MSW MSW II : Academic Orientation : Academic Orientation

drussell@csus.edudrussell@csus.edu916-278-7170, 916-278-7170,

Dr. Dale Russell Dr. Dale Russell Graduate Program DirectorGraduate Program Director

Agenda for Academic OrientationAgenda for Academic Orientation

Mission & Guiding PrinciplesMission & Guiding Principles What works and what challenges…What works and what challenges… General Program CultureGeneral Program Culture Program Foundation FactsProgram Foundation Facts Advancement to CandidacyAdvancement to Candidacy Required CoursesRequired Courses Involuntary Termination or SuspensionInvoluntary Termination or Suspension Student StandardsStudent Standards Student Performance Evaluation StandardsStudent Performance Evaluation Standards Academic RequirementsAcademic Requirements Academic AdvisingAcademic Advising Information RetrievalInformation Retrieval Graduate Social Work Student AssociationGraduate Social Work Student Association Educational ContractEducational Contract

CSUS Division of Social WorkCSUS Division of Social Work

MissionMission

The division of social work The division of social work strives to prepare competent strives to prepare competent social workers who can both social workers who can both lead and serve lead and serve the richly the richly diverse region in the diverse region in the development and delivery of development and delivery of services that contribute to services that contribute to human well-being and social human well-being and social justice. justice.

Toward this end, the division Toward this end, the division offers high quality offers high quality undergraduate and graduate undergraduate and graduate degree programs and degree programs and teaching, research, and joint teaching, research, and joint collaboration with the collaboration with the community.community.

Guiding PrinciplesGuiding Principles

Richness of human diversityRichness of human diversity

Respect uniquenessRespect uniqueness

Advance social justiceAdvance social justice

Value human relationshipValue human relationship

Promote human well-beingPromote human well-being

Ethically driven, critical thinking Ethically driven, critical thinking change agentschange agents

Diverse faculty Diverse faculty

What works & what is challenging for MSW students:What works & what is challenging for MSW students:

What worksWhat works

Managing time – timelinesManaging time – timelines

Critical thinking – in depth Critical thinking – in depth relationship with source relationship with source material and facultymaterial and faculty

Shift from beginning to Shift from beginning to intermediate critical thinker intermediate critical thinker

Critical thinking and writingCritical thinking and writing

Appropriate use of student Appropriate use of student colleaguescolleagues

Editing own workEditing own work

Submitting written work after Submitting written work after 4 to 5 edits4 to 5 edits

ChallengingChallenging

Too many commitments to Too many commitments to work, school, internship, work, school, internship, personal life personal life

Anxiety, fatigue, multiple Anxiety, fatigue, multiple projectsprojects

Mental & physical health Mental & physical health problemsproblems

Unrealistic expectations of Unrealistic expectations of productivityproductivity

Values in conflict with NASW Values in conflict with NASW policy statements and the policy statements and the code of ethicscode of ethics

Different standards among Different standards among facultyfaculty

General Program CultureGeneral Program Culture Social justice focus with attention to vulnerable, Social justice focus with attention to vulnerable,

diverse and underrepresented populationsdiverse and underrepresented populations

Commuter campus with students who have multiple Commuter campus with students who have multiple responsibilities in the home – children, jobs, elder responsibilities in the home – children, jobs, elder parent careparent care

Many MSW students are BSW graduatesMany MSW students are BSW graduates

Often first generation college educatedOften first generation college educated

Students and faculty and mainstream to progressiveStudents and faculty and mainstream to progressive

Faculty sincerely care about studentsFaculty sincerely care about students Faculty have very wide range of levels of expertise, Faculty have very wide range of levels of expertise,

practice experience and standardspractice experience and standards

MSW Program Foundation FactsMSW Program Foundation Facts

Multilevel generalist practiceMultilevel generalist practice

60 unit program (28 units foundation and 60 unit program (28 units foundation and 32 advanced)32 advanced)

1, 2 and 3 year program – The 3 year 1, 2 and 3 year program – The 3 year program is part-time program is part-time

Students may not switch between full and Students may not switch between full and part-time, pt program is more competitivepart-time, pt program is more competitive

Advancement to CandidacyAdvancement to Candidacy Satisfy any conditional admissions Satisfy any conditional admissions

requirementsrequirements

Complete at least 28 units with minimum of Complete at least 28 units with minimum of 3.0 GPA3.0 GPA

Obtain approval of a culminating experienceObtain approval of a culminating experience

In the usual 2 year program happens at end In the usual 2 year program happens at end of the second semester in the first yearof the second semester in the first year

Form signed by Graduate Coordinator and Form signed by Graduate Coordinator and submitted to SW to be submitted to submitted to SW to be submitted to Graduate StudiesGraduate Studies

Required Courses – Required Courses –

Foundation YearFoundation Year

202 Diversity202 Diversity 204A & B Practice204A & B Practice 210 Research210 Research 235A & B HBSE235A & B HBSE 250 Policy ** B or 250 Policy ** B or

higherhigher 295A & B Field295A & B Field

Advanced Generalist Advanced Generalist ConcentrationConcentration

204C & D Practice204C & D Practice 251 Policy251 Policy 295C&D Field295C&D Field 500 or 501 & 502 500 or 501 & 502

