Integrating Clinical / Community Practice Frameworks (SSWO 526) is a required course of students enrolled in the MSW/MSWO program as Advanced Standing. It is designed to introduce social work scholarship, values, and skills embedded in the UNE School of Social Work vision and mission that envision a world where social workers are at the forefront of advocating with individuals and communities for human dignity, social inclusion, and efforts to end inequities, exploitation, and violence. Course content fully integrates clinical (micro) and community (macro) perspectives and practices with an emphasis on cultural, relational, and evidence-based competencies. This course serves as a bridge to the Concentration Year of the MSW/MSWO program by preparing new students for the advanced curriculum.
Admitted as Advanced Standing (SADV)
Graduates of the UNE SSWO will demonstrate knowledge, skills, and leadership in the following:
Upon successful completion of this course, the student will be able to:
A variety of learning activities are designed to support the course objectives, facilitate different learning styles, and build a community of learners. Learning activities for each week include the following:
Description: This course will use an array of readings and multimedia to present the important concepts. The readings and multimedia provide the foundation and background for student discussion threads and written assignments.
Description: An important learning method in this course is student participation and interaction in the discussion threads within each week. Students are expected to participate actively and in a respectful manner. Please refer to Course Policies about participation for a full list of expectations.
Participation in whole class and small group discussion unrelated to the “Worlds Apart” group-work will be graded weekly using the Participation Rubric.
Prior to beginning this course you were asked to ready the book Worlds Apart, Poverty and Politics in Rural America (2nd Edition), Duncan. C. (2015). The communities highlighted in this book were first researched in 1999, and this second edition revisits each of them to see what, if anything, has changed. The impact of social exclusion in these rural impoverished areas provide a foundation from which to examine elements of social exclusion and identify strategies to promote social inclusion. In weeks 2, 3, and 5 one of the three communities highlighted in this book will be covered and students will be given three questions to reflect on and discuss in their small groups. In Week 7, you will post a final summary including the 3 major themes of social exclusion identified; your reaction and reflection of how social exclusion is perpetuated; your suggestions of ways in which social workers can implement strategies to create a more just world; and the theories that support this type of social change.
Each week’s work devoted to this assignment is graded using the “Worlds Apart” Group Discussions Rubric.
The major writing assignment in this course is a three-part journal assignment titled “How do I know who I am?”, a critical and thoughtful examination of your awareness and understanding of yourself, the world, and “correspondences and contradictions” adapted from Mary Ellen Kondrat’s model for practitioner awareness (1999, pp. 465-466).
Each part of this assignment will be submitted as a separate entry in your course journal. Please tie in relevant course materials to strengthen your writing. This is mainly a self-report, but you must include, at a minimum, 2 scholarly, peer-reviewed references (per entry) to support your work.
The grade for this assignment will be calculated using the How do I know who I am? Rubric.
Below are abbreviated directions for the assignment; more in-depth directions can be found in the course:
Part 1: “The World” – Due at the end of Week 2 (1,000 words; 100 points)
The first part of this assignment will have you examine the world that you inhabit.
Part 2: “My World” – Due at the end of Week 4 (1,000 words; 100 points)
The second part of this assignment will have you examine yourself.
Part 3: “Analysis of My World with Respect to The World” – Due at the end of Week 6 (1,500 words; 240 points)
The third and final part of this assignment will have you integrate your analyses of “The World” and “My World” into an analysis of yourself in relation to the world around you.
The School of Social Work uses the following grading system for all courses with the exception of field education courses. Students are expected to maintain a “B” (3.0) average over the course of their study. Students with less than a GPA of 3.0 will be placed on academic probation. Students must have an overall GPA of 3.0 in order to receive their Master’s Degree.
Your grade in this course will be determined by the following criteria:
Assignment | Points | Percentage Value |
---|---|---|
Weekly Discussions | 360 (40 points * 9 Discussions) | 36% |
Journal Assignment - How do I know who I am? | 440 (2 entries worth 100 points each; final entry worth 240 points) | 44% |
"Worlds Apart" Group Discussions and Critical Analysis | 200 (50 points * 4 Discussions/Critical Analyses) | 20% |
Total: | 1,000 | 100% |
Grade | Points Grade | Point Average (GPA) |
A | 94 – 100% | 4.00 |
A- | 90 – 93% | 3.75 |
B+ | 87 – 89% | 3.50 |
B | 84 – 86% | 3.00 |
B- | 80 – 83% | 2.75 |
C+ | 77 – 79% | 2.50 |
C | 74 – 76% | 2.00 |
C- | 70 – 73% | 1.75 |
D | 64 – 69% | 1.00 |
F | 00 – 63% | 0.00 |
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
ITS Contact: Toll Free Help Desk 24 hours/7 days per week at 1-877-518-4673
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.
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/
Please review the technical requirements for UNE Online Graduate Programs: Technical Requirements
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.
Online students are required to submit a graded assignment/discussion prior to Sunday evening at 11:59 pm ET of the first week of the term. If a student does not submit a posting to the graded assignment/discussion prior to Sunday evening at 11:59 pm ET, the student will be automatically dropped from the course for non-participation. Review the full attendance 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.
The policies contained within this document apply to all students in the College of Graduate and Professional Studies. It is each student's responsibility to know the contents of this handbook.
Please contact your student support specialist if you are considering dropping or withdrawing from a course. The last day to drop for 100% tuition refund is the 2nd day of the course. Financial Aid charges may still apply. Students using Financial Aid should contact the Financial Aid Office prior to withdrawing from a course.
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:
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.