NATCHITOCHES – Northwestern State University’s Department of Social Work celebrated its reaccreditation by the Council on Social Work Education. CSWE accreditation is a rigorous peer-review process that assures that the department meets high standards in preparing students for professional work in diverse cultures and communities.
“Accreditation through CSWE allows our department to provide national accreditation to our students who want to continue into graduate school in social work,” said Dr. Susan Campbell, interim department chair. “For students that do well in the social work undergraduate program, they may be accepted into a one-year social work master’s program because we are nationally accredited.”
The Department of Social Work reaccreditation was a yearlong process that began with a thorough evaluation of NSU’s program and courses that culminated in a self-study report and site visit. Meeting with NSU administration, social work faculty and social work students allowed the site visitor to confirm the findings of the self-study.
“On March 11, CSWE notified us that we had passed without any concerns or recommendations,” Campbell said. “The great report that we received is a testament to the hard work and dedication of the NSU faculty and staff to our students to provide a meaningful, rigorous education that can be translated into future job success.”
Social work is one of the fastest-growing professions in the United States. NSU social work graduates go on to work in mental health, child welfare, rehabilitation services, hospitals, schools, hospice, criminal justice or anywhere that a social worker is needed.
“With a student-centered approach, we are a mission driven program focusing on our goal to graduate competent and ethical social work professionals prepared to meet the needs of diverse populations both locally and globally. Although our students are primarily from Louisiana, our online students reside in many states and countries from Virginia to California, Guam to Germany,” Campbell said.
“The reaccreditation could not have taken place without the support of NSU from the President’s office to the Registrar reports, Library evaluation, the facilities and the faculty in other departments who provide a strong foundation in the general courses that a social work student needs to be successful.”
The celebration of accreditation coincides with Social Work Month, commemorated throughout March. Social Work Month is a time to inform the public about how social workers help millions of people every day, helping them to overcome life’s hurdles and live to their full potential. NSU’s Social Work Month theme is “Inspiring Action, Leading Change.”
Information on Northwestern State’s Department of Social work is available at https://www.nsula.edu/socialwork/.
