Photos by Ralph Freso
Grand Canyon University’s Bachelor of Social Work recently was accredited by the Council on Social Work Education, the principal organization that reviews university social work programs.
The program was launched in fall 2021, and the accreditation process began with site visits and documentation that grew to more than 1,000 pages by the time the three-year review was complete.
“It was a lot of long hours in the conference room,” said Dr. Cheryl McAuliffe, director of the social work department.
Added Dr. Martin McDonell, faculty chair and associate professor: “We have the first graduating class this April, so we had a lot riding on it. We had to do well for them, and for all who came after as well, so the pressure was on.”
The accreditation means that graduates can be licensed at the bachelor's level to work in Arizona and other states and have an improved pathway to graduate schools. The Council on Social Work Education accredits social work programs to make sure the programs' students have the appropriate skills and competencies to serve the community.
McDonell said he had been through the accreditation process at other universities before coming to GCU, but his confidence grew when McAuliffe arrived at the University in 2022. She serves on the accrediting board and knew what the organization was looking for.
She said GCU was deemed strong in its curriculum, how it assesses students’ attainment of knowledge, and student engagement outside the classroom.
GCU’s competency-based model prizes both classroom learning and demonstrating how to use it in the field during 400-hour internships. GCU students are spread across the Valley in many organizations that utilize social workers.
“They are exposed to people with real problems, this is not a mock situation,” McAuliffe said. “The great goal is you pair theory and practice. You are book smart and practice smart. Now you are ready to go.”
Using a generalist model, students are prepared to work with individuals, community groups and organizations and also do advocacy and policy work.
Social work incorporates many of the behavioral science fields, such as psychology, sociology and counseling, so there are a wide range of job opportunities.
“Anywhere there is a live body, there is a social worker nearby to help with the problems,” McDonell said. “The social problems in society are not going away anytime soon and seem to be increasing. Whatever the problem – food insecurity, homelessness, mental health issues – they are all growing, and the need to serve is growing.”
McAuliffe said that the mental health crisis in the U.S. was already significant before the pandemic, and after, it “continues to rise along with poverty, homelessness, substance abuse, and all the areas that social workers work heavily within.”
According to one study estimate, the nation will be short 195,000 social workers by 2030. Job growth in social work is projected to rise 7% through 2032, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
GCU is helping meet the need, starting with its first class of 14 Bachelor of Social Work graduates in April. In three years, the program has grown to 191 ground and 956 online students this spring.
“We are getting up there among the largest BSW programs in the U.S. in just three years,” McDonell said.
In addition, GCU launched its Master of Social Work program in 2020 in its College of Humanities and Social Sciences.
“It is an honor to work with such generous servant leaders among the college's social work faculty and staff,” said Dean Dr. Sherman Elliott. “Being accredited by the Council on Social Work Education is the fulfillment of their genuine care for our social work students, their careers in a noble profession and the overall program.”
All of GCU’s social work faculty has worked in the field and brought that experience to building the program.
“We wanted to create a program where our social workers are competent and confident to go out and meet those needs, whether you are working with a child or working in corrections,” said McDonell, adding that it fits with the University’s mission.
“We are creating some very knowledgeable social workers who are also Christians, who want to go out and serve their brothers and sisters. It’s a unique pairing of Christian worldview and social work theory and practice.”
Grand Canyon University senior writer Mike Kilen can be reached at [email protected]
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