Board of Governors, State University System of Florida ...

Revised 11/23/2011

Board of Governors, State University System of Florida

Request to Offer a New Degree Program

University of North Florida

University Submitting Proposal

College of Arts & Sciences

Name of College(s) or School(s)

Social Work

Academic Specialty or Field

Fall 2013

Proposed Implementation Term

Sociology & Anthropology

Name of Department(s)/ Division(s)

Bachelor of Social Work

Complete Name of Degree

44.0701

Proposed CIP Code

The submission of this proposal constitutes a commitment by the university that, if the proposal is approved, the necessary financial resources and the criteria for establishing new programs have been met prior to the initiation of the program.

Date Approved by the University Board of Trustees

President

Date

Signature of Chair, Board of Trustees

Date

Vice President for Academic Affairs

Date

Provide headcount (HC) and full-time equivalent (FTE) student estimates of majors for Years 1 through 5. HC and FTE estimates should be identical to those in Table 1 in Appendix A. Indicate the program costs for the first and the fifth years of implementation as shown in the appropriate columns in Table 2 in Appendix A. Calculate an Educational and General (E&G) cost per FTE for Years 1 and 5 (Total E&G divided by FTE).

Implementation Timeframe

Projected Enrollment (From Table 1)

HC

FTE

Year 1 Year 2 Year 3 Year 4 Year 5

40

24

80

54

80

54

80

54

80

54

Projected Program Costs (From Table 2)

E&G Cost per

FTE $6,744

E&G Funds

$145,352

Contract & Grants

Funds

Auxiliary Funds

Total Cost

$161,853

$3,877 $186,386

$209,359

Note: This outline and the questions pertaining to each section must be reproduced within the body of the proposal to ensure that all sections have been satisfactorily addressed. Tables 1 through 4 are to be included as Appendix A and not reproduced within the body of the proposals because this often causes errors in the automatic calculations.

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INTRODUCTION

I. Program Description and Relationship to System-Level Goals

A. Briefly describe within a few paragraphs the degree program under consideration, including (a) level; (b) emphases, including concentrations, tracks, or specializations; (c) total number of credit hours; and (d) overall purpose, including examples of employment or education opportunities that may be available to program graduates.

The University of North Florida (UNF) Department of Sociology and Anthropology proposes to launch a Bachelor of Social Work (BSW) degree during the 2013-2014 academic year. This degree will require 120 credit hours, 54 of which will be earned through Social Work courses. This includes 450 hours of field education in accordance with the accreditation standards of the Council on Social Work Education (CSWE).

Social workers routinely provide services in the areas of child welfare, housing assistance, disaster relief, mental health, substance abuse, crisis intervention, vocational training, hospice and palliative care, juvenile justice and corrections, and victim advocacy. The mission of the UNF BSW program is to prepare students with the generalist knowledge, values, and skills to provide effective social work services to diverse client systems, such as individuals or families, in a variety of practice settings (e.g., schools, hospitals, nonprofit organizations, government agencies). Our curriculum is designed to enhance students' understanding of and sensitivity to economic and social inequalities and foster commitment to serving and advocating for the wellbeing of those who are vulnerable, marginalized, and oppressed.

In addition to providing individuals with a marketable advantage in some practice settings (e.g., healthcare), students who earn a BSW degree will have the option of entering an Advanced Standing Master of Social Work (MSW) program, in which they can complete their graduate education in approximately one year (compared with 2 or more years without a BSW). Additionally, the BSW degree is the minimum requirement for entry level social worker positions, which commonly entail case management and victim advocacy services. In 2009, the State of Florida adopted a statute granting title protection to the social work profession, increasing the demand for undergraduate and graduate social work degrees from accredited institutions. Individuals who do not hold a BSW or MSW from an accredited institution are prohibited from calling themselves "social workers" or working in many social work positions.1

B. Describe how the proposed program is consistent with the current State University System (SUS) Strategic Planning Goals. Identify which specific goals the program will directly support and which goals the program will indirectly support. (See the SUS Strategic Plan at )

UNF's Bachelor of Social Work Degree program will directly support the State University System's Strategic Planning Goals.2

In the area of Teaching and Learning, this program will advance Excellence through development of a nationally accredited BSW program that will strengthen the quality and reputation of what was a Social Welfare program, as well as the reputation of the University. There are currently 12 accredited Bachelor of Social Work programs in the state of Florida, and one more is a candidate for accreditation. Of these programs, eight are located at public (SUS) institutions, while five are at private and/or religious institutions. The nearest programs to UNF are located at UCF in Orlando, and in Tallahassee at FSU and FAMU, leaving all of northeast Florida without local access this important degree program. According to our survey of UNF Social Welfare students conducted in fall 2011, an overwhelming majority agreed that

