Date: June 28, 2007
Contact: Eric Matanyi
Governors State University
Phone: (708) 534-4044
Fax: (708) 534-8399
Email: e-matanyi@govst.edu
For Immediate Release
University Park, IL, July 28, 2007 - The College of Health Professions at Governors State University announced today that its Master and Bachelor of Social Work degree programs have been reaccredited by the Council on Social Work Education (CSWE) for eight more years.
Dr. Linda Samson, dean of GSU’s College of Health Professions said, “Accreditation is an important process. Experts from a particular field – in this case, social work – come into your university and examine every aspect of your program to ensure that it meets the standards required by the profession.”
Samson added that graduation from an accredited program is often a requirement of certifications and licensure, particularly in the health and human services professions.
Dr. Gerri Outlaw, chair of the university’s Department of Social Work, said the reaccreditation follows a deliberate “re-imagining” of the college’s social work programs.
“Most important,” Outlaw said, “we’ve integrated an overarching philosophy of social justice into the program.”
Outlaw said the philosophical underpinning is essential to educating social workers who will have the skills and understanding
necessary to improve the lives of marginalized groups.
“Our graduates are social work practitioners who are grounded in a social justice ethic,” she added.
The Master of Social Work program at GSU was first accredited in 2003 for a four year period. The university’s Bachelor of Social Work program has been accredited since the 1980s. The reaccreditation for both programs is good through 2015.
For information about the Master and Bachelor of Social Work programs at Governors State University, visit the College of Health Professions website at www.govst.edu/sw.