MSWSN Student Leader's Guide 2013-14.pdf

: the personal is political

it is the opportunity to impac

positively the lives of people on a much larger scale

without macro, the most

vulnerable lives don’t improve

unity is LOVE essential

it IS social work culture matters

people will come

after me and i want them to live better

The Student Leader's Guide to a Successful Campus Chapter!

Macro Social Work Student Network

School Organizing Program

Andrew C. Schoeneman, MIIM

Doctoral Candidate

Adjunct Instructor

Virginia Commonwealth University

School of Social Work

Rebecca Stoll

Master in Social Work, candidate ‘14

Michigan State University


Jorge Vargas


Rhode Island College


by

Andrew Calderaro

Master in Social Work, candidate ’14

(CUNY) Hunter College

Silberman School of Social Work

Patricia Bamwine, MSW

Doctoral candidate

University of Pittsburgh


Jessica Hudon


Boston University


Nora Moran

Master in Social Work, candidate ’14



Kristin M. Ferguson-Colvin, Ph.D.

Associate Professor



Mark Homan, MSW

Chairperson

Association for Community Organization and

Social Administration (ACOSA)

Reviewed and edited by

Students:

Faculty:

Terry Mizrahi, Ph.D.

Professor



Naomi Silverstone, Ph.D.

Professor

University of Utah

College of Social Work

Michael Walters


(SUNY) Stony Brook University

School of Social Welfare

The Student Leader's Guide

Welcome………………………………………………………………………………..3

Mission & A History of Growth…..........................4-5

Cultivating Success…………………………………………………………..6

Table 1………………………………………………………………….7

Organizing Principles Primer……………………..8-12

Agenda Planning……………………………………………………………….13

Establishing a Campus Chapter& Stepping Stone Goals……………………………..14-16

Potential Composite Goals………………………..16

Needs Assessment Survey…….17

School/Community Event…………18-20

Frequently Asked Question…................................21-22

Contact/Sources ……………………………………………………………….23

Table of Contents

1

Dear Campus Leader,

“I went into social work because I wanted to be like Jane Addams. But I found myself in the world

of Mary Richmond,” Dr. Jack Rothman wrote from Los Angeles. “There were different approaches

in the field and my choice was vastly outnumbered. And, truth to tell, not well appreciated.” In the

2012 Rothman Report, he found that “by the mid-1990s, only 2.9 to 4.5% of social work graduate

students were community or planning practice majors.” This “marginalized subfield in social work”

saw that “only two percent of time each week is dedicated to community organizing and

policy/legislative development” (Rothman, 2013).

Rothman, along with Meyer Schwartz, developed at the

University of Pittsburgh in the early 1960s the “first

contemporary two-year concentration in community

organization” ("NASW social work," 2013). Roughly a

half-century later Dr. Rothman, a professor emeritus

at UCLA, conducted the research for and wrote

the 2012 Report to illustrate the imbalance between

micro and macro social work education.

What is to be done if social work is systematically

marginalizing those it is supposed to be training?

MSWSN’s June 14th event, “Macro in a Micro World,”

produced a clear answer: Macro students must organize and

advocate for better macro education. This means we must take

our community organizing skills and employ them for an urgent brand of advocacy – scholastic

organizing.

This is where you come in. As a Campus Leader, whether BSW, MSW, or PhD. student, you can

organize for change in your curriculum and in your school’s culture towards macro practice. This

is why MSWSN is developing leaders at social work schools across the country. The potential for

change exists among many talented, impassioned students. Indeed, this is why you are reading

this.

Use this Guide as you develop a chapter on your campus. Along with your organizing skills and

knowledge, you will be well on your way.

In solidarity,

Macro Social Work Student Network

The Macro Social Work Student Network (MSWSN) began at the

Silberman School of Social Work at CUNY-Hunter College in the Fall of 2011.

Students of the Community Organizing, Planning, and Development (COP&D)

method began a project in class titled the “National Community Organizing

Networking Project.” The initial focus was to connect to other macro-focused

students at the University of Connecticut’s and University of Pittsburgh’s

schools of social work through a videoconference. Facilitated by professors of

this triumvirate, participants realized that this was just the beginning of what

could be a profound and progressive dialogue.

The Silberman students initiated a coalition and developed a trial web site

to provide greater organization and collaboration. During the Spring 2012

semester, students from the COP&D I course expanded the network beyond

the Original Three to develop more of a national scope.

