The Limestone College Social Work Program will ensure adequacy and standards for professional practice among its students.  It is up to each student to be responsible for pursuing excellence in his or her social work practice.  Some of the roles, responsibilities, and rights that are entitled to each social work student at Limestone College include:

1. A student in the Limestone College Social Work Program will benefit from an attitude of learning that values opportunities to explore new ideas, new concepts, and the acquisition of new skills.
2. The baccalaureate student will be expected to be familiar with the NASW Code of Ethics and will be held responsible for adhering to its tenets in both class and in field practicum.
3. It is important that baccalaureate students maintain the habit of reading the most current professional journals and generally stay abreast of current and relevant social work issues.  Membership and participation in NASW is recommended.
4. Becoming familiar with and regularly using the Limestone College library system are essential baccalaureate student tools.
5. Writing papers is a major task of most baccalaureate social work programs.  Social work students will find that they will be given numerous writing assignments designed to teach them to analyze and synthesize concepts and to be better prepared for the requirements of social work practice.  Students are expected to select topics which challenge their abilities.  Plagiarizing or purchasing papers is strictly forbidden and is in violation of College regulations.
6. Students are expected to participate in the Student Organization of Social Workers.
7. Students are encouraged to participate fully in the Course Objective and Faculty evaluations administered at the end of each social work course.  Students are also encouraged to complete the BEAP evaluations administered at various times during the academic year.  The Limestone College Social Work Program and professors appreciate the time, effort, and energy that students take to make these evaluations meaningful.
8. Communication is an essential feature of a successful baccalaureate school experience.  The Social Work Program will provide each student with a Social Work Program Student Handbook and Social Work Program Field Practicum
9. Manual and Forms.  In addition, this information is also located on the College's website.  Students are encouraged to become familiar with the College and Social Work Program's policies and procedures and are also encouraged to contact their social work advisor and/or the Assistant Dean/Director of the Social Work Program to stay abreast of updates or changes in Social Work Program policies and procedures.
10. Social work students are encouraged to participate in the Social Work Program Advisory Committee.  Several social work majors are members of the committee.

Social work students are encouraged to participate in Social Work Program Faculty Meetings held on the fourth Thursday of every month at the Limestone College Columbia Extended Campus site.

Social work students are encouraged to become familiar with additional policies and procedures listed in the Social Work Program Student Handbook, The Gaslight Handbook, and the Academic Catalog.  If social work students have questions regarding the above mentioned rights, roles, and responsibilities, they are encouraged to speak with their academic advisor or the Assistant Dean/Director of the Social Work Program.

Policy Regarding Professional Behavior

There has been a growing concern regarding an increasing degree of unprofessional behavior within the field of Social Work.

Limestone College Social Work Program

Students are expected to read, understand and sign the "Student Acknowledgement of Ethical Behavior and Agreement to Abide:  Statement of Ethical Social Work Practice and Program Requirements and Sanctions for Violations of Ethical Behavior."

Limestone College Social Work Program

The Limestone College Social Work Program is mandated by the Council on Social Work Education (CSWE) to foster and evaluate professional behavioral development for all students, faculty and staff in the Social Work Program.  The Social Work Program also bears a responsibility to the community at large to produce fully trained professional social workers who consciously exhibit the knowledge, values and skills of the profession of social work.  The values of the profession are codified in the NASW Code of Ethics.  Given this context, all students, faculty and staff in the Social Work Program will be expected to exhibit the following ethical standards of behavior in the areas that are applicable to them.

1. Accountability:  Attend class, arrive on time and return from break in a timely manner.

Participate in group activities and assignments at a comparable level to peers.  Complete work in a timely fashion and according to directions provided.  Come to class prepared, with readings and other homework completed.

2. Respect: Treat all your peers, your instructors and all those with whom you come in contact with dignity and respect at all times.

Listen while others are speaking.

Give feedback to peers in a constructive manner.

Approach conflict with peers or instructors in a cooperative manner.

Use positive and nonjudgmental language.

3. Confidentiality: Treat any personal information that you hear about a peer or an instructor as strictly confidential.

Maintain any information shared in class, dyads or smaller groups within that unit.

Use judgment in self-disclosing information of a very personal nature in the classroom. (Class time should not be used as therapy or treatment.  If students feel the need to talk about issues they are struggling with, they may consult with their instructor to receive a referral for counseling.)

4. Competence: Apply yourself to all your academic pursuits with seriousness and conscientiousness, meeting all deadlines as given by your instructors.  Constantly strive to improve your abilities.

Come to class with books, handouts, syllabus and pens.

Seek out appropriate support when having difficulties to ensure success in completing course requirements.

Take responsibility for the quality of completed tests and assignments.

Strive to work toward greater awareness of personal issues that may impede your effectiveness with clients.

5. Integrity: Practice honesty with yourself, your peers and your instructors.  Constantly strive to improve your abilities.

Academic:  Commit yourself to learning the rules of citing others' work properly.

Do your own work and take credit only for your own work.

Acknowledge areas where improvement is needed.

Accept and benefit from constructive feedback.

6. Diversity: Strive to become more open to people, ideas and creeds with which you are not familiar.  Embrace diversity.

Maintain speech free of racism, sexism, ableism, heterosexism or stereotyping.

Exhibit a willingness to serve diverse groups of persons.

7. Communication: Strive to improve both verbal and written communication skills as these skills are used heavily in interactions with clients and peers and also with creating client records.

Demonstrate effective communication with peers and instructors.

Practice positive, constructive, respectful and professional communication skills with peers and instructors:  (body language, empathy, listening)

8. Social Justice: Strive to deepen your commitment to social justice for all populations at risk.

Demonstrate an understanding of how institutional and personal oppression impede the experience of social justice for individuals and groups.

Strive to learn about methods of empowering populations and enhancing social justice at micro, mezzo and macro levels.

Consequences:

The Social Work Program may terminate a student's participation in the program on the basis of professional non-suitability if the Program's faculty determines that a student's behavior has constituted a significant violation or pattern of violations of the NASW Code of Ethics or Limestone College Social Work Program's Student Handbook.  These violations may include but are not limited to:

1. Failure to meet or maintain academic grade point requirements as established by Limestone College and the Social Work Program.
2. Academic cheating, lying or plagiarism.  Behavior judged to be in violation of the NASW Code of Ethics.
3. Failure to meet generally accepted standards of professional conduct, personal integrity or emotional stability requisite for professional practice.
4. Inappropriate or disruptive behavior toward colleagues, faculty or staff (at the school or in field placement)
5. Consistent failure to demonstrate effective interpersonal skills necessary for forming professional relationships (for example, unable to demonstrate nonjudgmental attitude or unable to allow client self-determination).
6. Documented evidence of criminal activity occurring during the course of study.

I have read and understand this statement of Professional Expectations of Student, Faculty and Staff Behavior and Consequences.

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