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Foundation Curriculum
Goals
and Description
The Foundation Curriculum includes content and experiences that accomplish the following objectives: 1. Provide a plan of study that builds on a liberal arts perspective, allowing some flexibility in guiding the professional development of students and ensuring that students do not have to repeat foundation content they have mastered prior to admission; 2. Promote identification with the profession of social work, encourage incorporation of social work ethics and values, and support the demonstration of responsible behavior in professional social work roles; 3. Promote the commitment and capability essential for responding effectively to the needs and issues of oppressed, disadvantaged, and vulnerable groups; 4. Prepare students for general, entry-level practice with a range of social units including individuals, families, groups, organizations, and communities; 5. Provide students with Foundation content related to the knowledge, values, processes, and skills essential for, and common to, preparation for more advanced study of the knowledge and practice skills related to a specific concentration; and 6. Provide students
with an understanding of families as a primary social context and
an understanding of social interventions as an organizing framework
for change. Students completing the Foundation Curriculum are expected to demonstrate the following outcomes through their performance in the classroom and the field. The following outcomes were approved by the faculty on March 22, 2001: 1. Use the biopsychosocial approach and identified theories (developmental, systems, and learning) to understand the behavior of individuals, families, groups, organizations, and communities across the life span. 2. Understand and adhere to the NASW Code of Ethics and other relevant professional standards. Identify and address ethical issues that arise in practice with client systems and associations with colleagues. 3. Describe and analyze significant historical and contemporary social policies. Critique the effectiveness of these policies, and discuss their impact on disadvantaged, vulnerable, and oppressed persons. 4. Describe the effects of diversity (including age, class, culture, gender, sexual identification, disability, race/ethnicity, religion, family structure, culture, and poverty) on individuals, families, organizations, and other social systems. Identify the strengths of diverse populations. 5. Describe the effect of social, economic, and political environments on client systems. Demonstrate commitment to empowerment of clients and social justice. 6. Describe the relevance and impact of social policies for client systems of all sizes, for service delivery systems, and for individual practitioners within public and nonprofit settings. 7. Recognize and value families as the primary context for growth and change, and identify the environmental forces that affect families’ potential for growth and change. 8. At a beginning level, use interviewing skills, compassion, helpful intent, and the acceptance of difference to develop helping relationships with individuals, families, groups, organizations, and communities. Identify the social work roles and related skills needed to implement and evaluate social interventions at individual, family, community, and policy levels. 9. At a beginning level, assess the functioning of individuals, families, groups, organizations, and communities using appropriate and effective theories and assessment tools. 10. Recognizing social intervention as an organizing framework for planned change, identify effective strategies that maintain and enhance the functioning of client systems of diverse sizes. 11. Recognize the importance of monitoring and evaluating change; demonstrate the steps necessary to develop, measure, and analyze outcomes; and understand the importance of involving client systems appropriately in the evaluation process. 12. Work constructively as a social work professional in a nonprofit or public setting. Demonstrate effective communication skills through documentation and oral presentations. Use technology to support social work practice. 13. Recognize the difference between administrative and clinical supervision. Use clinical supervision for professional development. Demonstrate professional self-awareness. 14. Affirm the School’s mission, including valuing diversity and supporting empowerment of those who are disadvantaged, vulnerable, and oppressed. Courses in the Foundation Curriculum The Foundation Curriculum, outlined in the chart below, consists of six classroom courses, two field practica and two field swminars. Together, these courses and field work enable students to achieve the outcomes stated above. In their academic studies, students gain knowledge and skills related to social policy, human behavior in the social environment (HBSE), direct and macro practice, and research. They apply knowledge and develop their skills by engaging in 480 hours of supervised practice in an agency setting. Typically, students are assigned to an agency for two eight-hour days per week, for a total of 60 working days spread over two semesters. During the Foundation year, students are expected to achieve objectives related to both direct and macro practice. In direct practice assignments, they work with individuals, families, and small groups. Students learn to apply a variety of practice methods and develop social interventions that enhance client functioning. In their macro practice assignments, students apply practice methods to work units, organizations, and communities. Students are involved in relationships with organizations and communities, and they take a major role in developing projects that enhance the functioning of the agency or community. In both classroom and field, students learn to appreciate and respond appropriately to various dimensions of diversity. In the Foundation Curriculum, classroom courses and field practica are integrated through mutual assignments and projects that require knowledge and skills from both arenas. For more information about field education, refer to the Field section of this Manual. In concert with their academic and field advisors, all students in the Foundation Curriculum identify their learning and career goals. These goals provide direction as students prepare to begin the Advanced Curriculum by declaring a concentration, selecting a field of study, and choosing electives.
Foundation Schedule for Full-time Students As the chart below indicates, full-time students complete 26 hours of required Foundation courses in their first year of study. They also begin course work in the Advanced Curriculum by taking two courses which may be either electives or required courses.
Please note: Students may not take more than nine credit hours in the Advanced Curriculum until they have completed all Foundation courses, including the field practica. Part-time Study for the MSW Currently, the School operates three part-time programs across the state. Our host in western North Carolina is UNC Asheville. In the southeast, the Southern Regional Area Health Education Center hosts our Fayetteville part-time program. The Triangle part-time program is located at North Carolina Central University. Currently, classes are held on Fridays at all sites. The part-time program recruits students who are employed in human services, are second career students, are parents returning to the work force or are unable to engage in full-time study. During the first year of study, students take two classes each semester. This is the only requirement for students working in human services. Students who are not employed directly in human services during the first year are expected to be involved in a significant volunteer capacity from the outset of the program to provide opportunities to apply the knowledge and skills gained in the Foundation Curriculum. During the second year, students take two classes each semester. They also complete the Foundation field education requirements, SoWo 220 (Practicum I) and SoWo 221 (Practicum II), in the second year. Field work is usually undertaken concurrently with class work. In addition to Foundation requirements, students in the second year also take two courses from the Advanced Curriculum. These may be electives or required courses. Student interests and faculty availability are considered in offering Advanced courses for the part-time programs. Students are expected to complete all Foundation requirements and the two elective courses in their part-time program unless they apply for and receive a Foundation course exemption. Students who exempt a Foundation course should confer with their faculty advisor to revise their part-time curriculum. Students may also transfer courses to meet selected requirements. For more information, see the Foundation Course Exemptions and Course Transfers sections online. At the beginning of the final semester of part-time study, students from part-time programs are formally admitted to the full-time campus program. Each student must complete a Permanent Transfer to On-Campus Program form and submit it to the school Registrar by February 1. On the form, students indicate that they wish to be admitted for the fall semester. Once the form is approved, students receive Personal Identification Numbers (PINs) which permit them to register for classes via Student Central, the web-based registration system, or the school Registrar. Students are required to attend classes in Chapel Hill as full-time students once they complete 32 hours of part-time study. They join students from the full-time two-year program and those with advanced standing in the second year of MSW study. Foundation Course Schedule for Part-time Students In the traditional part-time program, students complete all Foundation courses and two courses from the Advanced Curriculum over a two-year period. The following chart depicts a typical schedule of courses and credit hours for traditonalpart-time study in the Foundation: Typical Foundation Course Schedule for Part-time Students
Please note that this schedule may vary across sites. |
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Tate
- Turner - Kuralt Building
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301
Pittsboro Street CB #3550 Chapel Hill, NC 27599-3550
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Phone:
(919)-962-1225 Fax: (919)-962-0890
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email:
ssw@unc.edu
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