Department of Social Work

Clubs & Organizations

Social Work Club

The Social Work Club at Delta State University gives students an opportunity to challenge and implement the professional knowledge, values, and skills taught and learned within the classroom. It is an outlet for growth and service and supports BSW students in their understanding of relationships among individuals, families, groups, and communities. The club encourages students and faculty to become acquainted with each other outside the classroom and provides a means of the professional socialization of students into the profession of social work.

All social work majors are eligible for membership in the Social Work Club provided that they have a GPA above 2.25 and are committed to being responsible and ethical. Students must demonstrate professional integrity in club membership and leadership positions. Each student’s membership and/or leadership within the club is informally approved by the social work faculty. Membership and/or leadership in the club may be denied to students who engage in unethical behavior and choose not to engage in remediation.

Students may also participate in such activities as seminars/forums and field trips, as well as fund-raising, to expand their knowledge about the processes of the social work profession. Each spring, the DSU BSW Program plans a field trip or conference for students for professional socialization purposes. Such trips may involve attending Social Work Lobby Day at the state capital and visiting relevant museums or community resources or attending social work conferences such as MS NASW, BPD, CSWE, or the Alabama/Mississippi Social Work Education Conference, MS Children’s Advocacy Center’s One Loud Voice, or the MS Conference on Social Welfare.

President: Elizabeth Wright
Vice President: Phiandrea Pruitt
Secretary: Amber Benson
Treasurer: Myia Rice

Phi Alpha Honor Society

The Eta Xi Chapter of Phi Alpha Honor Society, a national honor society in social work, was chartered on the Delta State University campus in 1998. The purpose of the society is to advance excellence in social work practice and to encourage, stimulate, and maintain scholarship, particularly in social work. To be considered for membership a student must:

  1. Declare social work as a major.
  2. Demonstrate a commitment to scholarship and volunteerism.
  3. Earn a minimum of 15 semester hours of credit in social work classes at Delta State University.
  4. Achieve an overall grade point average of at least 3.0 (on a 4.0) scale.
  5. Achieve a grade point average of at least 3.25 in required social work courses OR Faculty members of the BSW Program at Delta State University are also enrolled as Phi Alpha Honor Society members.

President: Mary O’Kennedy
Vice-President: Itedrianna Goston
Secretary/Treasurer: Tierra Brown

The DSU Chapter of NACSW

Organized by DSU BSW students in 2003 and led by elected student officers, the DSU Chapter of NACSW meets monthly during the fall and spring semesters to offer general faith-based spiritual support to interested students. In connection with NACSW, which is an international, non-profit professional association in social work that represents a rich diversity of denominations and traditions, the chapter helps equip students on how to ethically and respectfully integrate faith into professional social work practice, especially for students wishing to explore the fields of practice of church social work or Christian social ministry. Any student may attend meetings on a voluntary basis at no cost. Students who are interested, may also join NACSW as a professional association member for a minimal student fee to access its scholarly journal, monthly newsletter, blogs, online resources and groups, CE programs, professional liability insurance program, and other member benefits. The chapter sponsors various service and group projects and offers individual and collective spiritual support and encouragement to any student upon request.

President: Hannah Smith
Vice-President: Heather Keel