The future of the social work major at Wright State remains unclear, as administrators are still working on a final decision.
According to professor Jennifer Hughes, there has been discussion among the dean of the College of Liberal Arts (CoLA) and President Cheryl Schrader about moving the program out of CoLA and merging it into an entirely new college with allied health.
Although this is not official, Hughes feels the move would make sense for the program and claims this sentiment is shared among the majority of the faculty.
If social work were to be moved out of CoLA, students in the program would have new elective options.
According to junior social work major Jessica Lykes, this could be a step in the right direction. Having a degree under allied health could be more beneficial than a liberal arts degree for a social work major, said Lykes.
Cutting the program has not been mentioned.
The program has experienced exceptional growth in numbers in the last four years, both at the graduate and undergrad levels. “There is a clear need for the social work program; every class has been filled to capacity. Why would Wright State get rid of a program that is bursting at the seems,” Hughes said.
The job market need for social work is only expected to increase due to social problems, particularly in the Dayton area, as stated by the Ohio Department of Education.
According to Lykes, factors such as an aging population and the heroin epidemic are factors that call for a need for the program. “I don’t see the need for social work disappearing in the near future; quite the opposite actually,” said Lykes.
