Social Work Update
The UTSA Master of Social Work (MSW) Program was officially granted accreditation on February 19, 2008, by the Council on Social Work Education, the national social work accrediting body. Accredited status enhances the national reputation of our program; helps attract quality graduate students and faculty; provides federal research and funding opportunities not previously available; allows field internship of student interns in federal social service settings; and maximizes employment opportunities for graduates. The UTSA social work program becomes the tenth accredited master of social work program in Texas and the only accredited MSW program in the San Antonio area at a public university which maximizes educational access to students, especially those who are underrepresented in higher education.
As of spring 2008, the MSW program has 96 students. In addition to the initial graduating cohort of 21 students in 2007, 30 more students are expected to graduate in 2008. Our students continue to serve the community through field internships. In this last year UTSA MSW students have contributed 35,400 service learning hours to 44 agencies in the San Antonio community, equivalent to 17 FTE social service positions. Also in service to the community, the UTSA Department of Social Work hosted a celebration for San Antonio social workers in honor of World Social Work Day on April 15, 2008.
MSW students serve in our social work student organization, Advocating for Change Together (ACT). Current student officers were recently elected: Lilly Salazar, President; Angelica Nanez, Vice President; Christina Fulton, Treasurer; Sharon Kimbrell Palmer; Secretary; and Enrique Flores, General Officer. Additionally, student officers were also elected to lead our social work honor society, Phi Alpha, Xi Upsilon Chapter: Julie Gresham, President; Brooklyn Gartman, Vice President; and Selena Lopez, Secretary/Treasurer. Fourteen new students were inducted this month into our social work honor society.
Five UTSA MSW students participated recently in the national social work policy conference, Social Welfare Action Alliance, held in Houston, TX. Eleven students also joined 400 other Texas social work students in Austin at the Social Work Student Day at the Capitol sponsored by the Texas Association of Social Work Deans and Directors and the National Association of Social Workers (NASW)/Texas. Laura Bustos, one of UTSA’s MSW students, was selected as the 2008 Social Work Student of the year by NASW/San Antonio. Laura also was elected to represent all MSW students in Texas as the Board of Directors’ graduate student representative for the NASW Texas Chapter. Finally, the Department also received special recognition by NASW/San Antonio with the selection of Dr. Dennis Haynes, Department Chair as the 2008 Social Worker of the year.
For additional information regarding the UTSA MSW Program, please refer to our web site: http://utsa.edu/copp/SW/socialwork.html or contact our office at (210) 458-3000. Prospective MSW graduate student applications are available on line at the UTSA Graduate School web site: https://apply.embark.com/grad/utsa/33/
Submitted by Dennis T. Haynes, Ph.D., Chair, Social Work Department.