BSW Student Leadership and Committees

Full-time and Part-time BSW students are represented and governed through ​their own organization affiliated with the School of Social Work. The BSW executive council comprises the following officers/positions:

• President
• Secretary/treasurer
• Events committee

At the beginning of each academic year, the executive council is elected from amongst the BSW student body. Other committees may be added based upon the needs identified by the particular year. In some years, students choose to elect a Vice-President as well as the other executive members. 

The BSW executive council is responsible for working with the BSW students to organize various program-related events, including social, professional development, community service, and fund-raising. The Director of the School of Social Work is available for consultation on program events and must be consulted about all fund-raising activities.

One student member.

The academic council is the governing academic body for the College. The council approves all new programs and changes to existing programs and is the leading body for academic planning. 

Student elections to academic council are held in September. The BSW representative, normally the President of the BSW executive, is required to attend academic council meetings and may be asked to sit on other committees of academic council as required. The student representative is responsible for reporting back to the BSW students and for representing them, as necessary, to academic council.

One full-time and one part-time student member.

The practicum committee is chaired by the Field Education Coordinator. The practicum committee discusses, develops, revises, and proposes policies, regulations, and procedures as well as courses related to the practicum. 

The committee assists the BSW program with regular and on-going reviews of its field instruction practices in accordance with Renison University College, University of Waterloo Senate, and CASWE requirements and standards. This review includes the field practicum manual, criteria for selecting practicum settings, general learning objectives in each intervention area, criteria for evaluating student performance, and Field Instructor Training Programs.

One student member.

A motion is being put forward to appoint a student representative to the college council. This position will be filled when the Renison University college constitution is amended.

One/two Full-time and one/two part-time student members.

The committee is chaired by the Director of the School of Social Work. The committee meets at least once each term (fall, winter and spring) and is responsible for long-range planning and quality assurance of the BSW program. The committee periodically reviews the curriculum and may recommend modifications, including proposals for adding, modifying, and dropping courses as well as suggestions for changes in the academic regulations and procedures for the BSW Program.

The committee receives evaluative feedback from students, faculty, and community partners (ie: field practicum agency personnel).The BSW program requires an evaluation of all BSW-level social work courses at the end of each semester.This is administered and summarized by the student representatives on the curriculum committee, and feedback is given by the students in writing and at a meeting of the committee each semester.

One Student Member.

The library committee is a standing committee of academic council. This committee provides information to and receives feedback from students and faculty, provides advice to the librarian, and develops proposals and reports for academic council regarding significant library matters. The committee includes the librarian and representatives of full-time faculty, part-time faculty, Renison Academic Student Council (RASC), and BSW students. 

The BSW student representative is responsible for communication of information and feedback between the library and the BSW student body. In addition, the BSW student is responsible for updating and the maintaining the local social agency information display (known as the 'Resource Centre') currently located in the library. Consultation will be available to the student from the Field Education Coordinator regarding the Resource Centre tasks.

Canadian Association of Social Work Education (CASWE) (one student member)
The Board of Directors of CASWE includes a student representative. This board member is responsible to the Student Caucus of CASWE. Each social work program is invited to have one official student representative to the Student Caucus. This representative will communicate with the Chair of the Student Caucus throughout the year and report to the Renison students regarding CASWE business.

The Renison CASWE representative may attend the annual Conference and AGM of CASWE as one of Renison’s three voting delegates. The Renison representative is responsible for maintaining records and for orienting the following year’s student representative. The CASWE representative also works with the OASW representative to plan and implement a Renison BSW event for Social Work Week (in March).

Ontario Association of Social Workers, Mid-Western Branch (OASW) (one student member) 
The BSW Program has a strong relationship with OASW, and particularly the local Mid-Western Branch. Throughout the year, the BSW Program and OASW communicate regularly and may jointly sponsor various professional events. Students are encouraged to attend local meetings and professional development events in the community. 

The BSW student representative to OASW sits on the Mid-Western Branch Board, attends all meetings of the local branch, represents the BSW students at these meetings, and brings the BSW student voice through discussion with and feedback from students after each meeting the representative attends, and participates in the planning and implementation of professional development events for the social work community. The BSW student representative is also responsible for working with the School of Social Work to plan and implement a Renison BSW event for Social Work Week (in March). Students are also encouraged to attend the annual OASW Conference.