CSWE Calls for Academic Freedom in Higher Education

Published on March 30, 2023

Legislative proposals threaten to stifle higher education institutions’ ability to address fundamental values in social work education programs

Social work is a public service field founded on core values of justice, dignity and worth of a person, human relations, integrity, and competence; as a profession, social work is committed to anti-racist and anti-oppressive practices in serving diverse groups of people. Social work has at its core a charge to dismantle systemic barriers to equality and equity, as defined by accreditation standards required for educational programs in social work. Social work education prepares social workers for this through developing their critical-thinking and problem-solving skills, and developing knowledge through research, practice, and scientific inquiry.

Accreditation is a systematic and rigorous process of operationalizing this vision of social work and ensuring consumer protection and the public good through quality social work education programs. CSWE-accredited programs are held to higher standards of responsibility for educating students to be respectful and responsible social workers for diverse cultures and communities. Graduates from social work education programs are positioned to advocate for justice, equity, inclusion, and diversity.

CSWE accreditation standards are grounded in these core values and engage competent and qualified educators and community partners to ensure student competency in research, policy, theory, and practice of social work. These standards apply to all social work programs, regardless of whether they are at the undergraduate or graduate level or whether the course content is offered online or in a classroom. Graduation from a CSWE-accredited social work program provides assurance that the program in which a student enrolls is committed to quality education of students on social work competencies necessary to enter practice. This offers the opportunity of practice and/or licensure through the completion of a CSWE-accredited degree.

CSWE’s Commission on Accreditation is recognized by the Council on Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA). CHEA recognition assures the public that CSWE’s Commission on Accreditation is competent to engage in quality reviews of social work programs based on the CHEA recognition standards, which require accrediting organizations to “demonstrate a commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion.”

In 2021, CSWE joined with the Association of American Colleges & Universities and dozens of other associations to denounce a growing number of state legislations that seek to dictate how the construct of racism can be taught in colleges and universities. The American Association of University Professors raised concerns that such legislation violates the First Amendment and principles of academic freedom through state censorship of teaching, research, and public speech.

Since this time, states have advanced legislation that infringes upon freedom in higher education. For example, Florida legislation, as proposed, requires that universities terminate programs which use “pedagogical methodology associated with critical theory,” including “critical race studies, critical ethnic studies, radical feminist theory, radical gender theory, queer theory, critical social justice or intersectionality.” This is a direct, broadside attack on academic freedom.

Academic freedom is the underpinning of higher education. Legislation that limits course content and curriculum decisions impinges on academic freedom. Topics that are off-limits are described in terms such as “divisive,” which is difficult to define and inherently subjective. Educators, not politicians, should make decisions about educational curriculum, pedagogy, and associated research. Decades of research by social work and other scholars document the continuing existence and significant consequences of racism, oppression, and inequality in our country. These words describe a painful and well-documented reality in our society, not an ideology. Legislative efforts to deny what makes us uncomfortable reflect a rejection of principles of free speech and commitment to opportunity and equality for all people.

In addition to this attack on academic freedom, the proposed legislation threatens the accreditation status and, in fact, the very existence of social work education programs and social workers serving communities across the nation. Across the United States and its territories, there are more than 125,000 social work students. Without social work education, the resulting depletion of human capital in human services and the health profession workforce will have profound impacts on economic outcomes of state institutions of higher education, health systems, and communities, including the most vulnerable members of society.

We remain steadfast in our commitment to engage in anti-racism, diversity, equity, and inclusion in the preparation of social work students. Therefore, CSWE calls upon social work educators, students, community partners, and allies to protect academic freedom and preserve the capacity of education as a tenet of democracy.

NASW opposes anti LGBTQIA2S+ legislation

March 31, 2023

WASHINGTON, D.C. – The National Association of Social Workers (NASW) opposes legislation introduced across this nation that denies equitable access to health care and services to people who hold any LGBTQIA2S+ identities.

More than 300 anti-LGBTQIA2S+ bills have been introduced in 37 states, including legislation that would stop gender-affirming health care for people who are transgender, according to the Human Rights Campaign. There is also legislation that would prevent people from using the bathroom they identify with and roll back existing legal protections for people who are LGBTQIA2S+.

