Appalachian State University (ASU) Bachelor of Social Work (BSW) Program. Program Productivity Review Undergraduate Programs Tier III September 2013

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1 Appalachian State University (ASU) Bachelor of Social Work (BSW) Program Program Productivity Review Undergraduate Programs Tier III 1. Centrality to University's Mission (Section 1) How important to the mission of the institution is this program? The mission and goals of the BSW Program (included below) align perfectly with the mission of ASU (also noted below). ASU s fundamental mission to discover, create, transmit, and apply knowledge to address the needs of individuals and society and its emphasis on transferable skills and preparation for professional careers are addressed through the BSW Program, which prepares students for generalist practice as professional social workers. Further, the BSW Program s mission to promote the health and wellbeing of individuals, families, groups and communities; prevent oppression, discrimination, social and economic injustice; and provide assistance to those in need is critical to ASU s acceptance of its responsibility to be actively involved in addressing the educational, economic, cultural, and societal needs of the changing region, state, nation, and world. In addition, the BSW program supports ASU s Quality Enhancement Plan (QEP) that is focused on global learning. In addition to the knowledge and skills regarding diversity provided in the BSW curriculum, the Departments also has initiated international study opportunities for undergraduate and graduate students in Uganda, Costa Rica, and India over the past six years. BSW Mission Statement Guided by an overarching framework of human rights, and grounded in human relationships and scientific inquiry, the mission of the BSW Program at Appalachian State University is to promote the health and well- being of individuals, families, groups and communities; prevent oppression, discrimination, social and economic injustice; and provide assistance to those in need. The BSW Program, informed by and engaged with regional, state, national, and global community contexts, aspires to provide exemplary educational opportunities. The curriculum is designed to prepare students for generalist social work practice within the distinct Appalachian Culture of the region, as well as across national and international contexts. BSW Program Goals Provide educational opportunities to assist undergraduate students in gaining the competencies necessary for generalist social work practice.

2 Extend learning opportunities to students on the main campus as well as to those living in the High Country and surrounding communities of western North Carolina. Provide classroom, community, and practice opportunities which reflect the needs of the High Country of North Carolina, and that facilitate knowledge and skills which are transferable to national and global contexts. Provide a learning environment which promotes personal development, scientific inquiry, and the professional values of the social work profession. Provide a curriculum that is preparatory to graduate level social work education. ASU Mission Statement Appalachian's fundamental mission to discover, create, transmit, and apply knowledge to address the needs of individuals and society. This mission is achieved by providing undergraduate students a rigorous liberal education that emphasizes transferable skills and preparation for professional careers; offering graduate students distinctive, relevant programs; maintaining a faculty whose members serve as excellent teachers and scholarly mentors for their students and who produce high levels of scholarship and creative activities. Appalachian recognizes that the success of the University depends upon the achievement and cooperation of a diverse community of students, faculty, and staff and strives to implement policies and allocate resources accordingly. We accept our responsibility to be actively involved in addressing the educational, economic, cultural, and societal needs of the changing region, state, nation, and world. As a publicly funded institution, Appalachian is committed to accomplishing its initiatives through efficient and effective resource utilization. 2. Quality of the Program Are students well-served by the offerings of the program? The BSW Program achieved and has maintained accreditation by the Council on Social Work Education (CSWE) since the mid-1980s, with the most recent reaffirmation of accreditation occurring in As such, students who earn the BSW degree must meet the Competencies required by CSWE of all undergraduate level generalist social workers across the United States. Further, a student who successfully completes the BSW degree with a high GPA may be eligible for Advanced Standing admission to a graduate level Master of Social Work (MSW) Program. Essentially, the BSW curriculum is equivalent to the first year of a two-year MSW degree in CSWE-accredited programs. Thus, eligible students can attain admission directly to the second year of the MSW degree. The BSW Program directly prepares students for entry into an MSW Program and many apply to our full-time or part-time MSW Program, either immediately after graduation or 2

