Social Work

Box 70645
Phone: (423) 439-6006
Web address: http://www.etsu.edu/socialwork

B.S.W. Major Accredited by: Council on Social Work Education

The Department of Social Work offers an undergraduate curriculum leading to the bachelor of social work (B.S.W.) degree. The program provides a basic knowledge of the social welfare system, the social work profession, and the professional knowledge, values, and skills necessary for entry-level professional social work practice as a generalist. The program also prepares students to pursue graduate study in social work and related professions.

The program builds upon a liberal arts base and encompasses an interdisciplinary perspective, drawing from such fields as psychology, sociology, political science, and human biology.

The program’s overall mission is to prepare students with the competencies that reflect the core values and ethical obligations necessary for generalist practice in the social work profession. The mission of ETSU’s B.S.W. program is consistent with ETSU’s mission and supports the philosophy and purpose of social work in promoting human dignity and community well-being through the promotion of social and economic justice, the prevention of conditions that limit human rights, the elimination of poverty, and the enhancement of the quality of life for all persons. The total program functions to provide leadership and instruction that will ensure preparation of a continuous pool of social work graduates who are able to assume professional positions in a variety of social welfare settings, especially in Northeastern Tennessee and the southern Appalachian region.

The faculty believes that the philosophy of social work must be demonstrated as it is taught and, as such, must be incorporated into not only faculty-student relationships but also relationships between the program and the social work practice community. The social work faculty believes that social workers should function in accordance with the profession’s purpose and with adherence to the profession’s ethical canon and therefore programmatically emphasizes acceptance of difference between and among individuals, as well as within and among groups and other larger systems.

The Baccalaureate social work program’s mission, which is consistent with ETSU’s mission, is reflected and implemented in the six broad goals of the program. The B.S.W program aims to:

provide a sound educational environment that nurtures learning, stimulates self-reflection, encourages open dialogue, and is characterized by honesty, integrity, trust, and respect;
draw on students’ liberal arts foundation to build the knowledge, skills, values, ethics, and professional identity necessary for competent entry-level generalist practice in various contexts and all levels of practice;
ensure a knowledge base in human behavior theories that supports intervention at multiple levels in order to improve the quality of life for all citizens, especially those who are disadvantaged;
prepare students to comprehend current social welfare policies’ history, socio-politico-economic contexts, provisions, and consequences of client systems, as well as to advocate for more effective policies, programs, and services to advance social well-being;
motivate and prepare students for use of research tools to critically evaluate the program and service delivery systems that employ social workers;
prepare students to meet social welfare needs in a culturally competent manner with diverse populations, giving attention to Northeast Tennessee and surrounding areas.

Admission–Social work is a professional program of education and training and therefore requires comprehensive academic standards throughout the program. The Baccalaureate Social Work (BSW) Program Committee has identified academic performance standards that fall into seven categories: scholastic, professional values and ethics, self-awareness, interpersonal relationship skills, responsibility and professional readiness, critical thinking and problem-solving abilities, and communication skills, as advanced in the program’s Academic Performance Standards for Admission, Retention, and Graduation. These academic performance standards with essential behaviors in each category are primary indicators of professional readiness for practice in the field of social work. Students must demonstrate ability to meet these standards in order to be admitted to the program. The academic performance standards are applied when the student meets with the BSW Program Director to open his/her file in the department. When a student meets with the BSW Program Director to set up his or her student file, s/he will be given a copy of the Academic Performance Standards as part of the process.

Requirements for submitting an application for admission to the Social Work Program:

Completion of, with a “C” or better, “Introduction to Social Work” (SOWK 1010 ), “Professional Values and Ethics” (SOWK 1020 ), and “Cultural Diversity” (SOWK 1030 ). A grade of “C-” does not meet this criterion.
A minimum overall grade point average of 2.25 and a 2.5 average in the three required social work courses.
Completion of 60 clock hours of face-to-face human service activity, paid or volunteer, in one or more social service agencies.

Students must complete and submit to the BSW Director the following documents that are included in the application packet:

An Application Cover Sheet that provides demographic and contact information.
A Student Self-Assessment rubric for rating personal and academic aptitude for a career in social work.
Documented completion of 60 hours of human service activity on a Human Service Activity form. The activity must be pre-approved by the BSW Program Director and evaluated by the student’s supervisor at the agency or organization.
A Personal Statement essay that addresses the student’s background information, human service experience, social problems of concern, areas of needed professional development, and any additional information that would support the application or should be considered by the Admission Committee.
A recent photo (for use in identifying students when they later request a reference letter).

Criteria for acceptance into the Social Work Program:

Submission of a completed application packet by October 1 for entry to the program in the spring semester or March 1 for entry to the program the following fall semester. If the application deadline does not fall on a day the institution is in session, the application is due the first school day following the deadline date.
Satisfactory performance during the 60 hours of human service activity, as indicated by the student’s supervisor on the reference checklist, located on the back of the Human Service Activity form.
Positive feedback from social work instructors during the admission process on overall academic performance in completed social work courses.
All application materials demonstrate potential and suitability for the social work profession, as defined in the program’s Academic Performance Standards.

An Academic Performance Review may be scheduled if the student’s application or input from faculty suggests the student’s inability to meet any of the program’s Academic Performance Standards when his or her application is reviewed by the BSW Program Committee.

Only students who have formally applied for admission to the program and been approved are eligible to take Social Work Practice I and II. Transfer students, as well as ETSU students who declare social work as their major, must arrange an interview with the B.S.W. Program Director during their first semester in social work in order to open a file and complete other paperwork.

Continuance and Termination–Continuance in the program requires compliance with admission requirements and suitability standards, as outlined in the program’s Academic Performance Standards and Code of Conduct. (See Student Handbook and www.etsu.edu/socialwork.)

Nondiscrimination–Every aspect of the Social Work program’s organization and implementation is conducted without discrimination on the basis of race, color, gender, age, creed, ethnic or national origin, disability, or political or sexual orientation.

Advising–Advising, both academic and professional, is essential in social work education. Therefore, advising of all social work majors is required throughout their period of study. Students must sign up for appointments with their advisors during each pre-registration period to be advised and cleared for registration. Until students are in a semester during which they will complete 45 credit hours, they will be advised in the ARC, after first meeting with the B.S.W. Program Director to open a file in the social work department.

Field Instruction–“Social Work Field Experience” SOWK 4453 must be taken during the student’s senior year after completion of all required major courses and General Education Core courses. An overall grade point average of 2.25 and a 2.50 grade point average in required social work courses are prerequisites to field experience. Also, only students whose written application to major in social work has been approved are eligible for the field experience.

Students are assigned full time to an agency, where they provide services to consumers under the supervision of a social work field instructor. A list of field instruction agencies is available in the Department.