The OSU COLLEGE OF SOCIAL WORK

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The OSU COLLEGE OF SOCIAL WORK

• William (Bill) Meezan
• Dean and Professor
• Presentation to the Council of Deans
• March 25, 2008

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Increasing Demand for Social Workers

• The demand for professional social work
  practitioners is great
• The majority of mental health, child welfare, and
  family services in the US are provided by social
  workers
• Social workers are an integral component of
  interdisciplinary teams in education, health
  care, and gerontology
• One finds trained social workers in the fields of
  substance abuse, corrections, juvenile justice,
  economic security, and employee assistance
• Substantial numbers of social workers provide
  counseling and psychotherapy through private
  practices
• Data from national studies indicate that the
  demand for masters-level prepared social workers
  will increase significantly in the coming years
• The Bureau of Labor Statistics predicts an 18 to
  26 percent increase in the demand for new social
  workers by the year 2014
• The Wall Street Journal named social work a best
  career for the future

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Barriers to Meeting Demand/Recruitment to the
Profession

• Salaries, both starting and ongoing
• For early career social workers
• BSSW median salaries -- 32,115
• MSW median salaries -- 43,241
• Debt load of students
• Need for better match between providers with
  those who utilize service
• Issues of minority recruitment and diversity
• Difficulty of work
• Nature of presenting problems and available,
  proven, evidence-based interventions
• Nature of the work environment leading to high
  turnover
• Lack of commitment to the welfare state and
  institutional supports

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Barriers to Meeting Demand/Recruitment to the
Profession

• Graying of professionals
• Despite number of educational programs,
  educational pipeline is insufficient to meet
  demand
• Large number of small programs
• 12 of faculty positions go unfilled small
  programs still hiring MSWs
• Social Work is a female-dominated profession
• Significant salary gap between men and women
  (gt7000 controlling for other vars.)
• Differential working patterns of women (child
  rearing work patterns in later years)
• Image (welfare child protective services, etc.)
• Social Work Image Campaign currently under way
• Social Work Reinvestment Act just introduced into
  Congress
• Patterning our efforts on the successful
  transition of nursing

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Context of Social Work Education

• Nationally
• 482 Bachelors Programs
• 212 Masters Programs
• 81 Doctoral Program
• In Ohio
• 25 Bachelors Programs
• 8 Masters Programs
• 2 Doctoral Programs
• Few national programs

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Bifurcation of Professional Education

• Education at the bachelors and masters levels is
  focused on training practitioners
• Education at the doctoral level is (usually)
  focused on training for knowledge development
• Bachelors and masters programs are accredited by
  the Council on Social Work Education no doctoral
  program accreditation
• Doctoral programs in social work vary
  tremendously one from another
• Most require students who have been trained for
  professional practice to make a number of
  transitions to become scholars who will have the
  dual roles of advancing social work knowledge and
  training professional practitioners.

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The OSU College of Social Work

• First accredited in 1929, The College of Social
  Work at OSU is the nation's oldest continuingly
  accredited social work program in a public
  university.
• USNWR ranked 15th among publics 24th among all
  programs
• Rankings are reputational not part of the NRC
  Professional organization of deans is attempting
  to benchmark schools based on objective criteria
  since NRC refused our request to be included
• Ranked only every four years next rankings are
  due out shortly
• Rankings are supposedly of MSW programs, but in
  reality are not dominated by large programs
  oldest programs in private universities and
  free standing schools/colleges
• Mix in rankings between research schools and
  practice schools
• In last 12 years, few changes in reputational
  rankings among top 15 programs
• Small changes in reputational scores make for
  large gains/losses in rankings

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Vision/Mission

• VISION
• Embrace Difference. Seek Justice. Be the
  Change.
• MISSION (pending final approval)
• The College of Social Work, through excellence
  in teaching, research, and service, prepares
  leaders who enhance individual and community
  well-being, celebrate difference, and promote
  social and economic justice for vulnerable
  populations. The College fosters social change
  through collaboration with individuals, families,
  communities, and other change agents to build
  strengths and resolve complex individual and
  social problems. As an internationally
  recognized College, we build and apply knowledge
  that positively impacts Ohio, the nation, and the
  world.
•  

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CORE VALUES

• Dignity and worth of the person.
• Importance of human relationships.
• Building knowledge through open inquiry.
• Competence.
• Integrity.
• Social Justice.
• Service.
• (Derived from the NASW Code of Ethics)

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COLLEGE IS MODERATE SIZE FOR SOCIAL WORK PROGRAM
BUT A SMALL UNIT FOR CAMPUS

• 250 Undergraduates
• 100 freshmen and sophomores (pre-social work
  majors) 150 majors
• 27 non-white 87 women
• 450 Masters students -- full-, part-time, and
  advanced standing program
• 23 non-white 85 women
• 45 Doctoral students
• 35 non-white 80 women
• 29 Tenure Line Faculty
• 24 non-white 69 women
• 5 Field Faculty (Soon move to clinical)
• 20 non-white 100 women
•  

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Four Strategic Areas

• Renew the Colleges educational programs
• Enhance the research infrastructure of the
  college and the research productivity of the
  faculty
• Review and enhance the administrative
  infrastructure at the college
• Enhance the diversity of students, faculty, and
  staff at the college

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Educational Programs The BSSW

