How can we make the MSW program better for future students?
1. More Financial Assistance.
- Help set up a program whereas the MSW internship experience will qualify for the federal work/study program.
- Work out a deal with placements where MSW students are paid minimum wage for at least the second half of their first year internship experience and all of their second year internship experience.
- If minimum wage is not possible, have agencies pay MSW students a small stipend.
- Advantage to WMU: People tend to value what they pay for more than what they get for free. This may actually result in more MSW internship placements as agencies start to realize the value and quality of what they're getting from Western.
2. Offer Summer II courses. (This was suggested by several students in Ronnie's class and I thought it was a good idea)
3. Allow students to take classes out of order. (Also suggested by students in field lab)
4. Give students more time to complete the program, say 10 years. Some students cannot complete in 6 years due to illness, having babies, finances or a number of other reasons. (compliments of Patti Nash)
5. Stop requiring students to reveal personal information in class. This is a violation of student privacy, and causes mental and emotional stress for students who have undergone traumatic experiences, or simply do not wish to share sensitive aspects of their personal lives in class for a grade.
- Instead, require students to obtain therapy for themselves for one semester in conjunction with the Individuals class. This accomplishes the same goal of encouraging students to work on themselves, without violating their personal boundaries. It is also more in line with social work ethics and values.
6. Be more flexible about the internship experience.
- Offer the alternative of four internships instead of two. Students can opt for the two internships if they prefer, but some students desire a wider range of experience to better prepare themselves for the job market once they graduate. Each internship can last for the duration of one class, so the length of the internship experience and required hours would be the same.
- Advantage to students: Some students desire experience in more areas in order to become more competitive in the job market once they graduate. Other students do not know for sure what area of social work they want to work in and desire a greater variety of experiences to help them find out what they would like to do.
- Offer the alternative of one internship instead of two.
- Advantage to students: Some students have been working in the field of Social Work for years and do not need a large number of internship experiences. Others know exactly what they want to do and would prefer to prepare extensively in that one area.
- Advantage to agencies: The longer a student works for an agency, they more they learn and the more valuable they become to that agency. For this reason, this possibility might also turn out to be an advantage to agencies that are open to taking MSW student interns.
7. Advisors should be more involved with their students.
- Advisors should take the initiative to touch base with their students at least twice a year. Although the program requirements are pretty specific, many students need career planning assistance.
8. The book list for classes in fall in spring should be made available the summer before.
- This will enable students to start reading ahead of time when they're not in class.
- This will require advance planning on the part of the social work department in terms of deciding who will teach what course in the coming year. I don't think this is an unreasonable request.
Advantage to WMU:
Implementing these ideas will attract more students to the program who would have otherwise attended other universities. This will result in more revenue for the school.
Feel free to agree, disagree and/or add your own ideas to this list.
posted by MSWSO @ 3:15 AM
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