A Survey of African American Leaders in Social Work Education
Co-Investigator:
Dawnovise N. Fowler, Ph.D.
Principal Investigator:
E.A. Francis, Ph.D.
Co-Principal Investigators:
L. House, Ph.D. & P. Thornton, Ph.D.
Duration: 2001 - 2004
The purpose of this project is identify the professional and personal characteristics of African American academic leaders of Schools of Social Work as an under-explored, but vital part of the cultural milieu among academic leadership as a whole. Using survey methods, this study examines the demographic and professional characteristics and experiences of participating African American deans and directors of schools of social work in the United States. An examination of deans and directors has implications for the future of social work education in terms of understanding their critical role as academic leaders. Furthermore, the focus on this specific group of academic leaders is important, given the growing emphasis on diversity and the need for multiculturalism in social work education. Descriptive data were analyzed from a 55-item instrument and a sample size of sixteen. Results indicate similarities and differences in the personal and professional characteristics, experiences, and challenges of participating African American social work deans and directors relative to national samples. Implications for the next aspiring generation of academic leadership are discussed.
Keywords: social work education