3 after gaining some work experience in the field of social work. (See the Tier III MSW Program report for more information about that program.) As noted above, BSW graduates of the program are trained to practice as generalist social workers, with requisite skills for employment in a wide variety of human service settings, including schools, hospitals and medical facilities, community mental health agencies, social service agencies, child welfare services, and nursing homes or other services for the elderly. All BSW students are required to complete a 440-hour field practicum experience in their last semester of the program. They currently complete this within a 150-mile radius of the main campus and many choose to return to their home communities for this experience. This positions our students very well for jobs, as they are immersed in agencies, communities, and professional networks during the last few months before they graduate, demonstrating their mastery of the social work Competencies. The job prospects for BSW graduates are extremely promising. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, employment of social workers is expected to grow by 25 percent from 2010 to 2020, faster than the average for all occupations (U.S. Department of Labor, 2012). The largest growth is expected for health care social workers (34%), followed closely by social workers in the mental health and substance abuse fields (31%) (Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor, 2012, para. 3 & 4). In addition, child, family, and school social workers positions are expected to increase by 20%, which also is faster than average employment growth during the next decade (Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor, 2012, para. 2). Finally, social work education prepares students to have excellent interpersonal skills and be good citizens of the world. Our students are typically able to generalize the Competencies and skills they learn in the program to many other areas of their lives. How does the program identify and measure student learning outcomes? How are program and student learning outcomes used by the department/discipline to inform program quality? The Department of Social Work tracks student learning outcomes, as identified by the Competencies, for its BSW program as required by CSWE and SACS. In fact, we are required to post student learning outcomes on our website. This data can be found at the following link and is also attached to this report, on CSWE s required reporting form AS4 (B). We also report student learning outcomes through TracDat, as required by ASU. Social Work Website Link to Student Learning Outcomes: Outcomes.pdf The ten Competencies are measured by 41 practice behaviors, as prescribed by CSWE and adopted by the BSW program. Students developing mastery of these practice behaviors and Competencies is evaluated using multiple methods over the course of their 3

4 BSW curriculum, culminating in their field practicum experience. Field education is the signature pedagogy of the profession of social work, and students must demonstrate their achievement of the Competencies in the context of a human service agency, working with real clients, under the supervision of a professional social worker. The Department of Social Work has an evaluation committee and established protocol for ongoing assessment of our BSW, MSW, and Field Education programs. Evaluation methods include assignment and course grades, student course evaluations, evaluations of students by field and seminar instructors, and surveys of alumni and immediate supervisors in employment. The evaluation committee includes the department chair; BSW, MSW, and Field directors; as well as two faculty members who have expertise and interest in program evaluation. The committee meets monthly during the academic year. Duties include the ongoing review of program and student learning outcomes data. The program directors then take the information to their respective committees, i.e. BSW, MSW, and Field Advisory committees, to inform ongoing discussion of program quality. After committee review, information and recommendations are presented to the full faculty for discussion and action in faculty meetings. When was the most recent revision of the curriculum? Describe the outcome of the revision. The most recent revision of the curriculum was implemented during the academic year. As a result of a review of the curriculum, including student course evaluations and General Education requirements; assessment of student learning outcomes related to research and practice; and in consideration of the Competencies during our most recent reaffirmation process, we made some revisions that required AP & P approval. Among other changes, we eliminated four of our required cognate courses and added another, ECO 2030, based on feedback we had received from our accreditation site visitor. We increased our research sequence from 6 credit hours to 7, adding a lab. We also developed two macro practice courses, one with groups and one with communities, to replace one that included content for practice with both groups and communities. In the most recent assessment of the cognate courses, included in the BSW Exit Survey conducted in Spring 2013, of 22 students who took the new cognate course, ECO 2030, 21.4% agreed it was helpful in their development as a professional social worker, while another 21.4% neither agreed nor disagreed that it was helpful. (The majority of respondents had not taken the course.) Among students on earlier Programs of Study, who had taken the cognates that were deleted beginning in , the majority agreed that three of those cognates (PHL1100, PHL 2000, and PS1100) were helpful in their development as professional social workers. Regarding the fourth cognate, BIO 1101, the majority of students neither agreed nor disagreed that it was helpful and 23.8% disagreed that it was helpful. Regarding the Competency related to engaging in research-informed practice and practice-informed research, with 7 on a 10-point scale being the benchmark, 87% of 4

