Dean Osteen to the Class of 2024
Bright and early on Thursday, May 2, 2024, we gathered in the University of Utah’s
Jon M. Huntsman Center to celebrate the College of Social Work’s largest-ever Convocation
Ceremony. It was a joyful and gratifying end to a year of numerous challenges and
many more opportunities. I’m pleased to share an excerpt from my address that morning.
Philip Osteen, PhD
Dean & Professor
It is an understatement to say that the last year has been challenging for many of
us here today. Many of these challenges are unique and personal, whereas others have
arisen at the College, across the state, and throughout the nation. But we are not
daunted by the challenges we face. Rather, we stand firm when called on to do so,
and go boldly into the unknown when needed, with courage rooted in the core values
and ethics of our profession, so that we can lay the path for those who follow.
I often reflect on why I chose to become a social worker, and then an educator and researcher, and ultimately the dean of this incredible College. And it always comes back to the deep calling I have to be of service to others. My dissertation, from a long, long time ago, explored this issue with hundreds of social work students around the country. Everyone had their own unique reasons, as I am sure everyone here today does. But throughout these many stories was the consistent message that service is the heart of social work. Which is why I often refer to social work as a noble calling. We did not come here to become wealthy (and if you did, I have some unfortunate news for you…). We did not come here for recognition or accolades. We came because each of us, on some level, was called to be of service. That, above all else, is what it means to be a social worker.
When I reflect upon my journey as a social worker, I am filled with deep gratitude. I am grateful for the opportunity to go to school and to acquire the knowledge and skills necessary to be an effective social worker. I am grateful to the many individuals and families who placed their trust in me and allowed me to be part of their journey toward recovery and healing. I am grateful for the mentors, colleagues, and teachers who shaped my understanding of the world and pushed me to become a reflexive and critical thinker. And I am grateful to you, our students—our graduates—who inspire me and give me purpose and meaning though this work. And finally, I am grateful to be part of a profession that grounds me in core ethics and values that challenge me to be my best, not for me, but for others, calls me to advocacy and activism, and inspires me to believe that together, we will accomplish great things. I truly hope that when you think about your journey, you are also filled with gratitude and proud to be a part of this amazing profession.
I have witnessed, firsthand, the power of your advocacy and activism, and I am inspired when I see you bring to life the values and ethics of social work. The choices you make and the actions you engage in have real impact in the world. As I have watched the class of 2024 over the past two years, I have seen, time and time again, your commitment to a better society. Through education, research, and community engagement, you bring the mission of the College of Social Work to life—the mission to alleviate human suffering, enhance wellbeing, and promote social justice.
In the Social Justice Seminar: Engaging Organizations and Communities in Social Change, students are asked to address a community concern they identify. Past projects have included building a well to provide running water on a reservation, and connecting immigrants with culturally competent mental health services. In Fall 2023, a group of three MSW students collaborated on a project to create safer school environments in Utah that are welcoming to all by training school social workers in restorative justice practices that address incidents of bullying. The student team developed an informational flyer, presented to 24 social workers in the Alpine School District, and set up a booth in April for the district’s mental health night. Often change happens in incremental steps, and the students in this team diligently worked to create materials that can transcend the semester-long project, and effect long-lasting change in the lives of kids who are bullied every day.
An annual highlight in the Social Policy course is the writing and submission of opinion articles, for which students are asked to exercise their right to free speech by developing an op-ed on a social welfare policy topic that they submit to a news outlet. In fall of 2023 alone, 16 student op-eds were published in local newspapers. In these pieces, students reflected on their experiences as social work students—sometimes including their own lived experience perspectives—with topics ranging from the rights of transgender and non-binary persons, to advocacy for reproductive health and choice, to ways to build law enforcement capacity to work with community members with autism. The students appealed to local and national audiences to pay attention, speak up, and become involved in these important causes.
Students also demonstrated advocacy skills in their field work—a signature experience
of earning BSW and MSW degrees. One student made a connection with the Utah National
Guard to facilitate presentations on suicide awareness, and expedite referrals to
address issues related to military trauma. Another student developed partnerships
with Salt Lake County and the Youth Action Board on youth homelessness policy. That
resulted in a Youth Homelessness Demonstration Grant of $2.7 million dollars. The
funds will provide for a county-wide needs assessment and assist with a 17-bed expansion
of Milestone Youth Homelessness Transitional Living. Two other students organized
a Family Literacy Night event at Ogden’s Odyssey Elementary School with over 400 attendees,
including 90 families. The event also introduced families to Odyssey Elementary's
new Family Resource Center.
Our BSW students also tackle problems on all levels—and they’ve proven particularly adroit this year at zeroing in on issues large and small that need addressing. They lead the annual Officers Hollow Halloween event that brings hundreds of community children and their families to campus for a safe, fun-filled, costume-rich Saturday each October. And this year the BSW Student Association gathered supplies and put together harm reduction kits for a Salt Lake Harm Reduction Project focused on public health service.
There are many, many more examples of this impressive work—certainly a story for every student here today. But I hope this sampling provides a bigger picture of the richness and complexity of your contributions. Whether on campus or in the community, whether through the written word in publications or the spoken word with clients and agencies, we are proud of the collective actions of our students.
Students—graduates—and soon to be colleagues: it will always be important to stand up for the values and ethics of the social work profession. And you’ve demonstrated you are up to the challenge.
Of course, there will inevitably be times when advocacy doesn’t work—or doesn’t work the way we want, or doesn’t work at first try. Does that mean we give up? Absolutely not.
As Martin Luther King, Jr. said: “The arc of the moral universe is long, but it bends towards justice.” And you are all part of the progress. Through your actions—in the classroom and beyond—you have:
- Inspired community members and clients to consider different perspectives;
- Led faculty and staff to think of new ways to provide support for future students;
- Influenced the way College leadership considers ideas and responds to them; and
- Changed the way University administration will manage and communicate about potentially controversial events on campus.
Bravo!
I encourage you to also think about how we fit in with the wide array of disciplines that impact our world.
Our colleagues in architecture and planning focus on the creation of meaningful spaces and structures, as we work with those without housing.
Our colleagues in science engage in groundbreaking research to unravel the mysteries of life and the universe, and we engage in rigorous research to understand the practices most likely to benefit our clients and communities.
Our colleagues in engineering create some of the finest and most exciting technologies in the world, and we work to bridge the gap to ensure that underserved peoples and communities have access to these advances.
Our colleagues in business serve as catalyst for entrepreneurial creations and sound business and financial practices, and we work with poor, financially vulnerable, and under resourced peoples and communities.
Our colleagues in humanities seek to understand the nuances of cultural issues, the human experience, and the power of words and ideas, and we engaged in the challenging process of critical self-reflection of our own culture and experiences so that we can be more effective social workers.
I could list so many more examples, but my point is that wherever you find people, you will find social workers. There are no issues impacting society that we don’t engage with.
And as evidenced by these examples, we stand on the fundamental truth that together, we are better.