Mission Statement
In the BSW and MSW programs, our practice-centered approach is designed to
secure the students’ understanding of the concepts of empowerment and
well-being, and is guided by four thematic foundational principles:
- A focus on people’s strengths
- An understanding of human diversity
- The promotion of social and economic justice
- The development of a critical perspective
The School has a commitment to practicing educational approaches that
directly and explicitly enhance the connection of theory and concepts to the
needs of clients and the demands of everyday practice. This commitment flows
from the values and ethical principles of the profession and is enriched by our
commitment to these four themes.
Strengths: A perspective that recognizes, mobilizes and
supports the inherent strengths of individuals, families, neighborhoods,
organizations and communities to discover and develop their own and communal
resources and assets in their struggle for a better quality of life.
Diversity: Understanding, valuing and engaging the broad
range of differences and commonalities that are brought to the interaction
between social workers, clients and the social environment and that are
reflective of clients’ culture, ethnicity, race, geography, gender, social
class, religion, sexual orientation, and physical and mental abilities,
particularly when those differences are the cause for discrimination.
Social and Economic Justice: A commitment to promoting
fairness, equality of power and equity of resources based on a complex
understanding of the effects of economic, political and social structures on
people’s life chances, particularly as it relates to economic inequality and the
allocation of necessary social resources.
Critical Perspective: The capacity to engage in a deliberate
and continuing examination of the assumptions underlying the theories, methods
and approaches used by social work in understanding and responding to human
needs. Using these themes as a foundation, and in order to promote social work
practice at generalist and advanced levels that advances the empowerment and
well-being of individuals and communities, the mission of the University of
Kansas School of Social Welfare is to educate students, conduct scholarly
inquiry and provide leadership in the development of service delivery systems.
View School Goals and BSW Objectives
View School Goals and MSW Objectives
