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Syllabus

Doctorate in Social Work

DSW 801 Leadership in Social Work Advocacy (Fall 2025)

Credits - 3

Description

This course explores the responsibilities of social work leaders in shaping policy, advocating for social justice, and advancing human rights. We will discuss and create strategies for influencing policy at the macro level to create equitable and just systems for diverse populations. 

 

Materials

Required Materials

Doctor of Social Work Manual: Guidelines and Best Practices 

Required Text Books

Available through the UNE Library:

Gal, J. & Weiss-Gal (2024). When social workers impact policy and don’t just implement it: A framework for understanding policy engagement. Great Britain: Bristol University Press. ISBN ‏ : ‎ 9781447364788

National Association of Social Workers. Social Work Speaks: National Association of Social Workers Policy Statements (2021-2023). NASW Press. ISBN ‏ : ‎ 978-0-87101-564-8

 

Learning Objectives and Outcomes

  • Identify the responsibility of and strategies for social work leaders to engage in policy processes to advance human rights. (EPAS Competency 5)
  • Develop a project that reflects both NASW Policy Priorities and ideas for advancing human rights and social, economic, racial, or environmental justice (EPAS Competencies 3, 5)
  • Explore the ethics of researching and engaging with communities for social change (EPAS Competency 4).

Assignments

Peer Conversations

Peer collaboration has been built into this course as a key component of social work and advocacy. Each week, you will meet with a different partner to explore new perspectives on weekly topics and refine your projects. We encourage synchronous face-to-face interaction through tools like Zoom to make the most of this time. These meetings will not count toward your final grade.

Roots and Fruits Interactive Whiteboard: Part 1

This exercise will help you focus on the causes and consequences of your chosen policy issue. Using a shared online whiteboard, you will create a tree with the trunk representing the key issue, roots describing the causes, and branches detailing the consequences.

Roots and Fruits Interactive Whiteboard: Part 2

In Part 2, the tree continues to grow as your colleagues add their perspectives. You will revisit the whiteboard and add new roots and fruits to other trees. 

Annotated Bibliography

This assignment is an opportunity to explore the context and background of the policy issue you have selected for your change project. The sources you select will help guide your focus and build toward the final Change Project. 

Self Reflection

This short essay is intended to be a self reflection on who you are as an advocate. You will consider your personal and professional relationship to your chosen issue in preparation for the Change Project and Public Testimony discussion. 

Change Project Stakeholder Interview

In this assignment, you will consider the potential impact of your proposed Change Project on community stakeholders. You will interview someone with stake in your Change Project to better adapt your plan based on key findings. 

Change Project

All of the work in this course builds toward the final Change Project. For this assignment, you will identify a policy gap, propose an alternative, identify action steps, assess feasibility, and determine an advocacy strategy. 

Discussions

Discussion boards are utilized throughout the course as a space to share and view projects amongst peers. Some discussions will require an initial post (due Thursday) and responses (due Sunday) while others require a single interaction. Due to the varied nature of tasks and format, which are listed below, discussions have different point values in the gradebook. 

  • Week 1: Introduction Discussion 
    • Share with the class some information about yourself and experience with advocacy.
  • Week 3: Discussion
    • Share your topic idea for the Change Project.
  • Week 4: Thesis Statement Discussion
    • Share the final draft of your thesis statement with your peers. 
  • Week 6: Change Graphic Discussion
    • Create and share a visual depiction of the rationales for your Change Project that could be shared with legislators or the public.
  • Week 7: Discussion
    • Review and discussion the use of AI in social work.
  • Week 9: Interprofessional Discussion
    • Consider interprofessional connections to your advocacy project. 
  • Week 10: Public Testimony Discussion 
    • You will practice delivering a public testimony on the topic you selected for your Change Project. This will be a short video presentation that will be shared with your peers. 

 

Grading Policy

Your grade in this course will be determined by the following criteria:

Grade Breakdown

Week 1: Intro Discussion (Discussion board)2 points
Week 2: Topic ideas Discussion (Discussion board)2 points
Week 4: Roots and Fruits Interactive Whiteboard: Part 12.5 points
Week 4: Roots and Fruits Interactive Whiteboard: Part 22.5 points
Week 4: Thesis Statement Discussion4 points
Week 5: Annotated Bibliography15 points
Week 6: Graphic for Change (Discussion board)10 points
Week 6: Advocacy Self Reflection8 points
Week 7: Change. Project Stakeholder Interview10 points
Week 7: Discussion (Discussion board)3 points
Week 8: Change Project22 points
Week 9: Interprofessional Discussion4 points
Week 10: Public Testimony (Discussion board)15 Points
Total100 points

 

 

Schedule

Course weeks run from 12:00 AM ET on Monday through 11:59 PM ET on Sunday, with the exception of Week 1, which starts on Wednesday. 

