FORWARD, TOGETHER
he University of Kentucky (UK) College of Social Work (CoSW) has a long history of commitment to the community, the Commonwealth of Kentucky, the nation, and the world. Since its founding in 1938, CoSW has evolved into a nationally and internationally recognized academic and research unit that is steadfastly focused on improving the human condition.
The strategic priorities and activities outlined in this document delineate a bold slate of plans and initiatives that will permit us to explore new ways to address long-standing challenges and pursue expansive possibilities. Moving forward, we recognize that as social problems become increasingly complex, so too must our response.
Framework & Approach
CoSW is part of the UK. We, as an institution, are united in mission, vision, and purpose. Thus, this document is designed to be explicitly congruent with the institution’s strategic plan, The UK PURPOSE: Plan for Unprecedented Research, Purposeful and Optimal Service and Education Veritably, this alignment will enable us to effectively leverage resources, efficiently deploy personnel, and foster accountability pursuant to actualizing the objectives of the institution, in general, and those of CoSW, specifically.
While this document makes clear our intent, it is pertinent to note that this plan is dynamic. Said another way, we view this as a living document. As we continue to explore and live into possibilities, this document may change. Indeed, as Virginia Woolf aptly explained, movement, flexibility, and an ability to change is key to any successful endeavor.
The framework for this plan is straightforward. It includes four strategic priority areas, which have been identified by synthesizing an array of perspectives, insights, and data sources.
These priorities outline overarching foci for our work. Each priority is followed by an aspirational statement that clearly articulates our desired condition.
This plan will be finalized and deployed in three phases:
PHASE 1: Core Concepting
This phase focuses on finalizing parameters for each priority area, objectives, and specified tactics for achieving each objective. In essence, the phase tackles two critical queries: (A) What are the focused objectives of our plan; and, (B) What are we going to do to meet those objectives?
PHASE 2: Establish Governance
As it applies to this plan, governance refers to establishing accountability, tracking, and reporting protocols guiding our work. Now, to be clear: We, as a unit, are accountable for the outcomes of our college. That said, this phase will answer four questions: (A) What will we measure to demonstrate outcomes; (B) How will we know if we are successful in meeting our objectives; (C) How will we share those outcomes; and, (D) Who will report those outcomes?
PHASE 3: Systemic Implementation
Of course, a plan is only as impactful as its implementation. This phase will focus on the actual “doing” of the tactics affixed to each objective. As well, this phase will track an integrated assessment and evaluation protocol to inform edits/adaptations made to the plan. In essence, this phase will answer three questions: (A) How are we doing in meeting our objectives; (B) What, if anything, needs to be changed to meet our goals more effectively/efficiently; and, (C) How can we more effectively measure the impact of our work?
PRIORITIES, OBJECTIVES, AND TACTICS
STRATEGIC PRIORITY AREA #1: Learning Centered Environments
ASPIRATION: To have a learning-centered environment consistent with meeting the needs of a contemporary and ever-changing practice landscape.
In the dynamic practice landscape, it is imperative that we focus on preparing students for the complex work environments and careers of tomorrow. One of the most compelling ways to actualize that preparation is to foster a robust, expansive, and supportive learning-centered environment.
Objective 1.1: Enhance our learning-centered environment in a way that effectively engages, embraces, and empowers members of our learning community.
Tactics to meet Objective 1.1:
Identify updated unit-level outcome metrics and finalize tools to track those metrics.
Launch data and tracking apparatus that effectively communicates performance.
Onboard personnel consistent with meeting emerging needs.
Bolster participatory processes, to include reimagined committee structures.
Objective 1.2: Expand our curricular foundation in a way that is focused, intentional, and purpose driven.
Tactics to meet Objective 1.2:
Engage in market-based, evidence-based assessments to inform growth opportunities.
Deploy virtual approaches that increase access to offerings.
Grow opportunities and incentives for faculty/ staff/student professional development.
Objective 1.3: Optimize infrastructure for student support, engagement, and experience (SEE).
Tactics to meet Objective 1.3:
Conceptualize and appropriately staff contemporary student experience journey. Collaborate/coordinate/lead cross-campus efforts to creatively explore SEE models.
Invest in technology solutions that integrate student services.
STRATEGIC PRIORITY AREA #2: People First, People Always
ASPIRATION: We will be an ideal unit in which to be employed, educated, and engaged.
To positively impact the communities that we seek to professionally serve, it is imperative that we take care of our people. We do this by focusing on wholistic well-being and ensuring that individuals have supportive environments that are adaptable, and permit accountability.
Objective 2.1: Foster a culture of wholistic wellness for faculty, staff, and students.
