The Seminars also assist students to expand their knowledge of the human services field beyond the confines of their own placement. Topics and policies of social work and social welfare are discussed, based in large part, on the experiences of students in the field through written logs, client summaries, and classroom discussions of experiences including feelings about their social work practice. Offered in Spring only. Open to majors only. Required of all majors.
Students apply foundation knowledge, skills, values, and ethics of professional generalist practice.
Through supervision students enhance their awareness of self, develop written and oral communication skills necessary for analysis of professional practice, and apply critical analytic skills for implementing and evaluating agency policies and programs. Students operationalize the unique values, functions and roles of professional social work practice and develop competency in identifying and assessing situations where the relationship of people and their social environment needs to be enhanced or changed. The professional responsibility of advocacy toward change and recognition of the impact of policy and programs on oppressed groups is an integral part of the applied learning. An agency-based research project is required in this semester of fieldwork. Offered in Spring only.