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 67
difference, and inclusion for students. For example, the School of Social Work at Dalhousie
University has demonstrated exemplary practices in equitable student admission through their
affirmative action policy, established in 1982. The School’s affirmative action policy applies to
applicants who are Acadian, Aboriginal, African Canadian, members of other racially visible
groups, persons with (dis)Abilities, and for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgendered, Two
Spirited, Queer, and Intersex (LGBTTQI) students. Candidates applying under the affirmative
action policy at the School are “considered individually on the basis of her/his qualifications,
rather than in relation to other applicants” (Dalhousie University, Faculty of Health Professions,
School of Social Work, 2012). Thomas Bernard, MacDonald, and Wien (2005) describe this
policy further, by describing how students applying under the affirmative action policy:
Are given special treatment in the sense that their application is considered according to
its individual merits, not as part of a competitive pool of applicants. If the individual
application meets the minimum entrance requirements of the school, and if (based on
letters of reference, the student’s personal statement and the like) the person is deemed to
be likely to succeed in the academic program and in the social work career, then the
person is likely to be accepted. (p. v)
In addition to the affirmative action policy, the School has a Bachelor of Social Work program
for students who identify as Mi’kmaq/Maliseet, which specifically addresses the challenges and
needs of these students. The Mi’kmaq/Maliseet Bachelor of Social Work (MMBSW) program
teaches with culturally relevant frameworks and pedagogical practices. The rationale behind the
development of the MMBSW program was the reality that mainstream Social Work education
programs frequently have been unable to attract and retain Aboriginal students resulting in an
insufficient number of professionally trained Aboriginal Social Workers. Students in the