Tactics to meet Objective 2.1:
Organize and ensure access to wholistic wellbeing initiatives.
Routinely assess concepts of well-being throughout our college.
Deploy incentives that empower individuals to promote wholistic well-being.
Objective 2.2: Create professional growth pathways so that our faculty, staff, students, and alumni can thrive and find meaning in their work.
Tactics to meet Objective 2.2:
Create additional opportunities for career progression within our unit.
Proactively assess practices, policies, and protocols associated with employment, to include compensation reviews.
Further implement best practices and strategies to enhance a sense of belonging.
Objective 2.3: Build seamless pathways for stakeholders to be engaged in the ongoing work of our college.
Tactics to meet Objective 2.3:
Deploy aggressive alumni engagement strategy.
Encourage more robust student involvement in planning and decision-making processes.
Grow industry-based partnerships that are rooted in the communities in which we seek to impact.
Objective 2.4: Enhance supports that empower our students to actualize UK’s land-grant mission.
Tactics to meet Objective 2.4:
Build inter/intra/trans disciplinary partnerships between CoSW and other academic and service units at UK.
Leverage the Cooperative Extension Service network to expand/bolster existing service folio.
Grow financial supports, to include scholarships, for prospective and current students.
Increase array of workplace/force preparation initiatives.
STRATEGIC PRIORITY AREA #3: Inspiring Impactful Ingenuity through Research
ASPIRATION: We will be a regional/national/ global leader in research related to the social sciences, in general, and social work, specifically.
Our research spans basic and applied sciences and promotes translational and evidencedbased clinical, group, and community practice modalities. We view this research as but one way that we actualize our mission and activate our values.
Objective 3.1: Support cutting-edge research that addresses Social Work’s Grand Challenges.
Tactics to meet Objective 3.1:
Identify CoSW Core Research Foci in a way that is consistent with UK’s Research Priority Areas.
Create opportunities that seed new domains of innovative research and creative work.
Grow opportunities for student research, collaborative externships, and non-traditional student training pertaining to CoSW Core Research Foci.
Pilot research workload metrics commensurate with Distribution of Effort (DOE) allocations.
Further incentivize extramural activity, international research, and scholarly productivity.
Objective 3.2: Strategically increase the visibility and profile of our research.
Tactics to meet Objective 3.2:
Advance clear, consistent metric collection and sharing practices.
Circulate easily accessible digital assets that communicate information and impact.
Embark on internal sharing structures that highlight researchers within the college.
Translate research from CoSW to the public domain through dissemination initiatives, industry outreach, commercialization, and public policy frameworks.
Incorporate innovation and entrepreneurial activities into review, promotion, appointment, and tenure processes.
Objective 3.3: Promote an agile internal research infrastructure congruent with research excellence.
Tactics to meet Objective 3.3:
Bolster personnel infrastructure pertaining to research activity, specifically in the area of postaward supports.
Adopt forward-facing initiatives that prepare faculty/staff/students in competing for extramural funding.
Develop novel partnerships between educational programs, practice systems, businesses, governments, and communities to promote research activity.
STRATEGIC PRIORITY AREA #4: Engage Difference, Differently
ASPIRATION: We will create an expansive college community in which diversity and difference – in all forms – is inherently included.
The social work profession is committed to engaging diversity and difference. Professional ethical codes underscore the importance of engaging with difference. Specifically, the Council on Social Work Education (CSWE) includes diversity competencies as a core competency against which all education programs are assessed and accredited.
That said, CoSW is staunchly committed to engaging in diversity and difference in a way that is meaningful and expansive.
Objective 4.1: Recruit and retain diverse populations (students, faculty, staff) within all areas of the college.
Tactics to meet Objective 4.1:
Develop and promote a clear strategy for recruiting and retaining a more diverse college workforce.
Ensure that hiring and search committees have requisite training and support as it relates to hiring practices.
Enhance tracking and reporting of all D&E data, including recruitment and retention strategies.
Create and pilot innovative recruitment initiatives that take into account market-based factors and data.
Objective 4.2: Ensure learning opportunities, to include curricular resources, reflect the spectrum of diverse people, thoughts, and perspectives.
Tactics to meet Objective 4.2:
Review/assess all current curricula materials with a goal of identifying and improving areas of need.
Incentivize the development of academic and training offerings consistent with D&E mission.
Establish routine review standards and protocols for all offerings emanating from our unit.
Objective 4.3: Demonstrate and communicate our value of – and for – diversity and difference.
Tactics to meet Objective 4.3:
Develop more college-level D&E initiatives, leveraging UK’s DEI workgroup efforts and institutional supports.
Highlight/showcase areas of success in the D&E activities.
Continue to create environments in which all people feel a sense of belonging.