• Offers a generalist curriculum that prepares
  graduates to work in any social welfare agencies
  or institution. 
• The Career Acceleration Plan (CAP) permits a
  limited number of students to complete the BSSW
  in one year (four quarters)
• Newly revitalized Honors Program
• Future Plans
• Revitalization of the curriculum in preparation
  for CSWE accreditation in 2010
• Increase pre-social work program to 150 increase
  undergraduate majors to 200 on Columbus Campus
• Potentially bring undergraduate major to three
  regional campuses (Mansfield, Lima, Marion)
• Develop and offer minors
• Addictions Studies
• Social Justice
• Offer additional undergraduate courses available
  to all undergraduates

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Educational ProgramsThe MSW

• Offers specializations in direct social work
  practice and social administration.
• Has significant course offerings in the fields of
  health, mental health, behavioral health, child
  welfare, developmental disabilities, aging, and
  corrections
• Offers MSW program at three regional campuses
  (Mansfield, Newark and Lima
• Offers two additional off campus programs (FCCS
  and Wright State)
• Potential program with ADAMH Board and its
  agencies
• Offers dual degrees with Public Policy and
  Management City and Regional Planning Public
  Health

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The MSWOther Significant Program Features

• One of two programs in the state that trains and
  certifies school social workers
• Participates the interdisciplinary graduate
  programs in aging, womens studies, disability
  studies, sexuality studies, interprofessional
  practice
• Allows minor in African American studies
• Offers certificate in AIDS care
• Additional certificates under consideration
  Non-profit management The addictions Jewish
  Communal Services
• Emerging Commitment to Internationalization
• New course in Comparative Social Welfare (2008)
• Study abroad programs for students in Poland and
  India (current)
• Plans for study abroad programs to Ghana (2009),
• and Mexico (2010).

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MSW Plans for Future

• Revitalization/renewal of the curriculum in
  preparation for CSWE accreditation in 2010
• Determine multiple measures for assessment of
  student competencies and program performance.
• Develop benchmarks for student and program
  performance.
• Establish protocol for using data to review and
  enhance curriculum
• Initiate annual performance reports to the
  college community.

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BSSW and MSW Field Education

• The College, through its office of field
  education, places over 600 students per year in
  over 500 social service agencies.
• Total number of volunteer hours provided to
  social service agencies through internships is
  approximately 251,200 hours.
• Directions
• Define and implement best practices in field
  education
• Certify students on standardized field
  competencies
• Certify field instructors beyond basic
  requirements
• Assess possibility for international field
  placements
• Assess possibility of alternative (including
  block) field placements

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The Ph.D. Program

• Only Ph.D. program in a public university in the
  state
• Interdisciplinary in nature
• Currently provides full- and part-time options
• Very selectively admits students to the combined
  MSW-Ph.D.
• Admits a very select group of students without
  the MSW
• Future
• Total curriculum renewal to prepare students to
  be placed in the best of the social work programs
• Continued conversion of GAA to GRA positions
  Increased number of College funded GRA positions
• Develop paid research internships in community
• Provide additional mechanisms for Ph.D. student
  publications
• Potential partnership with Ohio University

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Build Research Agenda and Productivity

• Concentrate in three broad areas
• Families and children
• Health and behavioral health
• Aging
• To date
• Appointed an Associate Dean for Research and
  Faculty Development
• Provided support staff to research office
• Reduced teaching load
• Established Research Advisory Committee
• Instituted seed grant competition for faculty
• Submitted capital budget proposal, which is now
  being costed, for funds to (among other things)
  remodel the second floor of old Stillman Hall to
  create a Research Center.

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Build Research Agenda and Productivity

• To Date
• Instituted a monthly research brown bag series.
• Instituted statistics/technical assistance
  brown bags.
• Four College-supported GAAs, have redeployed for
  faculty use as GRAs
• Contracted for statistical consultation for
  faculty
• Contracted for ongoing consultation from an
  outside experts to help with issues regarding
  research infrastructure development, proposal
  review, and federal grant submissions.
• Increased formal interaction with leading
  scholars dealing with cutting edge issues such as
  translational research and the development,
  implementation, and evaluation of evidence based
  interventions
• The Future
• Greater exploration/achievement of
  interdisciplinary work
• Partnerships with more established units on campus

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Research Accomplishments

• Current research portfolio is _at_2 million gt100
  increase in three years most from state and
  other social service agencies
• More funded research projects this year than in
  any previous years
• 50 of faculty now have funded research goal is
  75
• More IDC recovery now than in past not steady
  and therefore not included in budgeting PBA
• Many more submissions in response to Federal
  RFA/RFPs than ever before in the Colleges
  history.

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Staffing

• Currently undergoing HR position audit
• Must meet demands for staffing in
• Alumni Affairs
• Communications
• Recruitment
• IT Helpdesk
• Grants coordination

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Enhancing Diversity

• While one of the most diverse units on campus,
  there is a need to continue to improve in this
  area given the field and those it serves.
• Students
• Increase student recruitment efforts
• Move toward offering evening/weekend courses
• Development of articulation agreements with
  junior/technical colleges
• Develop mentoring network at the college
• Establish immersion course dealing with
  minority groups and perspectives
• Faculty
• Appointed racial minority faculty member to lead
  searches for faculty
• Establish pipeline to minority students in high
  quality PhD programs

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QUESTIONS?