During the fall 2012 semester,

COP&D II students continued this

growth. Allison Weingarten, Silberman

‘13, attended the Council on Social

Work Education’s (CSWE) Annual

Program Meeting. Through promotion

of the project to other attendees, Ms.

Weingarten corralled contacts from

numerous schools, which led to

greater usage of social media

outreach.

This increased communication led to an in-person event among New

York City social work schools and the fledgling organization took on the

moniker of National Network of Macro Practice Social Work Students.

What started as coursework for Silberman macro students now had

potential for great expansion. COP&D I students seized upon this

opportunity under Dr. Terry Mizrahi, former president of the NASW, during

the Spring 2012 semester. Nine students impressively chose the Network

over other compelling social work campaign options. Now known as the

Macro Social Work Student Network, these students used their collective

skillset, diligence, and relationship with the Association for Community

Organizing and Social Administration (ACOSA) to organize a further-

reaching event.

The result was the June 14th, 2013 event “Macro in a Micro World!

What the 2012 Rothman Report Means for Social Change Hopefulness.”

Co-sponsored by the University of Connecticut School of Social Work; the

University at Albany School of Social Welfare; the Silberman School of

Social Work; ACOSA; and, MSWSN, the event brought in roughly 50

students from schools such as Indiana, Virginia Commonwealth, Rutgers,

Pittsburgh, Columbia, and so forth!

The event featured Dr. Loretta Pyles of Albany and Dr. Scott Harding

of Connecticut, who spoke about the Report and what this meant for the

budding practitioners in attendance. After a question-and -answer session,

students shared meaningful, important ideas through open space

exercises. The day was capped off with a happy hour and networking!

What’s next for MSWSN? You are! On the heels of years of

development and a stellar summer event, MSWSN is prepared to expand

into campus chapters. As part of the Rothman Report illustrated, the future

of macro education is in the hands of the students.

As we learn to advocate for and empower

others we must advocate for what

we need and deserve in our own

schools. Thus, the future of

MSWSN – and macro education -

is as bright as we make it.

The beauty of the School Organizing Program is that we are not just charging toward better macro

education and greater awareness but

setting out to do actual organizing, thereby

enhancing our skills! Some of us have

pre-social work school experience yet

others are newer to the field. Either

way, we all need to have our

organizing skills in order.

The following “organizing principles

primer” comes from from seasoned

organization and is for our edification and

clarification. Of course, we are all

organizing in different schools and these

principles will apply within various scholastic

cultures. We cannot control all variables; but, we

can be proficient in the skills necessary for strong , healthy

organizing. Do this work, maintain humility, humor, and

perseverance and see where your work can take macro

social work, MSWSN, and you!

Source: Community Practice Interventions. (2008). The Encyclopedia of Social Work, 20th

Edition. T. Mizrahi & L.E. Davis, Eds. Vol. 4. NY: Oxford University and NASW Press.

Development of macro practice tracks in social work

schools without them; increased macro course offerings;

greater hiring of macro professors; a cultural shift that is

more inclusive of macro practice

Academic curricula; administrative and student culture

Macro social work students; macro professors; administrators

Macro methods are not offered within social work programs; sufficient

macro courses aren’t part of the curricula; schools ignore macro

social work as an essential method in the field

Campus Leader; Chapter members;

Involved professors

Organizing Principles Primer 1. Planning is integral. In a civilian community, for example, you

would have a lot more data collection and analysis and larger

timelines. Our school communities are literally and figuratively

shrunken. But, we still assess values, power, and resources when

outlining our work.

Values addresses why a problem exists (why is macro largely

ignored? Who is responsible?).

Power means that somebody or a body of people

wields the means to fix your identified problem.

Resources are the creation of or deployment

of assets that help us achieve our product.

2. Needs and asset assessments are core

component s to any organizing effort. Having a

sense of something wrong is much different from

being able to show something is wrong. Equally

as important is knowing where your strengths in

both groups and individuals lie, so that you can take

on your goals and challenges aware of your strengths.

See Supplementary Docs.

3. As you develop your chapter, assume nobody knows the

problems facing macro practice. In fact, reading through the

Rothman Report and reading through this Guide may be edifying

for you! If you, as a Campus Leader, are learning then how can

you expect others to know? This applies both to the critical

actors and the facilitating actors (see 5.Power). Is your administration aware that they’re shortchanging macro practice? Have they been operating in a clinical haze?

4. Process and Product: Establishing anything on campus takes

time, and our busy academic lives don’t help propel these other

interests. We must act under the assumption that there will always

be a shortage of resources (time, people, etc.) to achieve

everything we want to. Thus, we must focus on process

and product:

Process: There must be enough dialogue or

filtering of ideas to determine agreed-upon and

appropriate goals to which all involved persons

can agree and feel a sense of buy-in.

