Social Work Program accredited until 2016

By Sarah Schuch

Edited by Meredith Mayberry, Amanda Crabtreee and Kelly Morse

The Social Work Program at Central Michigan University received an extended accreditation until 2016.

Without the accreditation, students getting their Bachelor of Social Work Degree would not be able to become a licensed social worker in the state of Michigan, said Susan Grettenberger, professor for the sociology, anthropology and social work department.

“The accreditation is really critical,” she said. “Without it they might as well not run the program.”

If the program was not accredited students could get a job but they couldn’t call themselves social workers.

The accreditation regulates and helps improve the program as a whole, Grettenberger said.

The initial accreditation in 2004 was almost like a test trial and was only good for four years.

During the four years they were told more than once by the Council on Social Work Education how they could further improve the program.

A very extensive review of the program was done before the extended accreditation.

Grettenberger said she had to explain to the council point by point how the program was working. She discussed every class, the faculty, experiences and relationships with the community, among other things.

The paper to the council was more than 60 pages, singled spaced, by the time Grettenberger was done with it.

The accreditation gave the faculty an opportunity to sit down and go over the curriculum. There is more consistency with the accreditation and a whole curriculum to work with, Grettenberger said.

“It helps CMU to have another professional program,” she said.

The students are more prepared after graduation.

Grettenberger said students from an accredited university program can go anywhere in the United States and the employers will know what they are getting. The requirements for the students are the same in all accredited social work corriculums, so it will be known right away what the students are capable of.