2015 Social Work Program Review - byui.edu€¦ · Web viewSocial Work Program Description and...

BYU Idaho Social Work Program Review 2014

Social Work Program Description and PurposeThe BYU Idaho Social Work Program is part of the Sociology Social Work Department which his housed in the Ricks building. An Associate’s degree with an emphasis in social work was offered starting in the mid 1990’s. With the transition to BYU Idaho, a bachelor’s degree program in Social Work was developed. A bachelor’s degree in social work was first offered at BYU Idaho in the Fall semester of 2003. By 2007 the BYU Idaho Social Work Program was accredited by the Council on Social Work Education. There are four full time faculty which allows 100 students to be in the program per accreditation standards.

Social Work is the application of theory, knowledge, skills, and values to enhance the social functioning of all people. Social Work focuses on people who are disadvantaged, disabled or otherwise limited in their ability to participate fully in society. Social workers engage with individuals, small groups, and communities to accomplish this purpose. Graduates with a bachelor’s degree in Social Work typical work in child welfare, community development, corrections, developmental disabilities, employee assistance, gerontology, medical social work, mental health, research, schools, substance abuse, or vocational rehabilitation.

The mission of the Brigham Young University - Idaho Social Work program is to support the overall mission of BYU-Idaho, and the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. To help students to learn to be disciple centered leaders; to exhibit faith in Jesus Christ as a principle of power and action, to act for themselves and accept responsibilities for learning and teaching, to exhibit integrity, understand the importance of human relationships, the dignity and worth of individuals and to love serve and teach one another. To help students develop social work knowledge, values and skills to be competent and effective communicators and professional social workers for generalist social work practice and Christian service with individuals, groups, families, communities and society. To help students of diverse interests and abilities to use and integrate social work historically grounded purposes, philosophy, knowledge, values, supervision, consultation, scientific inquiry, and skills of the profession in order to develop competence, promote human and community well-being and for leadership in the evaluation and development of social policy, social service delivery systems, professional social work employment and for their roles as citizens and parents. To become aware of global perspectives, person and environmental factors, diversity, poverty, human right issues, to strive to eliminate poverty, understand economic and social justice, and prepare graduates to work within the context of their client’s specific cultures. To strive to promote Christian heritage, understand how political, economic, social, cultural demographic and global contexts relate to person-environment transactions, to use new knowledge, scientific inquiry, technology, as appropriate, and to try to enhance the quality of life for all persons.


Program Outcomes1. List the program outcomes for each degree in your department.

1. Identify as a Professional social worker and conduct oneself accordingly - Mission/goals: develop social work knowledge, skill to be competent and effective communicator and professional social worker for generalist social work practice.

2. Apply Social Work Values and Ethics to guide Professional Practice - – Mission/goals: Integrity, understanding the importance of human relationships, dignity and worth of individuals, service, competence, promote human and community well-being, human rights, strive to eliminate poverty, understand economic and social justice, work within the context of clients specific culture, enhance the quality of life for all persons. They build on human strengths /resiliency.

3. Critical Thinking and Social Welfare - Mission/goals: accept responsibilities for learning and teaching, use and integrate historically grounded purposes, philosophy, knowledge, values, supervision, consultation, scientific inquiry and skills of the profession in order to develop competence and promote human and community well-being. Use and integrate as key words here - presuppose critical thinking. This coupled with general education and a Liberal Arts foundation promote critical thinking.

4.. Human diversity – cultural Realities - Mission/Goals: Students of diverse interests and abilities, aware of global perspectives, person environment factors, diversity, poverty, context of clients specific culture, enhance quality of life for all persons.

5. Human Diversity, Social and Economic justice - Mission/goals: Understand importance of human relationships, dignity and worth of individuals, promote human and community wellbeing, become aware of social policy, global perspectives, poverty, human rights, to strive to eliminate poverty and understand economic and social justice.

6. Conduct & Apply Research – Mission/goals: Strive to understand how political, economic, social, cultural, demographic, and global contexts relate to transactions, to use new knowledge, scientific inquiry, technology as appropriate, to try and enhance the quality of life of all persons.Provide leadership in the evaluation and development of social policy, social service delivery systems, and in professional employment. They engage in research informed practice.

