Program Planning Committee Report to the Provost
School of Social Work
College of Applied Sciences and Arts
2003 – 2008 Program Planning Cycle
May 15, 2009
The program planning committee is pleased to review a department that clearly
demonstrates the mission, goals, and vision of San Jose State University.
The Program Planning Committee congratulates the faculty and director of the School
of Social Work for their thoughtful, well organized and comprehensive self-study. The
committee commends the school for its transcultural perspective, its emphasis on social
justice, and honoring the strengths of diverse cultures. The committee commends the
school for the growing number of full-time faculty, increasing graduate student
enrollment, developing sophisticated assessment and program improvement processes
with the use of benchmarks. The committee congratulates the school for having
achieved a full eight-year accreditation.
The School of Social Work has laid a good foundation for its assessment activities,
having not only developed student learning outcomes and assessment plans, and
collected data for all its programs, but also having made changes to the program based
on the data collected. The WASC team, in their March 2007 visit, encouraged all
programs to put greater focus on program (rather than course) assessment and use
data (course and other sources) to evaluate the achievement of program outcomes at
graduation. Should the school need help with assessment activities, the Director of
Assessment and College Facilitators are available to provide support and suggestions.
In accordance with the 2006 Program Planning Guidelines, in the next program cycle,
the self study should include program assessment plans, university assessment reports,
and an evaluation of the results of assessment efforts with particular attention to the
effect any modifications have had on student achievement of learning outcomes.
The committee looks forward to seeing the school continue efforts to strengthen
programs and assessment. The committee, however, would like to remind the school of
the format of the University self-study report, as delineated in the guidelines developed
by the university. For accredited programs the guidelines specify: an executive
summary, an index referring to locations in the accreditation self-study that meet
university self-study guidelines, and the addition of any materials required for program
planning that are not in the accreditation self-study.
The final step in the program planning process is a meeting with the Provost Carmen
Sigler (or her designee), Vice Provost for Academic Budgets and Planning William (Bill)
Nance, AVP of Undergraduate Studies Robert (Bob) Cooper, AVP of Graduate Studies
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and Research Pamela (Pam) Stacks, Dean Charles Bullock, and School Director Alice
Hines. The school should contact Svetla Ilieva in the Office of Undergraduate Studies to
schedule the final meeting. The following topics for discussion are summarized from the
reports:





Fundraising efforts
Plans to revitalize the alumni association
Electives offered, especially for undergraduate students
Integrating the transcultural perspective within the curriculum and methods to
assess the efficacy of this approach
Strengthening the field programs through university-community relationships and
partnerships and how this may create collaborative research for students and
faculty
If the school would like to propose other issues for the meeting, please discuss the
appropriateness of the topics with your Dean.
The Program Planning Committee recommends acceptance of the self-study. The selfstudy provided a good examination of the issues for subsequent reviewers. The School
is accredited through June 2015. The next program planning self-study is due in spring
2012 (and subsequently spring 2016 after the accreditation site visit). A nonaccreditation related external review should be scheduled in fall 2012.
2008 – 2009 Program Planning Committee:
CC:
Debra Caires
Thuy Le
Pam Stacks
Mary Calegari
Quynh Lu
Gary Stebbins
Elaine Collins
Bill Nance
Patricia Stroh
Bob Cooper
Dan Perales
Sutee Sujitparapitaya
M. E. Fayad
Annabel Prins
Shailaja Venkatsubramanyan
Beverly Grindstaff
Lori Rodriguez
Ashwini Wagle
Xiaolu Hu
Jackie Snell
Alice Hines, Director, School of Social Work
Charles Bullock, Dean, College of Applied Sciences and Arts
Barbara Conry, Associate Dean, College of Applied Sciences and Arts
Robert (Bob) Cooper, AVP Undergraduate Studies
Pamela (Pam) Stacks, AVP Graduate Studies and Research
William (Bill) Nance, Vice-Provost
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Appendix:
Summary of the School of Social Work Self-Study
2003 – 2008 Program Planning Cycle
In fall 2005, all Social Work Programs were combined to become the School of Social
Work, which is one of four professional schools in the College of Applied Sciences and
Arts (CASA). The other schools in the College include Journalism and Mass
Communication, Library and Information Science, and Nursing.
The School of Social Work offers:

Bachelor of Arts in Social Work (BASW)

Masters of Social Work (MSW)

Minor (undergraduate) in Social Work

Spanish Language Counseling Certificate (graduate)

Certificate (graduate) in Gerontology

Pupil Personnel Services Credential (graduate)

Post Masters of Social Work (Post-MSW) Licensure
In June 2008 the Commission on Accreditation (COA) of the Office of Social Work
Accreditation and Education Excellent (OSWAEE) accredited the Baccalaureate of Arts
and Master of Social Work programs at San Jose State University for eight years,
through June 2015.
Programs and Curricula
Bachelor of Arts in Social Work (120 units): This program has been continuously
accredited by the Council on Social Work Education since 1976.

