Dr. Jenny Savage and Dr. Nancy Francisco Stewart were each awarded tenure and promoted to Associate Professor.  Ms. Julie Nix left the BSW Program and is now working as Director of Counseling and Disabled Student Services at JSU.  Congratulations Julie on your new position!  We no longer have a JSU Field Supervisor at Etowah County DHR.  However, Mr. Powe is still running strong at Calhoun County DHR.

The BSW Program had faculty members producing professional publications and making scholarly and professional presentations.  Faculty members served the social work profession, social work education, and social agencies in Alabama and JSU community.  Faculty members participated in international, national, state, and local activities.  Many faculty members served as board members for social service agencies in the area.  Also, many faculty members served on Departmental, College, and University Committees at JSU.

Mr. James Powe received his 15-year pin from JSU.  Dr. Maureen Newton received her 10-year pin from JSU.  Dr. Mark Fagan, Dr. Maureen Newton, and Dr. Nancy Francisco Stewart received JSU Faculty Research Awards for 2008-2009.  Dr. Stewart was nominated for the Cleo and Carla Thomas Service Award for 2008-2009.  Dr. Stewart and Dr. Savage were awarded tenure and promoted to Associate Professor.  Dr. Maureen Newton was nominated for the Distinguished Service Award for the College of Arts and Sciences at JSU.

Dr. Nancy Francisco Stewart received the following Regional Award: "Best Practices" Community Resource Identification Award of the MidSouth Division (6 states: AL, MS, AK, TN, KY & LA), American Cancer Society, December 2, 2008, Birmingham, Alabama.  She also received the following State Award: "Best Practices" Community Resource Identification Award for State of Alabama, American Cancer Society, December, 2, 2008, Birmingham, Alabama.

Dr. Maureen Newton provided exceptional service to JSU.  She provided Institutional Service as listed below: Institutional Effectiveness Committee, Program Review Sub-committee and Continuous Improvement Sub-committee; Wellness Committee; JSU Faculty Athletic Representative; Chair-Athletic Council; NCAA Self-Study Steering Committee, NCAA Self-Study Sub-Committee Chair on Academic Integrity; Athletic Department Compliance Committee; Athletic Department APR Committee; and Committee to Review University Support Services to Athletes.  She served the community through the Board of Directors-Family Services Center, Anniston, AL.  Finally, she provided service nationally through her nomination and appointment to the NCAA Academic Cabinet (2008-2011).

Mr. Jonathan Adams had the following presentation with Dr. Mark Fagan: "Preparation to Take the Social Work Licensure Exam," 28^th Annual JSU Social Work Conference, April 24, 2009.

Ms. Dee Barclift worked with the Community and Regional Resilience Initiative (CARRI), providing research and analytical support to the Oak Ridge National Laboratory in the development of a community resilience model.

Dr. Mark Fagan wrote the following articles: (1) "How the Financial Meltdown Happened," The Mobile (AL) Press-Register, October 5, 2008; and (2) "Housing Central to Financial Crisis," The Montgomery (AL) Advertiser, September 29, 2008.  He had the following publication: "The Current Economic Crisis," JSU Economic Update, March-April 2009, Center for Economic Development, Jacksonville State University.  He made the following presentations: (1) "Techniques for BSW Programs to Improve Licensure Exam Scores," with Ms. Kim Womack; Alabama-Mississippi Social Work Education Conference; October 2, 2008; Auburn University, Alabama; and (2) "Retirement Development," Alabama Community Development Institute, October 30, 2008; Jacksonville State University;  (2) "Baccalaureate Social Work Education and Social Work Licensure," The 2009 Association of Baccalaureate Social Work Program Directors Conference, March 18-22, 2009; Phoenix, Arizona and (3) "Retirement on the Gulf Coast," Gulf Coast Retiree Conference for 2009, March 7, 2009; Gulf Shores, Alabama; (4) Keynote Address at the 28^th Annual JSU Social Work Conference; and (5) "Preparation to Take the Social Work Licensure Exam," with Mr. Jonathan Adams at the 28^th Annual JSU Social Work Conference.  He was also quoted in the following national internet publication: TheStreet.com, February 4, 2009 and was quoted in the following newspaper stories: The Anniston Star, April 24, 2009 and The Anniston Star, April 26, 2009.

