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faculty's strengths

 

The Diversity Committee guides the implementation of an intervention 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. 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 School implemented an organization-wide intervention in 1996 that has dramatically increased its capacity to develop the knowledge, skills and experiences required for culturally competent practice. Outcomes of the initiative include 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 have 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. There is much work to do.

 

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 currently sponsors trips to Mexico, El Salvador, the Kensington Welfare Rights Union in Philadelphia and the Central City Lutheran Mission in San Bernardino, CA.

 

• Diversity, Inequality, and Social Justice
• Life Course Development and Aging
• Family and Child Welfare, Family Violence, and Family Centered Practice
• Organizations, Communities, and Rural Perspectives
• Health and Mental Health Promotion and Substance Abuse Prevention and Treatment

 

why iowa?

I love being at Iowa because of the school's commitment to good teaching, good research, diversity, and the promotion of social justice."

- Amy C Butler, PhD
Associate Professor

 

As a student in the School of Social Work more that a decade and a half ago, I first learned the meaning of genuine critical thinking about our world. I also learned to value many points of view and ways of being in the world. When I came back to the school as a teacher five years ago, I found these values still firmly built into the foundation of the School. This is one of the reasons I wanted to help facilitate immersion experiences for current students. There seems to be no more powerful way to broaden your world view than to go and be part of another culture. It's exciting as a student and teacher to be on the cutting edge of learning through experience."

- Yvonne Farley, (MSW ’94)
Clinical Assistant Professor