Howard Payne University received notification this spring that the Council on Social Work Education (CSWE) has reaffirmed accreditation for HPU’s social work program.

“We are delighted to be reaffirmed and proud that the accrediting body has again recognized the quality of social work education we provide at HPU,” said Dan Humeniuk, chair of the Department of Criminology, Social Work and Sociology and assistant professor of social work.

The CSWE is a nonprofit national association representing more than 3,000 individual members, as well as graduate and undergraduate programs of professional social work education. Accreditation is reaffirmed every eight years.

HPU’s social work program averages six graduates a year. Within the previous accreditation time period from 2001 through the present, 52 students have graduated with bachelor’s degrees in social work from HPU. Currently, there are currently 20 students pursuing a social work major.

Social work courses have been taught at HPU since 1980. The social work program entered candidacy in January 1993 with the completion of the self-study process. The submission of accreditation documents and hosting of the initial site visit occurred in April 1997 and the program achieved initial accreditation in October 1997.

Humeniuk and Toni Damron, assistant professor of social work and coordinator of field instruction, are the two full-time faculty members who teach all social work classes.

Accreditation by CSWE qualifies HPU graduates to take the Texas State Board of Social Work Examiners Licensing Exam and become licensed social workers. It also allows students graduating from HPU’s program to receive advance standing in a graduate social work program.

The reaffirmation process required collaboration from a variety of departments at HPU including the Walker Memorial Library and Offices of the Registrar, Human Resources and Financial Aid.