The Social Work 50^th Year celebration was scheduled on Friday the 13^th of June. It was a lovely evening to celebrate our BSW Social Work Program having the longest continuous Council on Social Work Accreditation in the State of Indiana and acknowledging we are among the largest undergraduate programs in the country. Of course, we were also celebrating the success of our MSW program which began in the Fall of 2019.”
We enjoyed meeting with past students, emeriti faculty, community/campus friends, colleagues and family members. The rain certainly did not deter our wonderful celebration as we moved indoors to a buffet of great foods, gorgeous fresh flower decorations and delightful musical entertainment, from the Mason + Vaughn Project, a two piece musical due featuring guitarists, Mikey Mason, and Ryan Vaughn.

Entering my 39th year at Ball State University, I have been privileged to work in a department with a strong sense of community and colleagues with rich experiences and expertise. Personally, I truly value the network of relationships I have built with colleagues and staff from other BSU departments and services. Our department has often provided leadership at both the state and national levels through organizations such the National Association of Social Workers, the Council on Social Work Education, Baccalaureate Social Work Program Directors and Indiana Association for Social Work Education. We enjoy an ongoing tradition of strong connections to alumni and the practice community.

In considering my time at BSU, my great joy has been to celebrate our history and follow the careers of our graduates over the years. In fact, I recently had the opportunity to have lunch with a former student with a highly successful private practice in Indianapolis and dinner with another graduate, a dynamic social worker at IU Ball Hospital. This summer, a former BSW graduate is returning for her MSW after 20 years of work and life experience. How fun to catch up with their lives. Our graduates are leaders with the Department of Child Services, Open Door and Ivy Tech.

Personally, I remain interested in continued curriculum development, service learning, disability services and Interprofessional Education and Practice with the College of Health. We look forward to the next 50 years continuing to build upon our current success.
If you’d like to learn more about the Department of Social Work and our programs you can visit our website.