5 students achieved the Competency in Spring 2011; 84% in Fall 2011; and 75% in Spring 2012 (See Form AS4 (B), as posted on our website and attached to this report.). An ad hoc committee comprised of the BSW Program Director, Department Chair, and three faculty who teach the research sequence courses met in Fall 2012 to further examine the curriculum content. Some modifications were made and this Competency was most recently assessed in the BSW Exit Survey conducted in Spring We are now utilizing a 5-point scale, with 80% of respondents at or above 4 being the benchmark. Of 84 total responses, 95% met the benchmark. Prior to BSW students took SW 4110, which provide macro practice content regarding practice with groups and communities. Of 39 students on earlier Programs of Study, who participated in the Spring 2013 BSW Exit Survey, all agreed the course was helpful in their development as professional social workers. Among students who took the two new macro practice courses, SW 4010 and SW 4020, with groups and communities respectively, all agreed the courses were helpful. The Department will continue to assess the outcomes of these revisions. Does the department track placement of graduates? The Department tracked placement of its graduates through the use of a BSW Alumni Survey, administered in Fall 2012 to alumni who graduated during or since Fall o If so: How many graduates are admitted to graduate or professional programs? Where are graduates employed? Of 24 respondents, 25% were currently attending graduate school to earn an advanced social work degree, 16.7% were attending graduate school to earn another advanced degree, and 37.5% indicated they planned to apply or attend graduate in the next two years. Of 24 respondents, 54.2% were employed as social workers. Of those who were not employed as social workers, 81.8% were attending graduate school. Of 12 who answered a question regarding the state in which they were employed, 92% (n=11) were employed in North Carolina. Respondents indicated they were employed in child welfare settings (25%), mental health settings (25%), agencies that assist the elderly (16.7%), health settings (16.7), schools (8.3%), or in agencies assisting families (8.3%). o If not: Does the department have plans to track placement of graduates? Not applicable, as the Department does track placement of graduates and plans to continue to do so. 5

6 What is the program s enrollment to degree ratio? If it is less than 0.4 provide an explanation of why and plans to address the efficiency of upper level enrollments versus degrees awarded. Data detaining the enrollment to degree ratios may be found at the IRAP-Program Review ASU Learn site. The Address is as follows: /Productivity_database_from_GA_all_programs_v4_8Oct12.pdf.] The BSW Program s enrollment to degree ratio is.39. NOTE: For programs with enrollment to degree ratios below 0.4, provide responses to the questions below: o Are courses being scheduled and offered in a timely way? All required social work courses are offered during the fall and spring semesters each year. In addition, we continue to offer the courses from our curriculum for catalog years prior to , as we still have students completing earlier Programs of Study. Required social work electives are available each semester, with some on a planned, publicized schedule, as they are needed for specific types of field practicum experiences sometimes chosen by students. In our distance education sites, students move through the full- and part-time programs in a cohort-based model, with course plans in place prior to their admission to the program. Although we have had significant growth in enrollment in the last several years, without the accompanying increase in faculty resources, we offer enough seats to ensure that social work majors can get the courses they need each semester. o What barriers impact progress to degree for upper level students? Social Work is a discovery major for many students. We find that students often find Social Work after first declaring majors in disciplines such as psychology, sociology, or education. They often find Social Work by taking one of our 2000 or 3000 level courses as an elective. Once they have the opportunity to learn about the profession, they often get excited and feel it is a good fit for them, but are sometimes quite far along in their current major. Some go ahead and earn their undergraduate degrees, then seek admission to MSW programs. Some change majors while still pursuing their undergraduate degree, which often puts them behind a semester or two. We also find that some students, especially transfer students, have completed, or are close to completing, their General Education requirements when they declare Social Work as a major, but they have not taken our required cognate courses. We have worked very closely with the Office of Transfer Articulation (OTA) and, at the state level, with General Administration (GA) regarding the Comprehensive Articulation Agreement (CAA), to address ways that we can help students take the necessary courses to complete the BSW degree as part of a four-year plan. We make exceptions and/or grant 6

