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Best wishes to all of you as you prepare for your summer break. I would like to take this opportunity and thank
all of you for your support while I served as President of the Association of Baccalaureate Program Directors.
This is my last presidential report for the Update. Everyone that I have worked with over the last two years will
always hold a special place in my heart. As I have followed the strategic plan developed by the board of
directors, I have realized that the success of the Association is due to its members. I hope that all of you will
continue to be members of BPD and I also wish you well in the future.
Please read this update very
carefully, as you will find news about our upcoming conference, various trips BPD
is sponsoring, as well
as several initiatives in which we are involved. Unfortunately, we are unable to announce
the Summer Policy
Fellow because the selection process is still occurring. You will have an opportunity to
meet that individual
at the 19th Annual BPD Conference in Denver, Colorado, on October 31st - November 4th.
The Summer Policy
Fellow will present at the conference, outlining all of the activities in which he or she has
been involved,
in the summer of 2001. Please mark your calendar now for the BPD conference, "Conquering
the Mountain
of Isms to reach Equality". Bonnie Bedics (University of West Florida, bbedics@uwf.edu ) is the
Conference
Chair, Denise Montcalm (University of Nevada, Reno, montcalm@unr.edu ) is the Program Chair,
and Joyce
Bettin (Buena Vista University, IA, bettin@bvu.edu ) is the Ad/Exhibit Chair. They are working with
the
Local Planning Committee, and have assured the BPD Board that this conference will be as exciting and
educationally
vigorous as the Destin Conference. Bonnie and Denise have advised the board that there will be a pre-conference workshop for
Program Directors only. Plans also include a pre-conference workshop for the
Field Directors. Issues related
to gatekeeping and funding will bring both administrative groups (Program
Directors and Field Directors)
together to discuss related issues in the afternoon. If you are a Program or Field
Director, please make
plans to arrive in Denver so that you may be involved in the all day pre-conference.
If you are visiting
Washington, DC, please make every effort to contact Susan Hoechstetter, the Legislative
Representative
for the Action Network for Social Work Education and Research (answer@cswe.org ). Senate
bill 70 and House
bill 663 are the numbers in the 107th Congress for the proposed legislation that focuses on
developing
a National Center for Social Work Research. Every congressperson that I have met states, "the only way to ensure a national
center is for those constituents who want the center to seek support from their
elected legislator."
All of us must be involved in this legislation so that the public, as well as other professional
groups,
understands the role of social work. Social Work Education and the Social Work Profession is one
that is
not recognized by all groups because of our lack of presence in Washington, DC. Therefore, I ask all of
you to take time this summer to write letters to your congress people, and to visit Washington or the local
office in your area, seeking support for this important and critical legislation. If we fail at seeking the support
from the social work constituency, the National Center will also fail. As you know, I have taken a proactive
stance in matters such as these. I know we can get this legislation passed, because I believe in you as social
advocates.
This summer several BPD members, family, and friends will travel to Ghana for the first
BPD International
Educational Conference. Many of the participants will present at the BPD Conference in
Denver. I am sure you
will also see all of the souvenirs and other memorabilia from the trip at this time.
The Silent Auction will
hopefully have items from Africa on which you can bid, when you attend the conference.
In the Update you will see BPD's response to the Education Policy and Accreditation Standards (EPAS).
Please be on the lookout for the third draft of this document from CSWE. We anticipate changes in some of
the areas that we have cited for the committee to consider. If these matters are resolved, BPD will support the
EPAS document. I hope to hear from you if you have any concerns with the board's position on EPAS.
As President, I have one request, and that is to please check your BPD membership, and be sure that it is
current (Please contact Rebecca Turner, Liaison to Membership, rturner@jsucc.jsu.edu ). Unfortunately, when
we changed our membership year, a glitch occurred. Presently, our membership begins on January 1st, and
lapses on December 31st. Many of you who signed up at the BPD Conference paid for the 2000 membership
year,
not for 2001. Therefore, I am asking everyone to check the status of your own membership as well as
that
of other program directors and faculty who you knew, personally, were members of BPD. We need all of
your
help to correct this mistake regarding membership in this viable organization.
In closing, I hope
to see all of you at the next conference. As you know I will be serving as the Past President
of BPD. I
am excited about once again having the opportunity to spend time getting reacquainted with all of
you.
The Office of President is very demanding and one rarely has the opportunity and time to socialize with
the members. As the 2001 Past President of BPD, I guarantee that I will now have the time to spend with you.
Have a great summer!
Sincerely,
Mit Joyner
BPD President
mjoyner@wcupa.edu
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