work Program has six goals that encompass both the program’s and college’s philosophy and mission. They are:

1. To prepare undergraduate students who are firmly grounded with an interdisciplinary liberal arts education, social work values and ethical standards, an understanding of the social work profession’s history, purpose, and philosophical tenets, and the necessary competency skills for generalist beginning level professional social work practice with individuals, families, groups, organizations, and communities in a culturally diverse society.

2. To prepare students with the knowledge base, values, and skills to be competent social work professionals who can effectively advocate for the development of social policies and social service delivery systems that improve the well being of client systems.

3. To prepare students to take an active role, personally and professionally, in addressing social problems and to challenge social, economic, and environmental injustice.

4. To prepare students of sufficient ability for admission to graduate schools of social work in their quest for greater professional competence

5. To provide the social service delivery system in the immediate metropolitan area a pool of professionally and culturally competent generalist social work practitioners.

6. To provide opportunities for professional growth to social workers and other human service practitioners in the community through participation in the degree program or special events offered under the program’s auspices.

Program Objectives

The following program objectives and expected educational outcomes are consistent with the program’s mission and goals and the Educational Policy and Accreditation Standards of the Council on Social Work Education. They are designed to prepare program graduates to be competent, skilled, generalist social work professionals and to be active citizens in the struggle for social justice and progressive social change. The program’s expected educational outcomes are the knowledge and skills that the program faculty feels best meet the intentions of the program objectives.

Objective 1: Prepare graduates to apply the knowledge and skills of generalist social work practice with systems of all sizes.

Objective 2: Prepare graduates to use critical thinking skills within the context of professional social work practice.

Objective 3: Prepare students to understand and apply empirically-based theoretical frameworks that inform the interactions between individuals and social systems.

Objective 4: Prepare students to practice within the values and ethics of the social work profession.

Objective 5: Prepare students with an understanding of the history of social welfare and the social work profession.

Objective 6: Prepare student to understand the forms and mechanisms of oppression and discrimination and apply the strategies of change that advance social, economic, and environmental justice.

Objective 7: Prepare students to understand the relationship between the physical and social environment and the impact of the physical environment on client system well-being and social work practice.

Objective 8: Prepare students to practice without discrimination and with respect, knowledge, and skills related to clients’ age, class, color, culture, disability, ethnicity, family structure, gender, marital status, national origin, race, religion, sex, and sexual orientation.

Objective 9: Prepare students to function within the structure of organizations and service delivery systems, and under supervision, seek necessary organizational change

Objective 10: Prepare students to evaluate research studies and apply findings to practice, and evaluate their own practice interventions.

Objective 11: Prepare students to understand how to analyze, formulate, and advocate for social policies that impact on client systems, social workers, and social agencies.

Objective 12: Prepare students to use supervision and consultation appropriate to generalist practice.

Objective 13: Prepare graduates to utilize oral, written, and computer communication skills effectively in a variety of contexts including clients, colleagues, and members of the community.