7. Apply knowledge of human behavior in the social environment – Mission/goals: Promote human and community well-being, become aware of person and environment


factors. Understand how political, economic, social, cultural, demographic and global contexts relate to person-environment transactions. Develop social work knowledge, values and skills to be competent and effective professional social workers for generalist social work practice with individuals, groups, families and community. Enhance the quality of life for all persons through prevention and intervention methods.

8. Engage in policy practice & service delivery– Mission/goals: Use and integrate the skills of the profession in order to develop competence, promote human and community well-being and for leadership in the evaluation and development of social policy, social service delivery systems and professional social work employment.

9. Leadership, Respond to contexts that shape practice – Mission/goals: to use new knowledge, scientific inquiry, technology, as appropriate, to try and enhance the quality of life for all persons. Provide leadership in the evaluation of social policy, social service delivery systems and professional social work employment.

10. Generalist Practice - Engage, Assess, intervene, evaluate, with individuals, groups, organizations and communities (Generalist Practice skills) – Mission/goals: Develop social work knowledge, values, and skills to be competent and effective communicators and professional social workers for generalist social work practice and Christian service with individuals, groups, families, communities and society.

11. Students will apply and integrate generalist social work practice and Christian service by: Applying and integrating social work practice and Christian service – Students will exhibit as part of their social work practice Christian ideals/service. They practice the admonition, “When ye are in the service of your fellow beings ye are only in the service of your God.” Student loves, serves, and strives to be a Christian in word, action, and deed.

12. Students will prepare for practice in specific areas of social work practice such as Child welfare and / Mental Health by exploring a field of social work practice in greater depth in coursework and/or internship experience. Explore a field of social work practice in greater depth, for bachelor’s level social work-Student demonstrates a professional level of knowledge about their current practice setting. Prepare for professional social work employment – Student is prepared and competent to seek professional social work employment.

2. Map the courses that contribute to each outcome.

The Social Work Program is made up of fourteen courses specifically designed for the major and students must take all of them to complete the program. Seven additional supporting courses are required for the major, but are taught in different departments and


students may choose from a variety of options. The Map of Social Work Program Outcomes by Course contains both categories of courses. Each Social Work course is mapped individually. Since some of the supporting courses contain many options, they are mapped as a category rather than a specific course.

Map of Social Work Program Outcomes by Course

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SW 260 X X X X X X XSW 311 X X X XSW 362 X X X X X X X X XSW 364 X X X X X X X XSW 365 X X X X X X X X XSW 367 X X X X X X XSW 400 X X X X X XSW 463 X X X X X XSW 464 X X X X X X X XSW 465 X X X X X XSW 466 X X X X X X X XSW 497 X X X X X X X X X XSW 498 X X X X X X X X X XSW 340 X X X X X X X X X X X XSupporting CoursesPsych 342 X X X XHS 460 or Soc 420 X X X X

Child 320 or Soc 383

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Diversity/Special population courses

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Enrichment Courses

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3. Indicate the university outcome (if any) that each program outcome supports.

The Social Work Program outcomes address each of the University outcomes except university outcome #2 which is lifelong learning.


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Program Outcome # 1 X X X XProgram Outcome # 2 X XProgram Outcome # 3 XProgram Outcome # 4 X XProgram Outcome # 5 X XProgram Outcome # 6 X X X X XProgram Outcome # 7 X X XProgram Outcome # 8 X X X XProgram Outcome # 9 X X XProgram Outcome # 10 X XProgram Outcome # 11 X X XProgram Outcome # 12 X X

4. If your degree is offered online, are the program outcomes the same in both modes of delivery?

This degree is not offered online.

Assessment Plan1. Describe the assessment plan for measuring how well the program outcomes are being achieved.

The program outcomes are evaluated from three perspectives. First, student performance is evaluated during the program. Second, the program performance is evaluated from the student perspective both during and after program completion. Third, Alumni performance after graduation is measured.