General Education and SJSU Studies
51 units

Physical Education
2 units

Requirements in the Social Work Major
38 units

Electives in Social Work
29 units
Master of Social Work (60 units): This program has been continuously accredited by
the National Commission on Accreditation of the Council on Social Work Education
since 1973.

Required graduate courses in Social Work:
School of Social Work
44 units
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
Selected population-at-risk area:
16 units
─ Areas include “Aging and the Aged,” “Children, Youth and Families,”
“Children and Youth in Schools,” “People with Physical and Mental
Disabilities.”
Minor (undergraduate) in Social Work (18 units):

Required Undergraduate Courses in Social Work:
12 units

Undergraduate Electives in Social Work:
6 units
Structure and Personnel
The School of Social Work is headed by a Director who is elected by the faculty for a
four-year term. The Director reports directly to the CASA Dean. The school director then
assigns a number of coordinators and directors within the school for particular curricular
tasks, and operations. The school also has a number of committees that are chaired by
full-time faculty members who are either appointed by the school director or elected by
the faculty. Membership on standing committees consists primarily of full-time faculty
and where appropriate, students and other constituents.
Many faculty members, some of whom were involved in the founding and early years of
the school, have retired between 1999 and 2004. However, over the previous three
years the school has nearly doubled the number of full-time tenured and tenure track
faculty. Currently, the school has full-time equivalent faculty-to-student ratio of about
1:25 for the baccalaureate program and 1:12 for the master program. In the 2007-2008
academic year, the School of Social Work had:

13 full-time tenured/tenure track faculty members, which include
─
2 (full) Professors
─
5 Associate Professors
─
6 Assistant Professors

1 half-time early retirement faculty

44 part-time lecturers

3.5 professional staff

5 student assistants
Enrollment
Student enrollment in the past five years is summarized in the table below. Over the five
year period from 2003 to 2007, undergraduate enrollment increased about 64% while
graduate enrollment decreased about 12%. Overall enrollment increased about 10%.
School of Social Work
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Fall 2003
Fall 2004
Fall 2005
Fall 2006
Fall 2007
BASW 157
171
213
234
258
MSW
377
372
342
329
333
Total
534
533
555
563
591
Changes to the Programs
The goals and program objectives of both the BASW and MSW programs were
reviewed and updated in the 2005/2006 school year. Throughout the 2006/2007 school
year, the sequence committees, the concentration committee, and the curriculum
committee all worked together to craft course objectives that link to the respective
program objectives. Moreover, as a result of assessment and faculty recommendations,
the following changes have been made:

Core research classes and capstone assignments were modified to focus on
integrating research and critical thinking with practice

The number of agencies who take BASW students (these agencies previously
requested MSW students only) for practice was increased. The school is
developing a list of agencies that provide appropriate entry level experience

Awards were created for outstanding field performance (nominated by a field
instructor) and for outstanding community and capstone projects

Several sections of evening courses were added

Syllabi of a number of courses were reviewed and modified

Core writing assignments in HBSE foundation courses were modified

Field assessment instruments and items of the BASW and MSW Exit Surveys
were modified to map directly onto program objectives (implemented in AY
2005/2006)

Data collection for field instructor evaluations and student exit surveys was
modified to increase the response rate
Assessment
Each semester, beginning in May 2005, the school held retreats and other activities to
assess the effectiveness of the programs and to implement improvements. The school
modified leadership, committee structure, and operations to better align with its vision
and goals. The school assessed and improved its curricula, institutionalized procedures
for program continuity and quality, and heightened its visibility on campus and in the
community.
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The school has an assessment plan and clear procedures for evaluating the outcome of
each program student learning objective. The plan specifies in detail the measurement
procedures and methods used to evaluate the outcome of each program objective, for
both the BASW and MSW programs. There is a comprehensive table linking course
objectives to program objectives for the BASW and MSW.

In AY 2005/2006, the school piloted the use of aggregate data from field
instructors as a direct measure of student achievement of multiple learning
objectives

2002 - 2005 Field data and Exit Survey findings were presented to the faculty for
discussion in spring 2006

The Assessment Committee revised key assessment instruments to reflect both
the BASW and MSW program objectives. These instruments were adopted by
the faculty during the 2006-2007 academic year. A new assessment plan was
implemented at the end of the 2006-2007 academic year.

