A one-page house bill was filed in the Alabama slate legislature on Monday to remove language from existing law requiring the establishment of a School of Social Work of Alabama.
Authored by state Rep. Danny Garrett, HB 152 would repeal Article 7 of Chapter 47 of Title 16 of the Alabama Code of Law. Article 7 mandates the creation of the School of Social Work and establishes other requirements for the school regarding scholarships, admissions and other aspects of its administration. It will go into effect on Oct. 1 if signed into law.
Garrett said the bill gives the University “flexibility to structure that program as they see fit.”
“We discovered that this was a structure that was mandated by the legislature, and really we shouldn’t be doing that,” he said. He added that removing the language would still allow the University to keep the program as its own school, but would not require it to do so.
Other universities in the state, including Auburn University, the University of North Alabama and the University of Alabama at Birmingham, have social work programs embedded in larger colleges.
“If this harmful bill is passed, I hope UA advocates for and funds the School of Social Work in a way that recognizes it as the asset to our state’s communities and economy that it is,” said Ragan Hope Wilson, a senior majoring in social work. She said that the “the School of Social Work, with its present statutory obligation to be protected by state law, has been able to educate and train the workforce that Alabama relies on to meet its most critical human service needs.”
Elizabeth Prophet, a 2024 alum of the School of Social Work, said that she believes the college being an independent entity, rather than as a department within an existing college at the University, benefitted her experience at the school.
“I would much rather have a dean in place, a set of administrative staff, professors, students who are firmly situated in their own college and degree program to advocate for their needs, advocate for development, advocate for the future of the profession, both at University of Alabama and in the state of Alabama,” she said.
Established in 1965, the School of Social Work is currently ranked the No. 17 best public graduate school nationally, according to U.S. News & World Report. AffordableColleges.com ranks the schools’ online master’s degree program as the No. 25 most affordable online master’s program nationally, according to the School of Social Work’s website.
“UA is the state’s leader for social work education and research, and for 60 years has graduated highly skilled, highly versatile social work practitioners who strengthen communities across Alabama,” said Alex House, associate director of communications for the University. “We will continue to build upon that foundation, and this statutory change will provide the University autonomy over curriculum, organization and continued innovation in meeting the needs of the state and our students.”
Prophet said that social work being a separate school made her feel that the program was intentionally catered for those wanting to go into the field.
“I think it made me a more empathetic social worker and better prepared to take on the task of helping the state of Alabama,” she said.
