School of Social Work

The School of Social Work prepares social work practitioners committed to social justice and to serving and empowering individuals, families, and communities. It contributes to the development and dissemination of social work knowledge and skills, and affirms professional values and ethics. The School emphasizes understanding and respect for the unique social, political, and cultural diversity of the Southwest.

The School of Social Work demonstrates commitment to its Mission by:

• Preparing competent and effective practitioners who can apply professional and critical thinking skills using an ecological and strengths perspective framework; contribute to individual group, family, and community empowerment; and work with and within agencies and state, federal, and tribal governments.

• Preparing professionals who affirm social work values and ethics.

• Preparing professionals who understand the forms and mechanisms of oppression and discrimination that lead to poverty, racism, nativism, sexism, heterosexism, classism, ableism, agism, and religious oppression, and who therefore advocate for social, economic, and cultural justice.

• Preparing professionals who understand and respect social and cultural diversity at the local, national, and international level.

• Preparing professionals who are committed to serving American Indian, Latino/a, African-American, Asian American and other minority communities who are oppressed.

• Contributing to the development of social work knowledge by promoting student and faculty research in general, and, more particularly, research relevant to the social problems most prevalent in Arizona and the Southwest, and related to national and international communities.

• Serving Arizona citizens by disseminating professional knowledge through cooperative partnerships with schools, neighborhoods, communities, social service agencies, and their constituencies.