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About the Bulletin

The SSW Bulletin is a monthly bulletin that includes all relevant notices and deadlines from SSW.

Students are welcome and encouraged to use the SSW Bulletin as a vehicle to post items that are relevant to their class or to the entire student body. See posting rules.

Need more updates? The Bulletin will now be updated on Thursdays as well. Deadline for Thursday's issue will be Wednesday night, 10:00pm.

JULY 28, 2011

Monday, July 25
Tuesday, July 26
Wednesday, July 27
Thursday, July 28
Friday, July 29
Saturday, July 30
Sunday, July 31
After July 31
Ongoing Meetings/Events
Announcements, Notices, Awards

 

MONDAY - JULY 25

SSW Career Fair 2011

Monday, July 25, 4:30-6:30pm, Campus Center, Lower Level

All students are invited to the SSW-CDO Career Fair. Employers in the social work field will be available to speak with students about job openings in their organizations. A small group of SSW alums in community mental health, school social work, college counseling, and private practice will also be on hand to network informally with students. Please wear business casual and bring copies of your resume. See the CDO website for a list of employers scheduled to attend.

Poster Session

Monday, July 25, 7:00pm, Cutter House Foyer

All are invited to attend the Smith College School for Social Work Class of 2010 Thesis Poster Session. Come and view students' poster displays of their thesis project. See and hear about students' cutting-edge, current research on a variety of social work related issues. Students who will be displaying their posters include: Leslie Bosworth, Sarah Keyes, Kate Kyros, Charlotte Parker, Ashley Petit, and Kathryn Thomas.

Tuesday - JULY 26

Class of 2013 - Thesis Orientation Meeting

Tuesday, July 26, 1:00-1:30pm, Cutter Living Room

Dr. Jean LaTerz, thesis coordinator, will give an overview of the thesis project and advising process. There will be time for questions and answers after the overview.

Class of 2012 - Theoretical Thesis Orientation & Colloquium

Tuesday, July 26, 7:00-8:30pm, Cutter Head Resident Suite

Tiffany Romer will present her theoretical thesis entitled, Seeing the Light in Psychotherapy: Exploring Transformational Change through Object Relations, Self Psychology, and Transpersonal Psychology. The presentation will be followed by a discussion of the format and process for theoretical theses.

Wednesday - JULY 27

Holistic Healing and Meditation Group

Wednesday, July 27, 7:30am, Chase Lounge

Come join the Holistic Healing and Meditation Group Mondays and Wednesdays at 7:30am and Fridays at 1:00pm for a 30-minute silent sitting meditation. We meet in Chase Lounge on the first floor. Beginners and experienced meditators welcome. Instruction provided upon request. Contact Ali or Eric with questions. Don't miss out on this important opportunity for self care!

Cross-Racial, Cross-Cultural Dialogues

Wednesdays, July 27, August 3 and August 10, 7:00-9:00pm, Seelye 110

Victoria Winbush, Senior Bertha Reynolds Fellow, will be conducting cross-racial, cross cultural dialogues.

Each two-hour interactive session will use dialogue as a framework for building conceptual and affective understanding of the dynamics of cross-racial and cross-cultural interactions. Individual reflections, one-on-one interactions along with small and large group discussions will be used to create an environment for learning, exploring and skill building.

There will be three evenings of dialogues, one for each M.S.W. class year:

Class of 2013: July 27
Class of 2012: August 3
Class of 2011: August 10

Film: Doing Time, Doing Vipassana

Wednesday, July 27, 7:30pm, Seelye 107

Winner of the Golden Spire Award at the 1998 San Francisco International Film Festival, this extraordinary documentary takes viewers into India's largest prison - known as one of the toughest in the world - and shows the dramatic change brought about by the introduction of Vipassana meditation. In giving "Doing Time, Doing Vipassana" its top honor, the jury stated that: "It was moved by this insightful and poignant exposition on Vipassana. The teaching of this meditation as a transformation device has many implications for people everywhere, providing the cultural, social and political institutions can embrace and support its liberating possibility."

