Chairperson: Dr. Jimmie Fedrick
Location: Johnella Jackson Hall, Room 201
Contact Information: (804) 524-6276 | jfedrick@vsu.edu

Department Overview
 

The Department of Social Work offers the Bachelor of Social Work (B.S.W.) degree. Building on a generalist model of social work practice and the firm liberal arts foundation, students are specifically prepared for beginning generalist professional social work practice with individuals, groups, families, organizations and communities. The Department is committed to collaborating and partnering with the community to assist in implementing the following requests made by the community residents and stakeholders in the Central and Southern Virginia regions:

Community Needs

• Help with the analysis of community issues

• Develop a service for the assessment of community needs

• Provide organizational training and assistance

• Assist community groups and others with grant writing, especially the evaluation component

• Implement research on community issues

• Actively assist with the revitalization/advancement of communities in crisis

• Promote interaction, communication and faculty involvement with the local community

Community Development

• Convene various agencies (local, state and federal) and community groups for the dissemination and collection of 
  information and coordination of activities.

• Implementation of a community development project through coursework or an academic program.

Mission Statement
 

The mission of the Department is to prepare traditional and non-traditional students for professional entry-level generalist social work practice who are committed to social, economic and environmental justice throughout the surrounding urban, suburban, rural and military base communities in Central and Southern Virginia. 

As entry-level practitioners, students are capable of delivering social services in a manner that is consistent with the values (social justice, the dignity and worth of the person, the importance of human relationships, integrity, competence, human rights, and scientific inquiry) and ethics of the social work profession. Ultimately, students recognize their responsibility to continue their professional growth and development in research and the incorporation of the latest technologies in their practice. 

Building on a strong liberal arts base, the program provides quality professional educational experiences in partnerships with a wide variety of community agencies and organizations. The Department is committed to serving culturally and economically diverse students, including first-generation as well as those coming to the university from their first two years in the community colleges in the region, and from four-year institutions as well.

The mission, purpose and philosophy of the Social Work Department at Virginia State University are consistent with the overall institutional mission. The institutional mission is “to graduate lifelong learners who are well equipped to serve their communities as informed citizens, globally competitive leaders, and highly effective, ethical professionals”.

Student Organizations
 

Students may participate and assume leadership positions in the following departmental organizations sponsored by the department:

• Phi Alpha - Theta Beta Chapter - National Social Work Honor Society
• BSW Social Work Club
• National Association of Black Social Workers

Degree Highlight Information
 

Upon graduation, BSW graduates may be immediately considered for employment in social service agencies, health and governmental agencies, schools, hospitals, corrections, private community service agencies and other organizations. They work with individuals of all ages from infancy through the end of life in areas such as child welfare, developmental disabilities, health, mental health, policy and planning, domestic violence, and gerontology. No other degree provides greater diversity in jobs than a Bachelor of Social Work.

Upon completion of the social work major, students will be able to:

1. Demonstrate ethical and professional behavior
2. Advance human rights and social, racial, economic, and environmental justice
3. Engage anti-racism, diversity, equity, and inclusion (ADEI) in practice
4. Engage in practice-informed research and research-informed practice
5. Engage in policy practice
6. Engage with individuals, families, groups, organizations, and communities
7. Assess individuals, families, groups, organizations, and communities
8. Intervene with individuals, families, groups, organizations, and communities
9. Evaluate practice with individuals, families, groups, organizations, and communities

Accreditation Information
 

The VSU Bachelor of Social Work (BSW) Program is fully accredited through the Council on Social Work Education (CSWE), and it is consistent with the university’s mission and institutional goals, and the Educational Policy and Accreditation Standards of the Council on Social Work Education (CSWE).

Department Goals
 

Based on our mission statement, the goals of the Social Work Program are to produce:

1. Excellent practitioners prepared as liberal arts based baccalaureate level generalist social workers;
2. Culturally aware and knowledgeable generalist social work professionals with a demonstrated commitment to social, economic and environmental justice in an ever-changing global society, especially in the central and southern Virginia region;
3. Professionals who are imbued to facilitate and provide community advocacy and service to diverse populations-at-risk in urban, suburban and rural settings, including surrounding military base communities;
4. Critical thinkers who are able to integrate social work knowledge, values, practice skills, social policy and the research process to ethical social work practice with an emphasis on addressing the needs of central and southern Virginia residents;
5. Leaders dedicated to a commitment of life-long learning by pursuing graduate education, training opportunities and leadership roles.

