History

The Franciscan Friars of the Province of the Most Holy Name established Siena College in 1937. Two years later, in 1939, the college began offering courses in Social Work.

Today the Social Work Program enrolls approximately (45-55) social work majors, and provides courses to several hundred other students. The Program employs five full-time faculty/staff members and several adjunct professors with diverse teaching and professional practice experience, who are committed to providing a high-quality professional Social Work education experience.

Check out the highlights and the developmental milestones of the Social Work Program at Siena College:

History of Social Work

The first Social Work courses are offered under the Department if Social Sciences and History. These courses include: Social casework (with fieldwork), Principals of Social Insurance, Social Pathology, and Family and Community Organization

The Department adds the course Public Welfare Administration

The Social Science forum is established as an extracurricular activity to provide speakers, field trips, and activities for students.

The college offers the course " Introduction to Social Welfare and Field Experience"

The Department of Social Sciences begins to list two disciplines: Sociology and Social Work

The Social Work Program is among the first group of BSW programs to be granted "Approved" status by the Council of Social Work Education. ( Approved status was granted accrediting such programs)

The Sociology Department offers the first "concentration" in Social Work consisting of sociology courses and the following new social work courses: "Field of Social Work , Basic Field Experience, Advanced Field Experience, and the Skills in Social Work

The College catalog reflects inclusion of Social Work within a combined department of Sociology and Social Work. Courses are also offered in "Social Work Treatment, "Social Group Work " and "Social Practice I and II" .

The Department adds courses in "Social Welfare Policy and Services and Human Behavior and Social Environment"

The Department adds courses in "Independent Study in Social Work" and "Special Topics in Social Work"

A separate Department of Social Work is created. The "Social Work Research" is added in the curriculum.

Social Work Program is granted accreditation status by the Council on Social Work Education (CSWE).

The Program is granted reaffirmation of accredited status by CSWE.

the Delta Upsilon Chapter of the Phi Alpha Honor Society for Social Work Majors is formed.

The Social Work Program Advisory Board is Formed.

Program is again granted reaffirmation of accredited status by CSWE.

Diverse elective courses continue to be developed and offered, including: "Grief, Loss, Death and the Dying Process"; "Domestic Violence"; ' Social Work Practice'; Drugs and Alcohol"; "Social Work and the Native American Experience and Death: Exploring the Final Frontier"

The Advisory Board authorizes creation of the Social Work Scholarship .

The Social Work Department celebrates its 30th Anniversary.

The Social Work Program was granted reaccreditation.

Department made revisions to Program Mission Statement, Program Goals, and Objectives, Withdrawal Policy, and Termination Policy, Evaluation of Student Performance in Field Form, Analysis of Outcome Data and update of the Program's Assessment Plan.

The Course SWRK 301 was renamed from Service Requirement to Junior Internship by the College Board of Instruction.

The Program participated in the College Honors Program offering honors courses including a section of SWRK 100 a "Introduction to Social Welfare" and SWRK 466 "Advocacy and Activism".

The Social Work Program awarded the first two scholarships from the Social Work Endowed Scholarship.