Dr. Irene Queiro-Tajalli served as Executive Director of the BSW program since 1987 and added the duties of Interim Executive Director of the Labor Studies program in 2007 after the Labor Studies program became part of the School of Social Work. Dr. Queiro-Tajalli is one of the longest serving BSW directors in the country and well known for her active participation in the Association of Baccalaureate Social Work Program Directors, the Council on Social Work Education, and other social work organizations Dr. Queiro-Tajalli came to our school as she was completing her doctoral degree at the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign. She recalled one of her first assignments, working with Dr. Cyrus Behroozi and other faculty members in developing the student handbook and field manual for the undergraduate program. “These were tasks that I continued enhancing throughout the years.” So much so, that the BSW handbooks have been used as a model for other BSW program across the country. In the 1980s, students from IU East and IU Bloomington were required to complete their fourth year of the BSW program at IUPUI. Under her leadership she worked with both campuses to create a way that would allow students to complete the four year degree on their home campus. She also led the three reaccreditation processes for the BSW program 1988, 1995, and 2005. While accreditation procedures are very demanding, Dr. Queiro-Tajalli said that she appreciated leading these efforts since they gave her, as well other faculty, the opportunity to systematically assess the program, and as a result, make the BSW program stronger. Now, Dr. Queiro-Tajalli is looking forward to working fulltime with the Labor Studies faculty and staff to build on the strong foundations of the Labor Studies program. “We think that Social Work and Labor Studies have a lot in common and much to offer to students and our respective constituencies. Given the economic situation we are in, it is essential to find innovative ways that will allow both programs to cooperate in assisting workers,” she added. “I think this is a prime time for social work to be involved with the realities of labor.” Looking ahead, Dr. Queiro-Tajalli said she would like to see the Labor Studies program become the premier program in the country and internationally; well known for its curriculum, the caliber of the faculty, and its commitment to social and economic justice.
In her third year of wearing both hats, she came to realize just how difficult it was to lead both programs and do the type of job she expects of herself. So she made the decision to step away from the BSW program and set her goals on advancing the Labor Studies program. “It was a choice I had to make,” she said of the decision to continue solely as the Interim Executive Director of the Labor Studies Program. “The Labor Studies program is very dynamic and because most of the courses are offered online, this requires a great deal of attention.” Labor Studies courses are offered on all IU campuses, and in a given academic year, there can be 35-40 courses, generating an average of 2300 – 2400 credit hours per semester. In any one semester, the program may have 750-780 students enrolled in the Labor Studies courses.
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IUPUI
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