Social Work Program Granted Accreditation posted 2/25/10
Council on Social Work Education offers official recognition

ADRIAN, Mich. - Adrian College received official word on Monday, Feb. 22, from the Council on Social Work Education, that the social work program has been granted accreditation.

According to a letter sent to President Jeffrey Docking and Professor Charles Vanderwell, program director, the Commission on Accreditation (COA) met in early February and reviewed the College’s self-study, the Accreditation Review Brief, and the program’s response to the Brief as the initial accreditation application for the baccalaureate social work program. The COA voted to grant initial accreditation from the academic year of 2006-2007 to February 2014.

 "This achievement presents a wonderful opportunity for students and alumni,” said Dr. Agnes Caldwell, vice president and dean of academic affairs. “To be considered an institution of quality and integrity by the Council on Social Work Education is a testament to the work of professors Vanderwell and Nichols."

Professors Vanderwell and Susan Nichols, field education director, were the forces behind the new program and its establishment. Prior to becoming faculty members at Adrian College, both Vanderwell and Nichols had long and distinguished careers as professional social workers in the Lenawee community.

In late 2003, the College decided to develop a social work program with a Bachelor of Social Work degree. Several factors led to the determination to transition to a social work program, from a human services major which was established at Adrian in 1986. Social work is a much more recognizable profession as a distinct field of practice.

The National Association of Social Workers’ campaign to alter perceptions of the social work profession also suggests a greater focus on developing clearer public understanding and awareness of social work. However, the most critical factor initiating this change was the proposal and passage of the State of Michigan’s first social work licensure law. As of 2004, all states in the U.S. have social worker licensing laws.

The Adrian College Social Work program applied to the Council on Social Work Education for accreditation candidacy in the fall of 2004. As the program prepared for accreditation, the most notable changes were an upgrading and reorganization of the curriculum, a more structured field experience component, an expansion of library holdings in social work, and the hiring of additional social work staff.

“The accreditation process has effectively aided in the further development of improvement in the program,” said Vanderwell. "We have worked very hard to build a social work education program of high quality at Adrian College. The granting of this national accreditation recognizes the diligent work of students, faculty and our community field partners."

President Docking says that the national accreditation should attract more students to enter the social work program.

“This is an outstanding program thanks to the hard work and dedication of our professors,” said Docking. “This accreditation will give our students a significant advantage over their peers. It’s a great achievement for the College and our students will reap the benefits.”

Vanderwell stated that the process of accreditation takes, on average, a minimum of four years to complete. He and Nichols have met with COA members and site review teams over the past four years as they have visited campus annually to evaluate the program.

All students who have entered the social work program at Adrian College as of the 2006-07 academic year, will be “grandparented” in. This means that even though some students graduated before the program was officially accredited, and because it was in the candidacy phase since 2006, all graduates will be recognized as if it were accredited.

In the state of Michigan, once a student graduates with a social work degree, they must complete two years of in the field experience and take the state licensing exam. Students at Adrian College are required to complete 400 hours of field work, which is supervised by a licensed social worker, for their baccalaureate degree.

Nichols is in charge of finding facilities for the students to work at. This academic year, the College has students placed locally at the following places: Department of Human Services; Catholic Charities of Lenawee; Community Action Center; HOPE Community Center; Community Mental Health Center; Hospice of Lenawee; Fulton County Department of Job and Family Services-Wauseon, Ohio; Lutheran Villages - Toledo, and Sarah’s Circle – Chicago, through the Chicago Center.

“We are very pleased that our students are beginning to understand the opportunities available as social work professionals,” said Nichols. “Social workers are important professionals in medical settings, schools, counseling and therapy settings and independent practices, and family and community agencies.”

To learn more about the social work program at Adrian College, visit http://www.adrian.edu/academics/SOC/social_work.php.

More information about the Council on Social Work Education may be obtained from their official web site at www.cswe.org.