Baccalaureate Social Work Education Consortia: Problems and Possibilities

Abstract

In just one decade, the number of consortia and schools in collaborative programs has declined. Moreover, several consortia, including those with as many as five schools 10 years ago, no longer exist, and some of these schools have ceased offering accredited social work programs. However, some new consortia are emerging. To determine the significance of these trends, the investigator interviewed by telephone social work administrators and faculty of the 21 colleges and universities currently involved in the nine undergraduate consortia. In addition, the investigator reviewed institutional catalogs and compiled information about the origin and development of the collaborative programs, their structure and nature, and their advantages and disadvantages as perceived by the respondents. Benefits of collaborative programs are that they enrich programs and provide density. Although cooperative arrangements present problems, the problems can be overcome if the institutions involved communicate successfully and cooperate. Study findings revealed that consortia that use, rather than rival, the experiences of other schools will tend to be more successful.