Press Releases:
March 2009
Mar. 13, 2009
METROPOLITAN STATE COLLEGE of DENVER
Council on Social Work Education reaccredits Metro State’s program, which is the only program in the nation to offer undergraduate degrees on campus and online
Metropolitan State College of Denver’s Department of Social Work recently received reaccreditation from the Council on Social Work Education (CSWE) for another eight years. It is the only accredited undergraduate program in the United States approved by the CSWE to offer the entire major on campus and via distance education.
Students from more than 20 Colorado counties have enrolled in the program since 2001, and the online classes are available throughout the state’s 64 counties. There is an obvious advantage for those who will avoid traveling long distances and through stormy weather. The program is also instrumental in recruiting more people in the field to help meet the growing demand, says Chair and Professor of Social Work Virginia Cruz.
“As the Colorado population continues to grow in numbers and in ages, more and more social workers will be needed,” says Cruz. “Evidence of this is based on the fact that the current social work major at the College has grown about 10 percent a year for the last 10 years.”
For the 2008-09 academic year, Metro State has 268 declared social work majors. Of these students, 126 are juniors and seniors. The seniors representing about 60 students, are already making a difference in Colorado communities through their year-long field placements with various agencies throughout the state.
The ethnic breakdown of the 126 juniors and seniors is one percent Native American, four percent Asian American, 17 percent African American, 17 percent Latino, 56 percent White and five percent unknown. The diversity of students in the program is important because of “the shortage of culturally appropriate providers,” Cruz says. “If you are establishing a relationship with your caseworker, it’s helpful for the caseworker to not only understand your specific situation, but your culture.”
In her time working with the program, Cruz has noticed a surprising outcome. Because the students are corresponding with each other regularly online, it helps to build their writing skills, which is key in the social work profession as “everything is reduced to writing about your clients.”
An undergraduate degree in social work allows beginning professional social workers to serve as family advocates, case managers, caseworkers and social workers in a variety of settings, including child welfare, mental health, developmental disabilities, K-12 education and corrections.
About half of the graduates go into master’s-level programs within a year of receiving their bachelor’s. Those in graduate programs often become administrators, licensed clinical social workers or licensed social workers.
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Mar. 9, 2009
METROPOLITAN STATE COLLEGE of DENVERRecord number taking classes at Metro State
More Colorado students are taking classes at Metropolitan State College of Denver than ever before. According to fall 2007 census reports, Metro State is Colorado’s leader in educating resident undergraduate students. With nearly 21,000 resident students enrolled in fall 2007, Metro State surpassed Colorado State University in Fort Collins (17,443), University of Colorado at Boulder (17,237) and University of Northern Colorado (9,004).
As the College prepares for incoming classes, it continues to see increased enrollment. As of the Feb. 4 census date, official enrollment data shows that FTE enrollment and headcount both increased 7.2 percent over the same time last spring. The jump in enrollment represents the largest percentage increase in seven years. With a total headcount of 21,787 students, Metro State is at its highest enrollment ever. Enrollment, which is typically lower in the spring semester than in the fall, swelled slightly from 21,715.
Another important indicator of Metro State’s growth trend is the 49 percent rise in applications for fall 2009. As of the first day of March, 1,311 more applications had been submitted than last year at this time. Of those, 935 were accepted.
According to Associate Vice President of Enrollment Services Judi Diaz Bonacquisti, the increases can be attributed to a number of factors, including the economy and an early registration deadline implemented by the College last year. “We continue to be hit with applications on both ends of the socioeconomic spectrum, from those who will no longer be able to afford tuition increases at the more expensive colleges to those returning to college due to job loss or the inability to get a job.”
The early registration deadline implemented last year is another likely contributor to the College’s growth, Bonacquisti adds. “It allows for better planning, as the deans are able to decide earlier if they need to open up another course section. And it allows for all classrooms to be assigned before classes start.”
A closer look at Spring 2009 numbers: High school senior applications increased 29 percent, from 2,326 to 3006. Transfer student applications increased 86 percent, from 256 to 477. African American student applications increased 68 percent, from 183 to 308. Latino student applications increased 35 percent, from 574 to 774.
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Metro State is a fully-accredited, four-year institution, serving more than 21,000 students. It has the second-largest undergraduate enrollment in Colorado and is one of the largest four-year public colleges in the nation. Metro State enrolls the highest number of students of color among four-year colleges in the state. It boasts 60,000 alumni, 90 percent of whom stay in Colorado after graduation. Visit Metro State at www.mscd.edu.