Fairfield University’s Marion Peckham Egan School of Nursing and Health Studies has been awarded an eight-year accreditation through the Council on Social Work Education (CSWE) for its Bachelor of Social Work program.
This semester, the Marion Peckham Egan School of Nursing and Health Studies completed its three-year accreditation process for the Bachelor of Social Work (BSW) program. The program was awarded an eight-year accreditation through the Council on Social Work Education (CSWE), having been found to be in full compliance.
"The accreditation process is rigorous, and our success underscores the hard work of our faculty, our students, and the overall strength of the program. The relational nature of the program, which is grounded in a solid generalist social work foundation, will guide us in continuing to educate the finest future professional social workers who will go on to serve individuals, families, groups, and communities, while also being strong voices for social, economic, and environmental justice,” said program director and assistant professor of the practice Kim Oliver, PhD, LCSW.
Social work majors Ibelkis Tajada ’22 and Brigid Belger ’22 under the guidance of Assistant Professor of Social Work Tanika Eaves Simpson, PhD represented Fairfield’s newly accredited social work program at this year’s 67th Annual Council on Social Work Education Meeting in Orlando, Florida. The students presented their original research, entitled “Transformative Learning and Social Change: Community-Based Learning and BSW Education During a Pandemic,” to social work education professionals and students across the nation.
“The presentation focused on Fairfield University's approach to community-engaged learning, and the benefits and challenges of integrating this approach into the curriculum of the Bachelor of Social Work program, especially during a pandemic,” explained Tajada. “As students, we presented what we did at our community engagement site, which was ALPHA Community Services YMCA in Bridgeport, Connecticut.”
Describing her experience, Tajada said, “Attending the CSWE AMP conference provided great insight into what other social workers are doing around the country, and their perspective on what it means to be a social worker. Not only was it an opportunity to connect with other individuals with diverse roles, but it was also a space to show what some of Fairfield's future social workers are doing in the community of Bridgeport.”
The five-year BSW/MSW social work program launched in 2019 as a result of the growing need for social work professionals. The mission of the social work profession, to enhance human well-being and to help meet the basic needs of all people, supports the core principles of a Jesuit education.
To learn more about the BSW/MSW program, visit fairfield.edu/bsw.
