ESU Social Work Program in the College of Arts & Sciences Receives National Accreditation

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Posted by: admin on July 20, 2015, No Comments

East Stroudsburg University of Pennsylvania’s Bachelor of Science in social work (BSSW) program in the department of sociology, social work and criminal justice, College of Arts & Sciences, received official notification today that it has been granted Initial Accreditation for the next four years by the Council on Social Work Education (CSWE), the only accrediting body for social work education in the U.S. The CSWE Commission on Accreditation (COA) decision at its June 2015 meeting to grant Initial Accreditation concluded ESU’s 42-month Candidacy/Initial Accreditation process that required social work program submission of annual benchmark and self-study reports, annual campus site visits by CSWE Commissioners, and annual reviews by the COA.

“We are excited and honored to have successfully completed the extensive CSWE initial accreditation process that requires meeting demanding accreditation standards for more than a three-year period” said John Kraybill-Greggo, Ph.D., MSW, LSW, ACSW, Social Work Program Director, associate professor and chair of sociology, social work & criminal justice.

“We have a noteworthy social work program at ESU, and this accreditation confirms the excellence of both our program and our faculty. This accreditation affirms our students are getting a great education in the field of social work,” ESU’s President Marcia G. Welsh, Ph.D., said

Attaining initial accreditation benefits ESU social work students in significant ways as graduates are now eligible, with an accredited undergraduate social work degree, to apply for advanced standing into Master of Social Work (MSW) Programs–meaning that they can potentially complete their MSW in one year instead of two years. Additionally, ESU social work graduates are also eligible to apply for baccalaureate level social work licensure in numerous states, including Pennsylvania, which enacted BSW licensure in late-2014 and is currently developing regulations.

“Achieving this milestone also benefits the regional community by providing a larger pool of generalist social work practitioners who have been trained in an accredited program with a competency-based curriculum and are prepared to address increasingly complex community needs” said Dr. Kraybill-Greggo.

For additional information about the ESU Bachelor of Science in social work program, contact Dr. Kraybill-Greggo at 570-422-3844.