Product: What are your chapter's goals?

What do you hope to achieve?

Have a realistic timetable and efficient allocation of resources

Be realistic about product

Know the consensus product among your chapter’s members

Assess skill sets – who is best at what and wants to take on specific tasks?

Allow for enough, or more than enough, time, and be aware of

your process and how it relates to product.

5. Power is a major element in the work we do. You need to

understand who or what has the decision-making capabilities to

create your desired change. Let’s focus on two types of power

actors. Critical actors have the technical authority to make

certain changes; facilitating actors can influence the critical

actors due to their relationship to them. (cont’d)

Do the students know what they are missing? In the case of the

administration they may know about this problem but won’t act until

someone speaks up. This is an opportunity to work with them and

allow them to save face. If they won’t work with you then your work,

regardless, cultivates the influence to make change!

6. Assume that opposition to change or your issue will exist. In

the Rothman Report, one professor asserts, “I don’t fully

understand the lack of support, even though I know the majority

of the faculty is now narrowly clinical. A few powerful full-profs do

not think a macro concentration

helps…Some disapprove of macro

as a remnant of the 60s. Others

think only clinically-oriented

intervention research is legitimate”

(Rothman, 2012).

While such opposition can be

daunting, don’t lose heart! You will face detractors throughout

your careers. In fact, the skilled organizer uses this opposition to

determine who exactly her allies are and who her opponents are.

And, when you face opposition it is best to be prepared with

counter-arguments. What if someone questions the validity of

macro practice? Can you speak to the social improvements made

by macro work in your community, on a larger scale, or generally?

7. Criticism of problem solving is something we may very well face.

Although social work is inherently inclusive, you may encounter

those students and professors who are clinically-biased. You may

have people who support you yet think you’re fighting a losing

battle, as it were. Whatever the nature of the environment your

collective and you function in, you know what you’re doing is right

for macro practice; thus, you can transcend any detraction with this

knowledge and with your preparation for success.

Many times this can be muddied waters and a power analysis is

needed to clear things up. In this case, we know that we the

students are the facilitating actors and the administration within

our schools – and, beyond them, the Council on Social Work

Education – are the critical actors. In our case, knowing who

controls the educational strings within our buildings is key. We

must ask, “Who can enact formally the change we demand?”

8. Last, we cannot undervalue the power of influence – the “face

of power acquired by people when they do not have the authority

to make decisions.” Whatever school you attend, it is your school

and your education (or, in the macro case, generally lack thereof).

As a Campus Leader and as a chapter, how can you amass the

right influence? And, always remember, fortune favors the bold.

You – we – are the bold, those who refuse to let our desired

educations go ignored and who insist on being progressive

agents.

Source: Community Practice Interventions. (2008). The Encyclopedia of Social Work, 20th

Edition. T. Mizrahi & L.E. Davis, Eds. Vol. 4. NY: Oxford University and NASW Press.

“We macro social work students

must advocate for our educations.

We use learned principles, like the

ones you just read, in other communities,

but what about our own academic

environments? Change is not going to happen

overnight, but by owning our educations and

implementing these principles and leadership skills then

change can occur. For example, at the Boston University School of

Social Work macro students won over faculty support for macro

workshops to supplement our classroom education. Now, we

choose the topics of macro workshops that are offered each

semester to all of the MSW students. Small changes such as

providing workshops in individual programs will lead to changes in

the profession as whole.”

- Jessica Hudon, BU SSW

When preparing for the year be sure that you know what you’re doing and that you have a roadmap to track your progress (see Campus Leader Documents). Surprises arise but your chapter and you will be most able to deal with these because you’re prepared.

What other students are like-minded? It doesn’t take many people to get the ball rolling. What are the major problems facing macro social work at your school? What goals can/should your chapter realistically pursue? What resources do you have?

What are achievable goals for the Collective and its resources? What actions suit progress your goals? What are realistic timeframes for your goals? Whose skills fit best in specific areas?

Put your plan into action and progress towards those goals! How can you maintain accountability? A timesheet? Weekly meetings? Make sure you have oversight, especially because we’re all so busy!

Establish the Chapter: All of your passions and skills can’t

be put to use unless you set up a collective first! See your

Campus Leader docs for key questions to ask yourself.

Stepping Stone goals: These are the

smaller-yet-necessary goals you

achieve to make the chapter known

throughout campus, to recruit chapter members, and to spread information

about the importance of and problems

facing macro practice.