Program Core Competencies

Competency – based education is an outcome performance approach to curriculum design. Each competency describes the knowledge, values, skills, and cognitive and affective processes that comprise the competency at the generalist level of practice. The goal of the outcome approach is to demonstrate the integration and application of the competencies in practice with individuals, families, groups, organizations and communities. VSU BSW Social Work Program competencies (CSWE 2022) are consistent with our Program Mission and Goals.

Program Listings
 

Bachelor of Social Work

Social work majors must be formally admitted to the BSW program before enrolling into social work courses (300 level and higher). Application to the BSW program is separate from the application to the University and students are not eligible to apply until the end of their sophomore year. Detailed criteria and procedures for admission to the BSW program are outlined in the BSW Student Handbook. 

Continuation in the Social Work major - A student must demonstrate readiness to enter and continue in the professional or upper level courses (300 level or higher) in the baccalaureate social work program of study. This requires:

1. Academic achievement (maintain a cumulative GPA of 2.5 and a 2.5 GPA in the required courses for social work);
2. Student must successfully complete 600 hours of field practicum and seminar;
3. Personal and professional behavior consistent with the NASW Code of Ethics;
4. Effective work with client systems as demonstrated through practice laboratory and field courses;
5. Capacity to master the necessary non-academic areas for continuance in the major.

The following further defines the non-academic conditions for continuance in the major:

1. Ethics – in addition to academic expectations, social work students are expected to demonstrate professional behavior which reflects a commitment to the ethics of the social work profession. Compliance with the National Association of Social Workers (NASW) Code of Ethics is expected. Behavior contrary to these ethics will be cause for review of the student’s continuance in accepted status as a social work major. Examples of behavior which will warrant review of accepted standing in the major include but are not limited to: derogatory oral and written statements towards other students, faculty, and/or persons from populations reflecting racial, ethnic, disabled status, religious, socioeconomic, gender, and sexual orientation differences; disregard of the principles of confidentiality, etc.
2. Behavior – Since the role of a social worker involves helping people from a variety of backgrounds and with a range of problems, it is important that the social work student not permit personal issues to interfere with this role and that he/she has the emotional and psychological resources to render effective assistance to those in need. In instances where students demonstrate behaviors which suggest that their own difficulties are not sufficiently resolved to be able to help and support others, students may be asked to withdraw from the program.

Articulation Agreement with Brightpoint Community College

VSU and Brightpoint Community College have partnered together to facilitate the transfer of credits earned by students with an Associate of Applied Science (A.A.S) degree in Human Services - Pre- Social Work at BCC into the BSW program at VSU. This partnership is intended to provide students enrolled in the Human Services – Pre-Social Work A.A.S program at BCC admission in the BSW program.

Field Education

Field education assists students in synthesizing and practicing learned foundational material as generalist social work practitioners.  The primary goal of the field sequence is to prepare students for generalist social work practice with individuals, families, groups, and communities.  To achieve this end, the field education curriculum is designed to facilitate integration of knowledge, values and skills of the BSW program through practice in an agency setting and a concurrent weekly field instruction seminar at the university.    

Field education is a distinguishing feature of the BSW program and is the ‘signature pedagogy’ of the department.  This is an essential component of social work education and is anchored in our program’s mission, goals and core competencies.  

A student is eligible to apply for admission to the field practicum after having completed all prerequisite courses in addition to the following:

• Junior/Senior status
• Accepted as a Social Work Major
• Overall GPA of 2.5 in 300 level courses and an overall 2.5 in the required junior level social work courses.
• A positive endorsement for practice from the Generalist Practice course instructor.
• Completed Application Form with personal statement and references.
• The student must possess the basic skills and emotional maturity necessary for working with clients and staff in an internship site. 

Major(s)

• Social Work Major, BSW

Minor(s)

• Social Work Minor
• Homefront Readjustment for the Armed Forces Minor/Certificate