The Campaign for the Factor-Inwentash Faculty of Social Work
A vital profession for a changing world Globally and locally, social workers are critical to the future of human well-being. In a dynamic world of mounting challenges, social work is more important than ever. Social workers are responding vigorously to the profound social, economic and scientific changes shaping Canada and the world. As counsellors, therapists, mediators, community organizers, policy analysts, advocates and innovators, they are essential to the growth of successful societies. Social workers help people facing poverty, discrimination, abuse, addiction, physical illness, divorce, loss, unemployment, educational difficulties, disabilities and mental illness. They work closely with other professionals in our schools, hospitals, child welfare agencies, employment centres and other organizations to improve lives. Social workers give individuals and communities a voice and are engaged in the critical evaluation of social policies and practices, advocating for improvements and new directions.
Contents
The Factor-Inwentash Faculty of Social Work Towards a Better Society The Campaign Campaign Goals Boundless Opportunity
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The FactorInwentash Faculty of Social Work
At the Factor-Inwentash Faculty of Social Work we are dedicated to changing lives and communities through education, the development and adoption of evidenceinformed practices and far-sighted policy development and recommendations.
We will soon celebrate the centennial of the Faculty’s founding in 1914. Today we are ranked first in Canada and fifth in North America for research productivity. We have 40 faculty and staff members and more than 500 instructors who supervise our students during their field placements. We serve more than 400 master’s students and 54 PhD students and offer Master of Social Work and PhD degrees, an Advanced Diploma in Social Service Administration, a range of collaborative graduate programs and two combined programs — in Law and Social Work and Health Administration and Social Work. Our continuing education program for social workers has grown rapidly in recent years. Acclaimed for collaborative, interprofessional education at the master’s and doctoral levels, we graduate practitioners and leaders of proven ability, initiative and effectiveness. The work of our researchers guides learning and practice at every step. Thanks to our unique combination of education, practice and research, our new graduates are ready to respond to poverty, homelessness, child abuse, cyber bullying, sexual assault, mental illness, unemployment, aging and chronic illness. By graduating knowledgeable and skilled practitioners and policy makers we are promoting well-being and equity from early childhood to the last stages of life. We meet local challenges in the context of national and global trends and work towards real solutions at every level.
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Professor Faye Mishna, Dean Factor-Inwentash Faculty of Social Work The Margaret and Wallace McCain Family Chair in Child and Family
OUNDLESSLeadership
“As we strive to meet the challenges of a rapidly changing world, we are building on the solid foundation of an exceptional community of students, researchers, teaching faculty, field instructors, alumni and visionary benefactors. The depth and breadth of their intellects, talents and commitment — along with the diversity of their experiences and backgrounds — promise an even brighter future.”
Towards a Better Society
Our plans for the future are based on our five-year academic plan, Towards a Better Society. Crafted in response to the needs of our society and profession, in consultation with our community partners and other stakeholders, the plan defines our vision, mission and values and identifies four critical strategic directions. We will: • Take the lead in mobilizing knowledge in social work and translating knowledge into action; • Promote well-being and equity across the life course by conducting research that explores and addresses the social determinants of health; • Build innovative learning environments for practice by continually refining the curriculum and providing opportunities for experiential and active learning; and • Connect local challenges with national and global issues and seek creative solutions to social problems locally, nationally and internationally. By applying these strategic directions across our curriculum and areas of specialization, we will keep the Faculty at the leading edge of education, policy, research and practice. By realizing our vision we will make an even greater difference in the lives of individuals, families and communities in Toronto, across Canada and around the world.
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The Campaign
The Factor-Inwentash Faculty of Social Work is already one of North America’s top-ranked schools. With the support of our benefactors, volunteers and alumni, we will redouble our efforts to enhance our standing and lead the further development of social work education and research. To achieve our objectives, we have established an ambitious campaign goal of $35 million. We believe passionately in our mission and the value of our profession. We know that excellence in education, research, practice and policy development makes a difference to the well-being of individuals, families, groups and communities in Canada and around the world. The campaign for the Factor-Inwentash Faculty of Social Work is essential to the realization of our vision. Responding to the aspirations defined by our academic plan, the campaign will help us meet the needs of students, researchers, the profession, our partners and the organizations and communities in which our graduates work. We will build on our strengths in education, research, practice and policy innovation to achieve an even greater impact.
