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

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UBC school of social work equity and diversity strategic plan: A compilation of case studies 71 applicants admissions policies, UBC’s School of Social Work may be able to attract and admit candidates who otherwise would not apply or be admitted, and who may be positive additions to the School and to the Social Work profession. It is important to note, however, that there are challenges that can follow affirmative action and other equity-related criteria in admission policies. As MacDonald et al. (2003) discuss, there were instances at Dalhousie’s School of Social Work where students in the Mi’kmaq/Maliseet BSW program experienced backlash from “mainstream” students due to stigma connected to affirmative action policies. Similar accounts were addressed in several of the individual case study interviews. As such, another recommendation for the UBC School of Social Work as they progress in developing equitable admission policies for students is to be mindful of the reality of these issues, and to learn from other Schools and Faculties who already have such admission policies in places and who have faced these challenges. In addition to equitable admissions policies, the case studies have included various strategies to increase student outreach, as to attract a more diverse student body and to encourage people from underrepresented groups who show an interest in pursuing Social Work education to apply. Policies such as affirmative action and equity admission criteria are more effective when potential applicants are aware of such policies and of what the School has to offer. Strategies from several of the universities used in the case studies have included advertising in community newspapers; sending brochures to community organizations; hiring students as research assistants to go into communities to provide information about the School/Faculty of Social Work; having students from minoritized groups to go into their own communities to talk about the School/Faculty of Social Work; increasing participation in regional and national graduate student recruiting fairs with access to larger numbers of underrepresented students;
UBC school of social work equity and diversity strategic plan: A compilation of case studies 72 implementing a mentorship/outreach program to high schools; implementing an outreach program to field placement agencies that encourage field instructors to identify talented bachelor level paraprofessionals to link to the School/Faculty of Social Work; implementing an outreach program for first and second year university students in classes such as Women’s Studies and Indigenous Studies; and implementing an outreach program to community colleges. The School of Social Work at UBC may benefit from utilizing community outreach and dissemination to increase student outreach and recruitment, as to attract more students from minoritized and underrepresented groups into the School. Once students are admitted, another component of educational equity is support and retention. Even if students from minoritized and underrepresented groups are accepted into the School, without sufficient support, students may struggle or be unable to successfully complete the program. Examples from the case studies have illustrated strategies that may guide policy and practice in supporting and retaining students. In their Access programs, the Faculty of Social Work at U of M focuses on both academic and personal supports. Examples of such supports include an extensive orientation to university expectations, a course on study skills and exam preparation, individualized academic advising, and personal counselling. Additionally, the Faculty offers part-time and distance options for students who find full-time and/or on-campus programs to be an obstacle in succeeding, due to a variety of reasons, such as having to work full-time while going to school, parenting, inability to relocate closer to campus, and/or feeling overwhelmed with a full course-load. As the UBC School of Social Work does not currently offer official part-time or distance options for either the BSW or MSW programs, these are possibilities that the School may consider in increasing equity, accessibility, and student retention.
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