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Sacred Heart University Announces New School of Social Work

  • 11/12/19

FAIRFIELD, CT– Sacred Heart University (SHU) is establishing a new School of Social Work within its College of Arts & Sciences. The graduate and undergraduate programs in social work at Sacred Heart have become leading programs in the region in this fast-growing and competitive field.

The social work department has created significant growth with the launch of its master’s of social work degree program three years ago. With just three full-time faculty members as recently as 2015, the School of Social Work now boasts 19 exceptional professors—two of whom are teaching in the Ed.D. in educational leadership program. The school recently moved to the university’s West Campus (former site of GE’s worldwide headquarters), facilitating interdisciplinary collaboration—particularly with the College of Education.

“Social work is an interdisciplinary field, and a strength of our social work programs has always been synergy with various other programs across the university,” says Robin Cautin, dean of the College of Arts & Sciences. “We are excited to promote the program to school status. This change is a recognition of the hard work and enthusiasm of the department’s faculty and staff. I am grateful for their strategic vision, passion, and tireless efforts to serve our students.”

The new school will eventually house two graduate programs—the master’s in social work currently offered on-ground and online and an online Ph.D. focused on education and research. The bachelor’s of social work program has been accredited since 1981, and the master’s program was recently awarded its initial accreditation by the Council for Social Work Education, which described the program as “being in the vanguard of social work education,” referring to its integration of micro and macro practice.

“Congratulations are in order for Dean Cautin and the entire social work faculty and staff,” says Rupendra Paliwal, provost and vice president of academic affairs. “Their hard work has paid off and will continue to do so as they develop the university’s first Ph.D. program.”

The department of social work is currently conducting a search for an associate dean of the new school.

About Sacred Heart University
As the second-largest independent Catholic university in New England, and one of the fastest-growing in the U.S., Sacred Heart University is a national leader in shaping higher education for the 21st century. SHU offers more than 80 undergraduate, graduate, doctoral, and certificate programs on its Fairfield, CT, campus. Sacred Heart also has satellites in Connecticut, Luxembourg, and Ireland and offers online programs. More than 9,000 students attend the University’s eight colleges and schools: Arts & Sciences; Communication, Media & the Arts; Computer Science & Engineering; Health Professions; the Isabelle Farrington College of Education; the Jack Welch College of Business & Technology; Nursing; and St. Vincent’s College. Sacred Heart stands out from other Catholic institutions as it was established and led by laity. The contemporary Catholic university is rooted in the rich Catholic intellectual tradition and the liberal arts, and at the same time cultivates students to be forward thinkers who enact change—in their own lives, professions, and in their communities. The Princeton Review includes SHU in its Best 385 Colleges–2020 Edition, “Best in the Northeast” and Best 252 Business Schools–2019 Edition. Sacred Heart is home to the award-winning, NPR-affiliated radio station, WSHU, a Division I athletics program, and an impressive performing arts program that includes choir, band, dance, and theater.

 

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