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State of the School March 2016
- 1. State of theSchool: Today and Looking Ahead Dean Marilyn Flynn USC Staff Retreat March 14, 2016
- 2. General Overview ofthe School: Our Academic Program Goals • Engage with students more deeply • Improve learning outcomes for 21st century • Integrate science of social work • Create influential professionals
- 3. General Overview ofthe School: Academic Programs • Maintaining enrollment targets for VAC and ground • More part-time students • Department of Nursing program opens in fall • Doctorate in Social Work (DSW) launches in fall • Reaccreditation process underway
- 4. General Overview ofthe School: Goals of Reorganization • Build community among faculty • Empower departmental leadership • Strengthen problem-solving and innovation • Build stronger role for clinical faculty
- 5. General Overview ofthe School: Reorganization • Change in Vice Dean role • New Associate Dean responsibilities • Department Chairs become more central • New faculty lines
- 6. General Overview ofthe School: Finances and Support Systems • University “taxes” rising • Fiscal future of school secure in short term • Long term future best secured through endowment, IP • Expanding staff in Hamovitch, Nursing, Admissions, Faculty Affairs, VAC support, IT
- 7. General Overview ofthe School: Faculty • Seeking a new Vice Dean for Research • A few faculty hires this year and next • Adding “Professors of Practice” • Continued emphasis on minority hires
- 8. New Directions forthe University: Provost’s Priorities • New strategic plan • University-wide homelessness initiative • Information Security • Provost’s priorities: • Value and Affordability • Access and Opportunity • Solution to Wicked Problems • Global Impact
- 9. Our University Environment: Valueand Affordability • Tuition increase: reported and real • Higher education costs in general • Impact on our students • School’s fund-raising effort – leadership by Scarlett Osterling • Leadership by Janine Braun and Alexi Waul
- 10. Value and Affordability •A great experience essential – beginning with SPACE • Opening new space on 11th Floor at University Center • Refurbished 2nd Floor at UPC • Continuous improvement of connectivity (“virtual space”) • Other plans – if funding allows • Thanks to Carmen and Kathy for imagination
- 11. Value and Affordability •A great experience is essential – STAFF/STUDENT RELATIONS • Staff as important as faculty • First point of contact for most student needs • Supporting students is everyone’s job
- 12. Access and Opportunity •Great agitation on our campus about racism and climate • Provost deeply concerned and active • A priority for our school – and for others • School has several initiatives • School well ahead of others
- 13. Solving Wicked Problems •Definition of a “wicked problem” • Universities should solve wicked problems • Homelessness first initiative • School of Social Work taking the lead • Work with LAPD in preservation of life • Future training of Department of Probation officers
- 14. Achieving Global Impact EXAMPLES •China: completing MSW curriculum at Beijing Normal • Cochrane Collaboration at Langzhou University: advancing science • Post-graduate training in Wales, Ireland and Britain • Military social work in South Korea
- 15. What’s Next? • Growthof clinical programs: TeleHealth and veteran’s services • Growth of nursing, nursing specialties • Expansion of imbedded VAC programs • New research center funding • Significant role in Grand Challenges of Social Work
- 16. Implications for Staff Experimentwith “management council” New career options over time Continuing change Fundamental importance as anchor More training expectations Need for team building
- 17. AS ALWAYS, THANKYOU!
Editor's Notes
- #7 Impact of capital construction (University Village now at 700 mm), technology upgrading, Health Sciences buildout – rising taxes for School. Reduces benefits we experience from the success of our programs in the interest of the greater good. Difficult to accept, reduces our flexible in expanding support for new programs – and new programs are needed to maintain revenue. Expert management by CARMEN AND CONNIE has saved the day many times. Also need to recognize that we benefit from the improvements that are being made, since the functioning of the campus itself is better and we are able to offer students a better environment. We will need to continue to invest in IT systems in order to involve our VAC students and facultyin the best possible way. Our fiscal position relative to other schools at USC is very solid, with excellent reserves and new sources of program revenue planned We are secure even though we are building the nursing program entirely out of our own resources Our total budget will reach nearly $200 million within a few years – we are a large enterprise!
- #8 Impact of capital construction (University Village now at 700 mm), technology upgrading, Health Sciences buildout – rising taxes for School. Reduces benefits we experience from the success of our programs in the interest of the greater good. Difficult to accept, reduces our flexible in expanding support for new programs – and new programs are needed to maintain revenue. Expert management by CARMEN AND CONNIE has saved the day many times. Also need to recognize that we benefit from the improvements that are being made, since the functioning of the campus itself is better and we are able to offer students a better environment. We will need to continue to invest in IT systems in order to involve our VAC students and facultyin the best possible way. Our fiscal position relative to other schools at USC is very solid, with excellent reserves and new sources of program revenue planned We are secure even though we are building the nursing program entirely out of our own resources Our total budget will reach nearly $200 million within a few years – we are a large enterprise!
