Mission
To promote social justice, positive social change, and human dignity for individuals, groups, families, and communities in a richly diverse society through teaching, research, scholarship, creative accomplishment, and service.

Goals
The faculty and staff have adopted five interrelated goals for the implementation of the mission:

1. Prepare individuals at the bachelor's level for ethically competent beginning professional practice as social workers; and individuals at the master's level for advanced practice.
2. Create, test, and disseminate knowledge related to social work practice and social welfare policy issues.
3. Provide leadership in improving the quality of human services rendered in Central New York and New York State.
4. Promote advancement of and leadership in the profession of social work and social work education.
5. Contribute to the advancement of University vitality and the quality of its academic standards.

Education Objectives of the master's program

1. Apply critical thinking skills within professional contexts, including synthesizing and applying appropriate theories and knowledge to practice interventions.
2. Practice within the values and ethics of the social work profession and with an understanding of, and respect for, the positive value of diversity.
3. Demonstrate the professional use of self.
4. Understand the forms and mechanisms of oppression and discrimination and the strategies and skills of change that advance social and economic justice.
5. Understand and interpret the history of the social work profession and its current structures and issues.
6. Apply the knowledge and skills of a generalist social work perspective to practice with systems of all sizes.
7. Apply the knowledge and skills of advanced social work practice in an area of concentration.
8. Critically analyze and apply knowledge of bio-psycho-social variables that affect individual development and behavior, and use theoretical frameworks to understand the interactions among individuals and between individuals and social systems (i.e. families, groups, organizations, and communities).
9. Analyze the impact of social policies on client systems, workers, and agencies, and demonstrate skills for influencing policy formulation and change.
10. Evaluate relevant research studies and apply findings to practice, and demonstrate skills in quantitative and qualitative research design, data analysis, and knowledge dissemination.
11. Conduct empirical evaluations practice interventions.
12. Use communication skills differentially with a variety of client populations, colleagues, and members of the community.
13. Use supervision and consultation appropriate to advanced practice in an area of concentration.
14. Function within the structure of organizations and service delivery systems and seek necessary organizational change.
15. Practice within the interprofessional environment of health and human services, understanding and respecting the contributions of other professional disciplines and the value of interprofessional partnerships.

Objectives of the bachelor's program

1. Apply critical thinking skills within the context of professional social work practice.
2. Practice within the values and ethics of the social work profession and with an understanding of and respect for the positive value of diversity.
3. Demonstrate the conscious and professional use of self.
4. Understand the forms and mechanisms of oppression and discrimination and apply the strategies and skills of change that advance social and economic justice.
5. Understand and interpret the history of the social work profession and its current structures and issues.
6. Apply the knowledge and skills of generalist social work practice to systems of all sizes.
7. Apply knowledge of bio-psycho-social variables that affect individual development and behavior, and use theoretical frameworks to understand the interactions among individuals, and between individuals and social systems (i.e. families, groups, organizations, and communities).
8. Analyze the impact of social policies on client systems, workers, and agencies.
9. Evaluate research studies and apply findings to practice; and, under supervision, evaluate practice interventions.
10. Use communication skills differentially with a variety of client populations, colleagues, and members of the community.
11. Use supervision appropriate to generalist practice.
12. Function within the structure of organizations and service delivery systems and, under supervision, seek necessary organizational change.
13. Practice within the interprofessional environment of health and human services, understanding and respecting the contributions of other professional disciplines and the value of interprofessional partnerships.