SHS is moving into a new building. Tell us more about the moving process into Walter Webb Hall and what the long-term future looks like for our facilities.
We executed Phase I of the moving process to Walter Webb in March over Spring Break, which took our non-student facing staff and offices (such as development, marketing, HR, finance/ business, and researchers) into Walter Webb Hall. The remaining faculty and staff, which all have student-facing roles, will move to WWH after Commencement.
So far, the reports I’ve heard from staff on the new building are quite positive. They’re excited about being in West Campus, where many students live. The staff is also excited about being in a newly renovated space which finally meets the technological, infrastructure, and human needs of a top school of social work. We’re still early in the process, but I’m encouraged to hear their responses after moving into the new building.
Of course, this new situation is temporary. Five years from now, we will be moving into a new and permanent location on Speedway, right across from Gregory Gym, where the current McCombs School of Business building resides. This new space will allow all of our units to reside under the same roof in the middle of campus, showing off our status as one of the best social work schools in the country.
Our School has long needed a larger, modernized, and higher quality facility from which to conduct our important work. Getting to collaborate in a win-win-win situation with our University, McCombs, and UT Athletics positions us for long-term success. I am excited about SHS thriving in these new facilities.
There’s been a recent change from Field Education to Practicum Education. What was the reasoning behind this new naming convention?
We changed our naming from Field Education to Practicum Education to more accurately describe the opportunities given to our students to practice the profession of social work. We also agreed that the conventional naming needed to change to better highlight the learning opportunities that come with these active learning roles.
We are also entering a time of new momentum in practicum education. On average, we are adding approximately 40 new practicum opportunities a year for our students, and I am grateful to members of the Community Partnership Development Committee (CPDC) for helping lead these efforts and making us successful.
Furthermore, SHS now has 10 grant-funded programs, as well as other support for students, approaching $2,000,000 annually . We are not finished with our efforts to provide more financial support for our students, including practicum-related support, but it’s important to highlight the substantial progress that places us in an enviable position among leading schools of social work throughout the country.
Speaking of funding, you’ve said many times before that Student Support is one of your biggest priorities as Dean. What significant developments have you accomplished in this
regard recently?
I have served as dean for almost two years. In that time, SHS has raised approximately $30 million dollars, $8 million of which is designated to enhance academic experiences for BSW, MSSW and Ph.D. students . Specifically, these funds support scholarships, domestic and international practicum placements, career and professional development, licensing preparation, and resources for the highest quality teaching and classroom engagement.
In fact, two out of three SHS students receive direct funding from SHS in the form of a stipend, support funds, and/or a scholarship. We have between 400 and 600 individual donors giving to SHS annually with their donations concentrated on supporting students and promoting their success, and I am grateful for their generous support.
Fundraising and building student support requires a dedicated and hard-working team. Thanks to the SHS development team led by Marie Cloutier and Emma Millerick, and to our University-wide collaborators, we have several more gifts on the way. I’m energized by getting additional funds into the hands of our students to offset the cost of a high-quality University of Texas and SHS education.
Pictured clockwise from top left: Dean Cole meets with John David and Leslie B. Moritz, namesakes of the Moritz Center for Societal Impact; Dean Cole speaks with students at a donor appreciation event; Dean Cole throws Horns Up with Heisman winner Ricky Williams; Dean Cole hangs out with SHS community members during the 2024 Great American Eclipse on the Caven Lacrosse and Sports Center at Clark Field.
What’s the latest with how SHS is engaging with global social work?
When we think about social impact in social work, we can think of it on a global scale. In this past academic year, we’ve had students take on international practicum opportunities in Europe, Mexico, and South Africa, and we’re always looking to expand our network of collaborators.
In one example, representatives from SHS served front and center with a historical international delegation in Mexico City during La Feria Internacional del Libro de las Universitarias y los Universitarios (FILUNI). During that event, we had strategy meetings with UNAM (Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México) leadership to plan academic and research initiatives and facilitated connections with some of UT’s 4,000+ Texas Exes living in Mexico.
In another example, we welcomed top social work educators from Chile’s Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile to strengthen our School’s long-standing ties with Chile, where social work was heavily censored under the rule of Pinochet’s dictatorship. The work being done by those scholars – including SHS alum Karla González Suitt, (Ph.D. ‘16) – is a strong testament to the impact SHS faculty, staff, students, and alumni have around the world.
Adding robust partnerships and initiatives fosters additional opportunities for positive change globally.
What music are you playing to these days?
I love playing bass guitar, which I began learning a little over a year ago; and play regularly with several groups of people. Most recently, I played in a Led Zeppelin tribute show, which was a lot of fun, and I am preparing for an upcoming show with a group that features a setlist full of Rolling Stones songs.
Several SHS colleagues, along with my daughter and me, have a band called 10 Box Limit, and we play a variety of music, with songs like “Texas Hold ‘Em” by Beyonce, “good 4 u” by Olivia Rodrigo, and other contemporary selections.
And we take requests!