Student performance measures1. Completion of all program courses/curriculum:

Procedures: Student must complete all curriculum /coursework by successfully fulfilling course objectives, competencies, and requirements as evidenced by course instructor’s evaluations.


Benchmark: Successful completion of all social work program curriculum/courses by the student with a C- or above grade.

2. Competencies - Field Instructor Assesses Student:This comprehensive assessment is used to assess and evaluate the student on fulfillment of all program competencies using a multiple choice continuum.

Procedures: Students may participate in the process of the field instructor’s assessment as they meet one-on-one with the field instructor to evaluate their strengths and weaknesses in exhibiting competencies in the practicum setting. Field work instructors are trained in the fulfillment of competencies and in the content of the assessment device in our March and October trainings each year, as well as online. The field instructor completes the computerized assessment and submits the instrument. The assessment instrument is available on our Internship Tracking Placement (ITP) program which each field instructor has access to. The results are then retrieved and analyzed by the social work program. The results are shared with the SW 497/498 practicum instructor to be used as part of the assessment for the course. The results are also shared with the student and the field work instructors as appropriate. Overall data is then compiled for the evaluation of the social work programs competencies. This assessment is completed each semester.

Benchmark: Success is considered to be 4 or very good.

Program Performance MeasuresIt is also important for the program to receive feedback from students on the program performance in supporting the student to reach the program outcomes. The assessment plan for program performance is as follows.

1. Competencies – Student Assesses Field instructor: This instrument is completed by field work SW 497/498 students regarding their field work instructor as they relate to providing opportunities and helping the student to fulfill program competencies.

Procedure: Student self-report making an assessment of field instructor using true/false and multiple choice continuum questions, available electronically online through computer links. Data is held in the office of institutional research computer banks and later analyzed. Feedback is given to agencies field work instructors for evaluation and improvement as applicable and to SS 497 / 498 practicum director for program evaluation and improvement relative to attainment of competencies.


2. Competencies – Student Assesses Teacher: This instrument is completed by field work student on their SW 497/498 course teacher as it related to providing opportunities and helping the student to fulfill program competencies.


Procedure: Student self-report making an assessment of the SW 497/498 field work teacher using true/false and multiple choice continuum questions. Available electronically through online computer links. Data is held in the office of institutional research computer banks and later analyzed. Feedback is given to the SW 497/498 teacher/instructor for evaluation and program improvement.


3. Social Work Class Assessment: This survey is completed by the social work student after taking each social work course. It is meant to be an overall evaluation of the class and instructor.

Procedure: The survey is available for students to take near the end of the semester the course is taken. It is available online through computer links and data is held in the office of institutional research computer banks and analyzed later. Following tabulation and compilation the data is made available to each instructor to use to refine syllabi, course, and for overall program improvement.


4. Evaluation of Practicum Setting: This survey is completed by the student in practicum regarding their field work setting/ agency. Some of the survey is related to program competencies, although much of it is not.

Procedure: Students self-report on field work setting and its adequacy. Instrument uses a rating scale and open ended questions. Students are given the survey electronically to complete at the end of their field work experience. Survey is used to evaluate agency setting and its effectiveness. Some of the items deal with competencies.

Benchmark: Success is considered to be 5 or agree.

Post-Graduation Performance MeasuresPost-graduation measures are indirect measures of program outcomes since not every student or every course is measured individually. However, these indirect measures provide validity and a context for student and program performance measures discussed above. 1. Competencies - Alumni Survey: This instrument is completed by alumni (graduates) of the social work program.

Procedure: This survey is sent via email or regular mail. The survey has specific questions about how well the program did in helping the former student gain the program competencies, to prepare them for professional social work, among other information. Students complete the survey and return it to the program. The data is then compiled and analyzed.



2. Competency of Program Students in passing the Baccalaureate Social Work Licensure Exam administered by Association of Social Work Boards (ASWB):

Obviously, the procedure here is regulated and administered by individual states, (who license social work in their jurisdictions) and ASWB. But overall competency, it seems to us, is largely determined by whether someone prepared to license, is licensed or not, and can practice professional social work. Therefore, we present data (statistics compiled and provided by ASWB and obtained from them by our request and following their procedures and paying a fee to obtain the data from ASWB). The data provided by ASWB is on our BYU-Idaho social work graduates who have passed the baccalaureate licensing exam, as well as a comparison with National averages of passing the baccalaureate licensing exam.

