Social Work majors and certificate/minor students complete a significant number of hours serving the community through independent volunteer work and required course work. We see a place for all three levels of community engagement offered through the Department of Social Work as playing a vital role in the community engagement spectrum.
Figure 2 Diagram for Distinctions among Service Programs, (Furco, 1996)
Community Engagement & the Social Work Major = 540 - 690 Hours
Social Work majors are required to complete 30 hours of independent volunteer work before the Fall semester they begin the program and document the hours on the Certificate of Completion Form. In addition, Social Work majors will complete SWK1020 Intro to Agency Experience (volunteerism) as a prerequisite to start the program. This is a total of 60 hours of volunteer work before starting the program.
Beginning Spring 2010, Social Work majors have the option of taking Social Work and Service Learning as an elective course during their junior year in the program adding 150 hours of service learning.
Professional Field Experience I and II are completed over the Fall and Spring semesters of a Social Work major's senior year in the program. Students complete 16 hours per week during each 15 week semester for a total of 240 hours each semester, a total of 480 hours in field education.
Community Engagement & the Social Work Certificate/Minor = 180 Hours
Social Work Certificate/Minor students complete SWK1020 Intro to Agency Experience (30 volunteer hours) and SWK3999 Social Work and Service Learning (150 hours) as part of their required curriculum.
