Gatekeeping: Perspectives from Both Sides of the Fence

This project could not have been accomplished without the help of Dr. Kim Strom‐Gottfried and Gerald Schamess who offered much guidance and direction regarding how to approach this challenging topic.

Abstract

As gatekeepers for the social work profession, social work educators play a critical role in upholding professional standards and improving the profession's rigor; however, many faculty members struggle with this role for a variety of reasons. This article presents the narratives of a faculty member from a graduate school of social work and a student who failed the faculty member's class—which triggered automatic expulsion. Both authors reflect on their experience of the situation and offer questions for discussion to encourage faculty and students to explore the challenging issue of the role of gatekeeping in social work education.

This project could not have been accomplished without the help of Dr. Kim Strom‐Gottfried and Gerald Schamess who offered much guidance and direction regarding how to approach this challenging topic.

Keywords:

• Gatekeeping
• social work education
• faculty and student perspectives

Notes

This project could not have been accomplished without the help of Dr. Kim Strom‐Gottfried and Gerald Schamess who offered much guidance and direction regarding how to approach this challenging topic.