VCU School of Social Work

A new academic year has started and we have over 870 social work students enrolled as either BSW, MSW or Ph.D. students in the School of Social Work. In this issue we have some pictures from new student orientation and the text of the Richmond orientation keynote address given by Ms. Karen Legato (MSW, 1995). Her message resonated with many of us.

As many of you already know, a decision has been made to phase-out our Northern Virginia Edsall Road site over the next 3 years. As technology has changed, so have the options for offering high quality education via alternative mechanisms that do not require the maintenance and staffing of a full-time dedicated physical location away from the Richmond campus. We are already offering online and hybrid courses to NoVA students and continue to get requests for more, so while we will no longer be delivering the program from the Edsall Road site after May 2012, we certainly expect to continue our presence and service to students in that part of the state. We have established wonderful relationships in the NoVA area and we look forward to those continuing. We also look forward to continuing our relationship with our NoVA alums wherever they may be located.

This year we will be engaged in our reaffirmation of accreditation. The self-study materials are due in August 2010, so it will be a busy time preparing these documents. The search for a new Dean also continues with renewed vigor. A professional search firm has been hired by the university to assist with the process, so we are optimistic that top candidates will be brought to campus for interviews in late winter and a selection made before the end of the Spring semester.

I have been pleased that so many of our alumni responded with updates about where they are and what they are doing. We will include this feature in each of our eNewsletters. Take a look at our alumni page and see who you remember!

Thanks to all of you for your support and please stay in touch !

Thanks to so many of you for such a positive response to our first issue of the School's eNewsletter. We value your feedback and are working to incorporate suggestions and ideas for future issues. This issue contains some wonderful pictures from the May 2009 graduation, as well as program updates and articles on the research, teaching and service activities within the School --- and, you will want to check out the photos from the Community Partners' Appreciation Luncheon.

I'd also like to direct you to our School of Social Work Alumni Network (SSWAN) update. We are committed in the coming year to more actively connect with our alumni and provide opportunities for networking. If you haven't done so, please check out the Facebook page for the VCU School of Social Work Alumni Network. One of the items you will see there is how you can obtain a discount on the many continuing education events being offered by the School when you become a member of the VCU Alumni Association! You can also check out the alumni page on the School's website to get more information. In coming editions of the eNewsletter, we plan to provide alumni updates so you can see the exciting things in which our alums are engaged.

My final note is an appeal to you to consider making a donation to the School of Social Work. The economy has taken its toll on many of our scholarship funds, while at the same time the needs of our students are increasing. For more information about our various scholarships and how you can support the School, please visit the donor page on the SSW website.

Thanks to all of you who support the School in so many ways.

Ann Nichols-Casebolt, Ph.D.

Welcome to the first issue of the VCU School of Social Work e-newsletter. Not only is this a "greener" alternative to the traditional paper newsletter, but it will allow us to communicate happenings in the School in a more timely way. We welcome your feedback about this means of communicating with you.

There have been many changes in the School of Social Work during the past year. Of particular note, Dr. Frank Baskind stepped down as Dean after more than 16 years leading the School. There were many accomplishments attributable to his leadership, but one of which we are most proud is our national ranking. Again in 2008, the School's MSW Program was ranked by U.S. News & World Report as among the top 20 in the country. I am serving as the Interim Dean while the university conducts a national search for someone to fill the position permanently. It is our hope that by this time next year we will have a new dean for the School identified. Another major change in the School was the retirement of Dr. Robert Schneider, a faculty member with the School of Social Work for 34 years. His contributions in the area of aging and social policy will be missed both at the School and nationally.

The School continues to move forward on its strategic plan to create a vibrant learning community, assume leadership in the university, community and profession, and promote active partnerships with diverse communities. You can learn more about the various initiatives in the School and the work of our faculty by reading other articles in the newsletter and visiting our website. I want to especially draw your attention to our Spring "Community Reach Out" service project in which we are engaged this Spring. See related article on Page 2. I hope you can find a way to join us in assisting those who have most acutely been experiencing the effects of the economic crisis.

Thank you for your continuing interest in the School of Social Work at Virginia Commonwealth University.

Ann Nichols-Casebolt, Interim Dean