The hope that its members will go forth and work for the improvement of the human condition is a bond that unites this community. Social Work is a professional activity concerned with improving the lives of people and includes helping individuals, families, groups, organizations and communities to achieve life enhancing goals. As a field of study, social work is a relatively young profession that began with the urban upheavals of the 1880's. Social workers became interested in and studied the effects of industrialization and later the Great Depression on society and its most vulnerable populations. Social work was born out of an increased sense of social responsibility for vulnerable populations and continues to be concerned with the advancement of economic and social justice.
Social work is committed to the dual focus of helping people and changing environments.
The ecological perspective uses systems theory and recognizes the importance of understanding environment and context when helping people. It rests on an adaptive view of human beings in continuos transaction with the environment. Many students do not know what their major will be when they begin their studies at Regis College. Although some students arrive with a clear focus, many more struggle with choosing major. Junior transfer students should meet with an advisor in Social Work to help them plan their schedules.