The Mission of the School of Social Work at Carleton University
At the School of Social Work, we are committed to academic excellence and to promoting equity and social justice. Students are actively engaged in academic, practical and professional skill and knowledge development in preparation for their future roles as competent and accountable social workers and advocates of progressive social change. We continue to build relationships and alliances with the larger social work/welfare community in the Ottawa area.
The social work programs at Carleton University are based on the structural approach to social work. This approach provides a framework for critically engaging with, and analyzing, social work knowledge, social work practice and social policy development. It is based on an understanding of how economic, social, political and legislative contexts shape individual, community and societal problems. At the School of Social Work, we promote the development of innovative social work practices directed toward advancing equity and social justice as well as individual and societal change. Through this approach, students are being prepared to address injustices and inequities in a range of roles. This may be working directly with individuals, families and communities. It may also be working indirectly on addressing social justice in, and through, government and civil society organizations.
At the School of Social Work we are committed to the principles of educational equity as articulated in our Education Equity Statement, and to a collaborative teaching and learning environment among students, faculty, administrative staff and the community. Students are involved in the governance of the School and are members of School Committees. Working co-operatively and collectively may mean that diverse ideas and perspectives are brought forward which may lead to disagreement, uncertainty and conflict–standard parts of learning and growing. How we deal with disagreement and conflict is a central part of learning, particularly for students preparing to enter the complex world of social work. As members of the School, we strive to resolve conflict constructively and fairly and we actively promote an environment of professional conduct that is in line with the Code of Ethics developed by our professional body, the Canadian Association of Social Workers. The code includes respect and high levels of civility among students, faculty, administrative staff and our community partners.
Mission Statement on Education Equity
Preamble
Educational equity recognizes the structural inequalities in society that result in differential access to, and differential distribution of, power (economic, political, social, and cultural) for groups of people. The School operates on the principle that amelioration of structural inequalities is at the heart of social work practice. To affirm its commitment, the School has adopted a Mission Statement on Educational Equity.
Education Equity Statement
The School of Social Work has an expressed commitment to the principles of education equity for persons from groups who historically have been disadvantaged by systems, structures and ideologies that have privileged some groups over others resulting in differential access to education. Particular emphasis is placed on reconciliation to redress the historic and contemporary burdens of colonialism borne by Indigenous peoples. We are also concerned about educational equity for those groups impacted by relations of racism, ageism, sexism, anti-Black racism, ableism, classism, heterosexism, cisnormativity, anti-Semitism, Islamophobia and/or xenophobia.
In response to these structural impediments the School affirms the principle that individuals from all groups should have the opportunity to learn and to contribute in an environment that supports, encourages and incorporates their knowledge, insights, and perspectives into our curriculum.
From the School’s perspective, education equity is a structural issue requiring an ongoing rigorous review of established norms and practices and the assumptions and values that underlay them. Education equity is consistent with, and necessary for, achieving principles of academic excellence and practice competence. The School of Social Work recognizes that is an ongoing process of development to which we are committed.