Message from the Dean

At the College of Social Work, we are celebrating 80 years strong! This is an important milestone for our college. The word “milestone” was originally used to describe actual stones by the roadside that told voyagers how far they had traveled and how much further they had to go to their destination. Milestones offered a place and a moment to stop and take stock of where you have been, what you have accomplished, and where you are going next. That is what this momentous milestone offers to us now: an opportunity to reflect on our past and consider the lessons we have learned as we move forward into our future.

A symbol of this change is the planned demolition of Henson Hall and our short-term move into Stokely Management Center in 2024. Henson Hall has served as the College’s home on the Knoxville campus for 41 years, and many current and former faculty, staff, and students have fond memories of the building. When we moved from the small buildings on Lake and Mountcastle Avenues into Henson Hall, the Knoxville branch faculty, students, and staff all were together on the campus for the first time. We have grown so large that the Social Work Office for Research and Public Service (SWORPS), the Center for Behavioral Health Research (CBHR), and the Office of Research are housed in the UT Conference Center. It is our hope that our final (permanent?) home will allow us all to come together again.

We are a college on the rise! We are growing in number, having hired 10 outstanding faculty—talented scholars and educators, and 11 highly skilled staff members to support our expanding educational and research endeavors. Our students are demonstrating their leadership across the college and the community. The College is offering more engagement and continuing education opportunities for our alumni, who themselves are working to better serve the needs of the people of Tennessee and beyond through their practice, leadership, research, and advocacy. Our new Alumni Leadership Council and the newly elected leadership of the Board of Visitors are committed to helping the College be successful in meeting the goals of our strategic plan.

As we reach this important 80-year milestone, we know we have come a long way. We also know that we have much further to go to try to achieve our vision of equitable communities where all people can thrive. No matter where we are housed, no matter the changing times and the challenges we face, we are committed to working individually and together to educate, study, and work for a just future for all people.