The COVID-19 pandemic remains a health and mental health crisis. We are so proud of our faculty, staff, and students who continue to maintain their value-and ethic-based commitment for the good of our communities. Throughout the Summer, our faculty continued their promise to provide student- and client-centered educational opportunities. Our students maintained their vow to grow as future leaders in the field.

The pandemic is a crisis of social injustice, inequitably affecting vulnerable and marginalized populations (Council on Social Work Education, CSWE, 2020). Despite the various hurdles and uncertainties of our current landscape, our faculty, staff, and students remained strength-based, innovative, and resilient. We all adjusted to new teaching and learning modalities, discovered ways for engaging in virtual spaces, and showed ingenuity in our approach towards assignments and course resources.

We also saw tremendous growth from our students facing a new style of education. Our students improved in their time management, sought new ways to keep motivated, and battled through various degrees of discomfort with online learning. The efforts of our students illustrate to the world the courage and perseverance that defines Ball State University. From May through July, we remained steadfast in being leaders in bachelor of social work and masters of social work education. This led to numerous students maintaining progress toward their degree and over 35 new graduates.

On behalf of our faculty and staff, we hope you find inspiration in our department’s journey and are doing your part to protect the safety of our communities.