Review Draft

Social Work Field Meeting

October 6, 2017
Sam Bresler, Sibyl Beaulieu, Jeremy Korr, Charles Bullock

Meeting Notes and a Proposed Path Forward

I. Background and Statement of Need:

A. Brandman University is currently anticipating a significant expansion in the enrollment
of students who desire to earn undergraduate and graduate degrees in Social Work. At
present, there are 390 students in the Bachelor of Arts in Social Work (BASW) program.
In addition, on October 23, 2017, we will permit the admission of students into a new
Master of Social Work (MSW) degree program, which is scheduled to launch during the
Fall 1, 2018 session. Those Masters-level students who are admitted prior to August,
2018 are immediately permitted to work on their practicum placement process.
Moreover, existing Social Work faculty will be needed to support these students with
their practicum placements, including the time-consuming process of working with
agencies on student placements, site arrangements and agreements. We currently
project that approximately 150 students are likely to matriculate in the MSW program in
2018-19, and that these students will likely be drawn from our existing BASW student
population, as well as from prospective students who would matriculate solely to obtain
the MSW degree. As a result, it is possible that the total number of students
matriculating in the MSW program in 2018-19, including those admitted during 2017-18
and promptly engaging in the practicum placement process, will significantly exceed 150
students. In addition to proceeding with the required steps to achieve accreditation of
the MSW program, we are also moving through the process of securing
reaccreditation/reaffirmation of our BASW program.
B. The expected growth and development of both Social Work degree programs requires
the creation of a flexible, scalable staffing model encompassing both staff and faculty,
including the potential, eventual establishment of an Associate Dean role. The staffing
model would be applied to establish a core team of full-time faculty, staff and
administrators who would support the Social Work Degree Programs at both the
undergraduate and graduate level, encompassing theory courses and field experience.
Necessary steps in the creation of this staffing model are outlined immediately below:

II. Staffing Model Development Project Execution – A Preliminary Step

A. Competitive Analysis: To understand how similar undergraduate and graduate degree
programs in Social Work are staffed and managed, an initial step would be to engage
the Office of Institutional Research and Planning in a competitive analysis, where
information could be obtained regarding the number of students served within the
undergraduate and graduate Social Work programs of those institutions. In addition,
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within those institutions, information would be obtained regarding the number, roles
and responsibilities of graduate and, where applicable, undergraduate Social Work
faculty and staff, as well as part-time/adjunct faculty where applicable. This analysis
would also include a review of organization charts where available, along with financial
metrics addressing tuition costs, the ratio of students to faculty and field staff (at both
the undergraduate and graduate level, where feasible) as well as any additional fees and
their basis of those fees (e.g., placement fees). Institutions proposed for review include
the following:
a. Western Governors University
b. Arizona State University
c. Walden University Commented [JLK1]: Note that while Walden's MSW
d. Capella University program is CSWE-accredited, its BSW program is early in the
CSWE accreditation process, so its BSW organizational
e. University of Southern California (USC’s Suzanne Dworak-Peck School of Social structure may not yet be fully built out.
Work offers its MSW degree online).
Commented [SB2]: Humboldt State has both a BASW
(online) and MSW (blended) degree program that may be a
good one to examine. They are listed as one of the top 10
online BSW programs
III. Staffing Model Development Project Execution -- Subsequent Steps (https://thebestschools.org/rankings/best-online-bachelor-
A. Refine Enrollment Projections: Following a review of the staffing, structure, social-work-degree-programs/). Most of the schools listed
programmatic and financial information obtained through the competitor analysis, it also have MSW degree programs.
will be necessary to obtain updated FY 2018-2019 Enrollment projections for both the
BASW and MSW programs from the Office of Academic Affairs, either from the Provost
or Dean (or both), possibly the Budget Office, and perhaps other sources within the
University.
B. Consult the CSWE Commission on Accreditation/Commission on Educational Policy
Educational Policy and Accreditation Standards for Baccalaureate and Master’s Social
Work Programs (2015 EPAS): This resource, in conjunction with the enrollment
projections, will provide valuable information regarding required faculty staffing levels
for accreditation purposes.
C. Engage in Budgetary Modeling and Create a Desired-State Staffing Model: Ongoing
conversations with the Assistant Vice Chancellor and Chief Budget Officer, using the
information obtained from Section II A and Sections III A and B above will enable us to
model from a budgetary perspective how we might approach the establishment of a
desired-state staffing model. We would need to begin by confirming those positions of
greatest hiring or reclassification urgency (either newly established or current positions
that would be modified with additional/alternative responsibilities), since budgetary
constraints may not enable us to hire all desired positions at the beginning of the FY
2018-2019 year. Job descriptions and associated hiring ranges must therefore be
created for those newly established and/or modified positions considered as most
important to fill at the beginning of the next fiscal year. Additionally to be identified
would be other key positions that could be hired later in the fiscal year, should
budgetary constraints require this action, as well as an appropriate workflow to support
both the undergraduate and graduate Social Work degree programs. To date, a specific
need has been expressed to increase the number of BASW/MSW faculty, as well as field-
focused administrators/staff. In addition to the projected salary and benefits costs of

