The Role of Alumni in Baccalaureate Social Work Education

Abstract

This article discusses the results of a 1993 national survey of undergraduate social work program directors on the role of alumni in their programs. Respondents indicated that they involved alumni, primarily as field supervisors, campus speakers, and members of curriculum advisory boards. Only 20% of respondents reported social work-specific alumni organizations; most often these were institutions with public affiliations, joint MSW-BSW program structures, and enrollments exceeding 10,000. Having a social work alumni organization was associated with higher rates of alumni participation in field supervision, mentoring, linkage and networking activities, recruitment, and curriculum advisory boards. A profile of the typical social work alumni organization is presented, and the need for more programs to initiate such organizations is examined.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Shirley R. Simon

This article is based on a paper presented at the Twelfth Annual Conference of the Association of Baccalaureate Social Work Program Directors, San Francisco, 1994. The authors thank Kathleen Westropp Stauber for her assistance in the development of the survey instrument and data collection. We also thank Keith Kilty, Joseph Walsh, and Tammy Jones for their interest and guidance.