Building Excellence: The Rewards and Challenges of Integrating Research into the Undergraduate Curriculum

Social work curriculum changes that really work.

The Boyer Report and the Council on Social Work Education have placed expectations on universities and social work programs to make sure undergraduate students know how to develop, use, and communicate empirically-based knowledge. Building Excellence is a handbook for integrating research into undergraduate curriculums, using the curriculum of the University of Tennessee College of Social Work as an example. This unique book showcases social work research conducted by UT seniors, who were paired upon graduation with doctoral students who helped them place their research in publication form.

Building Excellence demonstrates how universities can develop into communities of learners by strengthening critical thinking, independent thinking, and creative imagination at the undergraduate level. For several years, The University of Tennessee, Knoxville, has created opportunities for students to gain professional experience in their fields of interest through research projects that establish the connection between study and knowledge. The results of several projects conducted by UT seniors are presented here, reaffirming that faculty mentoring is crucial to this effort.

Student research findings presented in Building Excellence examine:

• emotional and behavioral symptoms of sexually abused children using two symptom scales―internalizing and externalizing
  
• stress and strain experienced by personal care assistants caring for people suffering from dementia
  
• the relationship between childhood abuse and adult suicide
  
• the effectiveness of court-mandated treatment of recidivism among juvenile offenders
  
• barriers to effective medication adherence among the elderly

Building Excellence demonstrates how the University of Tennessee’s social work curriculum has enhanced student capacity and practice effectiveness. The book is an essential read for social work academics working at all levels.

Catherine N. Dulmus, PhD, is Associate Professor and Director of the Buffalo Center for Social Research at the University of Buffalo in New York. She lectured at the College of Social Work at the University of Tennessee in Knoxville from 1999 to 2005, where she was awarded an excellence in teaching citation. Dr. Dulmus's research focuses on child mental health, prevention, and violence. She has authored or co-authored several journal articles and books, and has presented her research nationally and internationally.

Karen M. Sowers, PhD, is Professor and Dean of the College of Social Work at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville. Her current research and community interests include the development of initiatives to support responsible and involved fatherhood, the implementation and evaluation of community-oriented policing, welfare reform, school violence, and juvenile justice practice. She has authored or co-authored numerous books, book chapters, and journal articles.