Tallahassee, FL – Florida A&M University (FAMU) College of Arts and Sciences and the Department of Social Work announced that the Council on Social Work Education Commission on Accreditation granted a full eight-year accreditation to the bachelor of social work (BSW) and master of social work (MSW) programs for the full eight year cycle from 2006 to 2014.
“We are extremely excited and proud,” said Brenda Jarmon, chair of FAMU’s Department of Social Work. “The faculty, staff, and I work very hard every day to ensure that our students succeed. I know that Victoria Warner, founder of social work at FAMU, would be very proud of us. She worked tirelessly to establish social work as a bona fide discipline at FAMU. She secured initial accreditation of our BSW program in 1974, and led the charge for professionalizing BSW programs across the country. We are proud to continue her legacy at the BSW and MSW levels.”
The official social work program began with one introductory course in the Department of Sociology during the 1950 - 1951 academic year. By 1956, a six-course sequence was available as a minor for students majoring in the liberal arts. A bachelor’s degree in social work was first offered in 1979 under the leadership of Warner. Under her direction, the program achieved departmental status in the 1990-1991 academic year.
“I am extremely pleased that our social work program has received reaccredidation from the Council of Social Work Education,” said Ralph Turner, interim dean of the College of Arts and Sciences. “Having an accredited social work program enhances our recruitment of good faculty and students. It also expands and affords our students’ eligibility for licensure and jobs in the marketplace.”
The BSW program received full accreditation in 1974 and the MSW program received initial accreditation in 2002. The department is housed in Banneker B, Suite 300 and has 170 BSW majors and 43 MSW majors.
The Council on Social Work Education is (CSWE) is a nonprofit national association representing more than 3,000 individual members as well as graduate and undergraduate programs of professional social work education. Founded in 1952, this partnership of educational and professional institutions, social welfare agencies, and private citizens is recognized by the Council for Higher Education Accreditation as the sole accrediting agency for social work education in this country. As of June 2007, according to CSWE, there are 461 accredited undergraduate programs and 184 accredited master’s programs.
For more information, contact Brenda Jarmon at (850) 599-3456.
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