- #10 LA Times story: reported next year’s increase, compared to this year’s tuition levels at other institutions, and even LAST year’s rate at Columbia! Place Los Angeles at the top of the chart making us the highest, but in fact there are many universities which charge more. Completely misleading, but nonetheless important to think about how this impact us, our students, and the work that you do. Higher education costs in general have been increasing faster than the rate of inflation for at least two decades or more. Costs have been driven by modernization of campuses, technology expansion on medical campuses and information systems more widely, costs of star faculty The federal government carried costs of research development after Sputnik, first in science and technology, and then later, beginning in the 1990’s, for fields like ours. The federal government provided many fellowships for persons entering mental health, health , and social services – I had one such fellowship, and so did many others. Now these subsidies are gone, or in the case of research, declining and much more competitive. Families used to send their sons and daughters to USC based on home equity loans. People used to save money through investment of this kind. This was wiped out for many in the Great Recession., about a decade ago. Therefore, our students have been forced to borrow more, as we all know. Moreover, we have more first generation students than almost any other school, and their families do not have the reserves to assist them much. As a consequence, students leave our school with a higher debt load than any other program. This is why our fund=raising efforts are so crucial. Scarlett, Asha, and her team are fundamental to finding people who will invest in scholarships and endow our program. And they have done a fantastic job so far by raising $54 million dollars, with only $21MM left to go before we reach our goal. Janine and Alexi and the Admissions teams is also having an important impact on this problem. They are using predictive analytics to help determine how we can use our available scholarship funds with greatest impact . This means figuring out how much it will take to bring us the best students, how we can recruit the numbers of students we need in each of our Academic Centers. This is crucial to our sustainability as a school in the midst of rising costs and pressures of all kinds.
- #11 We need to ensure that students receive as much value as possible for their investment in our program. We can do that – and ARE doing that – in several ways. SPACE: Continuously improving the environment in which students learn.
- #12 What brings students to our campus? Marketing, communications, reputation, perhaps early visits What makes it a great experience for them? The FRIENDLINESS. Students comment on this before they mention great teaching, hope for success in their career, or almost any other attribute. YOU are here more than faculty. YOU are the face they see most often, even in the virtual world, where it is often the most difficult to communicate. Therefore, you are as important, and often more important, the experience that students have with us. When a student needs something or is in trouble, they often will call or see you first. In some cases, if we don’t seem accessible, they go straight to President Nikias, believe it or not. So this means that supporting students I everyone’s job, because you never know when a student is distressed or feels at sea. Some of our staff have left lasting memories with students and were part of their most important USC relationships, especially for our minority students. Don’t be afraid to get involved in caucus activities, to have friendly conversations outside your own area of responsibility, to smile. This goes way beyond what people call “customer service.” You provide part of the great value that makes the huge investment by our students worthwhile. MALINDA has done this for many years, PANCY at Orange County, LYNN and ALEJANDRO – all standouts..
- #13 Continuous demands by students for changes on our campus A website has been established to reflect the efforts being made by administration in response In other universities, much more serious upheavals resulting in dismissal of university officials Every incident magnified and often misreported Most recent incident: student reported eggs were thrown at him followed by racist comments; discovered boys were friends, eggs were part of a prank. Incident over, but few knew it was harmless in intent Students meeting repeatedly, communication is often difficult or impossible. The number of students involved is relatively small, a few hundred, but they are part of a greater movement across campuses everywhere. A number of initiatives in our school involving students, faculty. CHERRIE SHORT coordinating; Faculty Council has DIVERSITY COMMITTEE –Renee Smith Maddox and Raphael Angula are focusing on changing classrooms, helping faculty work on management of sensitive issues Conference on racism is planned next Fall, led by Cherrie and other faculty, working with the Center on Racism and Equality at the University of Pittsburgh Trying to maintain a spirit of continuous dialogue, which is the most effective way in the long run to address these issues The Latino Community Advisory Committee, formed twenty years ago, continues to be active in scrutinizing the School and providing input to me on these issues Maintaining such events as Noche de la Familia that celebrate accomplishments of Latinos and Latinas in our school, and the support that their family provides; orientation in Spanish for incoming students Staff engagement in these initiatives and others is very important. We need to be concerned that all are treated with respect – students, staff, and faculty, and all have a sense of opportunity here. I am told that we are well ahead of other schools, and I am happy. We have done better in hiring and promotion, we have an exceptionally diverse student body, and we have more ongoing activities. However, this does not mean we have conquered this problem. We need constant vigilance, we need to make this a priority – and I am trying to give leadership to this. Example of project with Gabe Crenshaw – bringing kids and their parents to campus
- #14 Wicked problems in society: racism, traffic and transportation, poverty, education for all This is the first time the School has had such an important role in a university-wide initiatives Now size and importance of the School gives us an opportunity to make a real difference in the lives of people in Los Angeles and elsewhere
- #15 Impact means that something is changed, not just limited to bringing more international students to campus, but asking the question, “What has changed?” Not just going to other countries and teaching courses that we have already developed here. Some of the Beijing Normal students will attend USC their second year; some will remain and complete program at BNU. Curriculum jointly devised over the past two years – very unusual collaboration, with BNU faculty visiting here regularly and our faculty teaching at their institution. A new model for real impact on the nature of the profession, and we will be building this out at other BNU campuses across the People’s Republic.