The mission of our Equity, Justice, and Inclusion (EJI) Initiatives is to develop policies and practices that promote a caring, respectful, and inclusive community. EJI promotes open and honest conversations, fosters interdisciplinary collaborations, and expands access to opportunities for historically marginalized groups, including women, racial and ethnic populations, and the LGBTQ+ community.
The LLI develops leaders equipped to work with the Latinx community on sustainable solutions for complex problems.
This initiative supports, develops, and prepares MSW-level practitioners regarding issues faced by the Black community.
This certificate program prepares students to direct EJI programs at colleges, public agencies, and companies in the private sector.
This group fosters a safe and inclusive space for LGBTQ+ students and allies. All groups in the 㽶SSW Student Collective are dedicated to informing and supporting the community.
The Affirm Lab seeks to improve mental health therapy for stigmatized youth by identifying their experiences and developing methods to improve their care.
The OpEd Project is a nonprofit organization that elevates the ideas and knowledge of underrepresented expert voices through op-eds and more.
In this field of practice, students will take a holistic approach toward a critical examination of social work from an African-centered perspective.
㽶SSW also offers optional certificates within the M.S.W. program that focus on subject-specific areas of social work practice and policy.
Our students represent a variety of life experiences, personal interests, and professional goals. Together with our supportive faculty and staff, they make up our vibrant community.
The EJI Committee actively works to tackle inequalities that contribute to unfair outcomes in the classroom, to better prepare students to work with diverse populations around the world, and to create a culture of mutual respect and lifelong learning. The committee includes four subcommittees dedicated to helping 㽶SSW achieve its strategic directions:
This working group will focus on building skills in conducting courageous conversations; strategies for disrupting racism; and training others in good antiracist and anti-oppressive social work practice.
This working group will challenge instances of racism and oppression in the course offerings at 㽶SSW by mapping how equity, justice, and inclusion show up in classes and developing methods to resolve gaps in social work education.
This working group will focus on capturing and analyzing the impact of our efforts to dismantle white supremacy at 㽶SSW. This group has been working hard to craft metrics that inform our thinking and decision making.
This working group is dedicated to creating student leaders focused on ensuring 㽶SSW is an antiracist school, analyzing policy to encourage a welcoming environment, and pursuing action-oriented advocacy on behalf of all 㽶SSW students.
* Percentage of faculty who self-identify as AHANA (African American, Hispanic/Latinx, Asian American/Pacific Islander, Native American)
239
Students who have graduated from the Latinx Leadership Initiative since 2013
51
Number of EJI events hosted, 2020–21
15
Student fellows enrolled in inaugural year of Black Leadership Initiative (2021–22)
48%
Faculty Diversity (2022-23)
㽶SSW's Black Leadership Initiative and Latinx Leadership Initiative encourage students to develop a more nuanced understanding of the challenges faced by specific populations to move closer to solutions.
The course provides a critical perspective on current issues and problems in American racism, sexism, heterosexism, ablism, and ageism. These issues and problems are studied in the context of the dynamics of social process, historical and anthropological perspectives, and theories of prejudice and social change. Social work's responsibility to contribute to solutions is emphasized. Different models for examining the issues of race, sex, sexual orientation, age, and ability are presented.
This advanced skills course will build on the foundation of the first year diversity course. Anticipated outcomes will be to give MSW student’s meaningful skill sets in facilitating difficult dialogue, identifying and managing conflict, analyzing and assessing team dynamics, and coaching diverse teams to success. This course is open to both macro and clinical students.
Organizational justice is the idea that justice not only should govern the behavior of individuals, but also nonprofit and for-profit work environments. This justice is complex and must take into account diversity and its myriad interactions in the workplace. This course is designed to allow students space to explore both the tensions of race, class, and gender inequities in the context of creativity and change management. This course will also review how health and well-being play a role in employee productivity and organizational effectiveness.
An overview of the prominent theories, major issues, and controversies on immigration policy is presented. While immigration has become a crucial concern of the American social welfare system as well as an issue of global urgency, immigration controls the fate of a growing numbers of asylum seekers. The course will discuss the special needs and problems faced by immigrant and refugee clients and communities; the process of adaptation and coping with a new culture; refugee experiences; the impact of relocation on individuals, families, and communities; and a range of world view perspectives including acculturation & assimilation, biculturalism, marginality, and traditional ethnic identities.
In this advanced seminar, students will learn how different groups of Latinx in the United States understand what social benefits they are entitled to, how they experience the process of working with services providers, and how this process contributes to their empowerment and their incorporation in society (or lack thereof). Students will learn about best interventions and will acquire practical skills to provide services to different groups of Latinx and their families in the United States.
This course blends macro and clinical practice in order to service LGBTQ people most effectively. Students will learn about policies, laws, and societal narratives that impact LGBTQ people in both positive and negative ways. The course focuses on the integration of macro and clinical issues and best practice that respects all people regardless of gender identity and sexual orientation. Particular attention will be placed on developmental models of gender identity and sexual orientation.
Dedicated to advancing a Boston College culture and climate that is welcoming to all—through leadership, support, education, compliance, and policy.
This forum provides a meeting place for dialogue about race and racism in the U.S., while serving as a catalyst for bridging differences, promoting reconciliation, and encouraging new perspectives.
Courageous Conversations Towards Racial Justice is a dialogue-centered initiative on racism and privilege designed to address racial healing, equity, and justice.
Boston College proudly welcomes all veterans of the United States Armed Forces and is committed to helping them find the resources they require to thrive here.
Boston College is dedicated to fostering a welcoming, safe, and inclusive environment for all students and to positively impact and improve the LGBTQ+ student experience.
This center supports and empowers undergraduate students, with a particular focus on AHANA, multicultural, and multiethnic issues.