Investing in the Future of GSS:

An Interview with Elaine Congress

Elaine Congress, Associate Dean for Special Programs and Professor, is a pillar of Fordham’s Graduate School of Social Service, as well as the social work advocacy and research space at large. At Fordham, Elaine directs the dual M.S.W./M.P.H. program with Mount Sinai and the M.S.W. student program at the United Nations. She also co-chairs the Fordham Institute for Women and Girls. Elaine represents Fordham as a Non-Governmental Organization (NGO) at the United Nations, along with several other NGOs, including the International Federation of Social Workers (IFSW)and the Institute for Multicultural Counseling and Education Services (IMCES). Elaine has also researched and written extensively in the areas of social work values and ethics, cultural diversity, social work education, non-profit management, public health, and the United Nations, including fourteen books and over sixty professional journal articles and book chapters. Read her full biography here. 

Elaine has generously established the Elaine Congress, D.S.W. Endowed Fund at GSS to support M.S.W. students wishing to engage in professional development activities beyond the classroom. She has also made a bequest to create the Elaine P. Congress, D.S.W. Endowed Scholarship to provide critical financial aid to future GSS students. 

Below, Elaine shares her rewarding experience as a professor, her thoughts on how GSS can continue to grow and thrive, and why she chose to give to the school.

As Associate Dean, you oversee special projects and partnerships across different areas of the university and also at different institutions, like Mount Sinai and the United Nations. You always want to bring New York and everything it has to offer to the social work students, which is really special, you know.

I believe in student involvement, within and beyond the classroom. We should never teach them like second-class citizens, or that we only want them here for enrollment and tuition dollars. Multiple students co-edited my UN Book Series, International Psychology: Behavioral Science in the Global Arena. I have had a real cadre of students who have done great work internationally, and become leaders in our profession.

What is the number one piece of advice you would give to social workers in training and right after graduation?

Take advantage of everything. Especially when you’re beginning your M.S.W., be open to new experiences. That’s why I have created a fund [the Elaine Congress, D.S.W. Endowed Fund] to cover expenses for students to participate in professional development opportunities here in New York City, as well as nationally and internationally—for example, a student forum at NASW’s national event in Washington, D.C.

At Fordham, we offer many opportunities for students to go beyond the ‘requirements’ of their coursework to immerse them in key topics–such as gender inequality through our Institute for Women and Girls, and global social welfare via our connection with the UN. So while they are required to do 15 hours of fieldwork a week, I believe this is just a minimum. Of course, students have personal lives and family obligations, and, fortunately, a big part of social work today is self-care. You can't work 24/7. But I still try to tell students to take advantage of as much as they can, especially in the early days of their journeys as social workers.

How does the Jesuit identity set GSS apart from other graduate programs? 

GSS students embody Fordham’s cura personalis identity [“care of the whole person”], and have absolutely informed the Jesuit mission over the years. I love Fordham, it really suits me well–I believe in our mission and how we educate [students to] try to make a difference in the world. So many people need our help and in many different ways. This has inspired me to establish a current-use travel fund and leave money for scholarships to give to future GSS students who will change lives and transform communities. 

What should GSS focus on going forward?

It is important to collaborate with other schools within the University, like Fordham Law School and the Gabelli School of Business, to create more cross-discipline programs. We should not be afraid of reaching out to the community, to partner with social welfare agencies and public health institutions. We have the UN right here at our doorstep, and with Fordham University’s unique status as an NGO, we have the opportunity to make a real impact in New York City and globally. These connections also increase the visibility of GSS, which attracts more students. Lastly, we should revitalize the now-defunct Mentoring Latinas program, which accomplished so much for middle- and high-school aged girls and their families in our local community in the Bronx. Sufficient funding is, of course, required for the revival of key programs like this.   

Speaking of funding, what kind of support is vital for GSS’s development? 

It is so important that alumni give back to the school and are aware of our funding priorities to support our dedicated students. For example, more funding is urgently needed to cover travel expenses for students looking to engage [in] professional growth and learning opportunities. Making a gift to GSS is simple: a donor can give to an existing endowed fund or establish their own, like I did, through my estate plan, to support the school’s short- and long-term goals.  

To inquire about making a planned gift like Elaine, please contact Jackie Comesanas, FCLC ’83, Executive Director of Gift Planning, at jcomesanas@fordham.edu or 212-636-7244.

This interview has been condensed and edited for clarity.