Strategic Plan Progress Report April 2021
Committee Name: Field Education Committee (FEC) and Professional Consultative Committee (PCC)
Committee Members: (FEC) Amy Basel, Ellen Smith, Ron Chance, Kathryn Larsen-Klodd, Alice Egan, Amanda Zuehlke, Tim Latimer, Jake Dunn, Liz Premo (PhD Student), Lindsey Zblewski (PTP MSW Student), and Ashley Ploessl (FTP MSW Student)
(PCC): Amy Basel, Ryan Estrella, Jamie Kuhn, Robin Matthies, Erica Anderson, Fabiola Hamden, Stephanie Lozano, Mary C. Vasquez, Marc Herstand, Francie Smith Saposnik, and Cassie Sedlacek.
Strategic Plan Goal 3: Equip our students, staff, faculty, alumni, and social work community partners to be social justice leaders who can address diversity, equity, and inclusion in their lives and careers.
Objective: We will review and update all field syllabi with a focus on curricular transformation. Starting in academic year 2021-2022 all field seminars will increase content from primary sources (articles, guest speakers), and lesson topics and plans that more fully reflect non-majority perspectives in social work. This could include curricula around critical race theory, working across difference with white clients, identifying strengths in and contributions from historically marginalized populations, utilizing cultural humility, and other related topics. In other words, enrich and enhance content to address a broad understanding of global issues including historical and current contributions from non-majority groups and individuals. Furthermore, this objective serves to ensure students are seen and heard, their identities are reflected in seminar, and they have a broader, more balanced understanding of the field of social work and its practices.
Progress on goal since February 2021
Progress towards Goal #3 include identifying resources to increase/enhance syllabus content, collaboration from field faculty, and support from FEC and PCC. In partnership with the Curriculum Committee, we will use a common rubric for reviewing field syllabi. We will also implement a peer review process of all field syllabi.
Spring 2021 and summer 2021 will entail a significant amount of effort in updating all field syllabi for 2021-2022. We are committed to continuing to locate DEI resources for field instructors to integrate into the field seminar content. We will rework and require the Practice Questions of the Week centered on DEI; enhancing integration of content and practice in every field seminar. All field instructors will provide agency supervisors/preceptors the course syllabus and readings to integrate into weekly supervision to strengthen conversations and awareness of DEI.
A CANVAS site will be utilized by all field instructors to access and share DEI resources. Agency supervisors and preceptors will also have a CANVAS site with access to resources to continue support DEI and supervision efforts. The CANVAS sites will be updated regularly with a range of resources; articles, webinars, and social media.
As we continue to aim for a stronger, more focused, and collective effort towards enhancement in DEI content throughout all field seminars, we will also increase consistency between the PTP and FTP seminars. We will continue to enhance and strengthen not only workshops; but supports and resources for agency supervisors, preceptors, and community partnerships. This would focus on DEI in student professional development and supervision.