This page is maintained by Dr. Frank E. Stapper
Last Revised April 6, 2004

ADVISEMENT POLICIES AND PROCEDURES

Student advisement is an important and essential component of the Social Work Department.  All full-time social work faculty members serve as academic advisors.  All faculty hold a minimum of a MSW degree.

The purpose of advisement is to:

1.    Advise the student through the process of obtaining a BSW degree, which includes completing a degree plan, preparing an application packet, obtaining a final degree check, and preparing for practicum and graduation.
2.    Assist the student in preparing semester schedules prior to registration.
3.    Work with the student around any academic problems that may arise.
4.    Engage in short-term personal and career counseling if  necessary.
5.    Keep a current student file including the degree plan and advisement notes.

The advisor is the student's major link with the University faculty and the channel for communication with the administration.  Students are expected to meet with their assigned faculty advisor each semester to outline their social work program and goals, and to set semester schedules.

NEW STUDENT ADVISEMENT

Prior to entering the Social Work Department, students are assisted through the Academic Advisement Office.  Policies and procedures for this office are clearly outlined in the NSU catalog's Academic Information section.  By the time a traditional NSU student has gone through Academic Advisement and Freshman Orientation, they are fully informed of all University general education requirements and have had initial career counseling.

Transfer Students
A significant proportion of social work majors at NSU are transfer students, many of whom have completed two years at local community colleges.  Transfer students should note the following policies:

General Education requirements should be completed as soon as possible upon entering NSU. When a student has an AA degree from a 2 year school in Oklahoma, general education requirements are met. Social Work prerequisite courses must be taken prior to admission into the social work major.

Only the Registrar and Dean of Social and Behavioral Sciences have the authority to accept courses for transfer; social work advisors are bound by their decisions.

Social Work courses taken in another four-year BSW program accredited by the Council on Social Work Education may be accepted as equivalencies to social work major courses. No required social work course(s) will be accepted from a non-accredited Social Work Program except Introduction to Social Work, Human Behavior and the Social Environment I,  and advanced social work electives.

NSU will accept course work from accredited Social Work Programs as follows:
•    Introduction to Social Work, advanced electives, and comparable junior level course(s). No senior level course(s) will be accepted (our senior year core courses must be taken as part of the 30 hours required for NSU residence and requirement that 50% (27 hrs) of the major must be taken at NSU).
•    Equivalencies will be determined by the social work faculty on a course-by-course basis.  If social work courses taken in another institution are accepted for transfer by the registrar but are NOT found to be equivalent to NSU courses, the courses may be counted as electives.

For other policies, please see the University catalog, section III.

PRE-SOCIAL WORK AND BACHELOR OF SOCIAL WORK ADVISEMENT

Students declare the Pre-Social Work major in the Social Work Department office, located on the Tahlequah campus in Seminary Hall Room 321 or on the Broken Arrow campus in Bldg C Room 152.  The student should see an advisor at that time if it is during an enrollment period. The department secretary creates a student file for the new student's advisor.  A Pre-Social Work degree plan will then be prepared by the department secretary and approved by the department chair.  The student should return to the office approximately three weeks after declaring the major in order to sign and obtain a copy of her/his degree plan.  At that time, the student should make an appointment with her/his advisor, who will also receive a copy of the degree plan, in order to discuss the degree plan and to determine how the student will complete the program in a timely manner.  Once signed by the student, the degree plan is sent to the Office of Admissions and Records, where it is maintained thereafter.

During the pre-social work advisement process, the advisor discusses with the students their professional goals and the students' understanding of their suitability for the social work profession.  The student's degree plan and college transcripts provide consistent academic information to assist accurate planning of their progression through the program.  

Once students have completed the admission requirements, they are required to make formal application as a social work major.  The admission process was previously described and the application packet can be found in the Appendix.   Upon acceptance, the student's degree plan designation is changed from Pre-Social Work to Bachelor of Social Work.  A letter of official acceptance into the program is sent to the student.  Students not accepted into the program are informed by letter and requested to make an appointment with their advisors.

All students are required to meet with their advisors at least once each semester.  Faculty have a minimum of eight weekly office hours posted for advisement sessions.  Each semester letters of concern are sent to all social work students who fall below a 2.5 in their social work courses and graduate/retention GPA.  These students are required to meet with their advisors.

The faculty are committed to the responsibilities of advising the diverse social work student population that is attracted to our regional university.  The Social Work Department enjoys this diverse, multi-cultural student body with its unique strengths and challenges. 