Composite goals: These are larger

goals that require deeper planning.

They are usually end-of-the-semester/

year events. They are called composite

goals because they are the fruit of all the

chapter’s labors during the semester and may require

long-term planning and organizing. Of course, you can

prepare for a composite goal while reaching your

stepping stone goals.

Your first step in planning is going to be

actually setting up a chapter! Depending on

your school’s policies you may or may not

have to become an official campus club. There

are certain benefits to becoming an official club

i.e. financing, access to certain facilities, etc.

Here are some questions to get this process

started.

Is it to our advantage to become an official club?

How do I establish a chapter my school?

What are the technical ins and outs and paperwork necessary to

become a club?

Who in student activities should I know?

You’ll need to know who the “go to” person/people are.

Which professor(s) can I get to join me on this?

Despite the overall troubling treatment of macro social work on

campuses, there should be a few professors dedicated to macro.

Find one or more macro-focused professors and set up a meeting

to discuss how you can work together. His/her/their expertise will

help guide you. It is also an important step to bring into the fold a

potential “critical actor.”

What is the club culture on my campus?

Are there a lot of events to promote clubs? Is there a designated

“club time” every week? Depending, you’ll need to figure out the

best way to promote your MSWSN chapter.

Establishing a

Chapter

Tabling: Good ‘ol fashioned tabling puts you in direct contact with

fellow students. Set up in a campus-approved area with signage,

literature, a clipboard, and a smile – oh, and a table!

Flyers: You know this deal - post those MSWSN flyers where fellow

students will see them!

Event presentation: Our schools provide an array of events to

introduce clubs and alliances to the general student body. Make

your MSWSN chapter part of that!

Make announcements in class: Although class time is limited, any

concerned professor should gladly let you make a two minute

prepared announcement. Be sure to have flyers to distribute,

otherwise you risk your message getting lost.

White/chalk board messages: Figure out which classrooms (if there’s a difference) hold the macro classes. Write, neatly, about the Network and the chapter, who you’re looking for, and how to contact you. Then just let the foot traffic pass by!

Gaining interest when setting up

a Chapter/Stepping Stone goals

Setting up a Collective and Stepping Stone goals so mirror each

other that we’ve combined them. These tactics are essential to both

and are enhanced by being done regularly i.e. weekly, bi-weekly,

etc., to maintain continuity in your communications with fellow

students. An important point is that you don’t need to recruit an army;

a few dedicated students can get the collective moving in the right

direction.

Sidewalk message: Remember when you wrote all over

the street with chalk as a kid? Well, it’s time to put that skill

to use! As long as it’s cool with the campus, script a

message on high traffic walkways.

E-blast: This is an efficient way to touch base with as many

students as possible. See who in administration or student

activities sends out the mass emails and if they can work

with you to get a mass-message out! Maybe they can even

blast a flashy flyer!

Social Media: Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, Instragram,

etc.: Let your classmates know through your school’s

social media sites or sites you develop.

Potential Composite Goals

Composite goals, going back to Table 1, focus either

directly or indirectly on the “systems targeted for change.”

Here are types of composite goals that are hypothetically

within the realm of the chapter’s ability and further the

“desired outcome” of the MSWSN’s mission.

I. Student Needs Assessment Survey

II. School Event

a. For students/professors

b. Community-oriented

III. Free Choice! (Have something in mind that’s

great for your school community?)

I. Student Needs Assessment Survey

Ultimately, your school’s academic infrastructure is where

your chapter can have the most impact. As the Rothman

Report illustrates, macro social work education is largely

downplayed, ignored, and non-existent. Of course, you

should know how this is happening at your school.

The best way to find this out is by conducting a student

needs assessment survey. You want to be able to answer

questions like, “These problems are bad, but are they

affecting us at our school?” By doing a survey, you’ll be

equipped to answer and for future action.

See your

Supplementary

Docs for the

assessment

survey and

additional

information.

II. School/Community Event

Another positive Composite Goal is holding an event in your

school that addresses a macro issue. Perhaps you have

done work in your community and it highlights effectiveness

and need for macro work; you could hold an event that

illustrates this work.

Here are some examples:

• An introduction to macro social work, its paths, and its

professional prospects

• MicMac: Connecting macro and micro social work

• A specific issue facing macro social work

• Work you’ve done on your own or for a class with the

community and how it reflects macro’s usefulness i.e.

educational outreach, fundraising, organizing community

children for a specific goal, etc.

