Liberty University



Social Work Hybrid Program Gate and Field FAQ General Program Questions1. Why is the BSSW program considered a hybrid program?This program includes both online and in-person instruction. All courses are offered in an online format with the exception of SOWK 355. This is the residential component of the program. Online students must come to LU’s campus to take this course. SOWK 355 is offered as a Winter intensive, a Summer intensive (scheduled for May 2017), and is also offered as a semester-long course during the Fall and Spring semesters. For those who plan to apply for Gate 1 and 2 in the Fall of 2016, this is the only course that you would be able to indicate that is not yet completed or in progress and you must indicate that you will take this in Winter session if you want to start junior field in this Spring. 2. What is the status of the accreditation process for the Social Work Program? The social work program at Liberty University was granted candidacy with the Council on Social Work Education in February of 2016. This means we made it through the first stage in our progress towards accreditation. This initial stage included us submitting several documents about our program as well as having a site visitor come to our campus and interview our faculty, staff, and students.We started the accreditation process in 2015 and the entire process takes 3 years to complete.?We anticipate that our program will be accredited by the Council of Social Work Education by Spring of 2018, which will be before students graduate from the program.? 3. Can I complete my field internship at my current place of employment? It is possible. The Department recognizes that some students may currently be employed at an agency that they hope to secure employment through as a social worker upon graduation. To support these students in their efforts, the Department will consider proposals from students who would like for their current place of employment to be considered as a junior and/or senior placement. The policies for employment-based placements are described in the field manual. The Department reserves the right to disapprove proposed internship plans at a student’s place of employment if the information provided about the internship does not meet all of the requirements described in the field manual. 8. How do I prepare for the comprehensive exam that students must take prior to graduation? The exam will have questions from each social work course that you take in the Social Work Program. As long as you do well in your social work courses, you should do well on the comprehensive exam. Prior to the exam, it would be helpful to review the textbooks from your social work courses. 9. If I am out of state online student, how do I complete field work? You will need to take the initiative to identify a potential agency in your local area that could serve as their field placement. We suggest dong some web searches for local agencies of interest and then contacting them to explore internship opportunities. Students should carefully review the Agency Criteria Document to ensure that they identify agencies and potential field instructors who meet the standards of the Department. This document as well as the Field Program FAQ can be provided to agencies of interest. These documents are on the field website. 10. Is Junior Field Experience and Seminar only offered during the Spring semester, and is the Senior Field Experience only offered in the Fall semester??The Junior and Senior Field Experiences and Seminar Courses will be offered in both the Spring and Fall. Registration Questions1. I am unable to find where to register for SOWK 350 and?SOWK 370. Where do I find this information?SOWK 350 will launch Spring 2017 D term. SOWK 370 will not be a course that you can register in yourself since you must pass Gates 1 and 2 prior to being eligible to take this course. Once students pass these Gates, the Department of Social Work will request that the registrar’s office register students for this course. 2. Where do I find the details about when registration is required, dates for the?class,?the total cost for SOWK 355 winter intensive? Students are able to find the registration deadlines on the Academic Calendar 2016-2017. The dates for the course are listed in ASSIST. Please keep in mind that there is pre-work and post-work involved with this intensive course.? The cost for the intensive in terms of tuition is the same as a regular 3 credit hour course. ?Students will need to figure out travel arrangements and lodging on their own. Here is information that we have on the website for hotels in the area: .? If you have more questions, please contact your Individual Advisor.Gate Application Questions 1. How do I determine when I am ready to apply to Gate 1?Review the Online Gate Process document to review the prerequisites and other requirements for Gate 1 submission. It is also advised that students work with their online advisor for assistance. 2. Will there be opportunities in the Spring and Fall to submit a Gate application? Yes. Submission due dates will be posted on the field website each semester. 3. What is the purpose of gathering the personal information requested in the Disclosure Statement Form? This information is meant to help us to provide you additional assistance in deciding on a field placement. For example, if you disclose that you grew up in a home where domestic violence occurred on a regular basis but you want to complete your internships at a domestic violence center, we would want to touch base to make sure that you’ve sought counseling to work through this trauma. If you haven’t, this may not be a wise decision for you or the clientele that you would potentially be working with.4. How does the Department determine if students have maintain satisfactory citizenship and ethical behavior, and consistently demonstrated the values of the profession? Social Work faculty are invited to complete a feedback survey on all students who submit a Gate application. 5. Can we use the social worker that we shadowed for the SOWK 135 course as a reference for our Gate application? Yes, you can use this individual as a professional reference. 6. Do we need to initiate a Gate interview with faculty at Liberty University and in what order does that come in?A representative from the Department of Social Work will contact you after your Gate application is processed to let you know if we are requesting an interview. The interview will be by skype or telephone. 7. Can you explain the possible Gate One decisions? There are several potential decisions that are made at Gate One. Students may pass through Gate One, which would mean they are officially accepted into the BSSW program. Students may receive Gate One Provisional Procession. This means that you pass pending completion of such things as the prerequisite courses that are currently in progress. Another potential outcome is to Delay Gate One Procession. Students may receive this decision if they are not further along enough in completing the Gate One requirements or there are some concerns that the Department would like for students to address prior to reevaluating the application. Last, students may be Denied Gate One Procession. Students who are denied acceptance into the BSSW program are welcome to re-apply the following semester. 8. Why do students need to submit the results of a background check with their Gate application? The purpose of completing this check is to provide the Social Work Department information that would assist us in guiding students who are social work majors. Based on the nature of what is revealed in the results (e.g. what the charge was, whether the student was convicted of the charge, etc.), students may be limited in the field internship opportunities available to them while in the social work program as well as social work career opportunities available to them post-graduation. For example, if a student was convicted for assaulting a child, he/she would have a hard time finding an agency willing to hire or have the student intern there. Completing these background checks in SOWK 101 helps the Department to identify these potential problems early and bring it to the attention of the students early enough to change their major, if necessary.11. What if I have other questions? Please send your questions to luosocialwork@liberty.edu. ................
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