Mission & Bylaws

Mission Statement

The mission of the UND Department of Social Work is to prepare competent Baccalaureate and Master's level social workers, develop and disseminate applied scholarship, and serve the community and region, in order to:

• Empower vulnerable, oppressed, and disadvantaged populations and communities;
• Maximize opportunities for every individual to realize his or her highest potential;
• Promote social justice and respect for diversity at every level of society; and
• Contribute to the development and well-being of communities in North Dakota and the region.

Goals

In the areas of teaching, scholarship, and service, the Department works to accomplish the following goals.

Teaching:

• To provide high quality accessible educational experiences by utilizing flexible and effective curriculum delivery methods responsive to the needs of students in the region.
• To prepare students to integrate the values, ethics, knowledge, and skill base of the social work profession with systems of all sizes and with respect for all people.
• To inspire students to advance practice knowledge and skills by incorporating research and evaluation skills, influencing social policy, and developing a commitment to lifelong learning.

Scholarship:

• To engage in research, evaluation, and practice innovation in response to the unique human service needs of regional, rural, and Native American populations and communities.
• To contribute to the knowledge base of the profession through research dissemination to professionals and practitioners in Social Work and related fields.

Service:

• To build and maintain strong relationships with the professional community and helping organizations by providing service through consultation and collaboration.
• To act on social justice issues through community, regional, national and international change initiatives.
• To provide leadership for initiatives within the university, the community, and the profession.