Dr. Maureen Newton had the following presentation with Dr. Nancy Stewart and Ms. Kim Womack: (1) "Starbucks" or Social Services:  Three Daughters Question System Priorities in Health Care, The 2009 Association of Baccalaureate Social Work Program Directors Conference, March 18-22, 2009; Phoenix, Arizona.  She had the following presentation at the 28^th Annual JSU Social Work Conference: (2) "Improving Client Outcomes: Revisiting a Systems Approach to Intervention."  She attended the Ohio Valley Conference Joint Legislative Review Meeting, January 5, 2009; Nashville, Tennessee and the Spring Meeting of the NCAA Division I Academic Cabinet, February 2-3, 2009; Indianapolis, Indiana.  She also attended the Ohio Valley Conference Spring Meetings, Nashville, TN, May 28-29, 2009 and the NCAA Academic Cabinet Meeting, Portland, OR, June 28-30, 2009.

Mr. James Powe wrote the following book, Mississippi on My Mind: Experience and Reflections of an African American Mississippi Born Man, Stormfield Press, Piedmont, Alabama; 2008.  He had the following presentations at the 28^th Annual JSU Social Work Conference: (1) "Making the Most of Field Placement," with Ms. Robyn Snider and Ms. Julie Nix; and (2) "Author's Corner (a presentation on his book)."

Dr. Jenny Savage had the following presentation at the 28^th Annual JSU Social Work Conference: (1) "More Important Than Ever: Networking Resources for Children and Families."  She also was one of three presenters in a free community workshop for helping professionals (LBSWs, LCSWs, LPCs, DHR staff, and others), (2) How to Stay Connected, in collaboration with Bradford Health Services and Private Practitioners, LLC on February 13, 2009.  She participated with the JSU student group, W.I.S.E., under Dr. Tina Deshotels sponsorship, in second annual production of The Vagina Monologues, March 27-28, 2009.  She served as a grant reviewer for the Alabama Children’s Trust Fund on June 23, 24, 2009 in Montgomery, Alabama.  She attended the Alabama ARISE, Citizens’ Policy Project, Health Care Access Conference, at Birmingham-Southern College on February 10, 2009 with the Social Welfare Policy Class.  She also attended the first meeting of the JSU Ad Hoc Committee to determine university policy regarding Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgendered (LGBT) issues on campus.

Ms. Robyn Snider attended the 2009 Healthy Marriages, Healthy Families, and Responsible Fatherhood Conference on Best Practices on February 16, 2009 in Montgomery, Alabama.  She was also trained to teach "Relationship Smarts" which is a curriculum developed to help adolescents make good choices in relationships, Federal Healthy Marriage, Auburn University.  

