The School of Social Work sponsors three student-oriented organizations:
1. Social Work Club
The Social Work Club has existed from the very beginning of the Social Work Program at Missouri State University. Under the dedicated sponsorship of various faculty and the leadership and contributions of many bright, energetic students, the Social Work Club has become a source of pride for Missouri State University. The club has received recognition at state and national levels for its contributions to the community and profession.
The Social Work Club is open to any social work major as well as other interested students. Over the past several years, 20 to 30 students have been very active in the club's organization and operations, while many more have participated in some of its various functions. Some of these functions include painting the Missouri Hotel, holiday season food drives, non-scary Halloween parties at The Parenting Place, Valentine's Day parties at The Kitchen and Springfield Victory Mission, a hunger banquet, and fund-raising activities (flower sales, car washes, bake sales) for various community organizations including Make-A Wish Foundation, AIDS Project of the Ozarks, and The Family Violence Center. Each year members of the social work staff and/or faculty are chosen or volunteer to serve as sponsors of the Social Work Club. Please check in the social work office to learn who the current sponsors are. Student officers are also elected each year. Both the officers and the sponsors would be happy to talk with you about the Social Work Club. The Social Work Club advertises its scheduled meetings and has published a brochure describing its purpose.
2. Alpha Delta Mu In addition to the Social Work Club, students may also gain membership in the Beta Omicron chapter of Alpha Delta Mu (ADM), a National Social Work Honor Society. In order for a student to be eligible for initiation to Alpha Delta Mu, s/he must be accepted into the Bachelor of Social Work program and have achieved a minimum cumulative/combined GPA of 3.0 and a 3.5 GPA in social work courses. The primary objective of Alpha Delta Mu is to recognize superior scholarship and academic achievement. This acknowledgment is accomplished each year through a reception or banquet and an initiation ceremony for new members. Students eligible for ADM receive an invitation to join ADM when they have met the requirements. Each year members of the social work staff and/or faculty are chosen or volunteer to serve as sponsors of Alpha Delta Mu. Please check in the social work office to learn who the current sponsors are. Student officers are also elected each year. Both the officers and the sponsors would be happy to talk with you about Alpha Delta Mu.
Other Organizations
There are additional organizations social work students may wish to join.
National Association of Social Workers
The National Association of Social Workers (NASW) is the professional organization for practicing social workers in the United States. It provides leadership on social issues at the state and national levels, supports a wide variety of social legislation beneficial to social workers and their clients, publishes a monthly journal entitled Social Work, and is dedicated to encouraging high standards of social work practice.
Association of Social Welfare (MASW)
The Missouri Association for Social Welfare is a citizen membership organization founded in 1901. Spawned in the Progressive Era, it started in St. Louis as the Missouri Conference on Corrections and Charities. It was mostly a forum for philanthropists, government employees of human services, and private charity professionals. For the first decade, its activities consisted mostly of meeting once a year to discuss social problems and read papers. In 1913, under the presidency of Roger Baldwin, subsequent founder of the American Civil Liberties Union, MASW became a more activist organization. It began advocating for changes in public policy to improve social conditions. It has remained a vigorous advocate throughout this century. Indeed not a year has passed in the century when some social policy change did not bear the mark of MASW advocacy. In recent years, MASW led the coalition that created the Missouri Human Rights Commission and Missouri Public Defender. It led the effort to create a Missouri Housing Trust Fund, a Children’s Anti-Hunger Act, and many more.
North American Association of Christians in Social Work (NACSW) For over 40 years, NACSW’s mission has been: (1) to support the efforts of Christians in social work to integrate their Christian faith with their social work practice; (2) to provide its members with opportunities for connecting with and supporting/being supported by other Christians in social work; (3) to assist Christians in social work to grow spiritually and professionally; and (4) to represent a Christian presence in the social work profession, as well as to promote a social work presence in the church.
For more information about NACSW, visit the website.
3. Masters of Social Work Student Association (MSWSA)
The purpose of this organization is to further communication among social work students and between students, faculty, staff and community through such events as speakers, special programs, service projects, recognition ceremonies and social gatherings. We will gain information about the field of social work and promote the development of the profession while we facilitate student participation in school committees and the state and national social work activities.
