SOWK 736:  ADVANCED PRACTICE WITH  ORGANIZATIONS AND COMMUNITIES: RESOURCE DEVELOPMENT, MANAGEMENT, AND ACCOUNTABILITY

Course Syllabus
                                                                          

I.            Purpose/Rationale of the Course

This is the fourth course in the macro practice sequence. It deals with program planning, technology and financial management of social programs.  The internal operations of human services organizations are critical to their survival and growth.  Financial management provides stewardship of scarce resources and information for program planning and evaluation.  Resource development provides the means to grow and innovate. Finally, technology skills build on and support all other areas of the macro curriculum and provide skills in communication, analysis, and collaboration.

II.        Course Content

Through course materials and hands-on applications, this course targets the development and refinement of advanced practice skills for use with organizations and communities.  Students focus on advanced methods and models for resource development, technology and financial management that are essential for social work practice with communities and organizations.

III.       Course Objectives

Upon successful completion of this course, the student will be able to:

1. Understand resources in social work practice with communities and organizations, including finances, property, materials, equipment, transportation and other aspects of administrative organization.
2. Understand and begin to practice strategic resource development, to include establishing costs and prices of services, fundraising, capital asset development, endowments, and use of software to facilitate resource development and general management.
3. Understand and begin to practice strategic resource management, to include financial management and control, supervision of and collaboration with business and administrative personnel, inventory control, property management and depreciation, use of software to facilitate decision making, financial information systems and resource accountability.
4. Use financial management information in the development of programmatic, policy and administrative recommendations;
5. Communicate analyses and recommendations that incorporate and integrate financial information with other sources of information;

IV.              Linkages to Other Courses

This advanced practice course builds on the introductory organizations and communities’ material taught in the foundation year (SOWK 732), and knowledge of organizations developed during the first foundation year HBSE course (SOWK 712). It expands upon the course content in SOWK 735 Administrative Skills, and SOWK 733 Strategic Planning which is taught concurrently, focusing more narrowly on building the skills necessary for planning and implementing community change, and for effective communication within the community. It requires students to evaluate administrative practices related to program planning, technology and financial management in their concurrent advanced field placement (SOWK 785).

V.                 Methods of Instruction

A variety of instructional methods are used in this course. These include lecture, discussion, collaborative learning, Internet discussions, problem-based learning, field-based case studies, role play, videotapes, videotaping, and class presentations.  Emphasis will be placed on the integration of field placement experiences and course content through such tools as case consultation, learning journals and logs, case studies, role plays and written assignments requiring the critical application of theory to practice with large systems in the students’ field placement settings.

VI.       Course requirements

The student is expected to satisfy the following requirements:

1. Completion of three graded exercises.

2. Completion of additional brief written or oral exercises, if assigned, to support classroom learning.

3. Completion of assigned reading as specified in the Course Outline. Students are expected to complete all assigned readings and to be prepared to incorporate these readings into their class discussions and written assignments.

4. Completion of other assignments as required by individual instructors.

The due dates for the written assignments and their values toward the final grade will be determined by the individual instructors.

The attendance policy for the College of Social Work is as follows: Students are expected to attend all class meetings. Absence from class, whether excused or unexcused, may result in a lowered class grade or, in extreme instances, in the awarding of a grade of F for the course.

All written assignments are due on the date specified by the instructor and should follow the guidelines established in the American Psychological Association Publication Manual (5^th ed). Students can expect a grade to be lowered for late assignments unless excused by the instructor.

Non-sexist and person first language is required for all written assignments and class discussions. Guidelines regarding the use of non-sexist language are available in the APA Manual noted two above.   Individual instructors will distribute course calendars and grading requirements.

VII.          Academic Responsibility and Student Conduct

On November 15, 2004 the USC College of Social Work faculty adopted the requirement that every syllabus for every course taught at the College of Social Work include the following statement:

Students in the College of Social Work are bound by the Carolinian Creed, by the NASW Code  includes but is not limited to cheating on tests, using another’s work without attribution or permission, or allowing someone to use your work, whether on an exam or a paper, will not be tolerated in the College of Social Work.  There is a detailed explanation as to what entails plagiarism below and on the USC website cited below.  It is the student’s responsibility to be fully informed as to what constitutes plagiarism and to refrain from all activities that constitute plagiarism.  If you have questions as to behaviors that constitute plagiarism and other forms of misconduct, please consult with your instructors. 

The Carolinian Creed is available at http://www.sa.sc.edu/carolinacommunity and states, in part, that “I will practice personal and academic integrity.”  The Creed states that this commitment should eliminate the practice of plagiarism or borrowing another student’s work, lying, deceit, and excuse making. The NASW Code of Ethics is available at www.naswdc.org/.  The Code of Ethics states “Social workers should not participate in, condone, or be associated with dishonesty, fraud or deception.”  One of the values on which the Code of Ethics is based is that of integrity and one of the ethical principles derived from this value is “Social workers behave in a trustworthy manner.”  

The Carolina Community, available online at http://www.sa.sc.edu/carolinacommunity/ states that “It is the responsibility of every student at the University of South Carolina Columbia to adhere steadfastly to truthfulness and to avoid dishonesty, fraud, or deceit of any type in connection with any academic program. Any student who violates this rule or who knowingly assists another to violate this rule shall be subject to discipline.”

“This Rule is intended to prohibit all forms of academic dishonesty and should be interpreted broadly to carry out that purpose. The following examples illustrate conduct that violates this Rule, but this list is not intended to be an exhaustive compilation of conduct prohibited by the Rule.

        1. Giving or receiving unauthorized assistance, or attempting to give or receive such assistance, in connection with the performance of any academic work.

        2. Unauthorized use of materials or information of any type or the unauthorized use of any electronic or mechanical device in connection with the completion of any academic work.

        3. Access to the contents of any test or examination or the purchase, sale, or theft of any test or examination prior to its administration.

        4. Unauthorized use of another person’s work without proper acknowledgment of source.

        5.Intentional misrepresentation by word or action of any situation of fact, or intentional omission of material fact, so as to mislead any person in connection with any academic work (including, without limitation, the scheduling, completion, performance, or submission of any such work).

        6. Offering or giving any favor or thing of value for the purpose of influencing improperly a grade or other evaluation of a student in an academic program.

        7. Conduct intended to interfere with an instructor’s ability to evaluate accurately a student’s competency or performance in an academic program.”

            Additional information about Academic Responsibility, Academic Freedom and the Student Code of Conduct relevant to classroom performance and behavior is available at http://www.sa.sc.edu/carolinacommunity/  under Housing and Judicial Affairs.