Pioneering School of Social Work Celebrates 95th Anniversary

By Cassie Williams Jones

The Virginia Commonwealth University School of Social Work, the flagship school on the Monroe Park Campus, is turning 95, and to celebrate, it is offering a day of events to share with students, alumni, faculty, staff and community members.

On Saturday, April 20, Social Work is teaming up with Reunion Weekend 2013, for the festivities. Events span from morning to night, and include several tours, networking and social opportunities and a panel discussion. For a full listing of events and to register by April 17, visit http://www.socialwork.vcu.edu/anniversary/index.html.

From 9 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., a campus bus tour will visit highlights of the Monroe Park and MCV campuses, as well as the Richmond Public Library for the special exhibit, RPI Art Retrospective. Simultaneously from 10:45 to 11:45 a.m., an alumni and faculty meet-and-greet will be held in the Raleigh Building, 1001 W. Franklin St., the current home of the school, which will also be the location of a nostalgia tour and poster presentation from 2:30 to 3:30 p.m.

In the fall, the school will be moving into the university’s new Academic Learning Commons at 1000 Floyd Ave., scheduled to open later this year. Participants will have a chance to tour the new space and mingle with the school’s administration and faculty from 1:30 to 3 p.m.

Later in the evening, at the Downtown Richmond Marriott, 500 E. Broad St., the school presents “We Were There: This Is Why,” in a discussion of social work practice in military and veterans services, health care and mental health. This alumni panel discussion from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. features social work alumni Ian Danielsen, director, Greater Richmond SCAN Children’s Advocacy Center; Keita Franklin, Ph.D., branch head of Behavioral Health, U.S. Marine Corps Headquarters; Bonita Hogue, social work manager, VCU Health System; and Mira Signer, executive director, National Alliance on Mental Illness of Virginia.

Following the discussion will be a cocktail reception and keynote address, “Trauma-informed Child Welfare Practice: Community Networking," presented by Social Work alumna Allison Sampson, Ph.D., regional vice president of clinical operations, Eastern Division, Providence Service Corporation, and director of evidence based practice replication, Corporate University of Providence.

Presented by the VCU and MCV Alumni Associations, Reunion Weekend welcomes graduates back to campus for a weekend of events and reconnecting with former classmates. This is part of the association’s larger Alumni Month, a series of events and programs throughout April geared to alumni.

Also commemorating the school’s 95 years on campus is an exhibit in the James Branch Cabell Library. The fourth floor exhibit shows rare materials from Special Collections and Archives on the history of the School of Social Work.

Since 1917, the School of Social Work has been preparing students to bring about change through their knowledge and actions. It is the oldest school on the Monroe Park Campus, which began as the Richmond School of Social Economy, later becoming the Richmond Professional Institute, and in 1968 merged with the Medical College of Virginia to create VCU. As an original component of the university, the school serves as a major force and leader for VCU’s important ties to the community, emphasizing its mission to partner with the city of Richmond as well as the Commonwealth of Virginia.

Recognized by U.S. News & World Report, the VCU School of Social Work′s graduate programs are ranked 11th among the nation’s top social work programs. It offers all three degree levels — bachelors, masters and doctorate of philosophy in social work, as well as continuing education.

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