Sponsored by the Meditation and Holistic Healing Club.

Men at Smith

Wednesday, July 27, 9:00-10:00pm, Ziskind Living Room

The Men at Smith Group is offered to support all self-identified men at Smith College SSW. It functions as an open and welcoming group. We meet every Wednesday.

Thursday - JULY 28

Colloquium - Off Base: Families, Friends, and Gay Military Families

Thursday, July 28, 6:45pm, Neilson Browsing Room

Thesis colloquium on friends, gay families, and their relationship to the military and loved ones in service. Presentations by Jillian Early, Sarah Keyes, Dianne Terp, and Jamie Wright.

Colloquium - Gay Christian Men's Integration of Religious and Sexual Identities - NEW!

Thursday, July 28, 7:30pm, Seelye 107

This is a presentation and discussion of John Reardon's thesis, "I Will Not Let You Go Until You Bless Me: An Exploratory Study of Gay Christian Men's Integration of Religious and Sexual Identities."

Friday - JULY 29

Dean's Conversation

Friday, July 29, 3:45-5:15pm, Cutter Living Room

Saturday - JULY 30

 

Sunday - JULY 31

After juLY 31

Attention A11 & BS12 - Skits productions

August 1

By this meeting individual skits need to have a full cast and must have already rehearsed at least once. The length of the skit needs to be determined so that the performance timeline can be established.

Summer Lecture Series - The Pleasure of the Text: Seduction, Resistance and Narrative Inquiry

Catherine Kohler Riessman, M.S.W., Ph.D. - Brown Clinical Research Institute Lecturer

Monday, August 1, 7:30pm, Weinstein Auditorium

The interview has been conceptualized over time by social scientists as a data gathering method, as a conversation and as a relational encounter. Using a case study composed from a research interview, the presenter will explore visceral elements that reach beyond each of these ways of thinking about interviews. A man’s personal narrative and Dr. Riessman’s re-analysis of the text over time and the shifting contexts of its production suggest dimensions that can vitalize the narrative analysis of lives.

Read more.

Class of 2011 - A Few Requests from Laurie Wyman

If you have not handed in your pink dissemination plan form to Laurie, send or take it to her in Lilly 281.

For those who have completed their dissemination and have the required sign-offs, please forward the blue "Dissemination Confirmation" form or other appropriate documentation to Laurie. Remember that the Dissemination of Knowledge deadline is Friday, August 5.

Laurie will be on vacation July 18-22. Please email Jean LaTerz with any thesis- or dissemination-related questions or concerns during that time. If you are planning on handing in any documentation during July 18-22, please ask our receptionists in Lilly to put in Laura Wyman's mailbox.

Field Work Panel for 1st Year Students

Thursday, August 4, 5:30-7:00pm, Cutter Living Room

Co-class representatives Cindy Lys and Emily Lusenhop will be hosting a Field Work Panel and Information Session for 1st year students. A panel of second and third year students will be there to answer any questions and address any concerns that pertain to the field work experience. Please join us for this informational event - we look forward to seeing you there!

Shabbat Dinner

Friday, August 5, 6:00-8:00pm, Ziskind Living Room

Jewish Student Alliance is hosting a Shabbat Dinner potluck! Whether you identify as religious, cultural, spiritual, or none of the above, join us as we mindfully take a break from the week and restore our collective energies. Bring a vegetarian dish to share. Students, faculty, staff, and friends are all welcome!

Baccalaureate

Sunday, August 14, 6:00pm, Helen Hills Hills Chapel

The baccalaureate ceremony is a time to come together to connect and remember what we each bring as individuals and who were are as a class.

We need you or a group of you to participate! In the past people have read poems, spiritual prayers and used mediums like dance, yoga, capoeira, meditation and music - anything and all that is open and affirming.

