Text only

I.       Course Description (from college catalog)

Social Work 1000 is the study of the broad field of Social Welfare Services and principle methods of Social Work intervention.  Selected social issues are emphasized as they impact social work practice.  An overview of social work as a profession is integrated into the course curriculum.

General Education Goals:

The purpose of general education at IVCC is to enhance students’ abilities to think and act responsibly as citizens in a changing world.  Specific general education goals for this course are:

1.             To apply analytical and problem solving skills to personal, social and professional issues and situations.

5.            To work and study effectively both individually and in collaboration with others.

6.            To understand what it means to act ethically and responsibly as an individual in one’s career and as a member of society.

II.     Expected Student Outcomes

Upon successful completion of Social Work 1000, students will be able to:

1)            Demonstrate a general knowledge of the field of Social Welfare.

2)           Demonstrate a general knowledge of methods of social work intervention.

3)           Examine and demonstrate critical thinking with regard to selected contemporary social issues.

4)           Explore reasons for considering Social Work or Human Services as a profession, as well as demonstrating knowledge of career opportunities available.

III.    Class Policies and Procedures

          Attendance Policy and Class Participation

It is expected that students will attend class regularly and arrive on time.  Missed chapter quizzes and in-class exercises cannot be made up.  All students are encouraged to participate in class discussion, contributing to a diverse analysis and discussion of social problems and human experiences.  Guidelines for diverse dialogue will be determined collaboratively.  There will be a variety of classroom opportunities for meaningful reflection and exchange of ideas.  The instructor is committed to fostering a safe environment for learning and skills development, so always feel free to ask questions, offer comments and suggestions, and share your thoughts.  To achieve the goal of a safe, effective learning environment, emphasis will be placed on the emulation of IVCC’s core values: responsibility, caring, honesty, fairness, and respect.

          Withdrawal

Students who withdraw by the last day for automatic withdrawal will earn a “W” grade, which does not affect your grade point average (GPA).  In order to withdraw from this course, the student must request a withdrawal from the instructor.  This request may be in the form of an office visit, a phone call, a letter, or an e-mail.  A student will be withdrawn only if he or she has initiated the proper request or has not attended any class sessions.  All withdrawals earn a grade of “W” which does not affect the GPA, but deletes the course credit(s) for the involved course(s).  Please see the IVCC catalog for a full description of the college’s withdrawal policy.  It is the student’s responsibility to initiate withdrawal.  Last day for automatic withdrawal is April 9, 2012.

        Financial Aid Statement

Withdrawal from a course can affect financial aid.  Students who receive financial aid should see an advisor in the Financial Aid Office before withdrawing from a course.

          Student Success and Career Exploration

If students demonstrate a genuine desire to learn and to succeed in this course, they can achieve academic success and acquire critical skills for social work/human service practice.  Student learning will be enhanced by reading of the text, timely completion of assignments, a willingness to share insights and experiences, and thoughtful reflection on the goals and practices of the social work profession.  Students will have structured opportunities to consider the benefits of social work as a profession.  Please don’t hesitate to ask for additional assistance to help you succeed in this course.  Also, keep in mind that IVCC has a variety of assessment and support services to assist with academic achievement and career planning.

          Plagiarism

Plagiarism is the use of another person’s ideas, information, or exact words without properly acknowledging the source in accordance with a standard system of documentation.  Plagiarism often occurs when students use someone else’s work and submit it as their own.  Plagiarism is a serious offense.  Anything a student turns in that contains plagiarism will result in the grade of Zero (0) for that assignment.  Refer to IVCC’s “Student Code of Conduct” for the college’s statement of policy concerning plagiarism.

          Reduced Seat Time

This course may provide options for reduced seat time, including opportunities to participate in class-related projects and experiential activities in place of regularly-scheduled class time.  Participation in reduced seat-time projects and activities could replace in-class daily quizzes and required classroom assignments.  Reflective journal responses to these activities will be required.