A good example is the event held by MSWSN on June 14th,

2013, “Macro in a Micro World:

What the 2012 Rothman Report

Means for Social Change

Hopefulness.” The event took place

in New York City at the Silberman

School of Social Work at CUNY-

Hunter College.

Although there was a lot of

organizing done for the event, its

premise was straight-forward. Dr.

Loretta Pyles of the University at

Albany and Dr. Scott Harding of the

University of Connecticut spoke

about the Rothman Report. Next,

“open space” exercises allowed the

roughly 50 students from over a

dozen social work schools to have

various dialogues about the Report

and macro issues important to

them. The day wrapped up with a

reception that, of course, had some

good food!

An event this simple can go a long way. In a post-event survey,

90% of the students rated the event as either “very good” or

“excellent.” In open-ended responses they proclaimed:

• “The integration of education and action…being able to clarify

the problem as a group…then discuss solutions was helpful.”

• “I really enjoyed the open space exercise because it allowed

the attendees to share ideas and thoughts.”

• “Seeing patterns across institutions is sobering, empowering,

and motivating to start advocating more.”

Ultimately, this event achieved multiple ends:

• Brought together like-minded macro students

• Showed students and professors alike that there is passion

for macro progress

• Enlightened students to new ideas

• Created a greater sense of intra-state and intra-program

macro solidarity

By doing the same on your campus your chapter, wherever it

may be, will empower and embolden the macro contingent

everywhere.

ACOSA is

the national

body for

macro social

workers and

students. You can contact the

appropriate regional contact to work

with ACOSA on an event in your school.

Check out their web site to see who

their regional reps are and how you can

work together. ACOSA.org

General

Is MSWSN associated with any other organizations?

Yes. MSWSN is associated with and works closely with the

Association for Community Organization and Social Administration

(ACOSA). You can learn more about ACOSA by visiting ACOSA.org.

Where can I find the 2012 Rothman Report in its complete form?

www.acosa.org/joomla/pdf/RothmanReportRevisedJune2013.pdf

Logistical

Do I have to start my chapter at the beginning of the academic

year?

No, you are able to start a chapter at any point and simply adjust

your goals to the timeframe you give yourself.

Do I have to register my Chapter an official student club?

No, but if there are advantages to doing so then it would be wise to make it oficial.

Can I be a Campus Leader if I’m entering my first year of a social

work program?

Yes! MSWSN wants Campus Leaders of all ages, experiences, and

perspectives. Of course, the less experience you have the more you

may want to “lean on” those with more insight i.e. professors, other

students, etc.

Does my chapter receive any funding from MSWSN?

No. As a young organization and an even newer program, the School Organizing Program cannot provide funds for you chapter at this

time. This doesn’t mean that you can fundraise or embrace the

challenge of pursuing your chapter’s goals with limited financial

resources.

This is a student network; should I pursue professor involvement?

Yes! As we discussed earlier in the guide, you need to know who the

critical actors in your school are. Such a person could very well be a

macro professor who is fully supportive of your chapter!

Academic/Professional

Can I receive academic credit for my work with MSWSN?

While MSWSN does not have any agreements with any social work

schools to offer academic credit towards a degree, you are free to

inquire within your school if your work as a Campus Leader can

qualify for academic credit. Keep in mind, any school willing to work

with you will have to provide complete oversight.

Can I receive a letter of recommendation from MSWSN?

Yes, students who exhibit dedication and competent work can receive

letters of recommendation from MSWSN.

The best way to reach MSWSN with any

questions, concerns, or suggestions is via e-mail

at [email protected].

Berkowitz, B., & Nagy, J. (2013 ). Conducting needs assessment surveys. Retrieved from

http://ctb.ku.edu/en/tablecontents/sub_section_main_1042.aspx

Rothman, J. (2013 ). Education for macro intervention: A survey of problems and prospects.

Unpublished raw data, Association for Community Organizing and Social Administration.

Nasw social work pioneers. (2013). Retrieved from

http://www.naswfoundation.org/pioneers/r/JackRothman.htm

Mizrahi, T. (2009). Community organizing principles and practice guidelines. In A. R. Roberts

(Ed.), Social Workers' Desk Reference (2 ed.). Oxford University Press.

Community Practice Interventions. (2008). The Encyclopedia of Social Work, 20th Edition. T.

Mizrahi & L.E. Davis, Eds. Vol. 4. NY: Oxford University and NASW Press.

MSWSN Student Leader's Guide 2013-14.pdf

Documents

Transcript of MSWSN Student Leader's Guide 2013-14.pdf