Social Work

Associate Professors J. Kunz, C. Orzolek-Kronner (Department Chair); Lecturer M. Young.

Areas of particular teaching interest: Associate Professor Orzolek-Kronner: clinical practice, human behavior, and women’s issues; Associate Professor Kunz:social welfare, policy, and macro practice. The primary mission of the Social Work Department is to prepare social work students for entry-level, culturally sensitive generalist social work practice. The Department supports a basic understanding of various client systems including individuals, families, groups, organizations, and communities and the helping roles assumed by social work students in an effort to enhance quality of life within client systems. Students are provided with the knowledge, skills, and training needed to work effectively with at-risk populations with a particular emphasis on children, women, and the elderly.

The Social Work Department endeavors to have students understand and demonstrate social work values and ethics. The Department respects diversity of client populations and lifestyles. The development of an understanding of bio-psycho-socio-cultural components within the person/environment equation is encouraged throughout Social Work courses. The uniqueness of all students and the growth and development of their professional self are emphasized within the curriculum.

The foundation courses within the major provide an understanding of the theories and dynamics of human behavior, various client systems, practice skills, policy development and analysis, helping roles, and research methods. In their senior year, students are placed in a human service organization agency under the supervision of a master’s level social worker two days a week for a two-semester internship. By the completion of the social work major, students are capable of asserting leadership in the establishment, provision, and delivery of human services at the local, state, national, and international levels.

The Social Work Department is nationally accredited by the Council on Social Work Education. Graduates can move directly into social work positions, are eligible for state licensure at the baccalaureate level, and qualify for advanced standing at most graduate schools of Social Work.

Major requirements include the Social Work foundation courses and a variety of courses from other liberal arts departments. Students interested in this program should consult with a social work faculty member as early as possible in their academic planning to ensure proper sequencing of courses and eligibility for the field. If you are considering Social Work as a major, you must meet the following requirements:

A minimum overall GPA of 3.00 for all college courses.
Completion of SWK 2217 and SWK 2218 with a minimum grade of 3.00.
Successful interview with a member of the social work faculty before participation in the senior year field placement experience.

Please see the Education section under Curriculum in this catalog for teacher certification requirements in Social Work.

Please see the Dual Major section for dual majors with Political Science.

Departmental Honors

Students are encouraged to request consideration for departmental honors at the beginning of the fall semester of their senior year. The basic academic criteria is a cumulative 3.20 GPA and a 3.50 in the major. General standards to complete the process along with past honors projects are presented and discussed during the initial three weeks of class in senior seminar. Students are required to request consideration by October 1st.

Student selection is made by faculty consensus. In addition to academic performance, other criteria include a consistent demonstration of emotional and interpersonal intelligence (i.e., effective interpersonal communication, coping and adapting ability, high ethical standards) along with a highly developed sense of social responsibility (i.e., social justice and advocacy). A maximum of two students are selected per academic year.

Once selected, students are assigned to work with a sponsoring Social Work faculty member. However, the project’s objectives and methodology are decided by faculty consensus. Length, time, and type of project varies significantly dependent on student professional interest and ability. All projects, however, are required to reflect core social work theory and models that not only contribute to understanding people and society (assessment) but also those that support practical methods for working with them (intervention). In addition, all approved projects must include student activity that require the fundamental liberal arts skills of competence with information technology, writing, and public speaking.