Culminating Culminating ExperienceExperience

9 units of electives 9 units of electives (micro/macro mix)(micro/macro mix)

Involuntary Termination or Involuntary Termination or

Suspension from ProgramSuspension from Program Students may leave the program under Students may leave the program under

specified terms as determined by the specified terms as determined by the Division Chair through recommendation of Division Chair through recommendation of the facultythe faculty

Reasons for such are Reasons for such are when it is determined to not be in the best when it is determined to not be in the best

interests of the Division, community or student interests of the Division, community or student to award the degreeto award the degree

Student not qualified for admission to the Student not qualified for admission to the profession for factors other than academic profession for factors other than academic standingstanding

NASW code of ethic violationNASW code of ethic violation Interpersonal qualities are not in keeping with a Interpersonal qualities are not in keeping with a

professional social workerprofessional social worker Physical or mental health challenges Physical or mental health challenges

Student StandardsStudent Standards

Behaves in an Ethical MannerBehaves in an Ethical Manner Takes Responsibility for LearningTakes Responsibility for Learning Thinks CriticallyThinks Critically Communicates SkillfullyCommunicates Skillfully Collaborates EffectivelyCollaborates Effectively Produces Quality WorkProduces Quality Work Assumes Responsibility for Assumes Responsibility for

Obstacles to LearningObstacles to Learning

Student Performance Student Performance Evaluation StandardsEvaluation Standards

Ability to Acquire Professional SkillsAbility to Acquire Professional Skills Written & Oral Communication, Written & Oral Communication,

Interpersonal, Cognitive, and Physical Interpersonal, Cognitive, and Physical Skills, Skills,

Emotional and Mental AbilitiesEmotional and Mental Abilities Stress Management, Emotional & Stress Management, Emotional &

Mental Capacities, Mental Capacities, Professional Performance SkillsProfessional Performance Skills

Professional Commitment and Behavior, Professional Commitment and Behavior, Self Awareness, Ethical ObligationsSelf Awareness, Ethical Obligations

Scholastic PerformanceScholastic Performance Academic StandardsAcademic Standards

Academic StandardsAcademic Standards

Academic ProbationAcademic Probation – cum. GPA overall or at – cum. GPA overall or at CSUS falls below 3.0CSUS falls below 3.0

Minimum of a “B” Minimum of a “B” for all graduate courses for all graduate courses Continued ProbationContinued Probation – on academic probation and – on academic probation and

semester GPA continues to be less than 3.0semester GPA continues to be less than 3.0 Academic disqualificationAcademic disqualification – on probation when – on probation when

grade points is below 3.0grade points is below 3.0 Special ContractSpecial Contract – necessary after academic – necessary after academic

disqualificationdisqualification Administrative Academic Administrative Academic

Probation/DisqualificationProbation/Disqualification – withdrawn from – withdrawn from substantial portion of course 2 successive semester substantial portion of course 2 successive semester or any 3 terms; repeated failed progress toward or any 3 terms; repeated failed progress toward degree under circumstances with student’s control; degree under circumstances with student’s control; failure to comply with academic requirements or failure to comply with academic requirements or regulations regulations

Repeat policy 3 C PolicyRepeat policy 3 C Policy

No more than 2 Cs of any type No more than 2 Cs of any type on transcript (must repeat any on transcript (must repeat any course grade less than a “B”)course grade less than a “B”)

Disqualification from program if Disqualification from program if obtain 3 Csobtain 3 Cs

Academic AdvisingAcademic Advising

Orientation & Initial Academic AdvisingOrientation & Initial Academic Advising First week of school with Graduate DirectorFirst week of school with Graduate Director Practice professor as Academic Advisor until Practice professor as Academic Advisor until

further noticefurther notice Graduate Student Handbook – onlineGraduate Student Handbook – online

Use of Educational Contract in Academic Use of Educational Contract in Academic AdvisingAdvising Orientation, assessing aptitude, review student Orientation, assessing aptitude, review student

request for exceptions, confer regarding request for exceptions, confer regarding academic difficultiesacademic difficulties

Information RetrievalInformation Retrieval

Check My Sac StateCheck My Sac State CSUS email accountCSUS email account Mass emails sent regularly to Mass emails sent regularly to

students make sure we have a students make sure we have a correct account for youcorrect account for you

MSW bulletin board on 4MSW bulletin board on 4thth floor floor in Mariposa Hall – resources, in Mariposa Hall – resources, academic and financial support academic and financial support and opportunitiesand opportunities

Student AssociationStudent Association

Student Social Work AssociationStudent Social Work Association

Ebbs and flow depending on student Ebbs and flow depending on student populationpopulation

Right to sit on standing committees Right to sit on standing committees within the divisionwithin the division

Opportunity to come together and offer Opportunity to come together and offer support to each other and influence the support to each other and influence the program to change in appropriate waysprogram to change in appropriate ways

Thoughts on the need for its existence Thoughts on the need for its existence and how to engender more participationand how to engender more participation

The EndThe End

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