University Business - June 2007 - (Page 34)

FUTURE SHOCK students to deal with the increased pressure from their future clients and from the people paying social service agencies to deliver results. Courses at the Mandel School of Applied Social Sciences at Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland have what could be seen as mind-numbingly dull names like “Attracting Government, Foundation, and Corporate Support” and “Budgeting and Financial Management in Social Service” to address this changing landscape. It is these and other practical skills courses that bring home the essential need for social service managers to be accountable for the resources with which they are entrusted. Grover Gilmore, dean of the Mandel School, notes, “We tackled this issue of accountability head-on several years ago” when the Mandel School turned its focus inward and developed an innovative student outcomes assessment system referred to as the Ability-Based Learning Environment. By closely linking theory and ﬁeld work, Mandel’s approach lays the foundation for its students to embark on a realworld career of “doing good and doing well” by identifying the critical skills and best practices necessary for competent professional practice. This approach is being taken beyond Mandel by the social work profession and social work education, which are embracing “evidence-based” or “evidence-informed” practice. As Barbara W. White, dean of The University of Texas at Austin’s School of Social Work, explains, “It is the goal of our profession to aﬀect lives for the better throughout the world.” UT recently demonstrated its commitment to evidencebased practice when it hosted a national symposium with more than a dozen scholars discussing how to improve teaching in this area. No longer will funders tolerate social workers who do “good” without doing well. Jack Richman, dean of the School of Social Work at The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, agrees that students need the ability to interpret research and apply it in the ﬁeld. In retrospect, many human services agencies launched new programs that “felt good,” only to later ﬁnd out they didn’t work. No longer will funders tolerate social workers who do “good” without doing well. Richman adds, “We teach our students to ask what the research shows. We educate them in how to search the literature and then ﬁnd out what really works.” At the end of the day, the next generation of social workers must also master an ever expanding knowledge base in emerging ﬁelds, such as neurobiology and ge- netics. As an example, USC now oﬀers a concentration in health that enables graduates to recognize the role of biological, psychological, and cultural factors as they aﬀect health, illness, and disability across the lifespan. Another case in point: Simmons College’s School of Social Work offers a health-practice course that includes content on interdisciplinary collaboration in areas such as genetic counseling, oncology, and fertility. GROWING THE CURRICULA In today’s global environment, pressure is mounting to address growing concerns around international human rights and worldwide social justice—issues that implicate a social action framework for social work practice here and abroad. Today U.S.-based social work students and faculty study and work on the front lines in places such as Tanzania, Ghana, Sudan, and Romania, tackling issues such as nutrition, early childhood development, and the AIDS epidemic. While history often repeats itself, the underlying impetus that steers young— and increasingly not so young—students toward careers in social work has not changed radically over time. These dedicated students are motivated by a genuine desire to serve the common good of society. For contemporary schools of social work, what this ultimately means is a felt need to be nimble—to adapt curricula to Finally: Get your staff “on the same page” DIGITAL EDITION Share the valuable ideas and insights of University Business! Have your associates request a free DIGITAL subscription. www.UniversityBusiness.com/DigitalMag UB digital 8th.indd 1 8/4/06 2:58:38 PM 34 | June 2007 universitybusiness.com http://www.UniversityBusiness.com/DigitalMag http://universitybusiness.com

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of University Business - June 2007

Contents
College Index
Company Index
Advisory Board
Editor's Note
Virginia Tech Coverage
Sense of Place
Viewpoint
Admissions
On The Hill
Future Shock
Independent Outlook
Internet Technology
I Wanna Be Rich
Smart and Sustainable
Walking the Talk
Steering Toward Sustainability
An Organizing Principle for Colleges and Universities
News Shorts
News Shorts
It’s Not Easy Eating Green
Facilities Focus
The New Face of ERP
Document Management Across Campus
What's New
Direct Connect
Calendar of Events
End Note
Annual Directory of Higher Education Consultants

University Business - June 2007