Diversity
Diversity
- Future Social Workers of Tomorrow
- Links to Diversity Events on Campus
- Featured Alumni
- Historic Figures of Color in Association with Social Work
- Faculty
- Catalyst Award
Cultural competence can best be understood as a set of congruent behaviors, attitudes and policies that enable a system, agency, or professional to function effectively across cultural difference (Cross, 1988). In this context, cultural difference (also called diversity) includes, but is not limited to, gender, ethnicity, religion, sexual orientation, disability, and socio-economic class. As Cross (1989) notes, "systems, agencies, or professionals do not start out being culturally competent. Like other types of competence, cultural competence is developed over time through training, experience, guidance, and self-evaluation.
The Diversity Committee guides the implementation of our plan for increasing the cultural competence of the School of Social Work, including recruitment and retention of faculty and students who will contribute to the diversity of the School. In 1996 the School implemented an organization-wide intervention that dramatically increased its capacity to develop the knowledge, skills and experiences required for culturally competent practice. Outcomes of the initiative included monthly faculty diversity training, increased practicum opportunities for students with diverse populations, and substantial curriculum revision to more adequately prepare students for practice with diverse populations. In addition, partnerships were developed with a wide range of individuals and organizations throughout Iowa and other states in the Midwest, as well as partnerships in Mexico, Guatemala, San Bernardino. and Philadelphia. These partnerships have increased our cultural competence as a School and enriched our educational programs so that our students will be better prepared to work in a diverse world.
As a result of these efforts, the School was honored with the UI Catalyst Award (that recognizes the outstanding work of individuals and departments engaged in strengthening diversity within the UI community.) The School’s faculty and staff are grateful for the support received from within the University and for the opportunities to collaborate with individuals and organizations around the State and in other countries. These efforts are part of the profession of social work's broader mission to promote social justice.
The immersion learning programs at the School of Social Work are designed to complement classroom didactic learning by putting students into intensive learning experiences where they encounter people who live in dramatically different environments, who come from very different cultures, and in some cases, who speak a different language. Applying social work knowledge, skills, and values in these intensive immersion experiences can produce rapid learning. Students often feel that a lot of things “open up” for them when they go through an immersion learning experience. The immersion learning experiences enrich the education of students and faculty, help them to become more culturally competent, and prepare students for practice in a diverse, multicultural, and global world. The School has sponsored trips to India, Mexico, El Salvador, the Kensington Welfare Rights Union in Philadelphia, and the Central City Lutheran Mission in San Bernardino, California.
Current members of the School of Social Work Diversity Committee are: Bob Vander Beek (Chair), Ed Saunders, and all members of the Executive Committee (Jeanne Saunders, Carolyn Hartley, Carol Coohey, Bob Jackson, Miriam Landsman, Kate Kemp, Chuck Wieland, Bev Sweet) as well as any interested faculty, staff and students. The Committee meets the 3rd Wednesday of each month.
