How Early Social Work Faculty Experienced Support in Their Doctoral Programs

ABSTRACT

To promote social justice, doctoral programs can implement policies that support underrepresented students’ success. Drawing on critical multicultural theory, we surveyed early-career social work faculty (N = 127) about experiences within their doctoral programs, and analyzed how perceptions differ based on their social identities, part-time student status, or outside work responsibilities. Descriptive results, independent samples t-tests, Mann-Whitney U tests, and linear regression analyses suggest that social work doctoral programs support students through scholarly communities, academic mentors, and cohorts. Respondents experienced limited support relating to their development of professional skills like teaching or applying for funding, and even less relating to their social and emotional wellbeing. Our findings can help professional organizations and doctoral programs develop a healthier, more inclusive professoriate.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Notes

¹ In 2020, practice doctoral students (DSW) were majority female (81.2%) and 35 years or older (75.7%). Research doctoral students (PhD) were majority female (75.3%) and 35 years and older (54.2%). The races and ethnicity of students in practice doctoral programs were African American/Black (35.8%), American Indian/Alaska Native (0.8%), Asian (2.7%), Hispanic/Latinx (14.9%), Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander (0.2%), White (non-Hispanic) (31.2%), and two or more races (1.8%). In research doctoral programs, the race and ethnicity of students were African American/Black (25.3%), American Indian/Alaska Native (0.8%), Asian (7.7%), Hispanic/Latinx (10.7%), Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander (0.9%), White (non-Hispanic) (44.3), and two or more races (3.9%).

² Of 188 graduates with research doctorate degrees in 2020, 54.7% were employed in a tenure-line or nonline faculty position in a CSWE-accredited program (CSWE, 2021).

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by the Loyola University Chicago School of Social Work and University of Michigan School of Social Work.

Notes on contributors

Amy Krings

Amy Krings is an Associate Professor in the College of Social Work at the Ohio State University.

Andrea S. Mora

Andrea S. Mora is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Psychology at the University of Pittsburgh.

Saria Bechara

Saria Bechara is a Program Assistant in the School of Social Work at the University of Michigan.

Celeste N. Sánchez

Celeste N. Sánchez is a Post-Doctoral Research Fellow in the School of Social Work at Loyola University Chicago.

Lorraine M. Gutiérrez

Lorraine M. Gutiérrez is the Edith A. Lewis Collegiate Professor and Arthur F. Thurnau Professor in the School of Social Work and Department of Psychology at the University of Michigan.

Jaclynn Hawkins

Jaclynn Hawkins is an Associate Professor in the School of Social Work at the University of Michigan.

Elizabeth Austic

Elizabeth Austic is a Course Outreach and External Engagement Coordinator in the Department of Mechanical Engineering at the University of Michigan.