7 substitutions for courses to assist our students in moving through the program, when we can do so while still maintaining the integrity of the curriculum. Students are expected to meet our Academic Standards for Retention in the program, which include maintaining a 2.5 GPA in upper level courses and earning a C or better in required social work courses. Majors who earn C- or less have to repeat the course and each course may only be repeated once. We allow two repeats, then the student is dismissed from the program. Students must complete some courses before moving forward with others, e.g SW 3850 (Research I) precedes SW 3870 (Research II) and all coursework must be completed before the field practicum semester. This is a barrier that keeps only a small number of students from progressing to graduation in a timely manner. o Provide a four year plan and evidence that the program has offered courses that would allow for a four year graduation. Please see the attached four-year plan that has been provided to University College and the College of Health Sciences to assist in advising students. o Have summer school offerings been considered to decrease time to degree? As noted above, some SW courses are offered in the summer through Distance Education and SW 2020 (also a General Education course) and one or more SW electives are offered in the summer. 3. Future Directions What is the vision for the future of the program? Is the program poised to be nationally prominent? The BSW program has enjoyed an excellent reputation in the region for over two decades and is now one of the founding departments of the College of Health Sciences. CHS is poised to become regionally, if not nationally prominent, in part for its innovative, interprofessional programs. Social Work is a key discipline in these efforts. The BSW Program has provided a strong foundation and has been a substantial source of graduate student applicants to the MSW Program. Further, Social Work will be a critical discipline in health care as we move forward with health care reform in our country, and in services to the children, families, and the elderly. How can the program s potential be actualized (cite opportunities and barriers)? Opportunities and barriers have been discussed above; additional barriers are addressed below, under Recommendation to the Dean. 7

8 4. Data Review Review the data presented by the Office of Institutional Research, Assessment and Planning. Provide explanations regarding areas of concern: I am unaware of any concerns resulting from data review, other than increased student credit hour production and enrollment without accompanying provision of faculty resources. Recommendation about the Program to be made to the Dean As a result of this review, Appalachia is required to make recommendations that address these major questions: 1. Should the program be continued as a separate degree program? If continuation is recommended, what sound and compelling reasons can be provided in support of such a recommendation? It is recommended that the BSW Program be continued as a separate degree program. The program is central to the mission of the university, is in increasing demand by students, has an excellent occupational outlook for graduates, requires very little expense for asset costs, and provides a clear and highly desirable path to the MSW degree, especially regarding Advanced Standing. 2. If the recommendation is to continue the program, can it be made more productive? If so, how? What steps must be taken to strengthen the program and make it more productive? Should the program be consolidated or merged with other existing programs? If so, which ones? In order to continue the BSW Program and maintain the quality for which it has been recognized, we must have additional faculty. We need tenure-track faculty and full-time clinical or non-tenure track faculty. Further, we need administrative support, as we currently have only one administrative assistant. Advising support would be helpful, as well, as faculty members currently have about 35 advisees each, in addition to teaching almost double the numbers of students as they were teaching only a few years ago. Further, as Field Education is the signature pedagogy of the profession, we must foster the development of new field placement sites for our growing numbers of students. There are several possibilities for this, and many of the possible solutions could potentially enhance the quality of life for citizens of the region, state, nation, and world. Among the possible solutions for increasing field placement sites: 1) Increase the current 150-mile radius. 2) Foster the development of out-of-state and/or international placements, beginning with relationships and experiences we already have, such as ASU in DC, and in India, Uganda, and Costa Rica. 8