Week 1: Aug 27 – Aug 31
Week 2: Sep 1 – Sep 7
Week 3: Sep 8 – Sep 14
Week 4: Sep 15 – Sep 21
Week 5: Sep 22 – Sep 28
Week 6: Sep 29 – Oct 5
Week 7: Oct 6 – Oct 12
Week 8: Oct 13 – Oct 19
Week 9: Oct 20 – Oct 26
Week 10: Oct 27 – Nov 2

Week 1: NASW Policy Priorities and a Policy Framework

Required Learning Materials

Discussion Posts

  • Introduction Discussion
    • Initial posts are due Friday by 11:59 pm ET. Responses are due by 11:59 pm ET Sunday. 

Week 2: Why and how do social workers engage in advocacy?

Required Learning Materials

Assignments

  • Peer Conversation
    • Due Sunday by 11:59 pm ET

Week 3: Social Work Advocacy and Social Control

Required Learning Materials

Discussions

  • Week 3: Discussion
    • Initial posts are due Thursday by 11:59 pm ET. Responses are due by 11:59 pm ET Sunday. 

Week 4: Research in Policy Advocacy and Engagement Strategies

Required Learning Materials

Assignments

  • Roots and Fruits Interactive Whiteboard: Part 1
    • Due Thursday by 11:59 pm ET
  • Roots and Fruits Interactive Whiteboard: Part 2
  • Peer Conversation
  • Thesis Statement Discussion 
    • Due Sunday by 11:59 pm ET

Week 5: Policy within Organizations

Required Learning Materials

Assignments

  • Annotated Bibliography
  • Peer Conversation
    • Due Sunday by 11:59 pm ET

Week 6: Motivation for Advocacy

Required Learning Materials

Discussion

  • Change Graphic Discussion
    • Initial posts are due Thursday by 11:59 pm ET. Responses are due by 11:59 pm ET Sunday. 

Assignments

  • Advocacy Self Reflection
  • Peer Conversation
    • Due Sunday by 11:59 pm ET

Week 7: Ethical Policy Practice

Required Learning Materials

Discussions

  • Week 7: Discussion
    • Initial posts are due Thursday by 11:59 pm ET. Responses are due by 11:59 pm ET Sunday. 

Assignments

  • Change Project Stakeholder Interview
  • Peer Conversation
    • Due Tuesday by 11:59 pm ET

Week 8: Social work leaders as change agents

Required Learning Materials

Assignments

  • Change Project
    • Due Sunday by 11:59 pm ET

Week 9: Interprofessional collaboration in social work advocacy

Required Learning Materials

Assignments

  • Peer Conversation
  • Interprofessional Discussion 
    • Due Sunday by 11:59 pm ET

Week 10: Advocacy in The Real World

Required Learning Materials

Discussions

  • Public Testimony
    • Initial posts are due Thursday by 11:59 pm ET. Responses are due by 11:59 pm ET Sunday. 

 

 

Student Resources

 

 

Online Student Support

Your Student Support Specialist is a resource for you. Please don't hesitate to contact them for assistance, including, but not limited to course planning, current problems or issues in a course, technology concerns, or personal emergencies.

Questions? Visit the Student Support Social Work page

UNE Libraries:

Information Technology Services (ITS)

ITS Contact: Toll Free Help Desk 24 hours/7 days per week at 1-877-518-4673

Accommodations

Any student who would like to request, or ask any questions regarding, academic adjustments or accommodations must contact the Student Access Center at (207) 221-4438 or pcstudentaccess@une.edu. Student Access Center staff will evaluate the student's documentation and determine eligibility of accommodation(s) through the Student Access Center registration procedure.

Online Peer Support

Togetherall is a 24/7 communication and emotional support platform monitored by trained clinicians. It’s a safe place online to get things off your chest, have conversations, express yourself creatively, and learn how to manage your mental health. If sharing isn’t your thing, Togetherall has other tools and courses to help you look after yourself with plenty of resources to explore. Whether you’re struggling to cope, feeling low, or just need a place to talk, Togetherall can help you explore your feelings in a safe supportive environment. You can join Togetherall using your UNE email address.

