Branch Campuses: Extending the Reach of Social Work Education

ABSTRACT

The study explored the characteristics and experiences of branch campus social work education programs and educators in the United States. Eighty-one branch campus social work educators in 26 states completed an online survey. Findings revealed that undergraduate and graduate branch campus social work education was primarily delivered face-to-face to nontraditional students. Half of these programs were recently established, and the majority were expected to grow. However, teaching these students was not necessarily viewed as a shared responsibility. Although some branch campus faculty reported higher workloads and limited connections to parent campus colleagues, faculty generally reported great satisfaction teaching branch campus students. Practical implications are provided.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Simon P. Funge

Simon P. Funge is assistant professor, Dana J. Sullivan is associate professor, Larry W. Owens is associate professor, and Whitney Harper is assistant professor at Western Kentucky University.