BSW Academic Advisement

All social work students are assigned an academic advisor once they declare social work as a major. Incoming freshman are advised in the Center for Advisement. Social work majors are assigned an advisor in the social work department in their sophomore year. Freshmen who have accrued enough dual enrollment and/or advance placement credit hours for sophomore classification are referred to the department for advising. Advisors are listed in Banner.

During their first meeting together, the social work advisor and the advisee discuss the student’s interest in, and aptitude for, the social work profession. At that time, the student is given a general orientation to the program and is exposed to the various fields of service available in social work. The structure of the program and the curriculum are also discussed.

Each social work student must meet with his/her academic advisor as part of each semester’s registration process. Once the student has met with their advisor, the advisement hold is released. The goals of advisors include, but are not necessarily limited to: 

•  Assisting students in assessing their aptitude and motivation for a career in social work.
• Providing academic guidance in choosing courses.
• Providing social work values and professionalism role modeling.
• Empowering students to make academic and professional choices consistent with social work values and concerns.
• Providing a regular review of the student’s educational performance.
• Being available to discuss personal/academic concerns of students and to broker linkages between students and needed services.
• Providing an arena where students may explore field options for the purpose of finding the best educational opportunity - career goal fit.
• Assisting students in their efforts to obtain employment upon graduation.
• Providing information about graduate school opportunities and assisting students interested in pursuing this option.

Advisor Credentials

All social work student advising is conducted by the full-time social work faculty members in the program. All faculty are knowledgeable concerning University and Social Work Program policies and standards. All faculty keep regular university-mandated office hours. All are available by appointment at other times to discuss and listen to both the academic and personal concerns of students.