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[ Liberal Arts >> Social Work ] |
Social Work Advising Handbook
Advising in the social work curriculum is an important part of the role of the faculty member at the university. The relationship between the faculty member and the student should be geared toward academic advising. If a student needs interpersonal counseling they should be referred to the University Counseling Center. Your role with the student needs to be an academic role. Ethically, faculty should avoid dual role relationships.
Academic advising includes two major parts. The first is advising the student in pursuit of the designated curriculum. The second is advising the student in making professional career choices, identifying strengths and weaknesses and specific areas of interest. CSWE Curriculum Policy Statement 5.5 states:
Professional social work advisement must orient students and assist them in assessing their aptitude and motivation for a social work career, allow for early and periodic evaluation of each student’s performance, guide students in selecting areas of coursework and assess with students the field settings that best meet their educational needs and career goals.
This handbook addresses advising the student in the social work curriculum and the use of the online computer system implemented at NSU.
Core Curriculum:
The university has designated a core curriculum that all students must pursue in every major. The courses accepted for core curriculum are discussed in the catalog. These courses are very difficult to substitute and generally this should not be done. However, we can make program substitutions for courses we require with other courses that meet the core.
Science:
Our curriculum requires Science 1010, but we can substitute Chemistry 1030, 1040, 1070, or 1080, Physics 2030 & 2031 or 2510 & 2511 if the student is transferring into the program. We prefer for our students to take Science 1010. We require Science 1020 and 2020. CSWE and graduate schools want six hours of biological science. We can accept substitutions of Science 1020 and 2020 provided the substitution is acceptable in the core and the student meets the 6 hours of human biological science requirement. We can substitute (and should) Biology 1010 & 1011 for Science 1020. No one can get credit for both Science 1020 and Biology 1010 & 1011. A student must have the lab for the substitution. We can also accept Zoology 1230 & 1231. For Science 2020, we can substitute Biology 1020 & 1021 or Zoology 1220 & 1221 or 1230 & 1231. Science 2000 might be acceptable in some cases if they have a strong biological science background. Substitutions are approved in Physical Science by Dr. Withey (withey@nsula.edu) and Biological Science by Dr. Bodri (bodrim@nsula.edu) via email.
English:
Our curriculum requires 6 hours of composition and rhetoric, English 1010 and 1020. There are no substitutions. Students must make a C in these two courses to enter the professional program. If a student has credit for a freshman level English that has not transferred in as 1010 or 1020, you may call Melinda McClung in the registrar’s office to ask for an explanation or to see if the transcript could be reevaluated. Sometimes, hours from another university are just “clumped” together. Melinda is very helpful in sorting through classes from other universities. Additionally, students must take 6 hours from English 2050, 2060, 2070 or 2080. English literature is very difficult to substitute, therefore care must be taken to advise students transferring into our program. Students may take Speech 1010, 2500 or English 3210 to meet three of the required 6 hours in English literature. Advise your students according to their need for personal growth. If they need speech, put them in it. If they need work on writing, put them in English 3210.
Substitutions are approved by Dr. Rocky Colavito, (colavito@nsula.edu) via on email
Health Education and Personal Fitness:
PE activity courses do not count. Students must take four hours, only two of which can be a nutrition class. Recommended classes are HED 1010 and HP 1110. This supports our requirement for human biology.
Math:
We require six hours of Math. These courses are not specified and can be chosen from an acceptable sequence described in the core curriculum in the catalog. We generally advise students to take Math 1020 & 1060. But if a student has taken another math sequence in the core curriculum, this is acceptable and requires no substitution. Substitutions are approved by Dr. Frank Serio, (serio@nsula.edu), via email.
Fine Arts:
FA 1040 is a core requirement. Sometimes if a student comes to us with an art, music or theatre, we can substitute a course. I have substituted three different classes ( a total of nine hours—art, music and theatre) to meet the core requirement for 3 hours. Substitutions are approved by Bill Brent, (brent@nsula.edu), via email..
Social Sciences:
Students must take Psyc1010, Soc 1010, Psci 2010 & 2020, Hist 2010 & 2020. As these support our liberal arts perspective and program courses, we do not substitute these classes.
Program Courses:
Economics:
Students are required to take Economics 2010. However, if they already have Economics 2000, accept this as a substitution. Substitutions are approved by Dr. Joel Worley, (worley@nsula.edu), via email.
