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Program Leadership Policy

0. Context

The School of Social Work (SOSW) offers two degree programs: Bachelor of Social Work (BSW) and Master of Social Work (MSW). Each program has two options: a face-to-face option delivered on the Boise campus, and a fully online option delivered in partnership with eCampus. Each program, and therefore each program option, is subject to the 2022 Educational Policies and Accreditation Standards (EPAS) published by the Council on Social Work Education (CSWE), as well as the governing policies and procedures of Boise State University and the College of Health Sciences.

1. Policy Statement

The day-to-day operational management of each program option in SOSW is provided by one of four Coordinators. The responsibilities of this role and the procedures for staffing it are described in §2. In addition, one of the two Coordinators for each program has defined duties as Principal Coordinator, a role required by CSWE. The responsibilities of this role and the procedures for staffing it are described in §3.  

2. Program Option Coordinators

Coordinators are responsible for overseeing the day-to-day operations of a specific program option. Their efforts and attention are expected to be highly collaborative, working with faculty, staff, other Coordinators, the Divisional Dean, and relevant offices and individuals beyond the school.

2.1 Minimum Coordinator responsibilities 

All responsibilities are program option-specific unless otherwise noted.

  • Serve as primary contact for enrolled students regarding academic issues;
  • Be available as a resource for applicants and prospective students;
  • Participate in recruitment and promotional activities in partnership with other offices (e.g., COHS Communications and Marketing, eCampus);
  • Coordinate academic advising for current students;
  • Coordinate student orientation, community-building, and recognition events;
  • Collaborate in awarding of assistantships and scholarships;
  • Participate in hooding/cording/commencement;
  • Provide timely updates to faculty in School Council meetings and by other means as needed;
  • Collaborate with other Coordinators and the Divisional Dean in developing course schedules and recommending teaching assignments for full-time faculty, and hiring adjunct faculty as needed with assistance from administrative staff;
  • Serve as point of contact for faculty;
  • Participate in program assessment and reporting (e.g., PAR, Program Prioritization);
  • Co-chair the program-level (BSW or MSW) Admissions Committee or chair option-specific Admission Committee;
  • Co-chair the program-level (BSW or MSW) Curriculum Committee;
  • Serve on the SOSW Student Development Committee;
  • Serve on SOSW Executive Committee;
  • Coordinators overseeing online programs may have additional responsibilities relating to such things as monitoring revenue and expenses and supervising administrative staff.

2.2 Eligibility requirements, positional authority, and term length

Only permanent, full-time faculty within SOSW are eligible to serve as a Coordinator. An MSW degree from a CSWE-accredited program is required. At minimum, 51% of a Coordinator’s assigned workload must be directed to the program (BSW or MSW) in which their program option resides. A preferred qualification for Coordinators is training in curriculum development and the practice of teaching and learning (e.g., CTL Summer Course Design Institute and other faculty development opportunities).

Coordinators report directly to the Divisional Dean. They have no direct budgetary authority or responsibility for supervising faculty. While some of their positional responsibilities have budgetary and personnel implications (e.g., in collaborative course scheduling), ultimate responsibility resides with the Divisional Dean.  

Unless otherwise established by contractual agreement, the standard length of service term for a Coordinator is three years. The appointment is renewable, as described in §2.3 below. The Divisional Dean may remove a Coordinator from position for performance-based reasons or cause.

2.3 Coordinator selection process

Whenever a Coordinator position becomes vacant, or at the completion of a Coordinator’s three-year term, the Divisional Dean will issue a schoolwide call for nominations, including self-nominations. The call will include reference to the duties outlined above and will offer opportunities to meet with potentially interested faculty to answer questions and discuss the role.

If only the incumbent Coordinator expresses interest in the position, the Divisional Dean has the option of conducting an expedited renewal process, consisting of an anonymous vote of all full-time faculty. If a simple majority of voting faculty approve, the Divisional Dean may appoint the incumbent Coordinator to a second three-year term. At the conclusion of the second consecutive term, the full process described below must be implemented, whether only the incumbent or other faculty are nominated.