          Special Support Services

In an effort to create a classroom environment that maximizes the success of all students, I encourage you to make aware of any barriers that may inhibit your learning.  Feel free to speak to me at any time about concerns or questions you may have about assignments, activities, or assessments.  The college provides several support services for students who have barriers to learning.  They include, but are not limited to: Disability Services Office, Writing Center/Peer Tutoring, Counseling Center, and Project Success.  Please see me if you want to learn more about any of the services.  In particular, if you are a student with a documented cognitive, physical or psychiatric disability you may be eligible for academic support services such as extended test time, texts on disc, note taking services, etc…  If you are interested in learning if you can receive these academic support services, please contact either Tina Hardy ( tina_hardy@ivcc.edu , or 224-0284) or Judy Mika (224-0350), or stop by the Disability Services Office in B-204.

The Basic Computer Skills Inventory is free to students and will assess their computer concepts, file management, word processing, Internet, email, PowerPoint and keyboarding skills utilizing hands-on exercises and objective questions.  If a student is unsure about his/her computer skill level, you are encouraged to contact the Assessment Center and make an appointment to complete the inventory.

Electronic Devices

There will be no use of any electronic devices by students in the classroom except by permission of the instructor.  Do not “text message” while in class or play games on your phone; this will result in your class participation grade being lowered.

IV.     Required Text

Social Work: A Profession of Many Faces, by Armando T. Morales, Bradford W. Sheafor, and Malcolm E. Scott. 12^th Edition, Pearson, 2012.

V.       Course Requirements and Methods of Evaluation

          Response Journal:

Students will keep a reflection journal for the semester with a minimum requirement of 2 entries per week REQUIRED.  Journal assignments will be given as topics are discussed in class.

          Chapter Quizzes:

Chapter quizzes will be given.

          Small Group Project/Service Learning:

Students will be assigned to a small group for the semester.  There will be weekly group exercises and discussion topics.  In addition to weekly assignments, each group will select a special social problems topic from the list below to complete a community research project.  The project should include an analysis of the problem, a profile of populations served, a summary of social work intervention strategies to impact the problem, and a detailed summary of community resources available for clients.  A variety of research methods and resources can be utilized, including interviews with community agency staff, and visits to area agencies.

List of topics for the small group project:

Ø  Poverty

Ø  Emotional/Behavioral Problems (Mental Illness)

Ø  Violence in Families

Ø  Drug and Alcohol Abuse

Ø  Crime and Juvenile Delinquency

Ø  Racism and Ethnocentrism

Ø  Sexism and Gender Inequality

Ø  Aging and Problems Faced by the Elderly

Ø  Health Problems and Physical and Mental Disabilities

Ø  Overpopulation and Environmental Problems

Ø  Immigration

Ø  Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgendered Populations

          Service-Learning Option:

Instead of completing the small group project, students may complete a Service-Learning project at one of 4 – 5 selected area agencies.  Agency orientation sessions will be held during a class session, at which time interested students will schedule interviews with designated agency staff.  Guidelines and enrollment forms will be available at this class session.  Students will be expected to attend agency orientation sessions, complete 15 – 25 hours of service during the semester, as well as complete reflection assignments that link the Service-Learning experiences to course content.  Academic credit for Service-Learning will be given upon completion of the required hours at the agency and completion of a reflection journal or essay.  Note: participation in service learning projects requires full participation in class!

To earn academic credit for Service-Learning, signed enrollment forms must be returned to the instructor before or not later than February 15, 2012.

          Final Exam

The final exam will be a take-home reflective essay and career portfolio summarizing social work skills and personal interest in the social work profession.  Additional guidelines will be given.  A student oral presentation is required on the scheduled final exam day.

Bonus points: Students can earn up to 20 extra-credit bonus points.  Extra credit activities include volunteer work, special topics readings, workshops, etc.

          Evaluation

Final course grades will be determined as follows:

Chapter Quizzes                                                  100 points 25%

Reflection Journal                                                100 points 25%

Small Group Project/Service Learning                   100 points 25%

Final Exam Essay                                                  100 points 25%

The student’s final grade will be determined by adding the total points and dividing by four.

The grading for this course will follow the grading scale:

A = 100-90; B = 89-80; C = 79-70; D = 69-60; F = 59-0.

