Equity Case Studies Report - School of Social Work - University of ...

UBC school of social work equity and diversity strategic plan: A compilation of case studies 33
commitment to the profession of Social Work. There are two BSW program options offered
through the Inner-City Social Work Program, full-time or part-time studies. Approximately
twenty students are accepted directly into a four year full-time BSW program each spring,
beginning their studies in September. A similar number of students are accepted into part-time
studies annually for a May program start. The part-time BSW takes approximately six years to
finish. Individuals considering the part-time option must be working in the human services field
and have two complete years of related work experience. The program content is similar to the
mainstream program; it is the entry criteria and the format of the curriculum that are different.
The Faculty of Social Work now has a large number of Aboriginal students, and currently more
immigrant, refugee, and visible minority students are entering. There are also a significant
number of single mothers. For this reason, the non-mainstream program does not follow
“regular” holidays; instead, it follows children’s school holidays so that the single mothers can
stay at home to take care of their children.
At the Inner-City Program, there are different ways of recruiting students facing
structural barriers. Research interviews have shown that these students had gathered remarkable
experience after they completed their original degree and that they had valid reasons for not
having attained a higher GPA. For example, students experiencing family problems, living in
poverty, and having to do shift work while they were doing their first degree (making it harder
for them to concentrate to attain a higher GPA). When the Faculty of Social Work learnt that
these students were trying to make changes; such as going through continuing education and
contributing to the community, they would recommend to the Faculty of Graduate Studies that
the students be admitted despite not fulfilling the regular admission criteria. This has been going
on now for over ten years for the BSW and MSW programs.