September 8, 2008 (Vol. 8, No. 2)

College Welcomes New Department of Social Work

This fall, after years of intense, dedicated work, the Department of Sociology and Social Work will be officially recognized as two separate departments—the Department of Sociology and the Department of Social Work. The split became official on July 1, 2008.

Professor Madeline Moran has been elected chair of the Department of Sociology, a position she has held for the past twenty-four years. Professor Norma Phillips, who had served as Social Work Program Director since 1986, was elected chair of the Social Work Department, and Professor Carl Mazza has been named director of the Master's in Social Work (M.S.W.) Program.

Plans for the reorganization of the department were part of the four-year development of the new M.S.W. program, which graduated its first class of forty-nine students in 2007, and its second class of forty-three students in 2008. The program was fully accredited in February 2008 by the Council on Social Work Education, the national accrediting organization for social work education programs. It joins the undergraduate social work program, which was first accredited by the Council in 1983, and is one of the largest and oldest in New York City and nationwide.

"The establishment of the Master's in Social Work is a fantastic accomplishment that will serve the students, the College, and the entire Bronx community well," says Professor Moran.

With its Advanced Generalist Practice curriculum, the Lehman M.S.W. program prepares students to address urban social problems and assume leadership positions in social service agencies and organizations. The formation of the Social Work Department makes possible the autonomous functioning of the department and greater visibility for the social work profession in the College and the community.

"The M.S.W. program will bring an important new perspective to graduate social work education in the New York City area," says Professor Phillips.

The accreditation of the M.S.W. program and the establishment of the new department occur in the same year that marks the twenty-fifth anniversary of the accreditation of Lehman's undergraduate social work program. To celebrate this anniversary, the department will host an Urban Social Work conference on November 18 from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. featuring presentations from members of the Lehman faculty, M.S.W. students, and social work professionals. Former Manhattan Borough President C. Virginia Fields will deliver the keynote address.

Select a Volume Volume 9 (Spring 2009) Volume 8 (Fall 2008) Volume 7 (Spring 2008) Volume 6 (Fall 2007) Volume 5 (Spring 2007) Volume 4 (Fall 2006) Volume 3 (Spring 2006) Volume 2 (Fall 2005) Volume 1 (Spring 2005)