1 Section 491.016, F.S. 2 State University System of Florida's Strategic Plan 2012-2025. pressroom/_doc/2011-1128_Strategic_Plan_2012-2025_FINAL.PDF

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Revised 11/23/2011

a BSW would be preferable to their current majors.3 In terms of Productivity, this program would facilitate production of not only BSW degrees, but because BSW graduates qualify for advanced standing in MSW programs (shortening time to the MSW degree by one year), this increased degree production would make for more efficient graduate programs within the State University System. Finally, in terms of Strategic Priorities, Social Work is an area of strategic emphasis in some parts of Florida, and we anticipate that this would extend to Northeast Florida.

Scholarship, Research and Innovation will also benefit. UNF's BSW program will emerge out of a strong and actively engaged faculty in the Department of Sociology and Anthropology. Several of our current faculty are heavily engaged in scholarship that we anticipate complementing the research interests of our growing social work faculty. Faculty associated with UNF's BSW program are encouraged to pursue external funding for their research and required to publish in nationally and internationally recognized peer-reviewed outlets. We aim to build a program around faculty with strong commitments to teaching and research and to leverage new opportunities for applied social science research that has local, state, and national impact. These efforts will increase Excellence and Productivity in this area, as well as well as speaking to Strategic Priorities by increasing collaboration and external support.

Finally, UNF's BSW program will broaden and deepen Community and Business Engagement by strengthening the quality of our community engagement (Excellence) and increasing the levels thereof (Productivity). Our current Social Welfare program has 42 community partners that place our students in 150-hour internships in the areas of juvenile justice, family and child welfare, housing assistance, mental health and substance abuse, homelessness, elder care and hospice, medical social work, and vocational training, among others. With the advent of a BSW program, we will place 40 students each year in 450hour internships. As part of our research for this proposal, we surveyed our community partners regarding the potential benefits of a BSW program to their agencies. All of the respondents to our survey agreed that the Jacksonville/Northeast Florida area will benefit from a BSW program at UNF, and 96% agreed that BSW interns would enhance their ability to serve clients.4

Perhaps foremost among the UNF BSW program's contributions to the State University System Goals is the program's ability to increase community and business workforce (meeting Strategic Priorities within Community and Business Engagement). In 2009, the State of Florida granted title protection to the social work profession, ensuring that only individuals with degrees in social work could call themselves social workers and that only they can work in some social work positions. UNF's BSW program will increase the number of graduates able to hold this title. Furthermore, the outlook for careers in social work is quite strong at both the state and national level. The U.S. Department of Labor expects that employment in social work will grow faster than other fields through 2018, and the State of Florida anticipates growth in the field at both the state and regional level.5 This corresponds to our own research on local need and demand. Among students we surveyed, over 80% agreed that compared to their current majors, a BSW would better prepare them for the kind of work they hope to do after graduation and that this degree would make it easier for them to locate a job. Among the human service agencies that we surveyed, 72% employ individuals with BSW degrees. A strong majority agreed that a BSW program at UNF would enrich the pool of available applicants and enhance the professionalization of social services in the area.6

C. If the program is to be included in an Area of Programmatic Strategic Emphasis as described in the SUS Strategic Plan, please indicate the category and the justification for inclusion.

The Areas of Programmatic Strategic Emphasis: 1. Critical Needs:

? Education

3 Department of Sociology & Anthropology Student Survey, November 21, 2011. 4 Department of Sociology & Anthropology Agency Survey, November 21, 2011. 5 Florida Department of Economic Opportunity, ; US Department of Labor, 6 Department of Sociology & Anthropology Student Survey and Agency Survey, November 21, 2011.

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? Health Professions ? Security and Emergency Services 2. Economic Development: ? Globalization ? Regional Workforce Demand 3. Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM)

We propose that the BSW Program be included in the category of Regional Workforce Demand in Economic Development. The State of Florida projects that in Workforce Region 8 (Baker, Clay, Duval, Nassau, Putnam, and Saint Johns Counties), demand for social workers and community and social service specialists will increase by 1.69% a year (217 new positions annually) between 2011 and 2019. This outpaces already strong growth in these titles statewide: 1.57% growth, or 3,073 new positions, per year.7 In addition, the State University System of Florida identifies Social Work as an area of local economic development need for most SUS programs.8 According to the United States Department of Labor, "employment for social workers is expected to grow faster than average for all occupations through 2018." It is anticipated that overall employment of social workers will increase approximately 16%.9

We also wish to call attention to the overlap between Social Work and Health Professions, an identified area of Critical Need. Social workers are often employed in health care organizations and work alongside medical professionals, particularly in the areas of child welfare, gerontological care, public health, substance abuse, and mental health. As discussed in section II.A. below, demand in these areas within social work is anticipated to increase.

