Ramona Denby-Brinson
Dean
After an initial assessment of the School, we took a bird’s-eye view of our organization to understand what we do well, what we can improve upon, and how we can make a significant impact on the field of social work. Through surveys and feedback events we heard from the stakeholders — the students, faculty, staff, alumni, board members and community partners — who make up the foundation of our School. We listened to their feedback and tasked our strategic leadership team to create a development process to assess how to take their vision for the future of the School and turn it into realistic goals and actionable deliverables — pillars that will guide the School’s direction over the coming years.
We’re excited to share those priorities and outcomes with you as we cement our strategic plan moving forward. For more than 100 years the UNC School of Social Work has continued to stand as a beacon for the field — for its practitioners and those we serve in North Carolina and beyond. As we renew our commitment to our people and culture, teaching and learning, research, community engagement, and the ways we fund and call attention to these successes, I know that our School is continuing to move in the right direction as a global leader in social work.
I can’t wait to see what we accomplish together as we nurture extraordinary practitioners, partner with eager communities, and implement research discoveries that improve lives and change systems on behalf of individuals, children, families and communities.
Strategic Plan Pillars
Strategic Plan Introduction
Our School’s updated strategic plan focuses on five key pillars of distinction. By concentrating our efforts on these areas, we believe our work will make the greatest impact for our students, faculty, staff and alumni and in the communities we serve.
People and Culture
Without a strong understanding of who they are, organizations cannot succeed. We know that the students, faculty, staff, alumni and community partners we serve are our most important assets and we put them at the forefront of everything we do.
Teaching and Learning
We are focused on providing world-class educational experiences for our students. Our graduates will be prepared to handle the challenges of social work because of the exceptional teaching and learning opportunities provided by our School’s practice, scholarship and supportive degree programs.
Research
Our researchers use advanced methods to inform, develop and evaluate practice, program and policy interventions to promote social change, while recognizing that communities are vital research partners in strengthening the wellbeing of individuals and families.
Community Engagement
Our commitment to community engagement will continue to be a driving force for the School. Community engagement is not about coming in with the answer; it’s about working hand in hand with our partners to solve the self-identified problems inhibiting their wellbeing.
Advancement, Marketing and Communications
The accomplishments of our students, faculty, staff, alumni and community partners illustrate our School’s impact. This commitment means supporting research, reducing student debt burden, and amplifying the School’s achievements.
Pillar Priorities and Outcomes
Learn more about our pillar priorities, goals, and most salient outcomes to date.
Strategic Priority
We will cultivate a culture that values all roles and supports the health, safety and wellbeing of our students, faculty and staff, allowing them to thrive in their school and work environments.
Priority Outcomes
- Manifest social work values, as codified by the National Association of Social Workers and clarified by our School community, in all that we do, communicate, practice and prioritize.
- Prioritize the physical and emotional safety of our students, faculty and staff while creating a trusting, flexible environment for growth, wellbeing and advancement.
- Establish a structured system of transparent, nonlinear, multi-directional communication that emphasizes an affirming and nurturing relationship and responsibility to leadership.
2025-26 Annual Goals
- Create a School of Social Work calendar of wellness with events for the year
- Continue community engagement and peer-to-peer support toward a refined culture of wellbeing and community care
- Continue to articulate and strengthen well-being partnerships through the School and University
- Conduct ongoing assessment and evaluation of programming needs and current offerings
2024-25 Academic Year Outcomes
Consistently offered activities which promoted a positive culture and increased cohesion among faculty, staff and students
- Hosted inaugural Wellness Retreat in August for faculty and staff
- Targeted November Wellness Month and March Social Work Month activities offered in collaboration with Student Affairs and the Peer Wellbeing Coaching students
- Monthly activities hosted by People, Culture, and Well-being committee and Peer Well-being coaching students such as a Community Swap event, Find Your Fidget community education event, game nights, art therapy event, and Yoga Nidra
- Offered in-person and virtual options to support online students and remote staff
- Initiated community-building through wellbeing activities such as the Social Workers on the Move 5k, the Miles for Wellness challenge, and the plant rejuvenation initiative
Instituted bi-directional communication environments which prioritized the needs of the faculty, staff and students’ need for growth, well-being, and advancement
- Implemented monthly Community Conversations initiative for faculty and staff
- Collaborated with Community Resilience and Support Team to offer space for processing of impactful world events
- Offered targeted Dimensions of Wellness workshops for faculty, staff and students
Partnered with the Shared Governance Task Force to define and strengthen institutional systems and culture through comprehensive feedback, targeted training, and transparent reporting
- Supported Shared Governance Task Force efforts to evaluate and refine roles of both entities to ensure appropriate oversight of each identified area of responsibility, ensuring a more transparent and defined structure of communication
Priority Contact: Karon Johnson
Strategic Priority
We will develop prepared, empowered and engaged social workers who are responsive to individuals, families, communities and systems across North Carolina and around the world.
