Dean Lindsey Announces Intent to Align Field Placement Hours to CSWE Minimum

NEW YORK, NY, May 17, 2023 — NYU Silver School of Social Work Dean Michael A. Lindsey has announced that the School intends to align the number of hours that Master's of Social Work students spend in field learning to the 900-hour minimum required by the Council on Social Work Education by the Fall of 2024. The news was conveyed in an address to more than 500 graduates from the Class of 2023 and those gathered to celebrate them yesterday at the United Palace in Manhattan. 

The announcement marks a pivotal step in a process that began earlier this year when a group of Silver students first met with me and many of our senior leaders at the end of 2022 to advocate for a reduction of hours, after which months of discussions and planning took place.

During the graduation speech, Dean Lindsey said: 

To be a vessel for change, you must engage with and advocate for those who need you to.

And it’s not about fixing people, though I know many of you started on this journey because you want to heal others.

It’s about working with them and also working to change the systems that hold back and marginalize people…..

When you take on the challenge to dismantle systems, it is really difficult, but necessary work requiring patience, steadfastness and a never-quit attitude.

Other students engaged in advocacy to reduce field placement hours and ways to make placements more affordable to students.

These are goals that we all share, even if in some cases there hasn’t always been total agreement on the path to get there.

But, we will get there. I guarantee that!...

In fact, I began my tenure last July, with several commitments….

I…committed to eliminating financial barriers to obtaining a social work education at Silver, as well as making education more accessible to a diverse candidate pool of students.

We have already taken steps to address field placement onboarding and licensure costs for students with need, but that’s just the beginning.

I’m proud to announce today that we intend to align field placement hours with the minimum required by the Council on Social Work Education by the fall of 2024.

We must work with our students, faculty, field agency partners and other New York City area schools of social work to get there, and we will.

Watch Dean Lindsey's speech on YouTube.