By Annie Kouba, MSW/JD student
Anticipation was high as Welcome Weekend 2013 began on April 5. This is the fifth year that Student Services and the School of Social Work Alumni Council have provided this opportunity for admitted students to engage with faculty and current students.
Participation was high with 85 participants as well as their guests. Students that were admitted into the full-time, distance education, and advanced standing programs all came together to participate in the informational event. Many students traveled from around the country to be at the School of Social Work for Welcome Weekend.
On Friday, the day began with either a session with Dr. Anne Jones on “Introduction to Practice with Couples,” or Dr. Mark Testa on “Policy Advocacy on Behalf of Multigenerational Family Caregivers.” Participants also had the opportunity to attend a Certificate Programs, Dual Degrees and North Carolina Residency Fair, where they were able to interact with faculty, staff and current students based on their areas of interest. A curriculum overview and various opportunities for field education were also presented by the Field Education faculty.
On Saturday, admitted students were welcomed by Dean Jack Richman, and had the opportunity to hear from Aesha Green, assistant director of graduate and professional programs; and Sharon Thomas, director of recruitment, admissions, and financial aid; regarding scholarships, student aid and other important financial aid information. Following this overview, questions were answered by a panel of current students from various programs.
The highlights of the weekend included a reception and lunch, in which students could meet each other, alumni, faculty and current students. The response from attendees was overwhelmingly positive. One participant said, “I LOVE the School, and the faculty members knowing my name was an extra plus!”
Over 30 professors, alumni, staff and students participated in order to make this event possible, and based on the feedback from attendees, the School of Social Work can look forward to seeing many of the same faces beginning this fall. One student said, “This was a wonderful thing to have for us. We were all so excited to meet the faculty, each other, and the campus…Thank you so much for all the time and resources you put into this!”
