Department of Social Work Mission

We change lives by graduating social work professionals who value and advocate for diversity, inclusion, and justice.

Department of Social Work Goals

The EKU Department of Social Work promotes inclusion, diversity, and equity in our teaching and interactions with the community. An essential part of this stance includes denouncing the racism and injustice that is woven into our country’s history. We commit to continual growth and action through intersectional, anti-racism education and professional development, and we work to address systemic oppression and other forms of inequities with the goal of helping individuals and groups achieve their full potential.

We stand with and by our students, staff, faculty, and all human beings who feel marginalized based upon their identity and whose needs are not being met because of those differences. We recognize there are many individuals and groups who need support to have their voices heard and conditions changed in our society to address all their needs. We, in The EKU Department of Social Work, believe in not only anti-racist social work but also anti-oppressive social work. We work to dismantle our oppressive structures and build a more just society. We are committed to supporting a safe learning community for all. A safe learning community facilitates authentic inclusion of students, faculty, and staff in critical facets of university and academic life, born out by institutional policies and practices, both formal and informal, that are responsive to and mirror diverse perspectives. Sensitivity to diverse perspectives around complex challenges that arise out of social, economic, political, environmental, and health concerns within our own institution is a model for how to engage with others outside of our learning community and the larger world.

We begin this journey by inviting social work students, faculty, and staff to engage in critical conversations around what policies and practices are needed to strengthen inclusive social work education. We hope that our own efforts will be a model for change.