Computer:
The curriculum states Computer 1020 is required. However, we can accept a more difficult computer class as a substitution. For example, ETEC 4810, CIS 1800, or CSC 1030 would all be acceptable substitutes. The goal with this requirement is computer literacy. Substitutions are approved by Dr. Frank Serio, (serio@nsula.edu), via email.
Foreign Language:
All students must take 6 hours of foreign language. If they are transferring in four or five hours, they must still take at least six hours total. Extra hours can be used as elective hours.
Social Work:
Students must take the prescribed social work classes. There are no substitutes.
Classes must be taken in sequence. Students must be ACCEPTED into the professional program PRIOR to enrolling in SOWK 3120. Students may not take two practice classes at the same time unless they have already successfully completed the course and are repeating it for a higher grade. SOWK 4040 may only be taken while the student is in the field setting.
We accept transfer credits in social work from accredited universities without question. However, social work credits from non-accredited programs must be evaluated on an individual basis to insure course content. Quoting from CSWE’s Curriculum Policy Statement 5.1:
The program must have written policies and procedures concerning the transfer of credit and the use of proficiency examinations. Such policies and procedures are to avoid redundancy, promote program integrity, and contribute to relevant undergraduate education for students. Field practicum courses may not be transferred from an unaccredited to an accredited program.
Interpretive Guideline 5.1 In considering academic credit for students transferring from other accredited social work programs, the program should prevent duplication of academic content by recognizing prior educational achievement, but also ensure student outcomes consonant with program goals.
Social Work programs that are not accredited cannot provide a reliable third-party assurance that they meet or exceed minimum standards. Thus, students transferring from such programs present a special problem in gaining acceptance to the program and transferring academic credits. If such students are admitted to an accredited program, the program should take responsibility for ensuring that the coursed being transferred are compatible with relevant evaluative standards and the Curriculum Policy Statement.
The program is also responsible for validating academic credits previously earned. It should define the means whereby student's quality for academic credit for transferred courses. It should have a formalized mechanism to determine whether the content and objectives of courses taken in the unaccredited program are substantially equivalent to the academic content offered in its own curriculum. Faculty should evaluate the course syllabi including course objectives, content outlines, learning activities, theoretical frames of reference, and bibliographies of courses considered for transfer.
If comprehensive syllabi are not available or if the program prefers, proficiency examinations may be used. If the program adopts some plan of evaluation on a student-by-student, course-by-course basis, the self-study should explain the evaluation criteria and methods used.
ONLINE ADVISING:
We are fortunate to have an up to date advising system that permits us to have full knowledge regarding our students at our fingertips. SIS is easy to use once you get acquainted with the various screens. Log on to NSU Alpha. Double click on the icon and then type your user name and your password. You will see a $ prompt. To enter SIS, type ZCTL01 at the $ prompt. At the SIS screen, type system: 001, your 4 digit code number and your private password for the SIS system.
When you first enter the system, enter the semester you in which you choose to view records and then enter your printer code as 00. Note: you can print screen with the F2 key. Enter the student’s social security number. If you do not know it, type the last name space and then the first initial of the student in this blank. His enter and it should allow you to select the student you want.
When advising a student start with screen 681. This screen allows you the opportunity to see student progress in their major or an intended major. It tells you what courses students need to take. It will also tell you which courses are accepted to meet university core requirements. The major for the BSW degree in social work is 274. To see the students progress in this major, type a P by primary or secondary; then fill in the blanks below if necessary. Most of your majors will already be coded appropriately and all you will need to do is type the P. Wait a few seconds and the audit will appear on your screen. You can print a hard copy by pressing Num Lock 6. Exit this screen by pressing Num Lock 9. If it gives you a strange screen press Num Lock 4, then try again.
After I get a print out on screen 681:
Substitutions and Advisor notations are made on screen 656. If this screen will not accept your notation, go to 651 and hit return. This will define the degree for the student.
The current student advisor listings are as follows:
| A - C | Dr. Francis Powell | H - J | Dr. Randy Haley |
| D - E & R | Ms. Patricia Clark | L - Q | Dr. Wade Tyler |
| F - G & S | Ms. Barbara Pierce | T - Z | Ms. Kathleen Laske |