Pre-­‐Authorization: Notice of Intent UNIVERSITY OF WISCONSIN-­‐WHITEWATER MASTER OF SOCIAL WORK A. Proposed Degree: Master of Social Work Institutional Setting: University of Wisconsin-­‐Whitewater Mode of Delivery: Traditional weekly in-­‐class meetings Institutional Contact Information: Dr. Greg Cook, Associate Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs, University of Wisconsin-­‐
Whitewater, cookg@uww.edu, (262) 472-­‐1077 We seek approval to plan a Master of Social Work degree with specific emphases in disabilities, veteran’s issues, and addiction—all emphases that align with unique strengths of UW-­‐Whitewater and do not duplicate emphases elsewhere in the UW System. If this program is approved by the Board of Regents, we will apply for accreditation through the Council on Social Work Education. B. Clear statement on how the program fits with institutional mission, strategic plan, and existing program array. The proposal of a new Master of Social Work degree supports the following key missions of the University of Wisconsin-­‐
Whitewater, the College of Letters and Sciences (L & S), and the Department of Social Work: • UW-­‐Whitewater Mission: To offer graduate education built clearly on undergraduate emphases and strengths in the fields of business, education, communication, and human services. ØUW-­‐Whitewater currently has the largest undergraduate social work program in the state of Wisconsin with over 450 majors. The master’s degree will build on the strengths of this program and address UW-­‐Whitewater’s mission to provide high quality graduate degrees in the field of human services. • UW-­‐Whitewater Mission: To engage in scholarly activity, including research, scholarship and creative endeavor, that supports its programs at the...baccalaureate degree level, its graduate programs, and its select mission. ØAlthough the Department of Social Work already has an active undergraduate research program, the master’s degree would provide opportunities for a higher level of scholarly collaboration between faculty members and graduate students working on applied research projects. In turn, faculty members may attract more research funding, and undergraduate students will also have more opportunities to participate in faculty/student research. • UW-­‐Whitewater Mission: To create and maintain a positive and inviting environment for multicultural students, students with disabilities, and nontraditional students, and provide support services and programs for them. ØWith state and federal requirements moving towards requiring higher levels of social work education, increasing numbers of nontraditional students have been enrolling in the social work program at UW-­‐Whitewater. A master’s degree will allow these students to further their education and provide a wider range of job opportunities. In addition, the proposed master’s program seeks to have specializations in veteran’s issues and working with people with disabilities. • College of Letters and Sciences Mission: The College of Letters and Sciences... seeks to use the knowledge and expertise of faculty and students to improve society by participating in programs that meet the needs and engage the interests of the University campus and the broader community. ØA substantial component of the master’s program includes students engaging in the campus and community through internships, community-­‐based learning projects, and service learning. These programs are already a key part of the current undergraduate program in social work, and they will expand with the new master’s program. • Department of Social Work goals: Through our...history of collaboration with human service organizations in the region, the department will promote effective and culturally sensitive social service programs and practice. ØThe proposed Master of Social Work is designed to offer students a wide range of culturally sensitive field practicum opportunities within the community that build on students' classroom training. Current theoretical and practice-­‐based approaches will be integrated into the classroom through student research and field experiences. 1 C. Program description. The proposed Master of Social Work degree is intended to produce professional social workers with advanced skills in social work and the applications of advanced social work theory. The program will provide students with core knowledge in accordance with the Council on Social Work Education (CSWE), including the ability to (1) advocate for client access to services, (2) practice personal self-­‐reflection, (2) attend to professional roles and boundaries, (3) demonstrate professional behavior, (4) engage in career-­‐long learning, (5) utilize supervision, (6) recognize personal values, (7) make ethical decisions based on the National Social Work Code of Ethics, (8) tolerate ambiguity in making decisions, and (9) apply strategies of ethical decision making. This program is anticipated to be a one-­‐year program (30 credits) for those students who have acquired their undergraduate social work degrees from a CSWE undergraduate social work program, and a two-­‐year program (up to 60 credits) for those students having graduated from other programs. In accordance with the UW-­‐Whitewater Mission, the program aims to build on our disability-­‐friendly campus position by developing a specialization focused on preparing students to gain advanced skills in working with those with disabilities. The other specialization areas of the program include veteran’s issues and addictions. D. Need for program (Brief description of programs in context of local, regional, and system-­‐wide programs). According to the United States Bureau of Labor Statistics Job Outlook, between the years of 2010-­‐2020, the need for social workers is expected to grow by 25%, which is faster than the average for all other occupations. Within this field, there are two areas of greatest anticipated growth: mental health and substance abuse social workers (31%) and healthcare social workers (34%) (BLS, Occupational Outlook Handbook, 2012-­‐2013 edition). The proposed Master of Social Work program would provide more opportunities for employment in both of these areas. A main concern is that a large portion of the social work labor force will retire at a time when other baby boomers reach retirement age and the United States will experience an increased population of older Americans requiring social services. According to a recent survey of practicing social workers, approximately 23% were over the age of 60 (NASW Wisconsin, 2013). A majority of healthcare settings, particularly medical settings, hospice, and veteran’s services, are now requiring social workers to have a master’s degree to work in these fields. In addition, as of 2013, the federal government requires that social workers who work with individuals with addictions must have a master’s degree to get reimbursed for services. More master's degree programs in social work are needed to keep up with these trends and the demand. According to the Council on Social Work Education (CSWE), there are 227 accredited Master of Social Work programs in the United States. Of these, three are identified as Wisconsin schools: UW-­‐Madison (which also has a collaborative weekend program with Eau Claire), UW-­‐Milwaukee, and a collaborative program between UW-­‐Green Bay and Oshkosh (with both of these schools now developing their own independent programs). This is a remarkably small number of programs for a state with such large undergraduate programs in social work. Many students would like to continue with their education but are forced to choose between this relatively small number of programs or go out of state where licensing requirements may differ, thus causing potential employment problems should they wish to return to Wisconsin. In a recent survey of UW-­‐Whitewater graduating social work students, 100% stated they would consider attending UW-­‐
Whitewater if it had a master’s program, with 77% reporting it would be their first choice. Further, admission counselors in the UW-­‐Whitewater School of Graduate Studies report that, outside of the existing graduate program array, the MSW is the most frequently requested graduate program by potential students—by a 3-­‐1 margin over other programs. In Wisconsin, existing MSW programs vary by specialization. UW-­‐Madison offers specialties in Child, Youth & Family Welfare; Health, Aging & Disability; and Mental Health. The Eau Claire-­‐Madison collaborative program offers the Child, Youth & Family concentration. UW-­‐Milwaukee offers specialties in Physical, Behavioral, & Mental Health; Gerontology; and Child & Family Welfare. Finally, the UW-­‐Green Bay and Oshkosh collaborative program offers Advanced Direct Practice or Administration & Management. The master’s program at UW-­‐Whitewater would be unique by emphasizing social work with disabilities, veteran’s issues, and addiction. 2