Greetings!
Needless to say – this has been quite a year. From the COVID-19 pandemic to the racial reckoning brought about by the killings of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, and countless others, this year is one that I could not have imagined. Within every crisis exists opportunities for promoting positive change.
Against this backdrop, the College of Social Work (CoSW) has continued to actualize its mission. During these most challenging times, I cannot say enough about our outstanding faculty, staff, students and alumni. Over the past academic year, these individuals worked tirelessly to provide impactful educational, service, and research experiences. Be it the abrupt shift to full virtual delivery of courses, programs, and services, or assisting and supporting our community in addressing issues of systemic oppression, they remained collegial, creative, and committed.
Though the true impact of the work of our faculty, staff, and students is immeasurable in many ways, these efforts have yielded noteworthy metrics. From Spring 2019 to Spring 2021 student enrollment grew over 141%. Compared to FY19, extramural research funding increased 125%. We retained nearly 95% of our students across all programs. Our graduates ranked #1 in Kentucky for social work licensing exam pass rates – rates well above national averages. Our faculty received several national and international awards and recognition for their work. In 2020, our Centers & Labs apparatus served over 50,000 individuals via direct program and training services. Our international research collaborative grew to over 16 academic institutions across the world.
Last year was also marked with a commitment to ensuring an accessible social work education. In June 2020, we welcomed the first cohort into our online Doctorate of Social Work (DSW) program. And, we announced the launch of our fully online Bachelor of Arts in Social Work (BASW) program, which is slated to take its first cohort in Fall 2021. This means students can earn their BASW, Masters in Social Work (MSW), and DSW degrees fully online at the University of Kentucky.
These achievements, and others, crystalize our enduring commitment to advancing the CoSW mission, despite troubling times. We have cause to celebrate.
You can read about these and other exciting developments in the 2020 Annual Wrap-Up.
In the coming year, we, as a College, will continue to examine new ways to address long-standing challenges and pursue expansive possibilities. We recognize that as social problems become increasingly complex and multifarious, so too must our response. We will resolutely adhere to our core principles.
- We will continue to focus on conceptualizing and delivering an accessible, world-class social work education.
- We will continue to actively foster a culture of diversity and expansion.
- We will continue to show appreciation for our faculty, staff, students, alumni, and supporters, specifically, and for social work professionals, more broadly.
- We will continue to conduct and strategically disseminate research aimed at improving the well-being of individuals, groups, and communities.
- We will continue to collaborate with community partners—locally, regionally, nationally, and globally—to affect positive change and promote social justice.
Without question, actualizing these priorities will be challenging. We need your collaborative engagement and investment alongside us. In the coming weeks, I look forward to connecting with you about a number of new ways for you to be involved with CoSW.
As always, I welcome your input and offer my support. If there is anything that I can do for you, please email me at Justin.Miller1@uky.edu (with copy to Xana.Plum@uky.edu). Or, you can reach me by phone at (859) 257-5740.
Be well, be diligent with your self-care, and always remember: SOCIAL WORK WAS BUILT FOR THIS.
I look forward to continued collaboration and interacting with you soon.
J. Jay Miller
Dean and Dorothy A. Miller Research Professor in Social Work Education
College of Social Work, University of Kentucky