Social Work
Elizabeth Keenan
CHAIRPERSON
Lang 201
(203) 392-6573 – Fax (203) 392-6580
keenane1@SouthernCT.edu
Department Secretary: (203) 392-6559
Mark Cameron, Professor
Valerie Dripchak, Professor
Lorrie Greenhouse Gardella, Associate Professor
Jack Gesino, Associate Professor
Steven Hoffler, Assistant Professor
Esther Howe, Professor
Elizabeth Keenan, Professor
Jaak Rakfeldt, Professor
Elizabeth Rodriguez-Keyes, Associate Professor
William Rowe, Professor
Todd Rofuth, Professor
Amy Smoyer, Assistant Professor
Stephen Monroe Tomczak, Associate Professor
MAJOR PROGRAM IN SOCIAL WORK
Social work has been designated as a growth profession for this century. The social work program prepares students for beginning generalist practice and for graduate degree programs.
Freshmen, sophomores, and transfer students must consult with their social work adviser when registering for classes in order to ensure that they fulfill prerequisite and recommended university requirements. Pre-advisement is available to students currently enrolled in two-year institutions who are interested in transferring to the bachelor's degree program in social work. These students should make an appointment with the BS-SWK program coordinator.
BSW Admission Standards and Procedure
Students interested in majoring in social work must complete a two-step admission process. Initially, students must be accepted into the University by the Admissions Office. Then, application is made for admission to the Bachelor's of Social Work Program in the spring semester prior to the fall semester in which students anticipate enrolling in 300-level social work courses. Applications are available on the Department of Social Work website. The Department of Social Work admissions application deadline is March 1.
To be accepted into the program and given permission to enroll in 300-level and above social work courses, all social work prerequisites must be completed by the end of the spring semester in which the application is submitted:
- Completion of 57 credits of university requirements.
- A minimum grade point average of 2.50 and good standing with the University.
- Successful completion of SWK 200 or its equivalent with a minimum grade of B.
- Successful completion of ENG 112 and MAT 107 or course equivalents.
Admission is competitive, with a GPA of 2.5 being the minimum considered for acceptance. Qualified applicants may not be accepted because enrollment caps are based on Department of Social Work resources. Applications are accepted once a year.
GPA, as well as other pre-admission criteria, will be used as a way of evaluating students for acceptance into the social work program. These may include, but are not limited to, completion of prerequisite courses, personal essay, and an evaluation of the student's program plan for completion of remaining university requirements. Consistent with SCSU admission requirements, preference is given to those candidates who, in the judgment of Social Work Department faculty, present through academic and personal qualifications the greatest potential for program success. Those students who meet eligibility criteria at the time of the priority admission deadline will be accepted provisionally so long as those criteria continue to be met at the end of the spring semester.
After a determination is made concerning the student's readiness to enter the program, a formal letter of acceptance is forwarded to the student. Each student is then assigned to a faculty adviser and a planned program is established.
Students interested in entering the BSW program but who do not meet the minimum academic standards are encouraged to reapply.
Standards for Continuation in and Graduation from the Program
Continuation in and graduation from the program are dependent upon satisfactory academic and professional performance. The minimum criteria for continuation includes a GPA of 2.5 overall, a GPA of 2.75 in social work courses, satisfactory field education practica evaluations, and a minimum of a "C" grade in field practice seminars.
If, in the professional judgment of the faculty, a student demonstrates practices that are harmful to clients, unethical, or unprofessional behavior, he or she will be placed on probation or requested to withdraw from the program.
The social work program is fully accredited by the Council on Social Work Education.
The department offers the following: