Topic 4: Place of Research Training in MSW Curriculum

Quote: "...the [CSWE] expectation that students will be consumers, not producers, of research continues to deprive the profession of the talent of its most capable novices."

Questions:
1. Is learning how to do research an essential skill for all social work practitioners?
2. Can one be a good practitioner without being able to engage in rigorous research?
3. What research skills are necessary for MSW practice?
4. Research/evaluation training in SW lacks a continuum from which other professions benefit. Is there a way to create stronger research training at the MSW level, but only for those studens who have an interest in research/evaluation careers?
5. Is being a productive scholar essential to being a good administrator in social work academia? In academia in other fields?

Topic 3: NASW Code of Ethics

Quote 1 "It would be very difficult for political conservatives or Christians of traditional moral values to graduate from a CSWE-accredited program if they were open about their opinions."

Quote 2 "The NASW Code of Ethics dictates political allegiances."

Questions:
1. Do our assignments require commitment to particular political or religious perspectives?
2. Shoudl we ask students to demonstrate commitment to the Code of Ethics?
3. Are there other codes, legal mandates, or practice standards to which we should ask students to demonstrate commitment?
4. If there is a potential conflict between SW values/ethics and personal religious/political beliefs, how can we as professors help students to see this difference and to deal with it in their professional lives?

Topic 2: Research scholarship

Quote: "Social work's...literature has little value to other disciplines using more rigorous methods...Social work's practitioners and academics are unable to analyze and speak authorotatively on issues of compelling public interest. Within higher education, social work frequently has little credibility, an academic island where ideology has trumped scholarship, detached from a vibrant, intellectual mainland."

Questions:
1. Is the profession's scholarly productivity comparatively low? If so, what can be done to strengthen it?
2. What might be done to strengthen social work scholarship here?
3. For promotion (and tenure) are the School's standards sufficient?

Topic 1: Admissions--Low Standards?

Quote: "...the real scandal in social work education [is]: low standards, paltry scholarship, and organizational incompetence bordering on corruption."

Questions:
1. Does this characterization of social work education bear any weight? Across the profession? Some places?
2. Are the profession's standards comparatively low?

Follow up to Faculty Senate Discussions 10/15/09

Hi folks,
As a follow up to faculty senate today, I promised to set up a blog where people could put summaries of their thoughts regarding the 4 sets of questions related to the Stoesz article and rejoinders that Mark developed for discussion.

What follows are 4 blog posts, one for each set of questions. To add your thoughts, simply post a comment and enter your response. Prior to next faculty senate I will sort, summarize, and share these responses, and send commments and themes to relevant existing committees.

I look forward to reading your comments, and to our ongoing dialogue on these challenging topics.

Best,
Anna