When appropriate, advisors inform and refer students to the NSU Counseling and Career Center, the Literacy Center, the Writing Lab, the Office of Multi-Cultural Services, the Financial Aid Office, the Student Health Center, and other university services.  Faculty confine their role in advisement to those issues germane to student academic needs.

FIELD PRACTICUM

The Practicum Coordinator or faculty representative visits the Practice I class to inform students of the practicum requirements and procedures.  Application procedures for practicum  are clearly outlined in the Field Practicum Manual.   A directory of approved practicum agencies is kept and maintained by the Practicum Coordinator.   Assignments to practicum agencies will be made to take student interests into account.  Ultimately, however, placement will be made according to the educational needs of the student, and the educational opportunities available in approved agencies.  The final decision rests with the Practicum Coordinator and faculty.   Once they are accepted into a practicum, students receive professional guidance from their practicum supervisor and the faculty-field liaison who guides them through the semester.  All social work students are assigned to social service agencies for field experience as generalist social workers. 

NO EXEMPTIONS from practicum will be given.  Life/work experience credit is not given for social work practicum.  Only social work majors may take practicum courses.

All students enrolled in field practicum will be required to carry professional liability insurance.  The student is responsible for providing to the Practicum Coordinator evidence of insurance or financial responsibility at the prescribed level prior to enrollment in the practicum.

For additional information, please see the Field Practicum Manual which is available on-line at the department's web page.

OFFICIAL FINAL DEGREE CHECK

The final degree check is a document which tells you exactly what courses and requirements you must meet in order to earn your degree.  You should have 85 hours already completed before submitting this form.  This should allow time for you to plan your course work in order to graduate as scheduled.  Only one final degree check is done unless you change your major.

PROCEDURES FOR TERMINATION OF ENROLLMENT
IN THE BSW PROGRAM

Enrollment in the NSU BSW program may be terminated for the following reasons:

1.    Failure of student to maintain a satisfactory GPA.
2.    Failure to meet expectations in the social work program.
(See Section on Counseling Out)
3.    Violations of the University Code of Student Conduct. (See University Catalog Student Disciplinary Regulations, section II, Student Life.)       

According to University policy, a student on scholastic probation is given one semester to raise his/her GPA to a satisfactory level.  If the GPA is not raised satisfactorily in one semester, the student is placed on enforced scholastic withdrawal.  (See catalog Retention Standards, section V, Academic Information.)

COUNSELING OUT

"Counseling out" is a term used to describe discontinuing a student's enrollment in the social work program.  In most cases, the decision to discontinue a student as a social work major is considered permanent.  In certain circumstances, a student may be counseled out with specific remedial steps to be taken before formal re-application to the program may be made.

A student may be counseled out of the program on recommendation by a faculty member, field instructor or a participating practicum agency.  The recommendation is made to the Social Work Department Chair.  All faculty familiar with the student's performance must be consulted prior to this action being taken.  A formal vote of the faculty is required to initiate such a process.

The justifications for counseling out include, but are not limited to the following:
 
1.    Poor Academic Performance.  If grade requirements are not met, or if a student fails to demonstrate that grade deficiencies can be corrected within a reasonable time, or if a student participates in academic misconduct, a recommendation to counsel the student out of the program may be made.

2.    Chronic Absenteeism.  Unexcused absences which form a pattern that makes effective learning and discharge of  responsibilities impossible, constitute a legitimate basis for counseling out.

3.     Unprofessional Behavior.  Consistent behavior that has been identified as being in violation of the NASW Code of Ethics (see Appendix) is a legitimate basis for counseling out.

4.     Assaultive or Threatening Behavior.  Behavior that is directed at clients, colleagues, or instructors, and that does not respond to warnings or efforts of remediation, is cause for counseling out.

5.    Behavior Damaging to Clients.  Habitual hostility, disparaging remarks, violations of client confidentiality, ridicule of clients, and related behaviors which do not change in response to warnings or efforts at remediation shall be a basis for counseling out.

6.    Persistent Ineffectiveness in Work with Clients.  When the student, whether due to emotional immaturity, personal prejudice, resistance to learning, inability to complete assigned tasks, or a persistent incapacity for mastering the necessary skills for interpersonal helping, is repeatedly unable to demonstrate minimal levels of effective performance and gives no evidence of progress in working with clients, including violation of practicum agency policy, constitutes a legitimate basis for counseling out.

STUDENTS HAVE THE RIGHT OF APPEAL FOR THE COUNSELING OUT PROCESS THROUGH THE IDENTIFIED GRIEVANCE PROCEDURES OF THE SOCIAL WORK PROGRAM AND UNIVERSITY.