Dr. Nancy Francisco Stewart had the following presentations at the AL/MS Social Work Education Conference, Auburn University, Alabama, October 3, 2008: (1) "Making a Difference at Home: Community Resource Development through Service Learning," This presentation included 2 JSU students: Lisa Williams and Lottie Bearden; and (2)  SEQ CHAPTER \h \r 1"Chewed Up about the Eyes of the World: Perspectives on Poverty," This presentation included 2 JSU students: Lottie Bearden and Amy Vingers.   She had the following presentations at the 2009 Association of Baccalaureate Social Work Program Directors Conference, March 18-22, 2009; Phoenix, Arizona: (3) with Dr. Maureen Newton and Ms. Kim Womack, "Starbucks or Social Services: Three Daughters Question System Priorities in Health Care," and (4) "A Better Place for All: Community Resource Development through Service Learning."  She also had the following presentation: (5) "Current Legislative Issues" panel moderator at the 2009 NASW Pace Social Work Student Advocacy Day, April 1, 2009, Montgomery, Alabama.  She had the following presentation at the 28^th Annual JSU Social Work Conference (6) "Joining the Effort: Alabama Poverty Project," with Kristina Scott from the Alabama Poverty Project.  She was cited in: "Prada, Politics or the Poverty Project? Defining the Focus of a new MFA program in Visual Communication and Design in Economically Challenging Times" by Diana Cadwallader, Phil Kesler and Jaunett Skinner at the UDCA Conference: Design for the Common Good, Spring Hill College, Mobile, AL, May 28-31, 2009.  She received recognition for her service learning project "Best Practices" Award in the JSU News on June 4, 2009.  She joined the Calhoun County Leadership Board, American Cancer Society, June 11, 2009, Anniston, Alabama.  She also served the Alabama Poverty Project, Faculty Liaison from JSU, Board member- Executive Committee & Secretary APP, June 10, 2009, Birmingham, Alabama.

Ms. Kim Womack had the following presentation with Dr. Maureen Newton and Dr. Nancy Stewart: (1) "Starbucks or Social Services:  Three Daughters Question System Priorities in Health Care," The 2009 Association of Baccalaureate Social Work Program Directors Conference, March 18-22, 2009; Phoenix, Arizona.  She also served on the Planning Committee for the Alabama-Mississippi Social Work Educators Annual Conference, January 30, 2009; Tuscaloosa, Alabama.  She served on the Quality Improvement Committee for Cherokee, Etowah, DeKalb Mental Health Center.  Finally, she served as the Exhibit Chair at the Planning Committee Meeting on June 18-21, 2009 for the 2010 Annual Conference of the Baccalaureate Social Work Educators.

BSW STUDENTS

Social Work students completed their Field Instruction in some 25 social service agencies in the area.  The BSW Program provided paid stipends annually for some of these students during their internships.  These stipends were increased to $3,000 per semester for each student.  Social Work students also provided many hours of volunteer work to social service agencies during their instruction in the BSW Program.

The Social Work Club was active during the year.  They sponsored speakers and took field trips.  Ms. Dee Barclift, Dr. Newton, and Dr. Stewart were very active with the students for their activities.

OTHER ACTIVITIES

The BSW Program at JSU continued a contract for 2009 from the East Alabama Area Agency on Aging.  JSU receives 4 stipends for BSW students per year doing their Field Placement at AAA.  For the 15th consecutive year, a contract with the State of Alabama's Department of Human Resources was approved, providing faculty salary funds and stipends for 20 social work students in Field Placements at the Calhoun County Department of Human Resources and the Etowah County DHR.  

The Social Work Program held Jacksonville State University's 28^th Annual Social Work Conference on April 24, 2009.  This year's program was Social Work: Survival Strategies for Tough Times, which focused on the future of social work and the need to recruit more social workers into the profession.  The conference began with opening remarks by JSU President William A. Meehan and Vice-President of Academic and Student Affairs Dr. Rebecca Turner.  The Keynote Address by Dr. Mark Fagan, Head of Sociology and Social Work at Jacksonville State University, examined the current economic crisis and its impact on the field of social services.  Special plenary speaker, Lt. Col David Geeslin, who had his most recent social work assignment at the 785^th Combat Stress Control Company in Iraq.  He is currently Assistant Chief of Social Work Services at Brooke Army Medical Center in San Antonio, Texas and he gave a speech called "Trauma and Stress: Implications from the War Zone."  Other presentations included "Advocacy 101: Understanding the Task, Influencing Effectively," by Ron Gilbert of Alabama ARISE; and "Disparities in Hospice Usage in Alabama," by Kathryn Chapman, Director of Comprehensive Cancer Control Program at the Alabama Department of Public Health.  There were 16 agencies that had displays and there were around 175 that attended some part of the conference.

