Departmental Assessment Update - Social Work Report
Department: Social Work
Program: BSW
Level: Undergraduate
1. List in detail your undergraduate Student Learning Outcomes (SLOs) for each degree/certificate offered.
Goals
The primary goal of the BSW Program is to prepare students to be competent beginning level generalist social workers, capable of integrating the knowledge, skills, and values of social work. A secondary goal is to prepare students for advanced social work education.
Objectives
1. Values and Ethics
At the completion of classroom and field education, graduating BSW students will be able to: Understand, articulate, and integrate the principles, values, and ethics of the social work profession into their practice.· Identify and discuss the core values, ethical principles, and ethical standards of the social work profession as codified in the NASW Code of Ethics;
· Practice in a manner consistent with the mission of social work and its core values;
· Determine when an ethical issue is present and identify the key values and principles involved.
2. Professional Use of SelfAt the completion of classroom and field education, graduating BSW students will be able to: Demonstrate achievement of professional use of self in practice.
· Distinguish professional and personal roles, with awareness of the need to elevate service to others above self-interest;
· Use self purposefully and with awareness of own personal strengths and limitations in carrying out professional roles;
· Demonstrate flexibility in assuming various social work roles and coping with change, and is able to utilize supervision effectively.
3. Critical Thinking
At the completion of classroom and field education, graduating BSW students will be able to: Apply critical thinking skills in professional contexts.
· Understand the differences between verifiable facts and value claims, and the need to weigh knowledge claims against the evidence for them;
· Critically examine arguments and evidence and show openness in the evaluation of their own practice;
· Utilize research to inform and evaluate their practice.
4. Applying Theory to Practice
At the completion of classroom and field education, graduating BSW students will be able to: Analyze and apply knowledge to assessment and intervention in social work practice of biopsychosocial variables and theoretical frameworks that explain individual and social systems development.
· Understand and apply at multiple system levels a broad range of knowledge regarding individual and social development and behavior;
· Display a community-based approach to generalist practice;
· Apply theory-grounded assessment tools and interventions appropriate to practice with individuals, families, groups, organizations, and communities.
5. Advocacy
At the completion of classroom and field education, graduating BSW students will be able to: Advocate effectively for social and economic justice.
· Integrate knowledge of the mission, history, and philosophy of social work and social welfare;
· Use their knowledge and skills to improve the lives of communities and the individuals in them;
· Analyze the impact of social policies on client systems, workers, and agencies.
6. Diversity
At the completion of classroom and field education, graduating BSW students will be able to:Achieve competency in working with diverse populations.
· Demonstrate personal and professional awareness of their own cultural values and biases and how these impact their abilities to work with others;
· Demonstrate skills for ongoing knowledge development of diversity with a focus on Native Hawaiians, other Pacific Islanders, Asian Americans and other oppressed groups and diverse populations.
· Develop skills in engaging persons from diverse cultures and groups.
7. Communication
At the completion of classroom and field education, BSW students will be able to: Demonstrate the oral, written and attending skills that will enable them to communicate effectively and appropriately in relation to their setting and audience.
· Demonstrate knowledge of the basic requirements of record keeping in social work; and use information technologies appropriate to communicating effectively with clients and colleagues;
· Work continuously to improve their capacity to communicate effectively with colleagues and clients;
· Demonstrate skill in interviewing and in communicating orally and in writing in their academic and field work.
2. Where are these SLOs published (e.g., department web page)?
1) School of Social Work (SSW) bulletin (published annually)
2) PDF of bulletin on SSW web site
3) On SSW web site under BSW Program
4) BSW Student Handbook
3. Explain how your SLOs map onto your curriculum, i.e., how does your curriculum produce the specific SLOs in your students?
The BSW program goals and objectives are based on the University, School of Social Work, and BSW program mission statements. Each course has a master syllabus that contains course goals and objectives that are tied directly to the program goals and objectives. Every section of that course must have the same course goals and objectives. How the instructor achieves those goals and objectives is up to him or her.