NASW is taking action to push back against misinformed and discriminatory legislation that focuses on people who identify as LGBTQIA2S+. For example:

• The NASW Indiana Chapter has testified against legislation and shared advocacy alerts on SB 480, a bill that would ban gender-affirming care for anyone under the age of 18. The bill has passed both chambers and has been sent to the Governor for final action. “We don’t provide just mental health care for other conditions, and we should not for this one. These youth need more," said licensed clinical social worker Dr. Richard Brandon Friedman, LCSW, who testified on behalf of the NASW Indiana Chapter, and as the chair of the NASW-IN Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity Committee.

• The Texas Senate is considering legislation that would ban gender-affirming care for youth. Evelyn Smith, a member of the NASW Texas Chapter, testified in opposition to the legislation. “Research has consistently found that access to this medical care reduces the rates of suicide ideation and attempts in trans and nonbinary youth,” she said.

• Marc Herstand, executive director of the NASW Wisconsin Chapter, testified in opposition to efforts by state Republicans to stop a ban on conversion therapy, which has long been found to damage the mental health of people who are LGBTQIA2S+. The conversion therapy ban “is necessary to protect the mental health of children in our state,” Herstand said.

• The NASW Ohio Chapter opposes legislation that would require schools to notify parents before teaching about “sexually explicit content” or offering health care services to children. The chapter said privacy is needed because many children who identify as LGBTQIA2S+ are rejected by their families. The NASW Ohio Chapter is also fighting legislation, HB 68, that would prohibit gender-affirming care for youth - with threat of disciplinary action on social workers’ licenses for simply providing the ethical, best-practice standard of care. The behavioral health field is already struggling to maintain an adequate number of staff and adding additional regulation as well as the threat of discipline will only lead to even more of a decrease in social workers in the field, NASW Ohio Chapter Executive Director Danielle Smith said. Furthermore, adding more regulations will make it more difficult for providers to accept minors in their practice, making necessary and life-saving care less accessible to all youth, Smith said.

• NASW Kentucky Chapter Executive director, Brenda Rosen, gave multiple testimonies against egregious anti-LGBTQIA2S+ bills that attack Kentucky youth who identify as transgender and said she is disgusted by the political overreach and hateful rhetoric from extremist legislators who lied to voters about gender-affirming care in order to keep their elected positions. “These legislators ignored and even laughed at the grieving mother and fellow senator Dr. Karen Berg, who spoke the truth and honored her son, Henry, an extraordinary voice of the trans community who died by suicide in December, as she pleaded with legislators to listen to the medical and mental health experts regarding gender affirming care,” Rosen said.  Kentucky’s anti-transgender bill SB150 is the most devastating assault on our LGBTQIA2S+ citizens in the country, she said.  The ACLU has already filed numerous challenges to the bill.

• The NASW North Dakota Chapter, in partnership with the LGBTQIA+ community and allies, stopped a bill in the 2023 legislative session that would make conversion therapy ethical in North Dakota social work law. NASW North Dakota Executive Director, Kristin Rubbelke, stated "this was a crucial stop to a bill that would have been detrimental for social workers, clients, and the dignity of LGBTQIA2S+ community in North Dakota."

As we commemorate International Trans Day of Visibility, NASW urges its members and the entire social work community to act and join us in our efforts to protect the rights of people who are transgender and gender diverse and/or hold other LGBTQIA2S+. Here is what you can do:

• Contact your NASW chapter to find out what legislation is being considered in your state and how you can contact lawmakers.

• Check in on NASW’s LGBTQIA2S+ page to stay informed on social work practice concerning this community and keep up with policy and news.

• Follow and support partner organizations that support LGBTQIA2S+ rights, including the National Center for Transgender Equality, the Human Rights Campaign, and the ACLU.

• Follow NASW’s National Committee on Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender & Queer+ Issues (NCLGBTQ+). For questions about the committee, email dei@socialworkers.org.

The legislation focused on oppressing youth who identify as transgender and gender diverse is completely unacceptable. NASW will not rest in our actions to stop and repeal such legislation. 

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View the CSWE's statement here and the NASW's news release here. These statements are from the Council on Social Work Education and the National Association of Social Workers, respectively.