3. Survey of employment:

A survey is used to ask alumni if they have ever been employed at the Bachelor’s level in Social Work. This survey also asks in what practice area the students found employment.

Procedure: the Alumni office is asked to deploy an alumni survey. The results are received and analyzed by program staff. Results are made available to staff, students and the university. The survey results are used to determine if courses offered in the program meet employment demand needs.

Benchmark: Success is considered to be 1/3 of graduates employed at the bachelor’s level.

4. Survey of program satisfaction:

A survey is used to ask alumni to rate their satisfaction with the BYU Idaho Social Work Program.

Procedure: the Alumni office is asked to deploy an alumni survey. The results are received and analyzed by program staff. Results are made available to staff, students and the university. The survey results are used to determine if the program met alumni expectations.

Benchmark: Success is considered to be 6 satisfied.


2. Does the assessment plan include appropriate direct and indirect measures of learning?

Direct measures include student grades in each class, the field instructor assessment of the student and alumni satisfaction rating. Indirect measures include the alumni pass rate of the licensure exam and the alumni employment rates.

3. Are key assessments the same among all modes of delivery?

Yes

Assessment Data1. Summarize the assessment data that your plan has generated over the past two years.

Below is the data for each outcome measure for the Social Work Program.

Assessment Data SummaryStudent performance measures 2012 2013 Bench Mark

1. Completion of curriculum (number students completed per year)

53 58 50

2. Field Instructor Assesses Student (mean rating) 4.64 4.74 4 very goodProgram Performance Measures

1. Student Assesses Field instructor (mean rating) 4.83 4.72 4 very good2. Student Assesses Teacher (mean rating) 4.7 4.76 4 very good3. Social Work Class Assessment (mean rating) 5.53 5.49 5 very good4. Evaluation of Practicum Setting (mean rating) 6.01 6.2 5 agreePost-Graduation Performance Measures

1. Alumni Survey (mean rating) --- 6.45 6 satisfied2. Passing the Baccalaureate Social Work Licensure Exam (mean pass rate)

83% 90% 71% (USA)

3. Survey of employment (percent employed) --- 83.2% 33%

2. Where appropriate, is data being reported using the Distinguished, Proficient, Developing, and Unsatisfactory levels?

Data is reported as below, meets, or above the benchmark.


3. Has your most recent year of data been uploaded to the outcomes and assessments SharePoint site?

NO, it has not been uploaded. However, it much of it is posted on the department website.

Analysis and Improvement Plan 1. How do you analyze and make decisions based on your assessment data? Who participates in that process?

All the social work faculty consult about program adjustments.

Alumni practice and employment areas are used to determine what courses are necessary in the major. Alumni performance on the licensure exam is used to assess the overall quality of the courses. Student feedback on the individual courses and the program is used to evaluate the need for course sequencing, course content overlap and appropriate work load.

2. Summarize conclusions that have been drawn from your analysis of the assessment data.

A BSW provides two main benefits to graduates. First, it provides a highly employable degree. Second, it provides a strong foundation for graduate education.

The demand for social work is increasing. The social work field is expected to grow by 25% during this decade (Occupational Handbook, 2012). This growth is reflected in 83.2% of BYU Idaho social work graduates reporting employment in the field of social work at the bachelor’s level.

Accreditation of a BSW program profoundly increases licensing and employment opportunities for graduates. It also provides a certified education that is accepted as equivalent to the first semester of graduate school. This reduces cost to students in advanced standing MSW programs and provides opportunity of additional training in two year MSW programs.

In relation to Alumni satisfaction with the BYU Idaho Social Work Program, it is very high with 93% of alumni rating their satisfaction as “satisfied” to “very satisfied.”