If you would like to participate in the baccalaureate please contact Tiffany Adams by Wednesday, August 3.

As a gift to the class we will be creating a book of quotes, poems and inspirations in relationship to any part of being a social worker. Please email submissions to Leah Krieger by Wednesday, August 3.

We hope everyone can participate in some way in the event and/or in the creation of the book; it can be something short and simple, or something elaborate. The more involvement, the more meaningful it will be.

Administrative Announcements

Exit Interview Materials

Final Summer students: Exit interview materials for all final summer students will be at the campus post office by the end of this week. You will get a postcard in your mailbox telling you to pick up a packet from the campus post office. Please read it carefully and complete as directed. This is a requirement for you to get your diploma at graduation.

Winter Directory Information

Below is a link to our Winter Directory Information form. Please complete all portions of this form to give us your most updated information. Once you have finished filling it out please make sure to press the submit button, located on the bottom left of the form. This information is critical for school-related business and for helpful connections during the internship period. We may contact you about school business and publications; information from alumni placement area coordinators; and alumni-sponsored events in your area. We will continue to use Smith email for the bulk of our communications. Please send us your contact information via this form today. If we do not hear from you we will send all U.S. mail to your placement address. This form must be submitted by Monday, August 8. Thank you!

Writing Center Appointments

To all SSW writers: When you schedule an appointment with Debra Carney or Peter Sapira in the Writing Center, please consider the length of your paper and the time we need to read it. Second year master's students working on their proposals should schedule an hour, as should Ph.D. students with longer papers.

Term 2 Senior Bertha Reynolds Fellow

Victoria R. Winbush, MSSA, LICSW, MPH, Ph.D., is a graduate of the SSW doctoral program. Vikki recently served as the interim executive director of Gestalt Institute of Cleveland. Several years prior she served as the executive director of the Multicultural Training Institute, also in Cleveland, Ohio. She is an adjunct instructor, faculty field advisor and research advisor at SSW. Vikki has been an adjunct instructor for Cleveland State University's Diversity Management Program and for the Mandel School for Applied Social Sciences (MSASS) at Case Western Reserve University. Vikki's clinical and research interests are focused on parents' role in securing mental health treatment services for their distressed adolescents. She earned her bachelor's degree in sociology from Barnard College, her master's in social work from MSASS, and her master's in public health from the University of Michigan.

Office hours and location:

Monday 3:30 - 5:00pm
Wednesday 10:00am - 12:00 noon
Pierce 107  

 

Anti-Racism Consultation Committee

The anti-racism consultation commmittee members are available to anyone who would like to have a discussion or dialogue about any concerns of a racialized nature on campus. Committee members can be contacted directly and they are: student reps - Maggie Matthew (A12) and Madeline Nussbaum (A11); council rep: Andrea Yoshida (A13); administrative staff: Idene Martin and Tonya Dixon; alumnae rep: Rani Varghese; faculty reps: Fred Newdom and Joyce Everett; and chair: Dennis Miehls.

Health Insurance Enroll or Waiver

For all students going into Field: Letters have been placed in your student mailboxes explaining how to sign up or waive out of the school's health insurance plan for the period of September 1, 2011 through August 31, 2012. All students entering field placement in September must complete either the waiver or the enrollment process online through the Gallagher Koster website before August 1, 2011, even if you completed this process in the spring. If you do not waive out of the insurance plan on the website, your student account will be billed $3,102 for the school's health insurance plan. You may direct questions to Michele Bala.

From Campus Police: Safety Tips & Emergency Contact Numbers

Remember: do not walk alone at night, especially in dark, vacant areas and avoid shortcuts through woods, alleys, etc. Help others walk safely by teaming up with another community member when walking at night. If you must walk alone, walk directly to your destination on well-lighted paths. Look alert and be aware of your surroundings. Let a friend know where you are headed and when you plan to return.