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To achieve our academic objectives we will: • Enhance the educational experience by building a state-of-the-art simulation lab where our students will interact with actors who play the role of clients in realistic settings such as a hospital room or family home; • Establish new needs-based and merit-based scholarships at the master’s and doctoral levels to ensure that we continue to attract the most promising students to our programs; • Increase the number of internationally acclaimed faculty members by adding endowed chairs for them that will support their work in emerging areas — from child and human development to neuroscience and wellness and chronic health conditions; • Support innovative research programs investigating human development, social media, cyber bullying, eating disorders, violence against women, the challenges facing LGBT students and other topics; and • Continue to collaborate in developing innovative international research programs in Australia, Brazil, China, Haiti, Israel and Thailand that will contribute to efforts in those countries to educate a new generation of social workers, leading to better practices and policies.
Tiffany Stewart Student, MSW program
OUNDLESSService
“I’ve chosen social work as a profession because I am passionate about helping people and I believe we can work together to make this world a better place. What really stands out for me at the Factor-Inwentash Faculty of Social Work is that we get direct clinical experience to try to improve our clients’ well-being.”
“Over my years of practice, I have learned that the voice of social work needs to be heard loudly and clearly. We need outstanding graduates and outstanding schools that are open to dedicated men and women regardless of financial need.” Dr. Lynn Factor Honorary Campaign Chair
“The Campaign for the Factor-Inwentash Faculty of Social Work is a rare opportunity to ensure that our students, alumni and researchers have the tools they need to contribute effectively to the welfare of our most vulnerable citizens and to the well-being of individuals, families and communities.” Dr. Sheldon Inwentash Campaign Chair
BOUNDLESSCommitment Dr. Sheldon Inwentash (BComm 1978) is chairman, CEO and founder of Pinetree Capital Ltd. Dr. Lynn Factor is a social worker who has devoted her career to society’s most vulnerable. Their 2007 gift to the University of Toronto was the largest donation ever made to a faculty of social work in North America.
Campaign goals The Simulation Lab $5 million ($1M infrastructure, $4M endowed) Simulation involves students who interact with highlytrained actors in scenarios often encountered by social workers in the field. This method enables students to build practice knowledge and skills in a safe, realistic setting prior to using them in real-life situations. Research has shown that simulation enhances education by providing both experience and opportunities for evaluation of the student’s performance. The resulting feedback helps students identify their areas of strength and weakness and to improve. The Factor-Inwentash Faculty of Social Work will develop Canada’s first state-of-the-art simulation lab for social work, with the infrastructure to provide simulation-based education and assessment for social work students. The initiative involves converting existing physical space into eight interview rooms presenting typical settings. Each room will have built-in video recording equipment and a sound connection.
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By building innovative learning environments for our students we are educating the future leaders of the profession in Canada and beyond.
Professor Marion Bogo Inaugural Sandra Rotman Chair in Social Work, 1998-2003
OUNDLESSFUTURE
“We’ve demonstrated that teaching with simulation is an extremely potent way of increasing social work students’ ability to practice. An investment in the simulation labs and program will increase the Faculty’s ability to continue to educate highly effective social workers who will contribute to the well-being of Canadians.”
Campaign Goals
The establishment of new needs-based and merit-based scholarships will ensure that we continue to attract the most promising students to our programs.
Scholarships & Bursaries $1 million Student support is an important investment in the future of social work. Over the past five years we have expanded enrolment in the MSW program by almost one third and a growing number of our doctoral students are conducting research outside Canada. To keep pace with growing enrolment and with international research expenses, we must increase the available funds. One of the Faculty’s top priorities is to offer competitive scholarships in order to continue to attract and retain the most promising students and make professional education accessible to all academically qualified students regardless of financial circumstances. We are also seeking support for training materials for field educators and an endowed seminar series.
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Axelle Janczur Executive Director Access Alliance, Multicultural Health and Community Services
OUNDLESSCommunity
“The Factor-Inwentash Faculty of Social Work prepares students to work in diverse, complex, ambitious organizations such as Access Alliance. The Faculty is a dynamic place with an inclusive research agenda and a reputation for smart, dynamic graduates who are ready to go.�
Campaign Goals
We will increase the number of internationally acclaimed faculty members by adding endowed chairs in emerging areas—from child and human development to neuroscience and wellness.
Endowed Chairs $3 million each To pursue our vision of academic excellence in teaching, research and practice, we must increase the number of endowed positions available to outstanding faculty members. Endowments provide stable, long-term funding for the most accomplished professors. The availability of these prestigious positions will enable us to recruit and retain the best faculty members working in the areas that are critical to our continuing success. We envision the establishment of chairs, named for their benefactors, in social work and Aboriginal issues, mental health, neuroscience, child and human development, mindfulness and chronic health conditions.