JULY, AUGUST, AND SEPTEMBER, 2009 

FACULTY ACTIVITY

Dr. Tina Deshotels was reelected Chair of the Membership Committee for the Mid South Sociological Association for 2009-2011.  She had the following presentations: JSU Athletics Program (August 31, 2009, September 14, 2009, September 28, 2009) “Understanding and Establishing Sexual Consent”.  This presentation was specifically designed for college athletes and was created through the use of the most current research on what has been found effective in reducing sexual assault on college campuses in the United States.  The presentation focused on helping male athletes understand sexual consent, understand the laws that govern sexual behavior, and encouraged athletes to represent themselves and the university by upholding high ethical standards both for themselves and others.  The presentation designed for women athletes helped them understand sexual consent, the laws governing sexual behavior, encouraged safe behavior as well as holding high ethical standards for themselves and others.   Finally, she became the Founder and Acting Vice President of “Women’s Issues Support and Empowerment Justice Center”, a non-profit organization dedicated to promoting social change towards peace and justice by addressing issues most likely  to affect women.  This organization became a non-profit in August 2009. 

Dr. Mark Fagan revised the web site for the BSW Program at JSU.  He also conducted a survey of retirees on the Alabama Gulf Coast to determine their economic impact. 

Dr. David LoConto was elected Vice President for the Mid South Sociological Association for 2009-2011.

Dr. Maureen Newton attended the NCAA Fall 2009 meeting as a member of the Academic Cabinet in Indianapolis, IN on September 14 and 15, 2009.

Dr. Jenny Savage served as a proposal reviewer for the National Association of Baccalaureate Social Work Educators conference for 2010.  On August 3, 2009, she voluntarily presented a teachers’ inservice on cultural diversity to grades K-12 for the Piedmont City School System.  She worked with Kim Womack for the Cherokee, Etowah, Dekalb Counties Mental Health Centers, to assist in response to the Alabama Department of Mental Health March 2010 Site Visit Report; intensive review of areas of improvement, form development, and training of therapists to comply with AL-DMH areas of improvement were among primary tasks.  Finally, she was invited to serve as a board member for the newly formed nonprofit, The W.I.S.E. Center, and attended its first formal organizational board meeting; she will serve as Chair of its Governance Committee. 

Dr. Nancy Francisco Stewart had the following presentations: (1) “Best Practices in Community Resource Development: Cultivating Relationships to Promote Wellbeing,” Co-presenter with Jessica Tuggle, presented to Lifetime of Learning, A Conference on Service-Learning, Civic Responsibility and Higher Education, Birmingham, AL, September 25, 2009 and (2) “Coalitions to fight poverty: Alabama Poverty Project,” Invited presentation, co-presenter with Kristina Scott, JD to the Alabama Comprehensive Cancer Control Coalition, July 17, 2009, Montgomery, Alabama.  She submitted on September 9, 2009 the following grant proposal “Pain and Palliative Care Core Competency,” for $25,000 for a conference at Jacksonville State University to C-Change Cancer Core Competency Initiative, Washington, DC, in cooperation with the Alabama Department of Public Health, Alabama Comprehensive Cancer Control Coalition with co-author, Dr. Maureen Newton.  She received the following media recognition: “JSU, Cancer Society Partnership addresses cancer patient needs with community resources,” Lifetime of Learning: Alabama Poverty Project’s Higher Education Partnership 2008-2009 Report,  published September, 2009.  Finally, she served as a member of the Alabama Comprehensive Cancer Control Coalition, Survivorship and End of Life workgroup, Montgomery, AL.

Ms. Kim Womack attended on September 11-13, 2009, in Cincinnati, OH a meeting of the National Conference Planning Meeting for Baccalaureate Social Work Educators 2010 conference in Atlanta, GA. She served as Ads and Exhibits Chair for 2010-11.  She is also currently co-chair for 38^th Annual Alabama-Mississippi Social Work Education Conference to be held in Jackson, Mississippi, October 1-2, 2009.

JSU BSW PROGRAM HOMEPAGE