By Dr. Lori Messinger, Dean
Fall is always my favorite time of year, as an academic year starts and new possibilities emerge. Full of opportunities to grow, to learn, and to change, the fall semester is always a time of promise. This semester is not different in that way; 135 BSSW students, 289 MSSW students, and 22 doctoral students are starting their journeys in our college. We are also pleased to welcome three new administrators, four new faculty, and five new staff members.
In other ways, this semester is without historical precedent. We are facing a coronavirus pandemic that shows few signs of waning, which has implications for how we can offer courses, engage in field education, and conduct research. Many of our faculty, staff, and students struggle with childcare as daycares remain closed and K-12 schools are offering a mix of virtual, part-time, or socially distanced classes. We are navigating a challenging economy, where many students who normally rely on employment to cover expenses are finding themselves unemployed and jobs hard to find. We are confronting, again and perhaps for the first time, anti-Black racism and white supremacy in ourselves, in our college, in our university, in our community, and in our society. Nothing about this semester is simple. Everyone is tired, and many of us struggle with moments of feeling overwhelmed, sad, or lonely.
Yet, the irrepressible spirit of social workers and our passion for service, for social justice, and for hope continues to support us as we move forward. We are facing these challenges with a creative spirit, a commitment to anti-racism, a sense of connectedness to one another, and a heart for social change.
Our faculty are offering high-quality learning experiences in socially distanced classrooms and online. Our field faculty are working with other faculty and staff to implement new opportunities for field-based and virtual applied learning, including the use of telehealth and simulated client activities. Many faculty and staff are using Zoom, email, chat, texting, and other technology to stay connected to our students and to one another.
Dr. Doug Coatsworth, our new Associate Dean for Research, is working closely with faculty to continue the cutting-edge research that furthers our knowledge and enhances our communities. Our new outreach and engagement team, headed by Tony Murchison, Director of Outreach and Engagement, is re-envisioning our approach to recruitment and engagement and reconnecting to our alumni. Dr. Camille Hall, our new Associate Dean for Equity and Inclusion, is spearheading a variety of learning opportunities and policy and procedure reviews that will move the College forward on its goal to be an anti-racist learning community. You can read more about their efforts in this newsletter.
While we face many challenges this semester, we continue to learn and grow, taking lessons and making changes that will help us be even better in the future. I invite you to keep an eye on us as we work to make this academic year one of our best, as well as to share ideas you may have about how we will accomplish this together. Not only is this at the heart of social work, but here at UT, this is the Volunteer way.