School of Social Work

At the core of the School of Social Work’s mission is a commitment to help individuals, families and groups to influence communities and legislative bodies and respect human rights. Graduates are prepared to value diversity, work against oppression and discrimination, and prevent and alleviate the effects of violence and poverty.

The School of Social Work at the University of Connecticut is among the best professional schools in the country. Our mission is to provide master’s and doctoral level education that will contribute to the promotion of social and economic justice, human rights and the improvement of human well-being. As part of a land and sea grant institution, the school is committed to serving the community and meeting the workforce needs of Connecticut. Looking ahead, our goal is to raise our national profile to become one of the top 20 public schools of social work. Our University. Our Moment. The Campaign for UConn will support the school’s efforts to enhance academic programs, respond to emerging practice and research needs and expand outreach activities.

A Strategy for Advancement

The school has developed an ambitious strategic plan to achieve our aspirations. Currently, the School of Social Work ranks in the top quartile among programs nationwide, and has the largest and highest ranked M.S.W. program among public institutions in New England. Additionally, the school is home to the only social work doctoral program at a public institution in New England. By investing in our areas of greatest strength, we will be in a position to expand academic and research programs, offer better opportunities to students and elevate our standing among the country’s leading schools of social work.

Graduate and Professional Education

Through their research and teaching, graduate and professional students discover new knowledge and address contemporary practice and workforce needs. Increasing the number and amount of endowed assistantships will enable the school to recruit the best students from Connecticut and beyond, and significantly grow the knowledge base. Additionally, increasing assistantships strengthens doctoral students’ opportunities to develop teaching competency. We also want to bolster support for professional development, including postgraduate training and travel to attend and present at conferences. To enhance academics, the school plans to raise endowed funds for lectureships and guest speakers.

Research and Scholarship

Private giving will play a key role in strengthening the school’s research infrastructure, therefore improving our ability to attract extramural funding and translate research discoveries into best practices. The strategic plan calls for investing in a variety of areas. New seed grants will enable faculty members to conduct research. Endowed gifts will be used for travel to academic conferences, grants to support research and professional development and awards to recognize scholars for their achievements. The school also seeks support to establish a new center for research and evaluation.

Diversity

The school’s mission is advanced by diversity; we are committed to being a model of and contributor to social justice. Located near the state capitol at UConn–Greater Hartford, the School of Social Work serves a diverse student population and maintains collaborations with hundreds of human service agencies and state government offices. Private giving will help the school enhance outreach activities, increasing accessibility to information about our community programs as well as admissions. The school also seeks to increase assistance for international students and research awards for students studying diversity issues. Lastly, one of the school’s highest priorities is to establish an endowed faculty chair with a focus on diversity and cultural competence.

School of Social Work Campaign Objectives

Chair	$1.5 million
Graduate Assistantships	$500,000
Lectureship Fund	$200,000
Professional Development Fund	$150,000
Student Research in Diversity	$150,000

Campaign Total	$2.5 million