VI.     Tentative Schedule of Assignments

Week 1

          1/11                  Introduction

          Week 2

          1/16                 MLK Holiday

          1/18                 Chapter 1     A Child Welfare Case: The Social Worker in

                                                     Action

          Week 3

          1/23                 Chapter 2    Social Welfare: A Response to Human Need

          1/25                 Chapter 3    Social Work: A Comprehensive Helping Profession

          Week 4

          1/30                 Chapter 4    The Emergence of Social Work as a Profession

          2/1                   Chapter 5    Entry to the Social Work Profession

          Week 5           

          2/6                 Career Exploration Day

          2/8                  Chapter 6    Fields of Social Work Practice

          Week 6           

          2/13                 Chapter 7    Settings for Social Work Practice

          2/15                 Chapter 8    Values and Ethics in Social Work Practice

                                  Service-Learning Enrollment Forms Due

          Week 7

          2/20                President’s Day – College Closed

          2/22                Chapter 9    Identifying the Knowledge and Skills Required for

                                                     Social Work Practice 

          Week 8           

          2/27                Chapter 10   Spirituality in a Secular Profession

          2/29                Chapter 11   Social Work’s Dual Focus on Solving and

                                                     Preventing Problems

          Week 9

          3/5 - 3/7         Chapter 12   Social Work’s Role in Addressing Terrorism

                                  Chapter 13   Social Work with U.S. Causalities of the Middle

                                                     East Wars

          Week 10

          3/12 - 3/14      Chapter 14   Social Work Practice with Immigrants,

                                      Refugees, and Unaccompanied Minors

                   Chapter 15   Social Work Becoming a Global Profession         

          Week 11          

          3/19 - 3/21      Chapter 16   Social Work Practice with Women

                                  Chapter 17   Social Work Practice with Lesbian, Gay, and

                                                     Bisexual People

          Week 12

          3/26 – 3/29     College Closed for Spring Break

          Week 13

          4/2 - 4/4         Chapter 18   Social Work Practice with Children and Youth

                                  Chapter 19   Social Work Practice with Older Adults

                                  Chapter 20  Social Work Practice with People with Disabilities

          Week 14          

          4/9 - 4/11        Chapter 21   Social Work Practice with Muslims in the United

                                                     States

                                  Chapter 22  Social Work Practice with Asian Americans

                                  Chapter 23  Social Work Practice with Indigenous Peoples and

                                                     Tribal Communities

          Week 15

          4/16 - 4/18      Chapter 24  Social Work Practice with Mexican Americans

                                  Chapter 26  Social Work Practice with Puerto Ricans

          Week 16

          4/23 – 4/25     Chapter 25  Social Work Practice with African Americans

                                  Chapter 27  Social Workers in Action: School Homicide and the Death Penalty

       Week 17

          4/30                Application of Social Work Competencies

          5/2                  Service-Learning Time Sheets Due

          Week 18

          5/7                  Final Essay and Career Portfolio Due

Guiding Principles for Critical Learning

Instructor: Jean Batson~Turner

 1.             Have an open mind. Be willing to question and challenge old assumptions that no longer work. Keep in mind that any idea or belief worth keeping will withstand the scrutiny of critical evaluation.

2.            As much as possible, avoid a defensive posture. When you find yourself passionately defending the status quo ask yourself:

        What do I gain from having things remain as they are?

        and

        Why am I afraid of change?

3.            Consider learning as a life-long process that can be an exciting challenge rather than a required endurance test.

4.            Practice listening to and comprehending perspectives different from your own. Sociological learning gives us an arena for diverse dialogue and cooperative problem solving.

5.            Work to recognize patterns of behavior in your social life; notice how one event affects another. 

6.            Start to notice and name social factors and realities that influence your personal decisions.

7.            Be prepared to share your social experiences and state your opinions when relevant to classroom discussion.

• Important: Such statements will be made in a non-judgmental respectful manner. "Bashing" of social groups will not be tolerated.

8.            Work at sharpening your skills for survival in a complex, changing society. Do not let fear or apathy keep you from envisioning and creating better ways of living and relating in our world.  In collaboration with other social citizens, strive to keep hope alive.