1. Program Mission, Goals, and Objectives
1.0 The social work program has a mission appropriate to professional social work education as defined in Educational Policy, Section 1.1. The program's mission is appropriate to the level or levels for which it is preparing students for practice and is consistent with the institution's mission.
1.1 The program has goals derived from its mission. These goals reflect the purposes of the Educational Policy, Section 1.1. Program goals are not limited to these purposes.
1.2 The program has objectives that are derived from the program goals. These objectives are consistent with Educational Policy, Section 3. Program objectives are reflected in program implementation and continuous assessment (see Accreditation Standard 8).
1.3 The program makes its constituencies aware of its mission, goals, and objectives.
2. Curriculum
2.0 The curriculum is developed and organized as a coherent and integrated whole consistent with program goals and objectives. Social work education is grounded in the liberal arts and
contains a coherent, integrated professional foundation in social work practice from which an advanced practice curriculum is built at the graduate level.
2.0.1 The program defines its conception of generalist social work practice, describes its coverage of the professional foundation curriculum identified in Educational Policy, Section 4, and demonstrates how its conception of generalist practice is implemented in all components of the professional curriculum.
2.1 The social work program administers field education (Educational Policy, Section 4.7 and Section 5) consistent with program goals and objectives that:
2.1.1 Provides for a minimum of 400 hours of field education for baccalaureate programs and 900 hours for master's programs.
2.1.2 Admits only those students who have met the program's specified criteria for field education.
2.1.3 Specifies policies, criteria, and procedures for selecting agencies and field instructors; placing and monitoring students; maintaining field liaison contacts with agencies; and evaluating student learning and agency effectiveness in providing field instruction.
2.1.4 Specifies that field instructors for baccalaureate students hold a CSWE-accredited baccalaureate or master's social work degree.2 Field instructors for master's students hold a CSWE-accredited master's social work degree. In programs where a field instructor does not hold a CSWE-accredited baccalaureate or master's social work degree, the program assumes responsibility for reinforcing a social work perspective.
2.1.5 Provides orientation, field instruction training, and continuing dialog with agencies and field instructors.
2.1.6 Develops policies regarding field placements in an agency in which the student is also employed. Student assignments and field education supervision differ from those associated with the student's employment.
3. Program Governance, Administrative Structure, and Resources
3.0 The social work program has the necessary autonomy and administrative structure to achieve its goals and objectives.
3.0.1 The social work faculty defines program curriculum consistent with the Educational Policy and Accreditation Standards and the institution's policies.
3.0.2 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.
3.0.3 The chief administrator of the social work program has either a CSWE-accredited master's social work degree, with a doctoral degree preferred, or a professional degree in social work from a CSWE-accredited program and a doctoral degree. The chief administrator also has demonstrated leadership ability through teaching, scholarship, curriculum development, administrative experience, and other academic and professional activities in the field of social work.
3.0.4 The chief administrator of the social work program has a full-time appointment to the program and sufficient assigned time (at least 25% for baccalaureate programs and 50% for master's programs) to provide educational and administrative leadership. Combined programs designate a social work faculty member and assign this person sufficient time to administer the baccalaureate social work program.
3.0.5 The field education director has a master's degree in social work from a CSWE accredited program and at least two years post-baccalaureate or post-master's social work degree practice experience.
3.0.6 The field education director has a full-time appointment to the program and sufficient assigned time (at least 25% for baccalaureate programs and 50% for master's programs) to provide educational and administrative leadership for field education.
3.1 The social work program has sufficient resources to achieve program goals and objectives.
3.1.1 The program has sufficient support staff, other personnel, and technological resources to support program functioning.
3.1.2 The program has sufficient and stable financial supports that permit program planning and achievement of program goals and objectives. These include a budgetary allocation and procedures for budget development and administration.
3.1.3 The program has comprehensive library holdings and electronic access, as well as other informational and educational resources necessary for achieving the program's goals and objectives.
3.1.4 The program has sufficient office and classroom space, computer-mediated access, or both to achieve the program's goals and objectives.
3.1.5 The program has access to assistive technology, including materials in alternative formats (such as Braille, large print, books on tape, assistive learning systems).
4. Faculty
4.0 The program has full-time faculty, which may be augmented by part-time faculty, with the qualifications, competence, and range of expertise in social work education and practice to achieve its goals and objectives. The program has a sufficient full-time equivalent faculty-to student ratio (usually 1:25 for baccalaureate programs and 1:12 for master's programs) to carry out ongoing functions of the program.
4.1 The program demonstrates how the use of part-time faculty assists in the achievement of the program's goals and objectives.
4.2 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.
4.2.1 The baccalaureate social work program has a minimum of two full-time faculty with master's social work degrees from a CSWE-accredited program, with full-time appointment in social work, and whose principal assignment is to the baccalaureate program. It is preferred that faculty have a doctoral degree.
4.3 Faculty who teach required practice courses have a master's social work degree from a CSWE accredited program and at least two years post-baccalaureate or post-master's social work degree practice experience.
4.4 The program has a faculty workload policy that supports the achievement of institutional priorities and the program's goals and objectives.
5. Student Professional Development
5.0 The program has admissions criteria and procedures that reflect the program's goals and objectives.
5.2 The program has a written policy indicating that it does not grant social work course credit for life experience or previous work experience.
5.3 In those foundation curriculum areas where students demonstrate required knowledge and skills, the program describes how it ensures that students do not repeat that content.
5.3.1 The program has written policies and procedures concerning the transfer of credits.
5.4 The program has academic and professional advising policies and procedures that are consistent with the program's goals and objectives. Professional advising is provided by social work program faculty, staff, or both.
5.5 The program has policies and procedures specifying students' rights and responsibilities to participate in formulating and modifying policies affecting academic and student affairs. It
provides opportunities and encourages students to organize in their interests.
5.6 The program informs students of its criteria for evaluating their academic and professional performance.
5.7 The program has policies and procedures for terminating a student's enrollment in the social work program for reasons of academic and professional performance.
6. Nondiscrimination and Human Diversity
6.0 The program makes specific and continuous efforts to provide a learning context in which respect for all persons and understanding of diversity (including age, class, color, disability, ethnicity, family structure, gender, marital status, national origin, race, religion, sex, and sexual orientation) are practiced. Social work education builds upon professional purposes and values; therefore, the program provides a learning context that is nondiscriminatory and reflects the profession's fundamental tenets. The program describes how its learning context and educational program (including faculty, staff, and student composition; selection of agencies and their clientele as field education settings; composition of program advisory or field committees; resource allocation; program leadership; speakers series, seminars, and special programs; research and other initiatives) and its curriculum model understanding of and respect for diversity.
7. Program Renewal
7.0 The program has ongoing exchanges with external constituencies that may include social work practitioners, social service recipients, advocacy groups, social service agencies, professional associations, regulatory agencies, the academic community, and the community at large.
7.1 The program's faculty engage in the development and dissemination of research, scholarship, or other creative activities relevant to the profession.
7.2 The program seeks opportunities for innovation and provides leadership within the profession and the academic community.
8. Program Assessment and Continuous Improvement
8.0 The program has an assessment plan and procedures for evaluating the outcome of each program objective. The plan specifies the measurement procedures and methods used to evaluate the outcome of each program objective.
8.1 The program implements its plan to evaluate the outcome of each program objective and shows evidence that the analysis is used continuously to affirm and improve the educational program.