School of Social Work

Freddie L. Avant, director and associate dean
Social Work Building, Room 101
420 E. Starr
(936) 468-5105
favant@sfasu.edu
sfasu.edu/aas/socwk

Wilma Cordova, MSW program director
(936) 468-4020
wcordova@sfasu.edu

Emmerentie Oliphant, Ph.D., DSW program director
(936) 468-4020
oliphante@sfasu.edu

Mission

The mission of the School of Social Work at SFA is to prepare competent and effective professional social workers committed to generalist and specialized practice with the ability to respond to the needs of rural communities and to the challenges faced by people with rural lifestyles. The school is committed to providing leadership for the region, particularly in identifying and addressing community needs and issues, including those related to the alleviation of poverty and oppression within the context of rurality, cultural diversity and social economic justice. In support of its educational endeavors, the school is dedicated to excellence in teaching, research, scholarship, life-long learning and community service.

School Objectives

Social work is a service-oriented profession that helps people solve problems. The School of Social Work offers professional degrees in social work at both the bachelor’s, master’s, and doctor’s levels. The bachelor’s program prepares students for generalist social work practice, the Master of Social Work program offers a specialization in advanced generalist practice. The doctorate in Social Work prepares graduate for advanced social work practice in social work education, leadership and clinical practice.

The advanced generalist (specialized practice) develops the knowledge, values, skills, and cognitive and affective processes necessary to perform social work practice with individuals, families, groups, organizations and communities in rural environments and with rural populations. This includes preparation for service provisions for a wide range of problems and systems, such as rural poverty; community development; social, economic and environmental justice; family violence; health and mental health; and others. The School of Social Work’s goals and objectives reflect the competencies and behaviors mandated by the Council on Social Work Education.

Accreditation

The MSW program at SFA is accredited by the Council on Social Work Education.

Graduate Faculty

Professors

Freddie L. Avant, PhD, Jackson State University
Wilma Córdova, MSW, Michigan State University
Emmerentie Oliphant, PhD, University of Johannesburg

Associate Professor

Jose Cárbajal, PhD, University of Texas at Arlington
Carrie Butler, PhD, University of Texas at Arlington

Assistant Professor

Stephanie Washington, EdD, University of Houston
James Morris, MSW, PhD, Tulane University

Field Education Director

Linda Harris, MSW, University of Houston

Director of the Child Welfare Professional Development Project

Diane Sizemore, MSW, Stephen F. Austin State University

Programs

Major