Updated for the 2020-2021 academic year
...
Passing graduate social work courses is not an automatic acceptance into program. Students are admitted based on a number of criteria, only one of which is grades. Learn more about getting admitted.
Field Education
Field education occurs throughout the graduate social work curriculum and is concurrent with specific coursework. Please see the MSW Field Instruction Manual for specific field education policies and procedures.
...
Effective Fall 2018, students will initially apply to either the MSW or MA program only, with admission to the Dual MSW/MA program at the end of year one via an internal admission process. A part-time option is not available to dual degree students.
Academic Advising
Each matriculated graduate student is assigned an academic advisor who is a member of the faculty or professional staff in their degree program(s). Academic advising is a shared responsibility between the student and the academic advisor. The student has the ultimate responsibility for ensuring academic progress. Efforts are made to preserve continuity of advisor assignment throughout the student's course of study and changes to advisor assignments are only done in exceptional situations with the approval of the Director of the MSW program. The academic advisor provides the consultation and guidance necessary to foster the professional development of the student. The advisor aids the student in the selection of courses, in registration, in meeting degree certification requirements, and in assessing professional interests and development. Students are required to meet with their advisors before registering for courses each semester and submit an electronic SCORE registration form, signed by the advisor and the student, and electronically to the Social Work office before completing the registration process online in MySlice.
...
Formal disciplinary and grievance procedures exist at both the College and University level for handling allegations of academic dishonesty or violation of other university policies. The document, "Falk College Grievance Policies and Procedures," issued by Falk College, explains where different types of allegations are heard. T
Violations of Other University Policies
...
The grade of “I” (incomplete) may be granted to a student only if it can be demonstrated that it would be unfair to hold the student to the normal limits of the course. IllnessThis may include illness, job conflict, or other exceptional circumstances that prevent them from fulfilling all course requirements on time. An Incomplete Grade Request must be approved by the instructor, with all requirements and provisions agreed upon beforehand. A student will need the instructor’s approval and will need to have completed enough course content to have a grade assigned based on the work to date. An Incomplete is not available if the student has not completed enough work on which to base a grade. If the student takes a leave of absence or is withdrawn from the University, the student cannot receive Incompletes for courses in which the student was registered.
...
All students returning from a leave of absence or withdrawal must contact the School of Social Work in writing to request permission to re-enroll. Permission to re-enroll is not granted automatically. The student’s record and the conditions surrounding the student’s earlier departure from the university will be reviewed by the MSW Program Director of the School of Social Work to assist in the decision to allow the student to re-enroll.
Writing Standard
By action of the faculty, graduate Graduate students are expected to prepare all written papers consistent with the most recent version of the Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association. Additional assistance can be found through links on the Syracuse University Library website.
...
Students are not permitted to bring visitors (friends, spouses, partners, children, clients, etc.) to class sessions. Clinical cases may be discussed and/or students may disclose sensitive or confidential information about clients or themselves during class discussions. Social Work students have a code of professional conduct that is reviewed during orientation and is available online on the Code of Student Contact page. There is a mechanism in place for sanctioning students if they violate professional behavior in any way. Interpreters, medical providers and other such assistants are expected to behave within the school’s professional code of conduct and are only permitted to participate in class discussions with permission of the instructor.
Appendix C: Academic Progress and Professional Behavior
General Principles: School of Social Work
...
- Attendance in the classroom;
- Attendance in field instruction;
- Behavior that provides relevant information reflecting likely performance as a social work practitioner practitioner;
- Performance in classroom tests or other evaluation exercises;
- Performance in field instruction assignments as defined by the field learning contract and/or field evaluation instruments;
- Overall GPA.
Standards
Student standing in the MSW program will be determined through application of the following standards:
...
- The Office of the MSW Program Director is responsible for the identification, assessment, and notification of the student in academic difficulty. Procedures identified below are to guide the execution of that responsibility in conjunction with teaching faculty, faculty advisors, and the Academic Hearing Board.
- Faculty and professional staff are responsible for early identification of students in academic difficulty within the courses they teach.
- Faculty and professional staff are responsible to submit to the School of Social Work Office mid-semester deficiency reports on each student in academic difficulty in their classes and/or field liaison assignments.
- The School of Social Work Office is responsible for informing the academic advisor and the student of the mid-semester deficiency report(s). Academic advisors are responsible for helping the student clarify the nature of the academic difficulty and assisting the student in developing a plan for corrective action.
- Each student’s academic standing that is based upon student transcript data will be reviewed at the conclusion of each semester, and the summer session for Advanced Standing students.
- Field Placement Coordinators and field instructors are responsible for informing the Office of Field Instruction of students whose behavior shows potential for serious risks to clients in the field placement. The Director of the Office of Field Instruction is responsible for determining whether to work with the student, field instructor, and field coordinator to develop a plan for corrective action, terminate the placement or refer the issue to the Academic Hearing Board for more formal review and action. The National Association of Social Workers Code of Ethics serves as a guide in making professionally responsible decisions, as well as relevant sections of the New York State Education Law and Regents Rules and Regulations, regarding good moral character and conduct in the social work profession.
- The Director of the School of Social Work shall be responsible for action on all students not in good academic standing as follows:
Probation: He/she shall send The MSW Program Director sends written notification to the student of his/her their placement on academic probation, with a copy of that notification sent to the advisor.
Dismissal: He/she The MSW Program Director shall notify students of their dismissal from the program based upon the standards previously described.
...
- The first purpose is to hear graduate student appeals of pending dismissal from the MSW program because the student’s overall grade point average has been below 3.0 for two consecutive semesters.
- The second purpose is to hear and respond to allegations of unprofessional conduct or inadequate professional performance by a graduate or undergraduate student. These are both issues of concern because knowledge, skill, and value expectations can be considered academic criteria in a professional program as they relate to a student's likely performance as a social work practitioner. Applying a knowledge base in practice, demonstrating professional relationship skills and behavior with clients and colleagues (in the agency or classroom) that is consistent with the values and ethics of the profession are all components of academic standing in a professional program. Inadequacies in these areas can affect standing in the BSSW or MSW program and be the basis upon which a hearing is convened.
...
The Academic Hearing Board shall convene when:
For Graduate Students
- A student files an appeal of his or her pending dismissal from the MSW program. For an appeal of dismissal, the student shall initiate the appeal with a written request to the Director of the MSW Program. The request must be filed by the deadline established in the notification letter. It is to include a statement of specific reasons for the request, a plan of action proposed in lieu of dismissal, and a signed petition to support that plan if it includes repeating a course or courses. If the written appeal is not received by the date in the letter of notification, application for re-admission will be required to pursue further study.
...
- A member of the faculty or School administration submits a written request for a hearing based upon a student's unprofessional conduct or inadequate professional performance. A member of the faculty, the Director of Field Instruction, or another Social Work administrator shall initiate the process by submitting a written request to the Director of the School of Social Work. The request must outline briefly the basis for the hearing request.
III. Academic Hearing Board Composition
...