Taking Note of the School's Strengths
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C mmunity TM C Newsletter fromnnection Baylor University School of Social Work • Volume No. 23 • October 2008 Taking note of the School’s strengths If you had one wish for the impact this School could make on the world, what would it be? he first two or three persons through the doorT of the room where they would spend the next two days hesitated when they saw the brightly colored toys and gadgets scattered across the tables. “What have we gotten ourselves into?” one asked. True, it wasn’t what these professionals – more comfortable with iPhones® than Nerf® balls – were expecting, but then, neither was what they were soon to The meeting room wall was covered with words that described the School’s strengths. learn about the Baylor School of Social Work. Bread for the World. “The community organizers, a Summit facilitator Ashley A dozen state and national enthusiasm, the energy about global missions director for a Thornton, Baylor’s director for social work academics and the programs and what’s going national denominational group, professional and organizational practitioners, community on here is really impressive; an author of congregational development, led the group in leaders and organizers and it’s opened up for me an resources, and, among others, exercises to explore definitions social work students gathered understanding of social work Waco Mayor Virginia DuPuy. of social work and trends in Sept. 8-9 for the School’s first in a much broader sense and “We have asked you here the profession in the past three Visioning Summit on research helped me think about that to dream with us about the decades. She then narrowed and scholarship. connected to faith and history.” shape of the research and the focus to Baylor’s School “I came with a blank Convened by School scholarship agenda of the and its strengths. slate in terms of the School Dean Diana Garland, the school as a whole,” Garland As the walls of the room of Social Work, but that has group consisted of current and said. “If you had one wish for filled with large, brightly become a multicolored, bright former deans of schools of the impact this school, with its colored Post-it® notes with picture,” said the Rev. James social work, one of the most resources of faculty, students, words to describe the School, L. McDonald, vice president widely published scholars and research, could make on a few common strengths for policy and programs of of social work research, the world, what would it be?” (continued on page 3) From the Dean We need to step forward with confidence to shape our profession By Diana R. Garland, Dean of Baylor School of Social Work ne of colleagues point us to lead the way. They PARTICIPANTS the most are waiting. Churches and congregations Frank Baskind, immediate past excitingO events are waiting for the resources and practice dean at Virginia Commonwealth University’s School of Social Work this fall (other models we can develop. Communities are than my husband waiting for the research application on Rick Chamiec-Case, executive being named interim president!) was the director of the North American motivating and retaining volunteers that Association of Christians in Social Visioning Summit we held Sept. 8-9. I we can provide. Countries are waiting Work was deeply humbled by the willingness for the professional education to train Mark Chaves, professor of sociology, of this impressive group of social work new cohorts of social workers to address religion and divinity at Duke administrators and professors, community global problems that we can teach. University leaders and organizers to set aside As I told this group of dear friends Virginia DuPuy, mayor of Waco this time to help us dream about the as we concluded the summit, at the Cynthia Franklin, the Stiernberg/ scholarship and research agenda for the School we look at what has transpired in Spencer Family Professor in Mental Health at the University of Texas School. Our this first decade at Austin School of Social Work faculty and Churches, communities, countries, and we shake Program staff sat on the our profession are waiting for what our heads and Maggie McCarthy, foundation sidelines and we can develop, teach and provide. laugh. We do management to help grant makers observed, and so because we improve outcomes as investors and nonprofit organizations achieve after listening to know that this better results the group’s comments and dreams for us, is not of our doing; we believe it comes as James L. McDonald, vice president for I came away with new insight, heightened blessing from our Creator who continues policy and programs for Bread for enthusiasm and a desire to work to call us into co-creation of a world the World even harder to fulfill these wonderful desperate for social and humane change. Larry D. McDowell, family life and expectations. Be sure and see the full story, We try to faithfully follow that leading, marriage program specialist for beginning on page 1. the U.S. Department of Health and and pray for the strength to do so. Human Services, Administration for What I also realized as I listened I cite once again from the scripture Children and Families to this group from outside the School is that has become my own personal Robert N. Nash Jr., coordinator of that we need an attitude adjustment! Our inspiration for our work here: “…that all global missions for the Cooperative School had humble beginnings and all of them may call on the name of the Lord Baptist Fellowship of us have worked hard to achieve what and serve him shoulder to shoulder” (Zeph. Dennis Poole, dean of the University we have in these first 10 years here at of South Carolina College of Social 3:9, NIV). Work Baylor. Too often I have referred to “our ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ Frank B. Raymond, dean of the little school,” but no more! I realized in College of Social Work at the listening to the comments of those at On a personal note, it is with great University of South Carolina from the summit that Baylor School of Social sadness that we say goodbye to David 1980 to 2002 and former leader Work is perceived as a significant and of the Council on Social Work Wilkinson, who has served as the Education, the profession’s national unique presence within our academy School’s director of development for the accrediting agency – a school positioned, here within this past 15 months. He took the helm as Heidi Unruh, director of the university, to lead out in courageous ways executive director of Associate Baptist Congregations, Community in expanding the vision and application Press beginning Oct. 1. Under David’s Outreach and Leadership Development Project of our profession. As one participant leadership the School’s endowment grew said, “Baylor needs to step forward in from $1.3 million to $2.1 million and BAYLOR PARTICIPANTS confidence with what all of us know as three new scholarships for students were Truell Hyde, vice provost for research professional practitioners and academic added to our existing 16. We will miss and overseer of the Office of scholars and infuse the academy with new him terribly, but we also rejoice with him Sponsored Programs and Contracts options.” for the leadership role he now has in the Rae Wright, MSW student in the As inspiring as those words are, they mental and physical health global Baptist movement. concentration are equally humbling as these professional 2 MSW student Megan Nichols Visioning (from left), Larry McDowell, (continued from page 1) Administration for Children and Families, and Virginia DuPuy, mayor of Waco, consider their emerged: integration of faith ideas at the School’s first Vision- and practice, strong faculty and ing Summit. committed students called to serve, quality research and scholarship, and emphasis on global studies. The participants were asked to identify what they believed the calls upon disciplines across School was uniquely qualified to the academy to bring their bring to social work education and knowledge and skills to the profession. bear on a specific social “The School has the ability issue, such as poverty. to produce quality research that is “Baylor and the school both responsive and accessible to can transform communities the community, especially at the through transdisciplinary intersection of faith and practice,” scholarship,” said said Heidi Unruh, director of Dennis Poole, dean of the Congregations, Community the University of South Outreach and Leadership Carolina College of Development Project, co-author of Social Work. He cited two books on church-based social engineering, business and ministry and co-editor of Hope for theology as an example of Children in Poverty: Profiles and such a collaboration. “We Possibilities ( Judson, 2007). shouldn’t be shy about what Frank B. Raymond, dean of the we know as social work College of Social Work at the professionals. The academy University of South Carolina from 1980 to 2002, when he needs to be taken on in regard to its direction about community retired, emphasized the School’s commitment to globalization engagement.” and social justice. “What Baylor can offer is that so many Christine Browder, a BSW student interested in students come here with a passion for mission work and their congregational social work, agreed with the transdisciplinary conviction to be Christ to a hurting world. Students here are approach. “I’d like to see us expand our dual degree programs,” driven on a deeper level,” he said. she said. “What could we do if we put all of our specialties and Many in the group emphasized the need for the School resources together? Where might that take us?” to develop and disseminate community ministry resources for As a final exercise, the group was asked to develop practical application.