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Monday, November 30, 1998

Social welfare program ailing, critics say

MERGER: Restructuring has harmed department, graduate students claim

By Natasha Behbahany

Daily Bruin Contributor

In February, graduate students in the Department of Social Welfare decided to speak up about the quality of their education.

Then, a report to the faculty focused on the students' concern that the quality and number of courses was suffering due to restructuring, and students say that now, 10 months later, no progress has been made.

"Social welfare is a program where you aren't prepared when you leave, but I do expect to have more basic knowledge," said Cynthia Halpin, a second-year graduate student in the department.

Halpin's concern stems from problems the department faced soon after merging with the School of Public Policy and Social Research in 1994.

In particular, Halpin said she noticed a lack of communication between administrators, and a reduction in the number of classes offered.

But though the number of classes has dropped, the content has not changed, said James Lubben, chairman of the department.

By installing what Lubben called a "currency exchange," two courses were condensed as one, making social welfare courses worth four unit instead of two.

"We are offering solid courses; we are just packaging them in different units," said Lubben.

Part of students' concerns involving courses is that many courses have been refocused toward policy issues as a result of the merger. According to Lubben, one-third of the students take these policy courses.

However, students say this refocusing leaves some like Amanda Harshbarger out in the cold. Harshbarger, a second-year social welfare graduate student, said there are now fewer choices in clinical courses, which offer field work with families and children.

However, she noted UCLA is not alone in taking such an approach.

Lubben agreed, noting that there is a nationwide trend involving the growth of the social welfare industry. "The merger (with public policy) has opened new opportunities which will provide an interdisciplinary look at things," he said.

Harshbarger said faculty members have taken steps to hear their concerns.

"Their hands are tied because there is no money, but they have responded," she said.

The administration has held town-hall meetings where staff and students voiced their concerns. "We are sensitive to what students think and we welcome input," Lubben said.

Communication is also maintained through "Chat with the Chair," where students can send instant on-line messages to Lubben to voice their concerns.

With open communication and the pressure of an upcoming accreditation, the faculty has recently reviewed the entire curriculum in an attempt to gain balance, Lubben said.

In addition, two additional professors have been recruited to alleviate the "exodus of professors" to early retirement a few years ago, Lubben said.

Despite this ongoing transition, the school remains one of the most selective, accepting only one-third of applicants.

"Our mission is to develop an empirical base for social work and train future leaders," Lubben said.

In the most recent Licensed Clinical Social Worker exam, 100 percent of UCLA test takers passed the written portion of the exam on their first try. However, only 32 percent passed the oral exam, with 19 percent passing on the first try.

Compared with universities such as USC and California State University, Long Beach, which have similar programs, UCLA scores lag behind in oral exam-taking skills.

Lubben discredits the oral results, calling them "flukey." He said the oral exam is unreliable and is under scrutiny by the state legislature.

Lubben, however, remains optimistic at the program's future development.

"There was tremendous suffering and pain associated with the organizational and physical move of the department, but we are now a ship ready to sail out to calmer waters because of these changes," he said.

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© 1998 ASUCLA Communications Board[Home]

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