MSW I Convocation Check-In

1. MSW I Convocation Check-In Dr. Dale Russell, Graduate Program Director drussell@csus.edu

2. Agenda for MSWI Convocation • Check In • Plan for next year • Advancement to Candidacy Form • Policies Review • Field Orientation / Planning • Culminating Experience Options (SW500 / 296A/B)

3. What is your appraisal at this point in your MSW experience? • Experience with a range of the teaching styles of faculty • Experience with your own learning style • Anxiety level is probably reduced • Going into last year with about 100 total students • Learned that in graduate education – depth, student colleagues, student drive • Challenging to work, engage in field and do well academically • Effective management of your time is crucial • Fewer choices in classes, electives, sections, etc. than is optimal

4. Advancement to Candidacy • Acknowledged by University as a contract • All sections of form must be completed accurately • If changes made to advisor, electives, course work, requires a “petition for exception” to change • If you change educational contract (i.e. Sequencing of classes) that results in additional semester or year, requires petition to change • If you did not meet the conditions of admission – for ex. do not have your undergraduate degree – will be dropped from all rolls and need to reapply

5. Advancement to Candidacy Form

6. Academic Standards • Field Professionalism • Academic Standards • Must maintain a 3.0; Cannot receive more than 2 Cs or lower • Academic probation if below 3.0 • Must retake any course with grade less than “B” • Academic Disqualification when on probation and/or GPA is .9 or more points below 3.0 • Also when a student receives 3 or more “C” grades during their graduate studies

7. Disqualification & Reinstatement • Administrative-Academic Probation/Disqualification • Withdrawal from most of courses in 2 successive semesters in 3 terms • Repeated failure to progress toward degree • Must satisfy a deficient grade in a sequence course before moving on (204 abcd, 235 a, 295 abcd, 250/51) • Must pass 210 and advance to candidacy before beginning 500 or thesis/project/culminating experience • Leave of Absence – medical, maternity, military, planned educational leaves

8. Grade Appeal • Grade Appeals – • 1) student/instructor, • 2) student/director 6th week following semester, • 3) student/director/instructor possible • Student grade appeal form & panel with student member

9. Pupil Personnel Credential Coursework • Summer work and more costly per unit, however operated with fewer students. • College of Continuing Education (CCE)

10. Thesis Alternative Dr. Russell MRP 4004 drussell@csus.edu

11. Piloting Alternative to Traditional Thesis • 2 courses instead of guided study • 501 Advanced Methods of Evaluating Practice • 502 Social Work Graduate Capstone • Hold enrollment to 20 students

12. Decision to develop an alternative • Interest in stronger exp. with research methods/tools/stats • Possibility for deeper, classroom guided learning to evaluate practice once graduate • Challenges with SW 500 for some learners • Structure/absence of class meeting • Isolation/independence • Learning style • Budget issues - labor intensive for faculty

13. Comparable Alternatives • Students requested this alternative and faculty responded to the request • Comparable academic rigor • Same song played with a different instrument

14. Sign Up for Traditional Culminating Experience or Alternative • Meet with a thesis advisor or email professor to explore that option • Sign a special VORTA form • Do student’s think they know which option they want? • Are you flexible?

15. Self-assessment Considerations for Option • 20 students • Equivalent to SW500 in demand and rigor • Work well with the structure of a regular class • Strong student academically • Interest in quantitative analysis • Not wed to a particular topic for project • Group work • Flexibility during the pilot year

16. Organization of SW501 Advanced Methods of Evaluating Practice • SW 501 Advanced Research Methods course with a focus on practice evaluation, either qualitative or quantitative focus. Ethnography, Narrative, Grounded Theory, Phenomenology • Fall semester • Must receive a B in 210 • Begins with question of how to evaluate practice and which tools to use • Extension of 210 in terms of methods; chi-square, t-tests, ANOVA, multivariate concepts (quantitative). Ethnography, Narrative, Grounded Theory, Phenomenology (qualitative) • Offers a deepened investigation of the evaluation methods and appropriateness of their use b/c not first exposure • Interactive – group work with student colleagues, as well as potential individual project work • Lab work • Guest speakers from field with living laboratory research possibilities

17. SW502 Social Work Research Capstone • SW 502: Capstone Project • Spring semester • Group & Individual projects • Expedited human subjects review • Organized around similar group and faculty interests with some individual choices in certain classes. • Integrated paper as a result, not filed in library or with grad. studies, no more than 2 students working on each – less choice in research topic • Community service, secondary data, …