NYU Silver Dean’s Statement on the P4P National Week of Action

The following is a statement by NYU Silver School of Social Work Dean Michael A. Lindsey:

As some NYU Silver students participate in this week’s National Week of Action as part of a nationwide movement advocating for stipends associated with field placements, titled “Payments for Placements” (P4P), we understand that they might participate by walking out on MSW practice classes, writing letters and attending a rally. Being social work educators, we support advocacy as an essential strategy for creating systems change.

I began my tenure in July committed to addressing and 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. These are critical components of our vision for the school. The steps we have already taken to address field placement onboarding and licensure costs for students with need are just the beginning. We are exploring additional avenues to reduce costs and also to align field hours with the minimum required by CSWE.

Our commitment remains focused on the long-term aim of reducing financial barriers to an NYU Silver degree. We stand in solidarity with students’ desire for change and encourage our students to continue working with us to realize our joint goals.