GSCW Student Organizations
Primary contact for student organizations: Kennedy Henderson, Student Engagement Coordinator, at kmhende2@CougarNet.UH.EDU if interested in leadership positions with any student organization.
Active GCSW Student Organizations include:
GCSW STUDENT ASSOCIATION
Mission of organization: The purpose of this organization is to promote unity among all students of the Graduate College of Social Work (GCSW). Our goals are to 1) promote cohesiveness and communication among students; 2) promote student scholarship and leadership; 3) enhance community awareness of our school and its students; 4) advocate for students with faculty, staff, and administration.
ASSOCIATION OF ASIAN AMERICAN SOCIAL WORKERS (AAASW)
Mission of organization: Association of Asian American Social Workers is a community of students and social work professionals committed to raising awareness and advocating for the needs of Asian Americans. AAASW supports social work students and professionals interested in or currently working with Asian Americans. AAASW also serves to raise awareness of the social and economic issues facing Asian Americans.
ASSOCIATION OF BLACK SOCIAL WORKERS-GCSW CHAPTER
Mission of organization: ABSW’s purpose is to advance the African American initiative at the University of Houston, specifically Social Work.
CHILD WELFARE EDUCATION PROJECT (CWEP) STUDENT & ALUMNI ORGANIZATION
Mission of organization: CWEP is for students and alumni who are part of the Title IV E funded Child Welfare Education Project, the program in which students are prepared for the challenging and rewarding work in Children’s Protective Services.
CRITICAL LENS
Mission of organization: Critical Lens seeks to build community among GCSW students through film. Members meet monthly to watch a film pertaining to social justice, advocacy, mental health, and more before discussing how it relates to our future roles as social workers.
GCSW INTERNATIONAL STUDENT GROUP
Mission of organization: ISG’s vision is to achieve a better graduate life for international students at GCSW, University of Houston. The mission of the ISG is to share resources, policies, and experiences to help international students at GCSW navigate their graduate life.
LATINX STUDENT ASSOCIATION (LSA)
Mission of organization: The Latinx Student Association of the University of Houston, Graduate College of Social Work, represents a community of students committed to the principles of empowerment, solidarity, and social justice for the Latinx population. We embrace a mandate to promote advocacy, service, cultural awareness, and scholarship through collaboration and networking in the school and the community.
MACRO NETWORK
Mission of organization: The mission of our organization is to advocate for and on the behalf of macro focused social work students, to introduce social work students to macro level engagement, and to organize events that educate students on what a career in macro social work could look like.
POLICY INSIDER ADVISORY COMMITTEE
Mission of organization: To bring awareness to the public policies that impact the communities and populations that we engage with both directly and indirectly. Through the “Policy Insider Series,” we hope to help GCSW students, faculty, staff, and the broader Houston social work community understand and navigate complex social welfare policy issues and engage in legislative and electoral advocacy around these issues.
Q+MMUNITY
Mission of organization: To be a supportive Q+mmunity of graduate students and professionals led by the GCSW dedicated to the advocacy, service, cultural awareness, and scholarship of LGBTQ+ issues, while upholding the core values of the social work profession through education, engagement, and collaboration within and beyond the University of Houston.
STUDENTS FOR THE ADVANCEMENT OF INTERNATIONAL SOCIAL WORK
Mission of organization: The purpose of this organization is to promote the field of international social work at the University of Houston Graduate College of Social Work by highlighting human rights and social justice issues, engaging students in the active pursuit of global justice, and increasing international social work awareness at the University of Houston. Our goals are to: promote advocacy, service, cultural awareness, and scholarship through collaboration and networking in the school and global community.
UNIVERSITY OF HOUSTON PAYMENT FOR PLACEMENT (UHP4P)
Mission of organization: Payments 4 Placements (P4P) is a nationwide movement calling for all social work students to be paid for their practicum placements. Our mission is to ensure all students are paid for practicum, remove barriers to accessing social work education, and support the nationwide movement towards paid practicum.
Organization email: uhp4p@outlook.com
Honor Societies at GCSW
Phi Kappa Phi
Phi Kappa Phi is a national honor society which recognizes superior scholarship in all academic disciplines. Membership in Phi Kappa Phi is by invitation and requires nomination and approval by a chapter. The University of Houston Graduate School oversees the determination process for Phi Kappa Phi. To be eligible, students must be:
Currently seeking a graduate degree at the University of Houston Graduate College of Social Work;
Have been enrolled at UH as a graduate student on a full-time basis for at least one academic year or on a part-time basis for the equivalent of at least one academic year (completion of 24 semester credit hours or more); and
Ranked scholastically in the top 10 percent of the students enrolled currently in the GCSW program.
Faculty Contact: Dr. Susan Robbins -srobbins@central.uh.edu
Phi Alpha
Phi Alpha Honor Society is a national honor society specifically for social work students. The purposes of Phi Alpha Honor Society are to provide a closer bond among students of social work and promote humanitarian goals and ideals. Phi Alpha fosters high standards of education for social workers and invites into membership those who have attained excellence in scholarship and achievement in social work.
Faculty Advisor: Dr. Patrick Leung - pleung@central.uh.edu
Scholarships: Two $500 scholarships are available to current GCSW students (see the information posted in the Student Lounge at GCSW 2nd Floor)
Membership: A GCSW candidate is accepted into the Phi Alpha Honor Society Mu Lambda Chapter based on achieving a 3.85 GPA for the cumulative semesters spent in social work education and being in the top 35% of the graduating cohort.
Phi Alpha, National Honor Society for Social Work Students
Alumni Association (GCSWAA)
Graduates of the school are invited to become active members of the GCSW Alumni Association, which is affiliated with the university’s larger Alumni Organization. The GCSWAA, governed by elected officers and a board of directors, participates actively in the school’s fundraising efforts, and sponsors various programs for current GCSW students.
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