Social Work Admissions Policies And Procedures

Students may declare social work as their major upon entering Dana College, or whenever they decide upon the major. Formal admission to the Social Work Program involves an admissions procedure. Students generally apply for formal admission to the program in the spring of the sophomore year.

To be admitted to the Social Work Program, students must:

1. Have completed 45 hours of course work with a minimum GPA of 2.5.

2. Have completed SWK 114, Introduction to Social Work, and SWK 215, Experience in Human Services, with a social work course GPA of at least 3.0.

3. Have demonstrated competence in written and oral communication by completing the Dana College General Education baseline competencies for written and oral communication skills with a minimum grade of “C” in each course. Students who exhibit problems in written communication may be asked to work with tutors in the Learning Center to develop mastery in this area.

4. Complete an application form (available in the Social Work Office, DC 108), for admission to the Social Work Program.
Students are also asked for full disclosure of any of the following:

a. Current alcohol and/or substance abuse problems and treatment (if the applicant is currently in treatment, an independent psychological evaluation and assessment by a recognized agency may be required).
b. Conviction of any felony and/or conviction of any misdemeanor that involved bodily harm to another.
Students who are involved in treatment for substance dependency, emotional problems, and/or mental illness must sign a release of information form in order that the Social Work Program faculty may have access to relevant information on the applicant’s course of treatment.

5. Submit a current copy of their transcripts (unless the Social Work Department already has a copy in the file).

6. Be reviewed by the Social Work Program faculty. When more information is needed for a decision, the faculty will interview applicants. All information obtained through this process will be held in confidence. Knowingly making a false oral or written statement during the admission process could result in denial of admission to the program.

7. Sign a contract indicating that they have read and will follow the Code of Ethics of the National Association of Social Workers (to be found in the Social Work Student Handbook Appendix) and giving their faculty advisor permission to discuss their progress with other Social Work faculty members. (Copy of contract follows on page 9.). Applicants are notified in writing of the decision regarding their admission to the program.

The four possible outcomes of the admissions process are:

a. Acceptance into the program

b. Conditional acceptance into the program. In this case, the applicant will be notified of specific areas which, in the professional judgment of the Social Work Program faculty, need improvement and/or correction. A contract between the program and the student for the improvement and/or correction of the specific areas will be made. The faculty will review the student’s work at mid-semester and at the end of the semester to determine if the improvement/correction is adequate for the student to be accepted into the program.

c. Delayed decision. The applicant will be notified of specific conditions which must be met before admission will be reconsidered.

d. Denial. The applicant will be notified of specific reasons for rejection of her/his application for admission.Should the student wish to appeal a decision, the student may follow the grievance procedures described on page 29 of this handbook.

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SOCIAL WORK CONTRACT

1.I have read the NASW Code of Ethics and have considered its implications for my social work practice. Among other principles, the Code makes it clear that social work practice must be carried out professionally, without prejudice or discrimination and without imposing the worker’s values upon clients. This means that the social worker must be able to apply this standard to work with a wide variety of client systems, such as low-income persons, both survivors and perpetrators of abuse, people with varying sexual orientations, and people from racially and ethnically diverse backgrounds. I understand these implications and agree to abide by this Code.

2. I agree to continue my professional development through regular self-assessment of my personal, professional, and academic aptitude and performance.

3. I agree to work with my faculty advisor and the Social Work faculty in regular assessment of my professional aptitude and performance.

4. I give my faculty advisor permission to discuss my progress with the Social Work Program Director and other Social Work faculty members.I understand that after I am admitted to the Social Work major, the Social Work Department has the right and responsibility to continue to assess my performance. Should my professional performance be deemed unsatisfactory by the faculty, or should my behavior fall within the conditions stated in the departmental termination policy, I understand that termination from the Program may be considered. The Social Work faculty agrees to continue to provide academic instruction and professional advising to assist with my learning and professional development.
I understand and agree to all of the above terms of this academic contract.

_________________________________ ____________________
Student’s signature Date

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TRANSFER STUDENTS

All transfer students are asked to meet with a member of the social work faculty at the point of admission. Each student’s transcript will be evaluated individually by the registrar for general education requirements and by the social work faculty for social work requirements and prerequisites.

Transfer students need to complete the social work admissions application form. These may be obtained from the Social Work Office (DC 108) and must be completed before the student is admitted to the Social Work Program. A copy of this application form is located in the back of the handbook on page 56.

Policies and Procedures Regarding the Transfer of Credit from Other Institutions

Transfer from Other Accredited Social Work Programs

The program accepts academic credits from other accredited social work programs and examines college catalogs and course syllabi if necessary to determine the specific courses for which that credit is to be given. The Dana College criteria for minimum grades in courses applies to credits being transferred into the program.

Transfer from Unaccredited Programs

When evaluating credits from unaccredited programs, the Program Director reviews college catalogs and course syllabi. Each course is considered according to:

1. Course objectives as compared to objectives in comparable Dana courses
2. Specific content areas as shown in the content outline
3. Types and apparent academic rigor of learning activities used in courses
4. Relevance of theoretical frames of reference indicated in syllabi
5. Adequacy of course bibliographies

The Dana program does not offer proficiency exams for transfer of credit in social work courses. Field practicum courses may not be transferred to Dana from other programs.

POLICY REGARDING ACADEMIC CREDIT FOR LIFE OR PREVIOUS WORK EXPERIENCE

The Dana program does not grant credit for life or previous work experience.

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