ASSESSMENT PLAN
Revised 1996-1997
In conjunction with the Orientation to Social Welfare course, SOWK 172, students fulfill
40 hours of volunteer experience at a human service agency. An evaluation instrument
administered by the agency supervisor and a report by the student assess the experience.
In conjunction with the Introduction to
Social Welfare course, students fulfill 40 hours of volunteer experience at a human
service agency. An evaluation instrument administered by the agency supervisor and a
report by the student assess the experience. |
1999-2000 ASSESSMENT
The students in SOWK 172 completed over 2,300 hours of volunteer experience in the
community during the academic year. The students are required to report and critique their
activities 4 times during the semester and write a final evaluation at the end. Agency
personnel also complete an evaluation at the end of the semester. This year we used
several new agencies as volunteer placement sites. The agency evaluations were generally
positive however one of the new agencies commented that the students needed more clearly
defined boundaries. Students from that agency also noted that they were not clear of their
role in the agency. The faculty member who teaches the course will work to provide a more
comprehensive understanding between the students and the agency for all new agencies.
Also, beginning Spring 2000 the students were required to complete 60 hours of volunteer
work. |
1998-99 ASSESSMENT
The SOWK 172 course was offered both semesters with the students completing over 2,200
volunteer hours in the community. The evaluations from the agency personnel were positive
and students reported an increased ability to determine if social work was a good fit for
a major. Agency personnel were complementary of the work ethic and integrity of the
students. With SOWK 172 a separate course, the instructor was able to keep current with
the experiences of the students and integrate the experiences into the course. |
1997-98 ASSESSMENT
For the Spring 1998 semester a new course SOWK 172 was offered. As a part of that course,
students completed 40 hours of volunteer experience in a human service agency in the
community. This replaces the 40 hours of volunteer experience completed in SOWK 170. The
number of volunteer hours provided during the academic year exceeded 2,400 hours. The
evaluations received from agency personnel were overwhelmingly positive and many desired
to have the student continue volunteering with their agency. Relationships with
additional/new agencies were established which provides the students with more
opportunities to explore their areas of interest. |
1996-97 ASSESSMENT
During the 1996-97 academic year the Introduction to Social Welfare course enrolled 91
students who provided 3,640 volunteer hours in Kearney and the surrounding communities.
The evaluations from the agency personnel were very positive. They described students as
self-motivated, caring, responsible, and willing learners. they felt most students were
able to successfully build relationships with clients. the students' comments on their
experiences included statements such as "lead to personal growth and awareness,"
"helped me decide I wanted to pursue social work," "provided an up close
and personal look at the roles a social worker performs." The program highly values
the relationship that has been developed with the community through volunteer experience.
The Social Work Program has added a section in one of the courses, SOWK 371, that
addresses the merging of the person and the profession. It specifically includes content
on managing time commitments and avoiding burnout. |
1995-96 ASSESSMENT
During the 2995-96 academic year the Introduction to Social Welfare course enrolled 113
students who generated over 4500 volunteer hours in Kearney and surrounding communities.
The agencies where the students volunteer were appreciative and were anxious to have
volunteers in subsequent years. They described the students as caring, mature, and
dependable. The students' accounts of the volunteer experience was overwhelmingly
positive. They related that they learned reality through the experience and were able to
interact with clients. A few commented that the time commitment was "difficult,"
or that the placement was not "a good match" for them. This course activity
continues to provide a vital link between the UNK Social Work Program and the community. |
1994-95 ASSESSMENT
During the 1994-1995 academic year the Introduction to Social Welfare course enrolled 77
students who generated approximately three thousand volunteer hours in the Kearney and
surrounding communities area. The strengths in this pool of students lies in their
willingness to volunteer and beyond the 40 hours required. Many continue to volunteer
throughout their college career. They seem to take more responsibility and interest in
social issues and have a good expectation related to the different service systems they
interact with. The weaknesses don't necessarily relate to student abilities but more to
the social reality. Students seem to work more hours to support their education which
interferes with putting their education as a priority. It seems that the increasing social
expectation to work and do all a student can do, leads to less balance and a high burnout
among students. This has implications on their career expectations for later on. We have a group of highly motivated and hard
working individuals who are more likely to take responsibility for their education and
become involved. By the same token they need more flexibility in their program in order to
help them achieve their goals. We need to create a mentoring system or support group for
our students so they can receive empowerment from their peers. The more flexible class
schedule will help as well. |
1993-94 ASSESSMENT
This group of students were responsible and mature. They exhibited appropriate
interactions with the agencies. The volunteer experience continues to provide an excellent
link between UNK and the community. |
