Learning Communities

Learning communities are innovative collaborations among faculty, students and other community members that address issues critical to social work through integrated research, instruction, and service opportunities.

In Spring 2010, the Dean invited faculty members to come together to focus on developing new teaching and research addressing specific areas of social work practice. The School of Social Work is creating collaborative efforts that build on our strengths and bring together teaching and research to inform the social work practice of the future. Learning Communities bring together MSW and doctoral students, along with faculty, in new classroom and field experiences, new opportunities in the communities we serve, and targeted research projects to form social work practice in the years to come.

Six Learning Communities have been established and additional ones are planned. Each address curricular innovations, a commitment to expanded field instruction opportunities, research projects, and a plan for extending learning opportunities both within the School/University and to the larger practitioner community.