Social Work Program Directors Research Articles

BPD is Launched: A History of the Association of Baccalaureate Social Work Program Directors, Part I.

The Association of Baccalaureate Social Work Program Directors (BPD), which presented its fifteenth annual conference in Philadelphia in October 1997, has a long history, extending long before the first conference, held at a convent in Nazareth, Kentucky, in 1983. The organization was formed in the mid-1970s in order to represent the interests and enhance recognition of undergraduate social work education and practice. As undergraduate programs grew in number and influence, BPD grew as well and came to be recognized as the voice of undergraduate education within the social work profession. The following history places the formation of BPD in the context of earlier efforts to speak for undergraduate education and highlights the association's flexibility of structure, emphasis on interaction with other organizations, and diversity in leadership and membership.1

The Role of Alumni in Baccalaureate Social Work Education

This article discusses the results of a 1993 national survey of undergraduate social work program directors on the role of alumni in their programs. Respondents indicated that they involved alumni, primarily as field supervisors, campus speakers, and members of curriculum advisory boards. Only 20% of respondents reported social work-specific alumni organizations; most often these were institutions with public affiliations, joint MSW-BSW program structures, and enrollments exceeding 10,000. Having a social work alumni organization was associated with higher rates of alumni participation in field supervision, mentoring, linkage and networking activities, recruitment, and curriculum advisory boards. A profile of the typical social work alumni organization is presented, and the need for more programs to initiate such organizations is examined.

BSW Program Administration: Directors' Perceptions of Their Power to Manage

Abstract A national survey of 299 bachelor of social work (BSW) program directors was conducted to identify management functions of director positions and perceptions of power to influence these functions. Sources of personal, structural, and institutional power were found to be important predictors of power for middle managers in academic settings. Findings indicated that BSW directors have varying perceptions of power to direct their programs and manage resources associated with departmental administration in higher education. This study supports the complexity of academic management and emphasizes the need to broaden social work education to help provide a foundation for administration in academic settings.

Empowerment Through Collaboration in a State University System

Historically, social workers have been aware of the power of group resources and the importance of networking for their clients and for themselves as professionals. This article is the outgrowth of a collaboration paper presented by the authors at the Association of Baccalaureate Social Work Program Directors Annual Conference on September 22, 1986 in San Antonio, Texas. Four separate social work education programs within a state university system formed an informal collaborative association to address common concerns, develop strategies to enhance resources and to foster mutual support. The context, developmental process, barriers, activities, issues, outcomes and benefits of the collaborative association are described.