PLANT
a healthy foundation
NOURISH
an inclusive environment
CULTIVATE
organizational change
Ramona Denby-Brinson
Dean
After an initial assessment of the School, we took a bird’s-eye view of our organization to understand what we do well, what we can improve upon, and how we can make a significant impact on the field of social work. Through surveys and feedback events we heard from the stakeholders — the students, faculty, staff, alumni, board members and community partners — who make up the foundation of our School. We listened to their feedback and tasked our strategic leadership team to create a development process to assess how to take their vision for the future of the School and turn it into realistic goals and actionable deliverables — pillars that will guide the School’s direction over the coming years.
We’re excited to share those priorities and outcomes with you as we cement our strategic plan moving forward. For more than 100 years the UNC School of Social Work has continued to stand as a beacon for the field — for its practitioners and those we serve in North Carolina and beyond. As we renew our commitment to our people and culture, teaching and learning, research, community engagement, and the ways we fund and call attention to these successes, I know that our School is continuing to move in the right direction as a global leader in social work.
I can’t wait to see what we accomplish together as we nurture extraordinary practitioners, partner with eager communities, and implement research discoveries that improve lives and change systems on behalf of individuals, children, families and communities.
Phases of Work
The School of Social Work is currently in the Strategic Planning stage of the process (the third of four stages). This page will be updated regularly as we move through the 18-month strategic planning process. (Interact with the numbered cards below to reveal more information.)
Organizational Assessment
The organizational assessment strategy is multi-pronged, providing a 360 view of the School of Social Work. The goal is to carry the insights from the assessment into the strategic planning, execution and organizational development efforts.
Strategic Leadership
The leadership team members will walk through a development process to assess how they think, act, and influence together for the sake of achieving the school’s strategic priorities across the system and in the community.
Strategic Planning
The refresh will lead us into identifying strategic priorities for the School of Social Work and associated milestones, as well as identifying who is accountable, responsible and connected to the execution of the priorities and associated plans of action.
Organizational Development
Organizational development recommendations will flow from the organizational assessment. The areas of focus are not yet defined. However, the initial direction is to offer development in three targeted areas over a 9-month period for all staff and faculty to support a healthy culture in the School of Social Work.
Strategic Plan Pillars
Our School’s updated strategic plan focuses on five key areas, or pillars, of distinction. By concentrating our efforts on these areas, we believe our work will make the greatest impact.
Strategic Priority
We will cultivate an anti-racist, anti-oppressive and equitable culture that values all roles and supports the health, safety and well-being of our students, faculty and staff, allowing them to thrive in their school and work environments.
Priority Outcomes
- Manifest social work values, as codified by the National Association of Social Workers and clarified by our School community, in all that we do, communicate, practice and prioritize.
- Prioritize the physical and emotional safety of our students, faculty and staff while creating a trusting, flexible environment for growth, well-being and advancement.
- Establish a structured system of transparent, nonlinear, multi-directional communication that emphasizes an affirming and nurturing relationship and responsibility to power.
Priority Contact: Robin Sansing
Most Salient Outcomes to Date
- Created survey to assess School climate and culture
- Created preliminary draft of School Talent Development position
Strategic Priority
We will develop diverse, prepared, empowered and engaged social workers who are responsive to individuals, families, communities and systems across North Carolina and around the world.
Priority Outcomes
- Provide evidence-informed, relevant and meaningful instruction, practicum and research experiences to equip students for transformative social work practice and scholarship.
- Expand access and flexible program pathways and degree options to increase enrollment and diversify our student body.
- Enhance support systems for a diverse student body to ensure successful retention and graduation rates.
Priority Contact: Andrea Murray-Lichtman
Most Salient Outcomes to Date
- Developed and launched “Lunch and Learn” program
- Hosting “Write to Change the World” Op-Ed workshop
- Provided quarterly teaching engagement trainings
- Established global practicum opportunity
Strategic Priority
We will deepen and expand our substantive, methodological and translational areas of research expertise to advance equity, transform systems and improve lives.
Priority Outcomes
- Develop, advance and support existing expertise, while strategically recruiting and retaining diverse research faculty to remain at the forefront of innovation, translation and impact.
- Facilitate multidisciplinary research collaborations across research programs, labs, centers and institutes to achieve high impact.
- Expand cross-national research to address real-world social work challenges.
- Translate and communicate our research findings to inform policy and practice to achieve impact across the state, nation and globe.
Priority Contact: Sheryl Zimmerman
Most Salient Outcomes to Date
- Instituted research presentations in monthly Faculty Senate meetings
- Convened a lunch-and-learn session on “Connecting Research to Broader Audiences”
Strategic Priority
We will build mutually beneficial partnerships to co-create and implement community-centered evidence-informed policies and practices that improve the wellbeing of individuals, families and communities.
Priority Outcomes
- Establish an Office of Community Engagement and Outreach.
- Equitably disseminate co-created knowledge and innovations in research, policy and practice for policymakers, practitioners and community members.
- Establish and pilot test community impact hubs that integrate teaching, research and engagement services.
- Develop strategic global partnerships and engagements that will be the foundation for global research and global social work practice.
Priority Contact: Gary Nelson
Most Salient Outcomes to Date
- Shared draft business plan with Community Engagement Work Group
Strategic Priority
We will elevate our presence and impact while translating our academic programming, scholarship and research success through robust campus, state, national and global marketing, communications and fundraising strategies.
Priority Outcomes
- Build a forward-thinking, achievable strategic communications plan in partnership with leadership teams from each pillar of our updated strategic plan.
- Polish our global and national reputation as a Top 10 R1 school by communicating the importance of social work to societal success and the impact and discoveries of our work on the state, the nation and the globe.
- Build advancement infrastructure that supports our priorities and faculty research.
- Increase endowment to support overall growth and remain competitive with national peers.
Priority Contact: Kandace Farrar and Barbara Wiedemann
Most Salient Outcomes to Date
- Built out full School MarComm team
- Developed public-facing tracker (website), 90-day deliverables tracker (Excel), and executive summary (print) for School strategic plan
- Built out School Advancement team including an executive assistant, director of annual giving and donor relations and associate director of development.
- Solidified funding priorities and corresponding gift opportunities through a series of needs assessments.
Messages from the Dean
Dean Ramona Denby-Brinson sends regular email updates to School of Social Work faculty, staff and students. These emails are archived here as downloadable pdfs. Alumni and friends of the School receive updates through the School’s email newsletter. You are invited to subscribe here.
Helpful Materials
“Here are other materials that offer more information about the process, in downloadable versions.
Frequently Asked Questions
The School of Social Work Communications team will continue to populate this section with questions submitted by the SSW community. You can view the current FAQ document here. Do you have your own question about the strategic planning process? Chances are, someone else is wondering the same thing. Please submit your questions using this form.
