Indiana University School of Social Work, Dean Tamara DavisWelcome to the 2022/2023 academic year! We are excited to welcome new and returning students to School of Social Work across all IU campuses. From Bloomington to Fort Wayne, the School continues to be the leading educator of social workers for the state of Indiana.The IU School of Social Work accomplished many goals in the past year, and I am so pleased to share some of those with you today. Over seven hundred students were a part of the 2022 graduating class across all the School’s program levels and campuses. Growing alumni support toward student success resulted in a 45% increase in scholarships awarded over the previous year, reducing the financial challenges many students face to pursue higher education.The School is honored to have prepared students for the workforce through valuable practicum experiences. For example, in collaboration with the Indiana Department of Child Services (DCS), we offer the Child Welfare Scholars Program. This spring, 31 BSW Scholars and 14 MSW Scholars graduated from the program, with 26 BSW and all MSW graduates hired for employment at DCS. Other students were placed at 211 Indiana Family and Social Services Administration to help with student assistance during COVID which led to a permanent field practicum site. These are just two examples of students gaining valuable skills during their practicum placements that so often lead to an employment opportunity.Advancing one of four Pillars for Progress in the School’s 2020-2025 Strategic Plan, we prioritized diversity, equity, and inclusion across the School. This year, we increased financial support for diverse students by establishing three new Diversity scholarships. We also successfully advanced hiring initiatives to diversify tenure track faculty and School leadership. From the academic side, processes are continually assessed and reviewed to identify areas of potential disparities, such as assessing for differential grade patterns in student learning outcomes across demographic groups, and reviewing and revising curricula, policies and procedures to reflect our commitment to diversity and antiracism.Moving forward, the School of Social Work community has identified many ways to improve our campuses and programs and will strategize to achieve these goals over this academic year. We hope to increase student funding support by securing new scholarships for undergraduate and graduate students and increasing the number of paid field internships. In addition to expanding our programs in different regions of Indiana, we plan to create new and support existing applied learning experiences for students across educational levels, specifically around mental health and addictions. As well, we aim to develop new and support ongoing opportunities for students to engage with global communities through international partnerships.Your ongoing support of the School of Social Work is valued and appreciated as we continue to serve our students, alumni, and local, national, and global communities. We look forward to sharing our successes with you throughout the year.