D. Identify any established or planned educational sites at which the program is expected to be offered and indicate whether it will be offered only at sites other than the main campus.

The BSW program will be offered in existing facilities at UNF's campus in Jacksonville.

INSTITUTIONAL AND STATE LEVEL ACCOUNTABILITY

II. Need and Demand

A. Need: Describe national, state, and/or local data that support the need for more people to be prepared in this program at this level. Reference national, state, and/or local plans or reports that support the need for this program and requests for the proposed program which have emanated from a perceived need by agencies or industries in your service area. Cite any specific need for research and service that the program would fulfill.

Based on data provided by state and federal agencies, and our own survey of human services agencies in Jacksonville and Northeast Florida, we anticipate significant and growing demand for graduates of a UNF BSW program.

In November 2011, we surveyed human services agencies in the Jacksonville region regarding their need for employees with the Bachelor of Social Work Degree. We emailed a link to this online survey to 35 area human service agencies and received 25 responses, a response rate of 71%. Table 1 contains their responses to items regarding the impact of a BSW program at UNF. Almost all of the respondents agreed that a BSW program at UNF would benefit the area and help to professionalize social services. A strong majority also agreed that the BSW better prepares personnel to serve their clients, that individuals with a BSW serve clients more effectively, and that candidates with a BSW are preferable to those with other undergraduate degrees.

7 Retrieved from Florida Department of Economic Opportunity, October 26, 2011. . 8 State University System of Florida. Inventory of Academic Degree Programs Offered in Areas of Programmatic Strategic Emphasis, November 6, 2009. 9 U.S. Department of Labor.

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Table 1: Responses to Items regarding BSW Degree, Human Services Agency Survey

Question

Strongly Agree Disagree Agree

Strongly Disagree

Don't Know

The Jacksonville/Northeast Florida area will

20

5

0

benefit from a BSW program at UNF.

100%

A BSW program at UNF would enrich the

15

9

0

pool of eligible applicants for positions within my organization.

96%

For most non-specialist or non-clinical

9

9

3

positions, my organization would be more likely to hire a candidate with a BSW vs.

72%

another degree.

In comparison to those with other bachelor's

9

10

1

degrees, individuals who have BSW degrees are better prepared to serve my

76%

organization's clients.

In comparison to those with other bachelor's

9

10

1

degrees, individuals who have BSW degrees have the knowledge and skills to serve our

76%

clients more effectively.

A BSW program at UNF would enhance the

18

6

0

professionalization of social services in the Jacksonville area.

96%

0

0

0

1

0

4

0

5

0

5

0

1

Responses 25 25 25

25

25

25

The State of Florida projects that in Workforce Region 8 (Baker, Clay, Duval, Nassau, Putnam, and Saint Johns Counties), demand for social workers and community and social service specialists will increase by 1.69% a year (217 new positions annually) between 2011 and 2019. This outpaces already strong growth in these titles statewide: 1.57% growth, or 3,073 new positions, per year.10 According to the United States Department of Labor,11 "employment for social workers is expected to grow faster than average for all occupations through 2018." It is anticipated that overall employment of social workers will increase approximately 16%. "Employment of child, family, and school social workers is expected to grow by about 12%, which is as fast as the average for all occupations... Mental health and substance abuse social workers will grow by almost 20%..., and growth of medical and public health social workers is expected to be about 22%, which is much faster than average."12 Job prospects for future social workers are further improved given that many current social workers will be "aging out" of the profession through retirement. At the same time, the aging of the baby boomers will present new opportunities for the field. Thus, the next 25+ years is expected to be a fruitful time for the growth of the social work profession in Florida and nationwide.

In addition, in 2009, the State of Florida adopted a statute granting title protection to the social work profession, increasing the demand for undergraduate and graduate social work degrees from accredited institutions. Individuals who do not hold a BSW or MSW from an accredited institution are prohibited from calling themselves "social workers" or working in many social work positions.

B. Demand: Describe data that support the assumption that students will enroll in the proposed program. Include descriptions of surveys or other communications with prospective students.

UNF currently offers a minor in Social Welfare and a Social Welfare Concentration within the Sociology Major. Each of these includes some courses similar to those included in a Social Work curriculum, as well as a field placement practicum requiring 150 hours of supervised work with a local human services agency. These are very popular programs: among active students in October 2011, 111 were enrolled in

10 Retrieved from Florida Department of Economic Opportunity, October 26, 2011. . 11 U.S. Department of Labor. 12 ibid

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