Due to accreditation standards, there is a limited number of social work majors at any given time. However, to serve more students, the program was designed to reduce barriers to students progressing through to graduation. As a result, the BYU Idaho Social Work Program had the fourth highest graduate to faculty ratio at BYU Idaho in 2012. BYU Idaho BSW graduates also have an average of 138.06 credits at graduation which is in the lowest quartile of graduate credits at BYU Idaho.


Currently the content and design of the BYU Idaho Social Work Program appears to meet the needs of students and the university.

3. Describe changes that have been made to the program (based on the assessment data) and any corresponding evidence of improvement.

No significant changes were made in this last review cycle. However, in 2011 Two Social Work courses were combined into one course due to overlapping content. In addition, course sequencing was modified to attempt to make research more applicable for students.

4. Describe plans for improving one (or more) of the program outcomes. Do any of your improvement plans involve changes in your curriculum that will need to be considered in the coming year?

There are no plans for making significant program changes in the short term. It is anticipated that over time, the demand for the BSW degree will increase and thus require some type of expansion of the BYU Idaho Social Work Program. At this point, any expansion of course offerings would be online.

Course-Level Outcomes

1. Are course-level outcomes clearly articulated for each course in your department?

Yes

2. Where are course-level outcomes available for students and faculty to review?

Yes

3. Do course-level outcomes appear in all syllabi?

Yes

4. Has your department reviewed course-level outcomes in the last three years?

Course-level outcomes have not been reviewed on a program level in the last three years. They reviewed as part of an accreditation renewal in 2010 and 2011.

Benchmarks

1. How does your program compare to any peer programs or to national standards (i.e., accreditation standards, Major Field Tests, Professional Organizations, etc.) in your discipline?

According to the ASWB, the BYU Idaho Social Work Program had a licensure test pass rate of 90% compared to the national average of 71%.


The BYU Idaho Social Work Program consistently meets the Council on Social Work Education accreditation standards. As of 2013, there were 508 accredited BSW programs in the United States.

Student program satisfaction, employment, income, and graduate school attendance are not frequently published by other universities so it is difficult to compare these BYU Idaho program outcomes with other universities.

2. What conclusions you have drawn from this benchmarking analysis?

The BYU Idaho Social Work Program provides a strong preparation for student wishing to enter the field of Social Work.

3. Does your Department have an outside Advisory Council? If so, what insights have you gained from this Council?

Not at this time. It has had one on the past.

Student Placement1. Discuss job placement and prospects for your graduates who have sought employment after graduation.

A bachelor’s degree in social work is a versatile degree that is competitive in a variety of social service fields including but not limited to Child Welfare, Community Development, Corrections, Developmental Disabilities, Employee Assistance, Gerontology, Medical, Mental Health, Research, Education, Substance Abuse, and Vocational Rehabilitation. Since a BSW is a practice oriented degree, it is the only social science degree that is credentialed and regulated at the bachelor’s level (Boyd, 1996; Ritter, Vakalahi & Kiernan-Stern, 2009 p. 8).

To explore real-world employment opportunities for BSW level social workers, each of the 50 states were searched for current openings at the BSW level in July of 2013. The search was restricted to State employment websites and the job search engine “Indeed.com” The search was further restricted to jobs that included the words “social work.” On average, there were 10.48 job titles or categories per state and each job title had multiple job opportunities. Additionally, having a license at the BSW level resulted in 27.29% more job categories nationwide over a BSW alone. The Bureau of Labor Statistics anticipates a 25% increase in social work jobs during this decade (Occupational Handbook, 2012). This increase demand for social work jobs is reflected in the report of CSWE that accredited social work programs are on the rise (Council on Social Work Education, 2013).


Bachelor social work programs meeting national accreditation standards established by the Council on Social Work Education (CSWE) strengthen their graduates’ ability to practice social work on a nationwide basis. A review of the practice field found 50 of the 61 jurisdictions in the United States and Canada recognize and regulate the practice of social work at the BSW level. Of those that regulate the practice of social work at the BSW level, 82% (41) require the BSW to be from a program accredited by the CSWE. The jurisdictions that recognize and regulate the practice of social work at the BSW level are comprised of 39 states, Washington DC, 10 Canadian Provinces, and the Virgin Islands. Of those jurisdictions that regulate the practice of social work at the BSW level, 41 require a bachelor’s degree that is accredited by the CSWE while only 9 do not. A social work program at the bachelor’s level that is not accredited significantly restricts employment opportunities for its graduates.

