Dr. Deborah Gorman-Smith, dean of the University of Chicago’s Crown Family School of Social Work, Policy, and Practice, joined Allan Cole, dean of UT Social Work, for a Fireside Chat on Friday, Oct. 9, in Walter Webb Hall.
“It’s a great day for The University of Texas at Austin School of Social Work to host Deborah Gorman-Smith,” said Dean Cole. “Dean Gorman-Smith is an expert on policy, a thoughtful leader in social work education, and a valued friend of our school.”
During their conversation, Cole and Gorman-Smith discussed topics ranging from the challenges of higher education to the role of social work and the importance of macro practice.
“When I welcome a new class, I talk about the long history of our school,” Gorman-Smith said. “It was started by two women — an economics professor and a law school professor.” She noted that multidisciplinary practice, grounded in research, is embedded in their DNA.
That combination will matter, she said, in restoring public confidence in higher education. She was quick to note that social work scholars and researchers are on par with any research scientist on campus. Gorman-Smith feels a responsibility to uphold those research standards and remind her campus peers of what her faculty bring to the table.
She also wants to show the range of jobs available to social workers. “They play a really important role in the leadership of our communities,” she said.
Gorman-Smith also leads community partnership work for the Crown School and the university. Like Dean Cole, who serves as deputy for health humanities and technology at Dell Medical School, she holds an additional position at the University of Chicago. As chief strategist for community engagement and partnerships, she oversees that work across the institution, including the medical center.
Over the last nine months, she has focused on initiatives to improve K-12 education; crime and public safety; health; and economic development and workforce in the communities around the university. The university runs about 150 programs focused on K-12 education, she said, yet the schools around campus continue to struggle. A new plan is in the works, including partnerships with city colleges and corporate partners.
Cole, who worked on mental health and housing before he became dean, said rebuilding trust in an institution takes time, and then you have to keep showing up.
Gorman-Smith and Cole also discussed curriculum changes. The Crown School recently completed a major curriculum reform that was about 15 years in the making. Instead of asking students to choose macro or micro, it now offers pathways that encourage students to integrate courses in direct practice as well as policy and management. Throughout their careers, practitioners will need to understand both, she said.