9 3) Leverage the Wake Forest PA/ASU Partnership to increase SW field placements in WF settings and/or with WF PA students. 4) Increase collaboration with other disciplines that place students in the field, perhaps sending interprofessional teams of students to some settings, such as hospitals or schools. 5) Offer summer field placements in existing field placement agencies. 6) Develop new field placements by working with agencies that have approached us regarding service gaps they would like to fill with assistance from the Department of SW. For example, the local homeless shelter would like to utilize more students to work with the emergency shelter population, completing necessary assessments, brief intervention, referrals, and data collection. We could potentially place students in the local public elementary schools to help provide mental health services. Placement/outreach opportunities such as these would require additional clinical faculty, oversight, and community collaboration. References Appalachian State University (n.d.). Appalachian: About: Mission & Vision. Retrieved from Appalachian State University (2013). QEP. Global learning. A world of opportunities for Appalachian students. Boone, NC: Author. Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor (2013). Occupational Outlook Handbook, Edition, Social Workers, Retrieved from 9

10 APPALACHIAN STATE UNIVERSITY BACCALAUREATE SOCIAL WORK PROGRAM ASSESSMENT OF STUDENT LEARNING OUTCOMES LAST COMPLETED IN DECEMBER, 2012 Form AS4 (B) Duplicate and expand as needed. Provide table(s) to support self -study narrative addressing the accreditation standards below. This form is used to assist the COA in the evaluation of the program s compliance with the accreditation standards below: The program provides summary data and outcomes for the assessment of each of its competencies, identifying the percentage of students achieving the benchmark The program uses Form AS 4 (B) and/or AS4 (M) to report assessment outcomes to its constituents and the public on its website and routinely up-dates (minimally every 2 years) these postings All Council on Social Work Education programs measure and report student learning outcomes. Students are assessed on their mastery of the competencies that comprise the accreditation standards of the Council on Social Work Education. These competencies are dimensions of social work practice that all social workers are expected to master during their professional training. A measurement benchmark is set by the social work programs for each competency. An assessment score at or above that benchmark is considered by the program to represent mastery of that particular competency. COMPETENCY Identify as a Professional Social Worker Apply Ethical Principles Apply Critical Thinking Engage Diversity in Practice Advance Human Rights/ Social and Economic Justice Engage Research Informed Practice/ Practice Informed Research Apply Human Behavior Knowledge Engage Policy Practice to Advance Well- Being and Deliver Services Respond to Practice Contexts Practice Engagement Practice Assessment Practice Intervention Practice Evaluation COMPETENCY BENCHMARK PERCENTAGE OF STUDENTS ACHIEVING BENCHMARK 95%, Spring %, Fall %, Spring %, Spring %, Fall %, Spring %, Spring %, Fall %, Spring %, Spring %, Fall %, Spring %, Spring %, Fall %, Spring %, Spring %, Fall %, Spring %, Spring %, Fall %, Spring %, Spring %, Fall %, Spring %, Spring %, Fall %, Spring %, Spring %, Fall %, Spring %, Spring %, Fall %, Spring %, Spring %, Fall %, Spring %Spring %, Fall 2011

11 Practice Consistent with Needs/Culture of the Region 84%, Spring %, Spring %, Fall %, Spring 2012 *Data taken from: Spring 2011 (exit survey, capstone evaluation, final field evaluation), Fall 2011 (capstone evaluation, final field evaluation), and Spring 2012 (exit survey, capstone evaluation, final field evaluation)

