Published on : April 22, 2025
Aloha, CSWE 'ohana:
It has been a busy first quarter of 2025. We have been privileged to spend time with our social work community at the Council on Social Work Education’s (CSWE) Spring Governance meeting as well as the annual Association of Baccalaureate Social Work Program Directors (BPD), National Association of Deans and Directors (NADD), and Group for the Advancement of Doctoral Education in Social Work (GADE) events. We genuinely appreciate your kindness and hospitality and thank you for creating spaces for us to provide updates, information, and consultation to our shared communities. Our teams returned to the office with ideas, strategies, recommendations, areas for improvement, and gratitude for your support in navigating these uncharted waters. We heard what you said, and we are emboldened by our collective courage to not give in, give out, or give up, but to move forward with both hope and strategy because neither is a substitute for the other.
We recognize the devastating effects of recent executive orders and other policy changes from the Trump administration on your programs and the communities you serve, and particularly on vulnerable populations. We share your frustrations, struggles, and anxiety that the cruelty of these unprecedented times has provoked. We hear you, we stand with you, and we commend your courage and determination to continue forward, united, despite political uncertainty and a crippling financial landscape. We know the importance of facing these threats and unpredictability together. In a time where so much in our personal and professional lives feels scary, ambiguous, and uncertain, we must be that constant thread of hope, activism, and unity for each other.
Please be certain that CSWE remains true to its mission and purpose. Although we cannot always answer every question with certainty, you can be confident we are actively working strategically at the federal level and with states to assess our collective status and determine appropriate plans and courses of action. For example, if you have not yet had the opportunity to explore our recently launched accreditation ADEI resources webpage we invite you to log in and take a look at this new resource. This centralized accreditation repository is available only to CSWE members and primary contacts of accredited, candidate, applicant, and practice doctorate programs. The webpage will be periodically updated and primary contacts will be notified. Whether you are a new or returning member, use our How-to Guide to get started.
CSWE will continue to monitor policy changes, government shifts, funding losses, and increased needs. We remain in constant conversation with our government relations team and continue engaging with professional partners and associations in advocacy; collaborating with higher education groups; and reviewing legal affairs and matters. We take all of this into consideration in our decision making and in developing resources.
Please expect more to come in the coming weeks. This is but one of the initiatives on which CSWE has embarked. Thank you to the many who have contributed to our work to date, and we look forward to our ongoing partnership and future community building. Stay tuned.
With gratitude,
Halaevalu F. Ofahengaue Vakalahi, PhD, MSW
CSWE President and CEO
Hartford Faculty Scholar, Fulbright Senior Scholar, CSWE-MFP Fellow