Student Involvement

Students are encouraged to become involved with the program’s student organization, be represented on the Advisory Committee and the department meetings, and to assume professional identification by joining professional organizations.

By affiliating with these groups, students influence policy and have the opportunity to interact with others in the profession. The organizations that are most significant to EMU students are:

SOCIAL WORK IS PEOPLE (SWIP)

The Social Work Is People organization, composed of social work majors, is a student-run organization which seeks to make students aware of current service issues and needs via:

1. Professional development activities
2. Efforts to make the campus aware of community and social issues, and
3. Provision for social interaction for majors of all class levels.

The organization sponsors social activities each fall and spring and hosts other SWIP meetings.

SOCIAL WORK ADVISORY COMMITTEE

Purpose Statement: The Social Work Advisory Committee is to meet annually to provide feedback from the field to the Social work program for the purpose of guiding curriculum development to better prepare students for effective social work practice.

Membership: The committee consists of 8-12 members representative of the diverse fields of practice and geographical locations in which students do field practicums. Membership will be reviewed and renewed annually. A SWIP representative sits on this board.

Objectives:

1. Social work faculty will maintain current knowledge and skills for effective social work practice.
2. Faculty and students will become aware of potential field practicum sites, resources for field trips and valuable guest class presentations.
3. The problem-solving model will be applied to the various aspects of social work education.
4. Each committee member serves as a link to the larger community in which they practice.
5. Representation serves as an avenue for getting the word out about the EMU social work program to area communities and agencies.
6. Social work faculty will receive feedback on textbook and other curriculum resources being used or considered for use.

DEPARTMENT MEETINGS

During the school year, the faculty meets twice each month. An upperclass student representative is asked to attend department meetings. Typically this student will be a department work study student, unless another student has been designated. Students are excused from any portions of business meetings dealing with confidential departmental or student-related information.