The social work program is committed to:

  • preparing students for entry-level professional social work practice with individuals, families, groups, organizations and communities within the context of a liberal arts education
  • helping students develop a special appreciation for the needs and strengths of women and the knowledge and skills of professional practice that supports and encourages women
  • preparing students for practice with racially and ethnically diverse populations, people in poverty and people at special risk in our society

Intrinsic to the mission of the social work program, is the ultimate goal of social and economic justice.

Program Goals

The goals of the social work program are to:

  • prepare students for entry-level generalist social work practice including engagement, assessment, intervention and evaluation with individuals, families, groups, organizations and communities
  • prepare students to practice social work with respect for diversity and difference
  • enable students to understand and advance human rights and social, economic and environmental justice
  • prepare students to understand frameworks of ethical decision making and how to apply principles of critical thinking in practice, research and policy arenas
  • prepare students to engage in practice informed research, research informed practice and policy practice

Program Outcomes and Assessment

Mount Mary’s social work program has adopted the 9 core competencies established by the Council on Social Work Education as the program’s objectives. These competencies are outcome performance indicators for social workers with a bachelor’s degree per social work core competencies.

The social work program measures how well it is achieving the program’s goals through continuous outcome assessment. The annual outcome assessment analyzes data from seniors’ portfolios and final senior year fieldwork evaluations completed by field instructors.

Summary of the Program’s Assessment Plan | Generalist Practice

All students are assessed using a minimum of two measures on their mastery of the nine competencies that comprise the Educational Policy and Accreditation Standards of the Council on Social Work Education and any additional competencies programs may choose to add. Summarize the program’s competency-based assessment plan.


Assessment Measure #1: (Senior Portfolios)

Dimension(s) assessed:

Knowledge, Cognitive/Affective Reactions

When/where students are assessed:

SWK494

Who assessed student competence:

Faculty  teaching SWK 494

Outcome Measure Benchmark (minimum score indicative of achievement) for Competencies 1-9:

85%

Competency Benchmark (percent of students the program expects to have achieved the minimum scores, inclusive of all measures) for Competencies 1-9:

85%

Assessment Measure #2: (Final Field Evaluation)

Dimension(s) assessed:

Skills

When/where students are assessed:

At field agency at the end of the senior field placement

Who assessed student competence:

Field Instructor

Outcome Measure Benchmark (minimum score indicative of achievement) for Competencies 1-9:

4 out of 5

Competency Benchmark (percent of students the program expects to have achieved the minimum scores, inclusive of all measures) for Competencies 1-9:

85%



 

 

 

Assessment Data Collected during the Academic Year (2023-2024)

COMPETENCY

COMPETENCY BENCHMARK (%)

PERCENTAGE OF STUDENTS ACHIEVING BENCHMARK

 

 

Program Option #1

(Mount Mary University/In person)

7= (Number of students)

Competency 1: Demonstrate Ethical and Professional Behavior

85%

95%

Competency 2: Engage Diversity and Difference in Practice

85%

95%

Competency 3: Advance Human Rights and Social, Economic, and Environmental Justice

85%

96%

Competency 4: Engage in Practice-informed Research and Research-informed Practice

85%

90%

Competency 5: Engage in Policy Practice

85%

94%

Competency 6: Engage with Individuals, Families, Groups, Organizations, and Communities

85%

93%

Competency 7: Assess Individuals, Families, Groups, Organizations, and Communities

85%

96%

Competency 8: Intervene with Individuals, Families, Groups, Organizations, and Communities

85%

91%

Competency 9: Evaluate Practice with Individuals, Families, Groups, Organizations, and Communities

85%

88%