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BOUNDLESSKnowledge “I have outstanding colleagues — smart people asking interesting questions — who work very well with the community and with each other. We are an integral part of the University of Toronto, one of the world’s great universities, with all the tremendous synergies that occur here.” Professor Charmaine Williams Associate Dean, Academic Factor-Inwentash Chair in Health and Mental Health
Campaign Goals
Research Programs $35,000 to $2 million each The Faculty puts the most informative research concerning social work practice into the hands of those who need it most — practitioners and policy-makers in the field. Through this research, the Faculty is actively engaged in promoting excellence in social work practice and policy development. The Faculty is seeking investments in research in five key areas of specialization: children and their families; gerontology; mental health and health; social justice and diversity; and social service administration.
Our researchers’ leading-edge work guides learning, practice and policymaking at every step.
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Professor David Hulchanski The Dr. Chow Yei Ching Chair in Housing
OUNDLESSResearch
“The Factor-Inwentash Faculty of Social Work is future oriented. We do research on the leading edge, teach what we learn to our students and communicate the relevant findings to governments, firms, agencies and others.�
Campaign Goals
Positive change takes place when visionary leaders and scholars come together with a common purpose to shape the future.
Emerging Issues & Human Development $1.5 million As new challenges and opportunities emerge, the Faculty is responding with a series of practice-oriented research projects designed to help social workers and the organizations they serve become more effective. These projects include studies of the need for online counselling, the impact of social media on social work, eating disorders, violence against women and LGBT students in the schools. In addition, we plan to establish a Human Development Fund to support the study of the complex interactions among genetic, biological, social and environmental factors in human development. The fund will ensure that our researchers remain at the forefront in the development of knowledge and teaching to promote well-being.
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BOUNDLESSHorizons “The Master of Social Work program prepared me very well for the position I’m in now. It taught me the advocacy skills I need to really speak up for my clients. Social work prepares you for life. It has taught me to see issues differently.” Kayleigh Gliedt (MSW 2012) Child Victim Witness Advocate BOOST Child Abuse Prevention & Intervention
Campaign Goals
International Programs $35,000 to $1 million each Social work makes a difference in Canada and internationally. The Faculty is committed to collaborating with others to extend the benefits of knowledge, education and practice to people around the world. We are seeking support for projects in Australia, Brazil, China, Haiti, Israel, Thailand and elsewhere. Working closely with our international partners, we will help to develop an intervention model for addiction in China, build on our student internship working with youth in rural Thailand, launch an HIV prevention program for women in Leogane, Haiti, and much more.
We will continue to develop innovative international research programs and help educate new generations of social workers around the world.
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Professor Ka Tat Tsang Factor-Inwentash Chair in Social Work in the Global Community Director, China Project
OUNDLESSOutreach
“The work done by our faculty members has brought a rich repertoire of knowledge and skills from different parts of the world to Canada, so we can be confident that what we are teaching and practicing is relevant to people from diverse cultures and appropriate to their understanding of the world.�
BOUNDLESS Opportunity
With the support of our alumni and friends, we will propel the Factor-Inwentash Faculty of Social Work to new heights by adding a simulation lab; an impressive array of new needs-based, merit-based and doctoral scholarships; additional endowed chairs; new research programs; a Human Development Fund; international research and education projects; training materials for field educators; and an endowed seminar series. The future of social work depends critically on the future of social work education, research, practice and policy development. The Factor-Inwentash Faculty of Social Work is the leading school of its kind in Canada and one of the best in North America. Together we will tap the limitless potential of our students, faculty members and alumni to enhance the well-being of people and communities everywhere.
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BOUNDLESSVision “The Factor-Inwentash Faculty of Social Work is a world leader and a Canadian leader — innovative, creative, progressive, proactive and visionary. At the Faculty they recognize the importance of evidence-based practice and policy. Everything they do is rooted in sound empirical evidence.” The Honourable Margaret McCain Bachelor of Social Work, University of Toronto, 1955
BOUNDLESS.UTORONTO.CA/SOCIALWORK
Office of Advancement Factor-Inwentash Faculty of Social Work, University of Toronto 246 Bloor Street West, Toronto, ON M5S 1V4 416-978-4437 fund.fsw@utoronto.ca