Information Technology Services (ITS)

Students should notify their Student Support Specialist and instructor in the event of a problem relating to a course. This notification should occur promptly and proactively to support timely resolution.

ITS Contact: Toll-Free Help Desk 24 hours/7 days per week at 1-877-518-4673.

Career Ready Program

The College of Professional Studies supports its online students and alumni in their career journey!

The Career Ready Program provides tools and resources to help students explore and hone in on their career goals, search for jobs, create and improve professional documents, build professional network, learn interview skills, grow as a professional, and more. Come back often, at any time, as you move through your journey from career readiness as a student to career growth, satisfaction, and success as alumni.

Policies

 

 

Essential Academic and Technical Standards

Please review the essential academic and technical standards of the University of New England School Social Work (SSW): https://online.une.edu/social-work/academic-and-technical-standards-une-online-ssw/

Turnitin Originality Check and Plagiarism Detection Tool

The College of Professional Studies uses Turnitin to help deter plagiarism and to foster the proper attribution of sources. Turnitin provides comparative reports for submitted assignments that reflect similarities in other written works. This can include, but is not limited to, previously submitted assignments, internet articles, research journals, and academic databases.

Make sure to cite your sources appropriately as well as use your own words in synthesizing information from published literature. Webinars and workshops, included early in your coursework, will help guide best practices in APA citation and academic writing.

You can learn more about Turnitin in the guide on how to navigate your Similarity Report.

Technology Requirements

Please review the technical requirements for UNE Online Graduate Programs: Technical Requirements

Confidentiality Statement

Student and faculty participation in this course will be governed by standards in the NASW Code of Ethics relating to confidentiality in sharing information from their placement sites and practice experiences. Students should be aware that personal information they choose to share in class, class assignments or conversations with faculty does not have the status of privileged information.

Late Policy

Assignments: Late assignments will be accepted up to 3 days late; however, there is a 10% grade reduction (from the total points) for the late submission. After three days the assignment will not be accepted.

Discussion posts: If the initial post is submitted late, but still within the discussion board week, there will be a 10% grade reduction from the total discussion grade (e.g., a 3 point discussion will be reduced by 0.3 points). Any posts submitted after the end of the Discussion Board week will not be graded.

Please make every effort ahead of time to contact your instructor and your student support specialist if you are not able to meet an assignment deadline. Arrangements for extenuating circumstances may be considered by faculty.

Attendance Policy

6- to 8-week courses: Students taking online graduate courses through the College of Professional Studies will be administratively dropped for non-participation if a graded assignment/discussion post is not submitted before Sunday at 11:59 pm ET of the first week of the term. Reinstatement is at the purview of the Dean's Office.

10+ -week courses: Students taking online graduate courses through the College of Professional Studies will be administratively dropped for non-participation if a graded assignment/discussion post is not submitted before Friday at 11:59 pm ET of the second week of the term. Reinstatement is at the purview of the Dean's Office.

Student Handbook Online - Policies and Procedures

The policies contained within this document apply to all students in the College of Professional Studies. It is each student's responsibility to know the contents of this handbook.

UNE Online Student Handbook

UNE Course Withdrawal

Please contact your Enrollment and Retention Counselor if you are considering dropping or withdrawing from a course. Tuition charges may still apply. Students are strongly urged to consult with Student Financial Services, as course withdrawals may affect financial aid or Veterans benefits.

Academic Integrity

The University of New England values academic integrity in all aspects of the educational experience. Academic dishonesty in any form undermines this standard and devalues the original contributions of others. It is the responsibility of all members of the University community to actively uphold the integrity of the academy; failure to act, for any reason, is not acceptable. For information about plagiarism and academic misconduct, please visit UNE Plagiarism Policies.

Academic dishonesty includes, but is not limited to the following:

  1. Cheating, copying, or the offering or receiving of unauthorized assistance or information.
  2. Fabrication or falsification of data, results, or sources for papers or reports.
  3. Action which destroys or alters the work of another student.
  4. Multiple submissions of the same paper or report for assignments in more than one course without permission of each instructor.
  5. Plagiarism, the appropriation of records, research, materials, ideas, or the language of other persons or writers and the submission of them as one's own.

Charges of academic dishonesty will be reviewed by the Program Director. Penalties for students found responsible for violations may depend upon the seriousness and circumstances of the violation, the degree of premeditation involved, and/or the student’s previous record of violations. Appeal of a decision may be made to the Dean whose decision will be final. Student appeals will take place through the grievance process outlined in the student handbook.