NEWS RELEASE

Office of External Communications

Houston, TX 77204-5017 Fax: 713.743.8199

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
January 9, 2006

Contact: Marisa Ramirez
713.743.8152 (office)
713.204.9798 (cell)
mrcannon@uh.edu

WHAT’S IN A NAME: UH GRADUATE SCHOOL OF SOCIAL WORK GRADUATES TO COLLEGE
Change in Title Underscores Increased Depth of Curriculum

HOUSTON, January 9, 2006—The new year brings with it a new name for a long-time resident at the University of Houston. The UH Graduate School of Social Work is now the UH Graduate College of Social Work.

“The new title accurately reflects the broad range of programs and activities the college currently offers,” Dean Ira Colby said. “Plus the change distinguishes the UH program from other such programs, state- and nationwide.” The change is effective this month.

Colby says the majority of the 184 graduate social work programs in the country are referred to as schools, divisions, departments or programs. The difficulty with these titles, he says, is that the public is unclear if the program is an independent unit or if it is housed within a college. In addition, there already exist four other social work educational programs that are called “Graduate School of Social Work.”

“There is also a trend for social work schools to adopt a ‘college’ designation,” Colby said referring to programs in Florida, California, Illinois, Kentucky and Utah, to name a few.

The UH Graduate College of Social Work enrolls approximately 350 students in its master’s and 40 students in its doctoral programs. Curriculum for the current master’s program includes concentrations in mental health, health care, children and families, gerontology and political social work. The college also houses the Office of Community Projects and the Office for Drug and Social Policy Research.

For more information on the UH Graduate College of Social Work, please visit www.sw.uh.edu.

About the University of Houston

The University of Houston, Texas’ premier metropolitan research and teaching institution, is home to more than 40 research centers and institutes and sponsors more than 300 partnerships with corporate, civic and governmental entities. UH, the most diverse research university in the country, stands at the forefront of education, research and service with more than 35,000 students.

For more information about UH visit the university’s ‘Newsroom’ at www.uh.edu/admin/media/newsroom.