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STATEMENT OF PURPOSE This research project is designed to examine the effectiveness of the current Missouri Western State University BSW curriculum in the preparation of students for entering MSW programs. This project will examine MSW student’s ‘hindsight’ perspectives of how well they believe they were prepared to participate in a MSW program. In addition, MSW faculty from five regional MSW programs {University of Kansas, Washburn University, University of Missouri-Kansas City, University of Missouri-Columbia and the University of Missouri-St. Louis} will be interviewed to determine their opinion of key indicators of success for the students they accept into their MSW program. These data will be utilized as a component of the 2015 CSWE accreditation process for MWSU BSW program. STATEMENT OF RESEARCH METHODOLOGY There will be two primary methods utilized to collect these data. The first involves obtaining program approval to distribute electronic survey to all MSW students in these five MSW programs. The use of electronic surveys has several key advantages when compared to hardcopy surveys: A. Participants are allowed to complete or decline the survey in privacy; B. Surveys can branch to allow ease of reading and faster survey completion; C. Data entry can be automated; & D. Timed automated reminders can be built into the survey tool (instrument hard copy is attached). The second method utilized will be face-to-face interviews with MSW faculty members who either teach in the graduate program, or are members of the application review committee. The use of open ended questions, or a semi-structure model, will assist in guiding the discussion while still allowing faculty to expand on their reasoning of key indicators of success for students. ANTICIPATED RISKS AND BENEFITS This study poses minimal risk to the participants. Students who take this survey will be asked to not provide any identifying information. Data will be evaluated in the aggregate only for students who participate. Automated responses do not allow personal identifiers, but text response will be reviewed to insure nothing typed will lead to personal identification of the student or institution. Face to face interviews are inherently more intrusive than individual surveys. Personal opinions will be requested but coded to protect the confidentiality of the faculty member providing the information. Faculty will indeed have the opportunity to decline the interview or interview components, without reprisal. The interviews will be conducted by faculty and student research teams from MWSU. The benefits of utilizing these two models are numerous, but primarily we are able to unravel the needs of students when entering MSW programs. In addition, we will be able to juxtapose student data with what faculty members are looking for in the application process. Faculty members personal reflection of what it is that makes the ‘successful’ incoming student can impact the curriculum offerings or advising for current BSW students. SUBJECT SELECTION For the purpose of this study five regional university MSW program’s students and faculty were chosen for this evaluation {University of Kansas, Washburn University, University of Missouri-Kansas City, University of Missouri-Columbia and the University of Missouri-St. Louis}. These five universities were chosen based on BSW graduates at MWSU being most likely to attend these schools or our BSW graduates desire to attend these schools (accepted or rejected). These data will be essential in program review, but maintain limited generalizability. CONFIDENTIALITY The survey participant and faculty interviewees will have the option of declining participation. Again, only aggregate data will be utilized for this study. If students and faculty do choose to participate in this study, their personal information {such as email address} will be removed from the survey data base and stored separately in a secure file cabinet in the WH 206B Research Office. Only Dr. G. Dickey and Dr. G. Lindsteadt will have access to these data. Faculty interviews will be compiled in a word document than transferred into a SPSS data base. All identifying information, such as school or title, will be coded. The text for this code will be stored separately in a secure file cabinet in the WH 206B Research Office. Only Dr. G. Dickey and Dr. G. Lindsteadt will have access to these data. All hardcopies of data will be shredded by 4-1-2014. PRIMARY SUPPORTING DOCUMENT Click for Word Document