Priority Outcomes
- Provide evidence-informed, relevant and meaningful instruction, practicum and research experiences to equip students for transformative social work practice and scholarship.
- Expand access and flexible program pathways and degree options to increase enrollment.
- Enhance support systems for our student body to ensure successful retention and graduation rates.
2025-26 Annual Goals
- Expand nonprofit leadership and I/DD and ND certificate beyond School of Social Work students
- Prepare for 75% increase in School enrollment
- Continue to develop infrastructure for faculty and student growth
- Provide more opportunity and better use of digital tools, including AI and accessibility
- Scale up resources for students, including embedded counselors, student success coaches, and professional support
- Prepare for a successful MSW reaccreditation process
2024-25 Academic Year Outcomes
Expanded access and flexible program pathways/degree options
Advanced Standing Online Program Option
- Advanced standing online program courses coordinated and outlined for development
- Advanced standing online program courses approved to move forward by faculty senate
- Bridge courses being developed
- Program applications open August 2025
University Expansion Goals Reached
- Online MSW student enrollment goals increased by ~20%
- On campus MSW student enrollment goals surpassed by ~15-20%
Two Certificates Approved by the University
- Non-profit leadership certificate
- IDD/ND specialty certificate
BSW Program on schedule for review and approval
- Faculty senate and university voted to move forward with BSW program
- Curriculum designed and approved by task force
- Curriculum presented to faculty for approval
Provided faculty quarterly trainings
- Hosted two AI Trainings for faculty
- Asynchronous Canvas training created for faculty
- Canvas for online courses training created
Incorporated simulation into curriculum
- Simulation partnership and paid simulations incorporated into the curriculum
- Faculty-led innovative course design with embedded simulation/AI content
- In-house simulations created and embedded in the curriculum
Expanded global practicums
- Global Office successfully partnered for increase in global placements
- Global Office increased outreach and potential expansion for global placements
Embedded counselor for School of Social Work
- Recruitment and hiring of embedded counselor
- Embedded counselor offers services to SSW MSW and Ph.D. students
Priority Contact: Andrea Murray-Lichtman
Strategic Priority
We will deepen and expand our substantive, methodological and translational areas of research expertise to support our School’s mission.
Priority Outcomes
- Develop, advance and support existing expertise, while strategically recruiting and retaining faculty from a variety of research backgrounds to remain at the forefront of innovation, translation and impact.
- Facilitate multidisciplinary research collaborations across research programs, labs, centers and institutes to achieve high impact.
- Expand cross-national research to address real-world social work challenges.
- Translate and communicate our research findings to inform policy and practice to achieve impact across the state, nation and globe.
2025-26 Annual Goals
- Develop a system of information sharing at the School of Social Work, including research needs, opportunities, and collaboration possibilities
- Integrate School-led research into syllabi and courses across the School
- Use more inform communications internally through proposal development sessions and research list serve to foster partnerships and share intelligence
- Utilize and extend doctoral student program involvement with research
- Maximize opportunities from public facing partners to seed evaluation and research opportunities
- Expand our research support and capacity building efforts so that we retain faculty talent and advance our faculty members’ research programs
- Expand our research capacity by launching a national search for three new tenure-track faculty, including a senior level methodologist and an open-rank faculty with expertise in older adults and aging
2024-25 Academic Year Outcomes
Translated and communicated academic research
- Collaborated with the Office of Communications to complete a substantial overhaul of the School’s research website section
- Collaborated with the Office of Communications to develop a plan for using templated social media posts to highlight recent research publications
- Collaborated with the Office of Communications to develop a plan to increase internal coverage of faculty research
- Collaborated with the Office of Communications to develop preliminary plans for offering workshops to faculty to educate them on best practices for using key social media and data visualization tool tools
- Created a document tracking the latest guidance regarding language to use and avoid when applying for federal grants
- Collaborated with the Office of Communications to release the Winter 2025 Impact Report, which highlighted faculty research in the Older Adults and Long-Term Care and Child, Youth, & Family Well-Being research programs
Priority Contact: Sheryl Zimmerman
Strategic Priority
We will build mutually beneficial partnerships to co-create and implement community-centered evidence-informed policies and practices that improve the wellbeing of individuals, families and communities.
Priority Outcomes
- Establish an Office of Community Engagement and Outreach.
- Disseminate co-created knowledge and innovations in research, policy and practice for policymakers, practitioners and community members.
- Establish and pilot test community impact hubs that integrate teaching, research and engagement services.
- Develop strategic global partnerships and engagements that will be the foundation for global research and global social work practice.
