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Upon the appointment of a new dean in July 2018, the Indiana University School of Social Work engaged in a two-year process to develop a new comprehensive and executable strategic plan. The inclusive process sought to recognize the School’s history and culture and invited broad participation of stakeholders to articulate, prioritize, and develop a clear vision and solid plan to guide the School for the next three to five years. The resulting strategic plan reflects a new vision, mission, and value statements, complemented by specific actions to build on past success and create the next chapter of social work education at Indiana University.

In fall 2018, the School began working with external consultant Concept Systems, Inc., an internal IUSSW Strategic Planning Group, and additional School stakeholders to develop a strategic plan framework. Our planning process utilized a series of methodologies, including an on-line survey, a World Café event, and Group Concept Mapping (GCM). The overall effort gathered, aggregated, and integrated the knowledge and opinions of IUSSW stakeholders, comprised of administrators, faculty, staff, students, alumni, and community agency partners. All of the participants’ information served as the foundation for determining our vision, priorities, and strategies embedded in the plan. Groups of faculty and staff worked together using the collected data to map out specific goals, objectives, plans for implementation, and strategies to monitor and measure success.

Mission #

The Indiana University School of Social Work, across its multiple campuses and online communities, provides a rich array of quality, accessible, and affordable educational opportunities to prepare graduates for practice and research in an increasingly diverse world. The School contributes to creating a fair, just, and equitable society by educating competent and ethical professionals to address complex social, environmental, and economic challenges on local, state, national, and global levels. Establishing dynamic partnerships, the School enhances the health and wellbeing of individuals, families, groups, organizations, and communities, leading innovative and translational solutions through community-engaged practice, advocacy, policy, research, and service.

Vision #

Guided by an authentic commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion, the Indiana University School of Social Work is nationally and internationally recognized for educating leaders of tomorrow through community-engaged practice, research, and partnerships to positively impact individuals and society.

Statement of Values #

A Statement of Values articulates how we will conduct ourselves.

It answers the question, How do we want to treat others, and how do we want to be treated?

A list of School of Social Work “value statements” was compiled from faculty and staff during the spring 2019 School Assembly/Retreat. The Strategic Planning Group considered these value statements for alignment with our profession’s values and ethics, as well as with expectations from our accrediting body, the Council on Social Work Education. They then aligned each specific statement to a higher-level value and produced a set of six value areas. Within each value area are statements describing the values when in practice: “We live this value by…,” illustrating a dynamic commitment to each value in IUSSW.

The following value statements, listed in no particular order, articulate the School’s primary values and examples of how the School lives them.

We Value: #

We live this value by:

  • Leading in progressive curriculum development and standards-based education to strengthen effective teaching and learning.
  • Ensuring curriculum quality through rigorous evaluation.
  • Creating a culture of academic and research excellence that supports systematic, transferable knowledge and skills.
  • Providing educational experiences that equip our students to promote well-being for individuals, families, communities, and organizations.

We live this value by:

  • Demonstrating equity and inclusion through ethical practice to ensure that all voices are heard, respected, and considered.
  • Practicing collaborative and transparent decision making that engages and responds to all individuals regardless of rank or status.
  • Emphasizing diversity as a critical value in implementing collaborative community-wide system initiatives.
  • Providing educational experiences that equip our students to promote well-being for individuals, families, communities, and organizations.

We live this value by:

  • Modeling formal and informal leadership through education, scholarship, and service.
  • Fostering engagement and communications within and across our systems with transparency, collaboration, and strong interpersonal relationships.
  • Being stewards of a well-defined and transparent infrastructure to support students and all constituents.
  • Providing educational experiences that equip our students to promote well-being for individuals, families, communities, and organizations.

We live this value by:

  • Ensuring the ideals of the profession are apparent in all of our interactions with one another and the community.
  • Engaging meaningfully with our alumni throughout their professional careers.
  • Adhering to the profession’s Code of Ethics and Standards of Technology in social work education and practice.
  • Maintaining the standards of professional practice, including but not limited to, licensure requirements, continuing education, certifications, and professional development.
  • Developing dynamic partnerships and innovative solutions with the community at large.

We live this value by:

  • Supporting faculty and staff by creating multiple pathways for success, recognition, compensation, and opportunities to contribute and grow.
  • Demonstrating a commitment to clear, fair, and effective hiring and retention practices.

We live this value by:

  • Demonstrating integrity in the admissions process by welcoming students who are committed to advocating for social justice.
  • Providing quality education that inspires future social work practitioners to be curious lifelong learners that seek best and evidence-based practices for a diverse world.
  • Providing our students with consistent, high-quality principle-based education responsive to emerging social, environmental, and economic needs.
  • Employing an experiential and affective learning platform in class and field education.
  • Seeking and supporting an inclusive and diverse student body by providing fair, transparent, consistent, and efficient recruitment, admissions, and retention processes.
  • Relying on rigorous academic standards, a supportive environment to enhance student wellbeing, and incorporation of student voices throughout their time at IUSSW.

Strategic Plan Draft Final #