Of the BYU Idaho Social Work graduates surveyed in the spring semester of 2013, 83.2% found employment at that bachelor’s level in a social work related job. Only 5% reported note being employed at the bachelor’s level. The majority of those reporting not being employed at the bachelor’s level stated family was the reason for not seeking employment.

2. Discuss graduate school placement for your graduates who pursue advanced degrees.

In terms of graduate education, 41% of alumni surveyed reported attending an MSW program, 7% reported attending a non-social work master’s program and 5% reported attending a doctoral program. Of those that attended graduate programs at the master’s level, 71% reported having graduated, and 25% reported being currently enrolled. Of those in doctoral programs, 33% graduated and 66% were currently enrolled.

The most common non-social work master’s degree was in public administration followed by a master’s degree in counseling. The most common doctoral program was in law followed by social work.

Of those that attended an MSW program, 82% reported they attended an advanced standing MSW program while 18% attended a 2 year MSW program.

Resources1. What is the average number of credits at graduation for each program in your department?

BYU Idaho BSW graduates have an average of 138.06 credits at graduation.


2. Are there any bottlenecks in your program that slow your students down?

The number of students served by the BYU Idaho Social Work Program is limited by the 25 to 1 student/faculty ratio imposed by the accrediting body (Council on Social Work Education). Currently there are 4 full time faculty which limits the number of students in the program to 100 at any given time. However, the 3 track system allows for additional students to be admitted to the program as not all students are on campus at any given time. This appears to be a small major when compared to other majors on campus. It should be noted however, that students are not able to declare their major as social work until they are accepted into the major during their junior year. This policy restricts freshmen and sophomores from being counted in the university statistics.

To explore the use of university resources in the BYU Idaho Social Work Program an analysis of graduates per faculty was performed. This analysis was based on a report of graduates by major for 2012 obtained from the registrar’s office. This report was compared with the number of full time faculty employed in each department. A ratio of graduates per faculty was then calculated for each department on campus. The overall graduates per faculty for the university was 10.37. However, it should be noted that in 2012 there were 1,867 Interdisciplinary Studies majors. The Interdisciplinary Studies major is not housed in a single department. Controlling for those unattached majors resulted in the overall graduates per faculty ratio 7.11 (SD = 4.87) for the departments at BYU Idaho. The Business Management Department had the highest graduate per faculty ratio with 16.9. The Chemistry Department had the lowest at .125 graduates per faculty. It should be noted that departments with a lower graduate per faculty ratios also provided a significant level of support to other majors as well as foundations courses. The BYU Idaho Social Work Program had a graduate per faculty ratio of 13.5. This is the fourth highest ratio at BYU Idaho.

3. What efforts are you making as a department to ensure the wise use of faculty and other resources? Be specific about scheduling, minimizing low enrolled sections, and other issues.

In the last four years, the BYU Idaho Social Work Program reduced the need for regular adjunct faculty by combining two courses into on course.

Due to accreditation requirements of the CSWE, the program must maintain 1 to 25 faculty to student. However, since the program is designed to function on all three tracks and not all the students are in the program during any given semester, the program has allowed more than 100 students so that as many students as possible can be served by the program and still meet the accreditation requirements.


References

Boyd, K. (1996). There is a job market for BSW graduates. The New Social Worker, 3(1) retrieved from http://www.socialworker.com/bswjobs.htm

Council on Social Work Education. (2013) http://www.cswe.org/

Occupational Handbook. (2012). Occupational Outlook Handbook. Retrieved on July 15, 2013 from http://www.bls.gov/ooh/Community-and-Social-Service/Social-workers.htm

Ritter, J. A., Vakalahi, H. F. O., & Kiernan-Stern, M. (2009). 101 Careers in Social Work. Retrieved from http://psikiyatriksosyalhizmet.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/02/social_work_book.pdf

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