In response to the call for nominations, interested faculty will submit a letter of application to the Divisional Dean describing how their experience, skills, and vision align with the responsibilities outlined in §2.1. The letters for all applicants will be made available to all full-time faculty in SOSW, and an anonymous acceptability vote for each applicant will be conducted. The results of the faculty vote will be announced, and only applicants who receive a simple majority of “acceptable” votes will progress as candidates for the position. The Divisional Dean will meet with each candidate to conduct an informal interview. On the basis of the letter of application, the faculty vote, and the interview, the Divisional Dean will appoint the candidate whose experience, skills, and vision are, in the Divisional Dean’s judgment, best aligned with the positional responsibilities. 

If there is only one applicant for an open Coordinator position, the faculty acceptability vote will be conducted, and the Divisional Dean will determine whether the applicant’s experience, skills, and vision are appropriate for the role. If they are, an appointment can be made. If they are not, or if there are no applicants, the Divisional Dean will actively seek to recruit a faculty member whose experience, skills, and vision are appropriate for the role. 

3. Principal Coordinators

Principal Coordinators fulfil a CSWE-defined role (titled “Director” in the 2022 EPAS) relative to a program of study. CSWE requires that there be exactly one Principal Coordinator per academic program and that the Principal Coordinator has “administrative oversight over the program in its entirety, inclusive of all program options.” (Standard 4.3.4(a))

3.1 Principal Coordinator responsibilities 

Within the context of SOSW’s programs, the administrative oversight required by CSWE is achieved through specific program-level responsibilities.

  • Maintenance of the faculty-approved curriculum by serving as the program’s designated individual for initiating curriculum changes in the university’s curriculum management system (currently Kuali) and for curating program-specific artifacts (e.g., master course syllabi, letters of attestation for students);
  • Ensuring the integrity of program admissions processes and standards by serving as the Divisional Dean’s designated individual for monitoring and reporting program admissions activity;
  • Representing the program in CSWE-administered activities (e.g., reaffirmation site visits).

3.2 Selection criteria and positional authority

CSWE identifies the following areas of expertise as being relevant to the role of Principal Coordinators (2022 EPAS Interpretation Guide v.9, pp. 110-12):

  • Teaching
  • Scholarship
  • Curriculum development
  • Administrative experience
  • Relevant academic experience
  • Relevant professional social work activities
  • Preferred experiential qualification: having taught or otherwise served in both program options. 

Principal Coordinators report directly to the Divisional Dean. They have no direct budgetary authority or responsibility for supervising personnel over and above the responsibilities assigned to them in their role as a Coordinator. There is no additional compensation for serving as the Principal Coordinator for a program.

3.3 Principal Coordinator selection process

Whenever there is turnover in either Coordinator position within a single program, the Divisional Dean will solicit expressions of interest from both Coordinators in assuming the responsibilities of Principal Coordinator. 

Interested Coordinators will submit a letter to the Divisional Dean expressing their willingness to assume the responsibilities outlined in §3.1 and describing how their experience, skills, and vision relative to the areas listed in §3.2 will contribute to their effectiveness in the role. This letter will be made available to all full-time faculty in SOSW, and an anonymous acceptability vote will be conducted. The results of the faculty vote will be announced, and only applicants who receive a simple majority of “acceptable” votes will progress as candidates for the position. The Divisional Dean will meet with each candidate to conduct an informal interview.  On the basis of the letter of application, the faculty vote, and the interview, the Divisional Dean will appoint the applicant whose experience, skills, and vision are, in the Divisional Dean’s judgment, best aligned with the positional responsibilities. 

If only one Coordinator is interested in assuming the position of Principal Coordinator, the Divisional Dean will appoint that individual to serve in the role. If neither Coordinator is interested in the role, the Divisional Dean will appoint one of the Coordinators to serve as Interim Principal Coordinator for a one-year term, after which time the selection process will restart. 

In the event that the Principal Coordinator is temporarily unable to discharge their positional duties, the Divisional Dean will appoint the other program option Coordinator to serve as interim Principal Coordinator in order to preserve program integrity and maintain continuous compliance with accreditation standards.