For community members and guests who are staying in our campus houses: remember to always leave your room doors and windows locked. Don't let strangers into your room - meet visitors and delivery people at the main door (they can phone you from the entrance by using the access phones located outside of each house). Never prop open dooors outside residence houses or other buildings. Do not leave your keys or your OneCard unattended in public places or in the pockets of an article of clothing (e.g. sweater, jacket) that you are not wearing.

If you are involved in (or become aware of) an accident or health emergency of any kind, call Campus Police.

  Campus Phone Off-campus phone
Emergency Ext. 800 413-585-2499
Campus Police Office Ext. 2490 413-585-2490

 

Please program the emergency and business line numbers for Campus Police into your cellphone.

Please remember that the Campus Police are available 24-hours a day to assist you with any emergencies or problems that you may encounter while at Smith College.

Counseling and Therapy Databases on Trial this Summer

Two databases of potential interest to social work students and faculty are currently on trial:

Counseling and Psychotherapy Transcripts, Client Narratives, and Reference Works

Counseling and Therapy in Video

The trials run through August 7, 2011. You may connect to these databases from this page: http://www.smith.edu/libraries/research/subject/trialdatabases.htm

We welcome your feedback; please use the feedback form on the Trial Databases page (see link above) or via this link: http://www.smith.edu/libraries/forms/trialdb.htm

 

Thesis Information

Thesis Proposal Award - New!

The Thesis Proposal Award will be given to one or two students to support thesis research related to the aging gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgendered, queer population. Current students may submit a copy of their thesis proposal along with a cover letter stating the intent to apply by the school's thesis proposal deadline date of October 28, 2011. Send a copy of the thesis proposal and cover letter to Dean Carolyn Jacobs, 207 Lilly Hall, School for Social Work, Smith College, Northampton, MA 01063.

Please include the name of your thesis advisor in the cover letter. In order for your thesis proposal to be included in the selection process it must first pass the approval process completed by your thesis advisor (and the HSR committee if required). The Thesis Proposal Award(s) will be granted on or before February 3, 2012.

General Notices

New Student Org Leadership for 2011-2012!

Please see attachment (pdf).

RISE Conference - Call for Proposals

RISE is a grassroots collective of social workers in NYC that provides opportunities and holds space to share progressive and radical ideas in social work. By building skills and knowledge as a community, we work to dismantle institutional oppression and make social work obsolete.

Our biggest community building effort of the year is the RISE Conference, October 22, 2011 in Brooklyn, New York. The call for proposals is open until MONDAY, AUGUST 1.

We are looking for presenters to engage the audience in a social justice issue, and to build skills and knowledge that challenge oppressive institutions. This is a great opportunity to share your thesis with social work students and professionals committed to anti-oppression work.

Visit www.riseconference.org/conference for details or email Rebecca Stahl. It doesn't take long to apply - act now!

NASW Licensing Preparation Workshop

Saturday, August 6, 9:00a - 4:00pm, Seelye 106

The Massachusetts chapter of the National Association of Social Workers (NASW) is offering a test preparation workshop for licensing at the LCSW or LICSW levels. This test prep workshop can be taken, no matter which state you plan to be licensed in.

The cost for early bird registration is $100 for NASW members and $155 for nonmembers.

First Year Class Representative Wanted for AFWSPC

Interested in becoming the first year class representative for the Academic and Field Work Performance Standing Committee (AFWSPC)?

Patty Kruglak (3rd year representative) and Laura Mackie (2nd year representative) will be visiting first year policy course sections to discuss the position and to answer students' questions. Those interested are asked to email Patty or Laura by August 1 with a statement of interest and/or to ask further questions. Students will be contacted to continue with the selection process, which includes a discussion of a theoretical case and an interview by other student representatives.

