Mission, Vision & Goals

Social work at Xavier is a four-year undergraduate program grounded in the liberal arts which grants the student a bachelor of social work degree (BSW). Students graduate with the knowledge, values, and skills necessary to practice as a generalist social worker and/or to continue their education through graduate school.

Vision Statement

The vision of Xavier University's program in Social Work in the College of Professional Sciences is to be a leader in social justice oriented undergraduate social work education locally, nationally and globally through innovative educational partnerships and a strong adherence to diversity and the values of Jesuit and Social Work education.

Mission Statement 

Xavier University's Department of Social Work seeks to educate in order to empower students for beginning level generalist practice through collaboration and community engagement with individuals, families, groups, organizations and communities. The department fosters an academic environment of critical thinking with specific attention to diversity, social justice, and the values and ethics of the social work profession.

Generalist Practice: Definition adopted by Xavier's Program:

"The application of an eclectic knowledge base, professional values, and a wide range of skills to target systems of any size, for change within the context of four primary processes. First, generalist practice emphasizes client empowerment. Second, involves working effectively with an organizational structure. Third, it requires the assumption of a wide range of professional roles. Fourth, generalist practice involves the application of critical thinking skills to the planned change process" (p. 7). Kirst-Ashman, K., Hull, G. (2009). Understanding Generalist Practice. Pacific Grove, CA: Brooks/Cole Publishers.

The Program

To be a generalist practitioner, the student must acquire knowledge of social work theory and develop his or her skills as a practitioner under professional supervision. The social work student invests 57 credit hours in related classroom courses and over 460 clock hours (eight credit hours) in a field placement site practicing social work. In order to complete this course of study, the student devotes nearly the entire third and fourth years of study to social work classes, field education and supporting courses in the social sciences.

Social work at Xavier is unique in that it is grounded in and reflects the mission of Jesuit education. The shared values of service, solidarity, and social justice with an emphasis on human diversity make social work at Xavier a challenging and rewarding program for our students. As well, the Jesuit focus on cura personalis, or care of the whole person, reflects the approach of Xavier University towards its students and fits well with social work's underlying philosophy of Person-in-Environment.

 

Department Learning Outcomes

The following five goals of Xavier University's Social work program are linked to the student learning outcomes of the university:

• Critical Thinking and Research: students will apply critical thinking skills in order to engage as a consumer and producer of research informed practice and practice informed research.
• Practice as a Professional: students will identify as professional generalist practitioner and become leaders engaging, assessing, intervening, and evaluating client systems at all levels, with an understanding of interprofessional practice.
• Ethics and Values: students will be able to engage in a decision making process based on the ethical principles of social work and identifying personal and professional values that play a role in that process.
• Policy and Social Justice: students will be able to engage in analysis and action regarding policy and practice standards that are informed by knowledge of institutional discrimination, oppression, and privilege and that advance social justice for all.
• Human Behavior and Diversity: students will be able to utilize social work cultural competency standards and theories of human behavior grounded in a person-in-environment perspective, including bio-psycho-social-spiritual assessment.

In addition, the five departmental goals are also linked to social work program accreditation standards, competencies, and practice behaviors. The BSW Program at Xavier University is accredited by the Council on Social Work Education.

Program Goals

Within the context of a Jesuit Catholic university rooted in the liberal arts tradition with a vision statement of solidarity for and with others, the social work department goals are to develop:

• beginning level generalist practitioners who are prepared to serve individuals, families, groups, organizations, and communities.
• life-long learners with strong critical thinking skills who are prepared for professional licensure and entry into graduate school programs.
• leaders in the social work profession.
• social workers prepared to meet the needs of a changing society and serve a diverse population.