Department of Social Work Reaccredited through 2032
EKU’s Bachelor of Social Work (BSW) program has officially received reaffirmation of accreditation from the Council on Social Work Education (CSWE) for the next eight years, extending through 2032.
This outstanding achievement reflects the department’s ongoing commitment to excellence in education, student success and professional preparation in the field of social work.
Adding to the celebration, Department Chair Stephanie Saulnier shared that, for the first time since becoming an independent department, neither of the programs are in an accreditation process—a remarkable milestone for the faculty and staff. The BSW program has experienced consistent growth in all formats including in-person on the Richmond, Ky. campus. The fully asynchronous online program, as well as the hybrid format at other Kentucky campuses in Corbin, Manchester and Somerset, have also experienced growth. In fact, enrollment has more than doubled since 2017.
The fully online MSW program has likewise increased exponentially since the launch in 2020, attracting students from across the country but especially serving students in EKU’s service region.
Congratulations to the entire team for their dedication and hard work!
ASL & Interpreter Education Joins CLASS
The American Sign Language and Interpreter Education (ASLIE) programs have officially joined the College of Letters, Arts, and Social Sciences (CLASS) under the Department of Language & Cultural Studies, Anthropology, and Sociology, led by Abbey Poffenberger, Ph.D.
American Sign Language (ASL) is the indigenous language of culturally Deaf people across North America, recognized as a complete and natural language with its own grammar, lexicon and rich cultural roots. ASL signers from the Deaf community consider themselves to be members of a linguistic minority and their shared visual language is the heart of their unique visual culture. The ASLIE programs at EKU honor this heritage while preparing students to bridge communication and culture through language and service.
The department offers both a bachelor’s in ASL & English Interpretation, which prepares students to become professional interpreters, and a minor in ASL Studies, which equips students with bilingual communication skills for careers in education, healthcare, social services and more.
Nationally accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Interpreter Education (CCIE), EKU’s ASLIE program is one of only 15 CCIE-accredited programs in the United States. Graduates work across Kentucky, and nationwide, in places like the Kentucky School for the Deaf, Kentucky Commission for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing, Kentucky Office of Vocational Rehabilitation, for-profit interpreter referral agencies and independent freelance employment.
For more than 30 years, the EKU Interpreter Outreach Program has also advanced the field through grants from the Kentucky Department of Education, providing training and professional development for interpreters, school personnel and families of Deaf and Hard of Hearing students.
“Our success stems from creating an immersive ASL learning environment led by authentic members of the Deaf community who are passionate about preparing highly competent interpreters,” said Danny Roush, Department of Language & Cultural Studies, Anthropology & Sociology.
CLASS is proud to welcome the ASLIE programs and their dedicated faculty and students to our community of scholars and educators.
Celebrating 40 Years of the Bluegrass Regional High School Art Exhibit
The Art Education Program in EKU’s School of Art & Design is proud to host the 40th Annual Bluegrass Regional High School Art Exhibit, spotlighting the creativity and talent of regional high school artists. Ilona Skezely, Ph.D., who has been with EKU since 2019, organizes this annual event. She was awarded National Higher Education Art Educator Award for Kentucky in 2019, and has recently published The Art Teacher’s Guide to Exploring Art and Design in the Community, underscoring her dedication to nurturing artistic growth.
The exhibition will take place March 17-27, 2026, in the Giles Gallery at the EKU Center for the Arts, featuring approximately 50 student awardees across a variety of media and techniques. In addition, more than 200 student artists will showcase their work in a virtual exhibition.
An opening reception will be held on Friday, March 27, from 6-8 p.m. EDT, where visitors can meet the artists and their teachers. In celebration of the exhibit’s 40th year, special events will take place throughout the building.
Bluegrass Regional High School Art Exhibit is free and open to the public, Monday-Friday, 9 a.m.-4:30 p.m. EDT, and is made possible through the generous support of the Kentucky Art Education Association, the School of Art & Design (SoAD), the Institute for Creative and Collaborative Arts (ICCA), and the College of Letters, Arts, and Social Sciences (CLASS).
Learn more about EKU’s Art Education Program.