ANNOUNCING THE NEW DEPARTMENT OF SOCIAL WORK & SOCIOLOGY!

Trinity’s Social Work and Sociology departments share a rich history of close collaboration around shared mission, vision, and work toward forming students as people committed to justice, equity, and the flourishing of all God’s creation. With the support of Trinity’s Academic Council, we are excited to announce that our departments will be combining to form the NEW Departmenwt of Social Work & Sociology, effective this Fall.

Our rationale for this proposal is rooted in recognition of our existing relationship and our vision for what is made possible by formalizing our mutual commitments and goals amid the innovative directions of the college. Social Work and Sociology faculty work together informally and we share several interests that inform our respective programs. By combining our departments, we shift this sharing of ideas and mutual support into pooled resources (financial, human, time, knowledge) and tangible benefits for students, the college, and our wider community.

Together, our departments oversee the Social Work major, the Social Work minor, the Sociology minor, and the Urban Studies minor. These curricular programs share similar courses and learning outcomes and, with a combined department, there is potential to grow these existing major and minor programs. In addition, formalizing our departmental collaboration provides support for the continued growth and strengthening of the Chicago Connect Foundations curriculum,currently under the direction of Dr. Allison Tan. We are deeply invested in this place-based curriculum and believe housing it in an interdisciplinary department will reinforce the core postures of this curriculum.

We also share a commitment to and experience in community-based participatory research. Through the Honors Program, Dr. Knight-Johnson integrates this research methodology into courses and student engagement, and is looking to expand toward an eventual community-based research center on campus. This goal would provide opportunities for students, faculty, and community members to collaborate on new initiatives, further strengthening Trinity’s relationship with its surrounding area. Combining departments draws together the expertise of our faculty and creates mechanisms for the development of community-based research projects in local and global contexts.

SAVE-THE-DATE FOR FALL CEU WORKSHOP

This fall, we are excited to welcome LaVon Lenaway to campus to lead us in a Virtual Dementia Tour (VDT). VDT is an evidence-based practice model for building empathy regarding the experience of living with dementia. This is a hands-on, experiential activity which then culminates in a largegroup debriefing. This CEU event will take place on Thursday, November 30th from 9:00am -12:00 pm (3 CEUs). A registration link will be made available in late summer or early fall, but save-the-date now for this great day of learning together! Note: space will be limited, given the hands-on nature of the experience, so sign up early if you want to join us!

BSW PROGRAM 2022-2023 OUTCOMES

Assessment data on program competences is collected during BSW students’ senior year in (1) the senior level social work courses (aka The Macro 3) and from (2) their field placements. To see the full outcomes of program competencies, please go to Social Work Learning Outcomes on Trinity’s website. Link to be included for Social Work Learning Ou

*Please stay tuned for more upcoming CEU opportunities in the 20222023 academic year hosted by the Social Work Department as well as cohosted with the Psychology Department.