MSU searches for School of Social Work director

Ads for a director are running, and applications will be considered starting Oct. 5. Officials expect to have a new person on board by July 1, when the school’s next fiscal year begins, according to an MSU news release.

Filling the director position is part of an improvement plan that began in May, after two reports commissioned to evaluate the social work department recommended changes in a number of areas. MSU President Michael Nietzel requested the reports following an out-of-court settlement of a lawsuit filed against MSU by a social work student who alleged that she’d been discriminated against on the basis of religion.

Since the improvement plan began, several changes have been made:

• Several faculty members in the department have resigned, and searches are under way to fill open positions;

• Faculty members who remain now have individual professional development plans;

• Social work policies and procedures have been reviewed and are being revised;

• The curriculum sequencing has been improved and more courses are being offered online; and

• A Social Work Advisory Board and an Alumni Association have been established to improve community outreach and provide ongoing professional development opportunities for alumni.

Lettie Lockhart from the University of Georgia recently conducted a modified accreditation site visit for the Council on Social Work Education, according to the release. Her recommendation will go to the CSWE-Commission on Accreditation, which is expected to issue a decision in mid-October.

This fall, 215 students are in the social work program, down 10 percent from a year ago. More students applied than were admitted at the graduate level, which was intentional, according to the release.