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these positions, other faculty-related costs (along with space, equipment and other
associated costs) would also need to be identified during the modeling process,
including professional development and related expenses required to acquire or
maintain program accreditation.

IV. Project Planning – Key Tasks and Timeframes

A. Confirm Statement of Need and Key Project Phases (Charles, Jeremy and Sam) – Week
of October 16, 2017
B. Meet with Hadassah Yang to launch the Competitive Analysis phase – October 16, 2017
(Charles, Sam, Hadassah)
C. Meet with Cristi Kim to begin the process of obtaining a budgetary model for Social
Work faculty and staff – October 16, 2017 (and periodically thereafter until the
beginning of the formal budgeting process) (Charles, Sam and Cristi)
D. Complete Competitive Analysis (Hadassah and Team) – October 30, 2017
E. Obtain Updated Social Work Bachelors and Masters-level Enrollment Projections
(Charles and Sam, from Jeremy and Others as Designated) – November 6, 2017
F. Consult the Commission on Accreditation/Commission on Educational Policy Educational
Policy and Accreditation Standards for Baccalaureate and Master’s Social Work
Programs (Sam, Jeremy, Sibyl and, as desired, Charles) – November 6, 2017
G. Develop preliminary draft of desired-state staffing model, including draft job
descriptions and proposed hiring salary ranges, encompassing social work faculty and
staff (Jeremy, Sibyl and Sam)– November 2015, 2017
H. Jeremy, Sibyl and Sam present initial draft of Social Work staffing model to Charles –
November 2116, 2017
I. Jeremy, Sibyl and Sam refine Social Work staffing model following Charles’ review –
November 22-2917-29, 2017 Commented [JLK3]: I will be on vacation November 20-24.
J. Jeremy, Sibyl and Sam review second draft of Social Work staffing model with Charles – Can we back up the dates for this steps as I've suggested?
November 30, 2017
K. If needed, Jeremy, Sibyl and Sam further refine Social Work staffing model and present
to Charles for final review – December 6, 2017
L. Job descriptions (and appropriate hiring salary ranges) for approved positions are
finalized (Sam, with support from Jeremy and, as appropriate, Sibyl) and presented to
Charles – December 1814, 2017 Commented [JLK4]: Faculty (including Sibyl) are on
M. Final Social Work staffing model and costs are incorporated into Academic Affairs vacation starting December 18. Can we back this date to
December 14 to resolve this key step before the Fall 2
fiscal/budgetary planning (Charles) – January, 2018 session concludes?

SOCIAL WORK FIELD MEETING NOTES OCTOBER 6 2017 – SAM BRESLER 3