4. What specific methodologies were used to collect data? In developing your response, consider the following questions:
SW 200 is open to all students. Students in all classes, including SW 200, fill out Course and Faculty Evaluations. The other indirect and direct measures are filled out by all BSW students, of which there are 55 in the fall 2007 semester.
Indirect (i.e., from students):
1) Course and Faculty Evaluations (CAFE)- scan sheets and qualitative forms filled out by all students in all classes at the end of the semester. Includes questions about the class and about the instructor. Somewhat useful, although questions do not tie directly into course and/or program goals and objectives.
2) Baccalaureate Educational Assessment Package (BEAP) - commercially available scan sheets and forms. We are currently pretesting a new knowledge survey, which is completed by incoming and graduating BSW majors. Allows for comparison to other BSW programs. Somewhat useful, although question do not tie directly into course and/or program goals and objectives.
3) BSW Exit Survey - paper/pencil survey placed in mailboxes of all graduating students. This year, we also sent it via e-mail. Next year the survey will be online. Using language drawn directly from the seven program goals and objectives, asks students to rate how well they feel the program as a whole met the goals and objectives.
4) Alumni Survey - this year, a mailed survey will go to all SSW graduates. In subsequent years, it will only go to those who are 2 years post-degree. A new version is under development. It includes demographic information, detailed questions about the individual's work and workplace, and questions about the program, including many that tie back into the program goals and objectives.
Direct (i.e., from sources other than students):
1) Practicum Evaluations - BSW majors have 3 semesters of field placement at social service and related agencies. At the beginning of each semester, the field instructor and student develop a learning agreement. At the end of each semester in the senior year, the field instructor rates the student's level of professional skills and development and progress toward goals. There is also a list of assessment methods the field instructor uses. We collect all this information including the final grade for the semester.
2) Final cumulative GPAs of all graduating students
3) Agency/Employer Survey - paper/pencil mailed to employers. In the past it went to those employers whose names we were given by graduates. We are considering also sending the survey to all major employers of BSW graduates in the state.
4) BSW Community Advisory Committee - monthly meetings with BSW level field instructors, some of whom are/were instructors in the program, are held to solicit input about the current and future plans for the program and students.
Under Discussion:
1) Focus groups of graduating students, led by graduating students
2) BSW State Licensing Information
3) Portfolios
4) Skills Labs/Videotaping
5) Comprehensive Examination
6) BEAP Exit Survey
7) BEAP Alumni Survey
8) Qualitative information from practicum evaluations
5. How were the assessment data/results used to inform decisions concerning the curriculum and administration of the program?
Changes to the BSW major courses are being discussed. This includes changing one course almost completely and modifying the 3 courses that follow it. In addition, based on feedback, the SSW is exploring modifying the BSW program's goals and objectives.
6. Has the program developed learning outcomes? Please indicate yes or no.
Yes.
7. Has the program published learning outcomes? Please indicate yes or no.
Yes.
8. If so, please indicate how the program has published learning outcomes.
See question #2.
9. What evidence is used to determine achievement of student learning outcomes?
The Assessment Committee (see below) looks for patterns over time in the data. They look for scores and GPAs that fall below specified cutoffs. The students rate the program fairly high, so the committee looks for areas in which students rate the School as being weaker (e.g., rated 3 on a 5-point scale). An alumni survey has not been conducted for quite awhile, so the data from the one that will go out soon should be quite useful. The committee compares final GPAs of BSW and MSW students.
10. Who interprets the evidence?
The Assessment Committee, which consists of nine members of the SSW, including the Dean, the Director of Research, research faculty, and representation from all three degree programs (BSW, MSW, and Ph.D. in social welfare). Meetings are open to all faculty and staff.
11. What is the process of interpreting the evidence?
The Assessment Committee oversees all data collection, entry, and analysis. A report was published in Fall 2007 that included analyses from the BSW and MSW programs. A new report is in process that will included analyses from the BSW and MSW programs and a summary written by the Chair and members of the Assessment Committee.
12. Indicate the date of last program review.
UH - 1997
Reaccreditation by Council on Social Work Education (CSWE) - 2002
Currently in the process of preparing for the 2010 CSWE reaffirmation