2025-26 Annual Goals
- Create intentional opportunities across Office of Community Engagement programs to learn about one another and connect
- Continue to refine OCEO by examining other community engagement models across the University
- Support North Carolina Coalition on Social Work Coalition on NC Workforce Development’s Public Leadership Program as part of School’s “Workforce is Here” grant
- Build connections with School researchers and teaching faculty with OCEO programming
- Increase student involvement in OCEO projects and programming
2024-25 Academic Year Outcomes
Established the Office of Community Engagement and Outreach
- Completed a successful search in spring 2025 for associate dean and assistant director
- Completed the OCEO business plan and first year start-up strategies
- OCEO teams built multi-year funding plans with diversified revenue streams
- Expanded School’s relationship to the larger UNC engagement ecosystem
Service to North Carolina
- Continuing Education Program served thousands of learners through accessible, high-quality trainings that strengthen clinical skills, ethical practice, and capacity for systemic change across the state, the nation and abroad
- Families and Children’s Resource Program delivered 36 courses to the child welfare workforce representing all 100 North Carolina counties, including 10,518 participants of online on-demand courses and 1,627 participants in trainer-facilitated events
- UNC Cares Program supported all 100 North Carolina counties through a wide range of initiatives, including the development of more than 20 training modules for social workers and related professionals; leadership of four capacity-building projects in housing, transportation, direct and natural supports; expansion of the program’s capacity to engage 4four MSW students in applied learning; coordination of a N.C. senior center certification evaluation; and creation of three public websites to promote community living
- AHEC Training Partnership, in collaboration with UNC Cares and funded by the NC AHEC, launched a three-part training video series for UNC faculty, staff and practicum instructors focused on fostering a welcoming and supportive environment for neurodivergent university students.
- OCEO led the School’s digital accessibility initiatives, transforming online trainings, presentations and digital content to promote inclusion of people with disabilities
Supporting the Social Work Coalition on NC Workforce Development
- Supported the Social Work Coalition on NC Workforce Development in securing funding for future programming
Priority Contact: Kathy Colville
Strategic Priority
We will elevate our presence and impact while translating our academic programming, scholarship and research success through robust campus, state, national and global marketing, communications and fundraising strategies.
Priority Outcomes
- Build a forward-thinking, achievable strategic communications plan in partnership with leadership teams from each pillar of our updated strategic plan.
- Polish our global and national reputation as a Top 5 R1 school by communicating the importance of social work to societal success and the impact and discoveries of our work on the state, the nation and the globe.
- Build advancement infrastructure that supports our priorities and faculty research.
- Increase endowment to support overall growth and remain competitive with national peers.
2025-26 Annual Goals
- Develop BSW marketing plan
- Onboard new Associate Dean of External Affairs
- Support North Carolina Coalition on Social Work Coalition on NC Workforce Development’s Public Leadership Program communications needs
- Continue to improve external and internal communication through more robust metric monitoring
- Continue to work on securing naming gift for the School of Social Work
- Begin to strategize post-naming fundraising efforts
- Continue fundraising efforts for OCEO, faculty support and student support, including BSW student support
2024-25 Academic Year Outcomes
Advancement
- Created a comprehensive list of funding opportunities at the School of Social Work, supporting each of the school’s strategic goals
- Onboarded five new advisory board members and six new alumni council members
- Created a new “Friends of the School” group for emeritus members of the board or those who want to stay abreast of the school’s operations and strategies without the obligation of committee work and board membership
- Re-activated the fundraising and advisory committees of the board, leading to our third consecutive best year ever for GiveUNC and the successful approval of a school-wide waiver for mandatory educational requirements involving DEI.
- Hosted regional alumni engagement events to reconnect alumni with the school and deepen affinity
Marketing and Communications
- Successfully distributed monthly impact newsletters to alumni and friends of School; annual Contact alumni magazine; bi-annual research Impact Report; and periodic Updates from the Dean internally and externally
- Developed School Overview document for incoming Chancellor and Provost offices
- Marketed successful online and on-ground programs, helping raise enrollment by 77% since 2022
- Led major overhauls of School website, including admissions and research sections
- Coordinated with Social Work Coalition on NC Workforce Development to assist in advocacy, communications and funding campaigns
- Assisted with developing School reaccreditation materials
- In alignment with UNC Comms and UNC Research, participated in University’s “UNC Research Is” campaign
Priority Contact: Kandace Farrar and Matthew Smith
Messages from the Dean
Dean Ramona Denby-Brinson sends regular email updates to School of Social Work faculty, staff and students. These emails are archived here as downloadable pdfs. Alumni and friends of the School receive updates through the School’s email newsletter. You are invited to subscribe here.
Helpful Materials
Other materials that offer more information about the process are available in downloadable versions.
