Monday, November 30, 1998
Social welfare program ailing, critics say
MERGER: Restructuring has harmed department, graduate students
claim
By Natasha Behbahany
Daily Bruin Contributor
In February, graduate students in the Department of Social
Welfare decided to speak up about the quality of their
education.
Then, a report to the faculty focused on the students’ concern
that the quality and number of courses was suffering due to
restructuring, and students say that now, 10 months later, no
progress has been made.
"Social welfare is a program where you aren’t prepared when you
leave, but I do expect to have more basic knowledge," said Cynthia
Halpin, a second-year graduate student in the department.
Halpin’s concern stems from problems the department faced soon
after merging with the School of Public Policy and Social Research
in 1994.
In particular, Halpin said she noticed a lack of communication
between administrators, and a reduction in the number of classes
offered.
But though the number of classes has dropped, the content has
not changed, said James Lubben, chairman of the department.
By installing what Lubben called a "currency exchange," two
courses were condensed as one, making social welfare courses worth
four unit instead of two.
"We are offering solid courses; we are just packaging them in
different units," said Lubben.
Part of students’ concerns involving courses is that many
courses have been refocused toward policy issues as a result of the
merger. According to Lubben, one-third of the students take these
policy courses.
However, students say this refocusing leaves some like Amanda
Harshbarger out in the cold. Harshbarger, a second-year social
welfare graduate student, said there are now fewer choices in
clinical courses, which offer field work with families and
children.
However, she noted UCLA is not alone in taking such an
approach.
Lubben agreed, noting that there is a nationwide trend involving
the growth of the social welfare industry. "The merger (with public
policy) has opened new opportunities which will provide an
interdisciplinary look at things," he said.
Harshbarger said faculty members have taken steps to hear their
concerns.
"Their hands are tied because there is no money, but they have
responded," she said.
The administration has held town-hall meetings where staff and
students voiced their concerns. "We are sensitive to what students
think and we welcome input," Lubben said.
Communication is also maintained through "Chat with the Chair,"
where students can send instant on-line messages to Lubben to voice
their concerns.
With open communication and the pressure of an upcoming
accreditation, the faculty has recently reviewed the entire
curriculum in an attempt to gain balance, Lubben said.
In addition, two additional professors have been recruited to
alleviate the "exodus of professors" to early retirement a few
years ago, Lubben said.
Despite this ongoing transition, the school remains one of the
most selective, accepting only one-third of applicants.
"Our mission is to develop an empirical base for social work and
train future leaders," Lubben said.
In the most recent Licensed Clinical Social Worker exam, 100
percent of UCLA test takers passed the written portion of the exam
on their first try. However, only 32 percent passed the oral exam,
with 19 percent passing on the first try.
Compared with universities such as USC and California State
University, Long Beach, which have similar programs, UCLA scores
lag behind in oral exam-taking skills.
Lubben discredits the oral results, calling them "flukey." He
said the oral exam is unreliable and is under scrutiny by the state
legislature.
Lubben, however, remains optimistic at the program’s future
development.
"There was tremendous suffering and pain associated with the
organizational and physical move of the department, but we are now
a ship ready to sail out to calmer waters because of these
changes," he said.
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