Research Assistant Needed

From Yoosun Park: I am looking for a research assistant for the next academic year to help me with a research project. The position will begin in mid-August at the end of the summer term 2011 and will conclude at the end of May, 2012. Work will be approximately 5 hours per week. Duties will be varied and will range from photocopying to conducting literature and archival research to producing literature reviews. If interested, please email me a CV and a letter detailing any relevant experience.

Ongoing Events

Anti-Racism Task Force

Tuesdays, 12:30-1:30pm, Dewey Common Room

Come be a part of the commitment to our Anti-Racism Mission. The Anti-Racism Task Force has been the engine for many of the changes brought about at Smith SSW as we have along with our anti-racism commitment. The Task Force has been a very collaborative effort and a place where all constituents of the school have had a chance to work together.

Faculty liaison: Fred Newdom

Council for Students of Color Member Meeting

Wednesdays, 5:45-6:45pm, Ziskind Living Room

Join us for our general meeting providing a space to be yourself for all students of color (both masters and doctoral levels). We are a support and advocacy group that wants to know how students of color are doing on campus. Feel free to bring your dinner and your kids. See you there!

Dean's Conversations

Fridays, 3:45-5:15pm, Cutter Living Room

The dean's conversation is an opportunity for any member of the SSW community to explore contemplative practices, as well as to bring forth issues and ideas of importance to our community.

Jewish Student Alliance (JSA) Weekly Meeting

Tuesdays, 12:45-1:30pm, Ziskind Living Room

Are you Jew-curious? come have lunch with the good folks of Jewish Students Alliance (JSA) and join in our continued curiosity and exploration of Judaism!

JSA embraces a full spectrum of Jewish experiences and identity, including those with a strong religious background, those for whom being Jewish is important culturally, those with little knowledge about being Jewish, and those students who wish to connect with an aspect of Judaism. The group's format is a weekly informal discussion on a topic related to being Jewish, and time set aside for planning events including speakers and community-building activities.

LGBTQQIF Alliance General Meeting

Tuesdays, 5:45-7:00pm, Ziskind Living Room

The Alliance is a welcoming space for the LGBTQ community and our allies at Smith SSW. All are welcome to join in as we build community, learn from one another and ourselves, and foster constructive action and dialogue. Feel free to bring your dinner!

Pedagogy and Diversity Seminars

Tuesdays, 7:00-9:00pm, Seelye 101

Norma Akamatsu and Joshua Miller

The Pedagogy and Diversity Seminar seeks to support all faculty teaching at SSW by creating a space where professor can discuss how issues of diversity, social identity and social oppression influence their teaching, the classroom environment, student interactions, and the overall campus culture and climate. Pedagogy and diversity is a major vehicle for furthering the SSW's anti-racism mission statement by deepening the capacity of faculty to explore and develop their awareness and skills to manage the inclusion of this content while also processing issues that arise in the classroom. The seminar will include a mixture of discussion, problem solving, presentations, and exercises that will be developed by participants and the facilitators. The minutes of each pedagogy and diversity session are posted on Moodle and distributed to all SSW faculty for information and resource sharing, comment and dialogue. All who are teaching at SSW are welcome.

CEUS are available for this seminar. Faculty attending four of the five sessions will receive 10 CEUs at the end of the summer (upon completing an evaluation). We are happy to offer this at no cost to our wonderful adjunct faculty.

SWAA - Social Welfare Action Alliance

Wednesdays, 12:30-1:30pm, Cutter-Ziskind

"The real choice before us as social workers is whether we are to be passive or active." - Bertha Capen Reynolds

Come be active with the SCSSW chapter of SWAA! Weekly meetings held in Cutter-Ziskind on Wednesdays at lunch.

Unlearning Racism Group

Wednesdays, 5:45-6:50pm, Ziskind Parlor

The foundational principles of the group are an emotional space, mutual support and accountability around issues of race and racism. This group is open to the entire student body and has historically been a space for white students to unpack, share, and reflect on privilege and embedded internal racism.