Student learning assessment in the BASW and MSW programs include:
─ Direct assessment of multiple program objectives through the BASW and
MSW field instructor evaluations of student performance (aggregated and
reported annually)
─ Additional direct assessment of one or more program objectives
determined by the Assessment Committee in collaboration with the
Curriculum and Sequence Committees. Achievement of objectives is
demonstrated by students in capstone projects.
─ Indirect assessment of student perception of preparation in relation to
program objectives (measured through the annual BASW Exit Survey and
MSW Exit and Mid-Point Surveys)
Management and Resources
The school has sufficient personnel resources including three full-time and one half-time
professional staff to provide administrative and clerical support. The school also has a
number of student assistant positions mostly in computer hardware and software areas.
The school currently has sufficient financial support to permit program planning and
achievement of program goals and objectives. Although the present operating budget is
adequate to meet the current activities, it may not be sufficient in the future, especially if
the school develops new and/or substantially expanded activities.
The School of Social Work has been located on the 2nd floor of Washington Square
Hall for the last 25 years. Each full-time faculty member has his/her own office. Adjunct
faculty share office space but are provided with individual storage space for books and
materials. There are two conference rooms, a kitchen, and a large storage room for
faculty and staff to use. All classrooms are equipped with an overhead projector and a
television connected to the Instructional Resource Center (IRC). All faculty members
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have computers, laptops, printers, and can request additional equipment. In general, the
school facilities and offices are well maintained and adequate to meet the school’s
educational goals and objectives.
Plans
The School of Social Work’s future plans include:
1. Recruit three additional full-time faculty members.
2. Develop a fundraising plan for donors to support the school as and/or special
projects.
3. Explore opportunities for curriculum and program improvements with students
4. MSW curriculum committee to explore strategies to increase the number of
electives
5. Work with alumni volunteers to revitalize the Alumni Association so that it may
play an active role in school affairs and direction
6. Work in partnership with Graduate Studies and Research and the SJSU
Foundation to seek funding and collaborative research with other Schools and
Departments.
External Review Summary
The review was conducted by a team from the Council on Social Work Education –
Commission on Accreditation consisting of Alva Barnett, Jane Ktrtzschmar, Jay
Memmott, and Michael Frumkin, Chair.
The review culminated in ratings of ‘concern’, ‘adequate’, or ‘strength’ on 107
predefined categories. The school was rated “adequate” on 97 categories and 9
categories were considered strengths. Strengths included:

Several areas of strength recognized the school’s conception of social work
practice and especially the “transcultural lens” which “provides students with an
effective conceptual framework for practice and the exploration and development
of their professional identity. Faculty is extraordinarily excited about this
perspective and has successfully conveyed this enthusiasm to students.”

The team was very impressed with the students’ agency-based research projects
which are frequently used by the agency to improve services.

The Director is a nationally recognized educator and researcher who has done
an “excellent job of strengthening the school”.

Faculty excel at both teaching and research

Organization and functionality of student organizations
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There were only two concerns:

the high percentage of part-time instructors in both undergraduate and graduate
programs

not enough elective options for undergraduate students
Overall, the team gave very positive comments about the School’s programs, faculty,
students, and assessment process.
Summary of School Response to External Visit- March 10, 2008
The school agreed with all positive comments from the review team and responded to
one concern raised by the review team regarding the high percentage of part-time
faculty. The school explained that the high part-time teaching ratio is temporary due to a
one-time allocation. A majority of faculty (including newly hired full-time faculty) received
release time during the previous three years to work on research, and/or on special
projects related to re-accreditation and curriculum development. This one-time
allocation ended in fall 2008, resulting in an increase in the proportion of classes taught
by tenure and tenure track faculty. Also, the school was in the process of hiring two
tenure-track faculty members, which was expected to bring the total number of full-time
faculty to 15 in fall 2008.
Summary of College of Applied Sciences and Arts Committee Report December 4, 2008
Committee Members: Pam Richardson, Alessandro De Giorgi, Rick Moxley
The College of Applied Sciences and Arts Curriculum Committee commends the faculty
and director of Social Work for their thoughtful, well organized and comprehensive
program plan. The committee recognizes the strengths of the curriculum through its
emphasis on social justice and diverse cultures as well as the qualifications and number
of full-time faculty. The committee commends the school for growing student enrollment,
the development of faculty field liaison positions, the development of more sophisticated
assessment plan that includes both direct and indirect assessments that results in eightyear accreditation. The committee commends the school for its plans to continue to
expand the curriculum by adding more elective and specialization courses, and the
involvement of students and faculty in service to the community
This committee proposes the following recommendations:
∙
Continue with efforts to strengthen the field program for both undergraduate and
graduate students by strengthening university- community relationships and
partnerships. This will also create more opportunities for collaborative research
projects for faculty and students;
∙
Continue to develop teaching models for integrating the transcultural perspective
within the curriculum and build in methods to assess the efficacy of this
approach; and
School of Social Work
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∙
In light of the current budget cuts, the school is encouraged to continue to
develop and implement their fundraising plan.
The CASA committee gives very positive conclusions about the School of Social Work’s
mission, programs, faculty, students, and its future plan.
School of Social Work
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