Social work education has been greatly affected by ongoing technological advances in society at large and in the academy. Options for instructional delivery have been broadened tremendously. The University of Louisville is the first in Kentucky to put its master's of social work degree fully online, with a first cohort admitted in 2012. The…

A graduate macro practice foundation course was modified to incorporate curriculum content on the paradigm of evidence-based (informed) practice. The author developed an Evidence-Based Program Planning Model that was used as the framework for teaching this paradigm. Students learned to search and appraise the evidence to answer a practice…

This article discusses the results of a school of social work survey assessing the geriatric training needs of social workers and other professionals in aging and the need for a gerontology practitioner's continuing education (CE) certificate program. A total of 391 professionals, the majority of whom were social workers, participated in an online…

It is proposed that schools of social work typically respond reactively and defensively when workload demands increase relative to available resources. Strategic planning is offered as a tool for increasing faculty's and administrators' sense of vitality and empowerment. Conditions, tasks, outcomes, and pitfalls of successful strategic planning…

A discussion of undergraduate social work programs in historically black colleges and universities stresses their importance, examines their value in preparing students for culturally competent practice and developing more effective professional responses to problems of black Americans, and offers suggestions for advancing the profession's efforts…

The planning process and results of a three-year minority student recruitment process in a school of social work are described, including effective tasks and strategies. The recruitment and retention effort consisted of six phases: gauging the environment, preinitiation, program planning and development, implementation, evaluation, and…

Describes the development of a culturally relevant social work education program for Micmac students at Dalhousie University that involved participative decision making by Micmac community leaders and social agencies, decentralization of classes to off-campus sites, admission of adult nontraditional students, and culturally appropriate teaching…

To develop skills and understanding of interdisciplinary teamwork, the University of Miami's Department of Family Medicine and the School of Nursing conducted a project involving 10 teams of medical, nursing, and social work students. The primary objectives of the project were: (1) to instill and maintain positive attitudes in student physicians,…

This research project developed two strategic plans for distance education in social work. The project involved use of a developmental problem-solving methodology, creation of a conceptual framework thorough a literature search, visits to sites that use distance education, consultations with experts, and attendance at local and national…

Since 1977, the University of Wyoming has been developing methods of delivering its bachelor of social work program throughout its large, sparsely populated, rural state. New video telecommunication technology can reach all areas in the state with live, interactive teaching. This emerging program is unique and has implications for other…

An organizational model for developing partnerships between universities and community agencies for delivery of social work field instruction at new sites is described. Application of the four main components (outreach, partnership, direction planning, change) is demonstrated in three case studies. The partnerships facilitate field opportunities…

This article describes development of an interdisciplinary personnel preparation program at Western Kentucky University to prepare students to work with children (birth through age 5) with disabilities and their families. The program includes the fields of special education, social work, school psychology, and communication disorders. The article…

This article examines the development of Temple University's Institute for Africana Social Work, which is designed to foster an explicit African-centered perspective and practice for social work intervention in African American communities. Various programs and policies initiated by the institute are reviewed. (MDM)

The Social Work Education Planning and Assessment (SWEPA) System is an information system designed to function within social work education toward two main purposes: (1) to help schools more effectively specify their own educational objectives, plan their social work education projects to achieve these objectives, mark their progress toward this…

The need for social work professionals to remain current is addressed. The study, using a panel of 121 social workers and others, achieved a level of consensus relative to theories, methodologies, and content areas and then projected a functional model useful for intermediate and long-range program planning. (Author/MLW)