12 Social Work (BSW) Major Code 281A Director: Dr. Denise Levy socialwork.appstate.edu This four year plan is a recommended semester-by semester plan of study for SOCIAL WORK, Shaded areas of plan require special attention. Credit Min. Major Course Subject and Title Important Notes Hours Grade GPA ENG UCO Semester One: [16 Credit Hours] MAT 1010 or higher 4 Completes Gen Ed Quantitative Literacy BIO 1101, ANT 1430 or GLY Begins Gen Ed Science Inquiry Perspective Gen Ed Wellness Literacy 2 S W C Yes ENG Semester Two: [16 Credit Hours] BIO C Yes Completes Gen Ed Science Inquiry Perspective PSY 1200/SOC 1000 or SOC C Yes Gen Ed Perspective 3 S W C Yes PSY 1200/SOC 1000 or SOC C Yes ANT 1415 or ANT C Yes Gen Ed Perspective 3 Gen Ed Perspective 3 S W C Yes PSY 2212 or SOC C Yes Gen Ed Perspective 3 Elective or Perspective Course 3 Elective or Perspective Course 3 S W C Yes Semester Three : [15 Credit Hours] Semester Four: [15 Credit Hours] Semester Five: [15 Credit Hours] PSY 1200 found in two themes in Hist/Soc Perspective/SOC 1000 found in theme in Hist/Soc and 1100 found in themes in Aesthetic and Hist/Soc Perspectives PSY 1200 found in two themes in Hist/Soc Perspective /SOC 1000 found in theme in Hist/Soc and 1100 found in themes in Aesthetic and Hist/Soc Perspectives 1415 found in themes in Hist/Soc and Loc/Glob Perspectives and 2420 found in theme in Hist/Soc Perspective S W C Yes Complete Application to the Professional Sequence ECO C Course found in Hist/Soc Perspective Elective or Perspective Course 3 Elective or Perspective Course 3 Four Year Plan for Social Work (281A) Major:

13 Social Work (BSW) Major Code 281A Director: Dr. Denise Levy socialwork.appstate.edu This four year plan is a recommended semester-by semester plan of study for SOCIAL WORK, Shaded areas of plan require special attention. Credit Min. Major Course Subject and Title Important Notes Hours Grade GPA Semester Six: [15 Credit Hours] S W C Yes Writing in the Discipline S W C Yes S W Elective 3 C Yes Elective 3 Elective S W C Yes S W C Yes S W C Yes S W C Yes Elective 2 S W S Yes Semester Seven: [15 Credit Hours] Semester Eight: [15 Credit Hours] S W C Yes CAPSTONE To reach 122 s.h. (Number of free electives may vary depending on how Gen Ed is completed) General Requirements Summary Minimum Total Hours Gen Ed. Hours Writing Major GPA Minimum Overall GPA ENG 1000 and ENG General Education Program Model - 44 Semester Hours Total Program Categories Hours Important Notes Be sure to check for Gen Ed courses required in your major First Year Seminar 3 Can be taken first or second semester of freshman year Wellness Literacy 2 Quantitative Literacy 4 First Year Writing 3 Can be taken first or second semester of freshman year Sophomore Writing 3 Perspectives: 29 Aesthetic 6 or 9 Four Year Plan for Social Work (281A) Major:

14 Social Work (BSW) Major Code 281A Director: Dr. Denise Levy socialwork.appstate.edu This four year plan is a recommended semester-by semester plan of study for SOCIAL WORK, Shaded areas of plan require special attention. Credit Min. Major Course Subject and Title Important Notes Hours Grade GPA Historical & Social 6 or 9 Local to Global 6 or 9 Science Inquiry 8 FA Designator LA Designator HS Designator Additional Notes: Many Cognate course can count count toward General Education but not all will due to placement in themes. See your academic advisor if you have questions. Admission to the Professional Sequence is required for upper-level classes. Visit for more infromation. 18 s.h. in major and 9 s.h. in minor must be at ASU. 50 s.h. must be earned from a Senior Institution and 25% of the degree hours must be in residency at ASU, with the final 30 s.h. in residence. As stated in the catalog, the final responsibility for meeting graduation requirements remains with the student. Four Year Plan for Social Work (281A) Major: