Repository: UIHistories Project: Board of Trustees Minutes - 1944 [PAGE 72]

EXTRACTED TEXT FROM PAGE:

1942]

UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS

69

(3) The meetings of the administrative committee and of the teaching faculty are too informal with possibly too much freedom given the chairman. (4) T h e chairman of the administrative committee is not technically trained in social work and has not been aggressive enough in recruiting students. (5) T h e courses in the curriculum contain too much material drawn from other departments, particularly from Sociology. (6) Extension courses are a mistake, and in the end the student suffers. b. Conditions pertinent to this territory at this time period: (1) F o u r other schools of social work in the mid-west have gone out of existence within the very recent past: University of Wisconsin, University of Iowa, Northwestern University, University of Cincinnati. (2) These conditions unfavorable to schools of social work even at a time when social workers are more in demand a r e : ( a ) Unwillingness of students to remain in college for an additional one or two years' professional training in social work when other professions, such as teaching, are open to them upon completion of four years of college work, (b) Demands of the war and of war industries. 2. Advice is given "that the present curriculum be discontinued." Note: This is the same procedure recommended to the Board at its January 24, 1942, meeting (see Section I, item 3, above). 3. The essential features of a complete School of Social W o r k are suggested: a. Full-time director, technically trained and experienced in social work and administrative procedure. b. Curriculum including class and field work instruction in all the chief branches of social work, such as family case work (the almost sole emphasis of the existing curriculum), group work, medical social work, and psychiatric social work. (It might be added that some good schools include also public health nursing, social work research, and welfare administration.) c. Adequate instructional staff with professional training and experienced in their respective specialties, including both classroom teachers and field work supervisors. 4. Reasons for and against setting up such a school at the University of Illinois. a. F o r the University as a whole (Chicago and Urbana departments) : (1) Favorable: ( a ) The University of Illinois is the fifth largest university in the country, (b) Since it ranks among academic leaders of the nation, there is no reason why a high ranking school cannot be developed, (c) It occupies an enviable place in the affection of the citizens of Illinois, ( d ) Its leadership in many fields is accepted downstate, but more active interpretation may be needed for social work training as it is less well understood, (e) It has within its own organization many and important resources for the development of a school of social work, especially if one thinks of its embracing the professional schools, hospitals, educational and research institutions, ( f ) It has available varied and important resources of State welfare agencies and institutions, (g) It is in a very favorable position to attract and recruit through the various services and from local colleges capable young people to the profession, ( h ) The tremendous need for trained personnel in the vast Illinois welfare program, wherein trained personnel bespeaks higher standards of service as well as more efficiency and economy in their administration. (2) Unfavorable: ( a ) Four other schools in large Mid-Western Universities have recently gone out of existence, (b) T h e r e still remain many strong competing schools in the near surrounding area: University of Indiana, University of Chicago, Loyola University, Washington University, St. Louis University, University of Louisville, University of Kentucky (not yet accredited). (c) It is probably an inopportune time to establish a school at this time because of falling enrollments in well established schools, and recruiting difficulties due to men being taken out of the picture almost entirely and women's desire to enter war work with less initial study.