Building From the Rubble: Launching a New Program Amid Institutional and Social Instability

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Author(s): Jo Anne Durovich (St. Joseph's University of New York, USA)
Copyright: 2026
Pages: 28
Source title: Narratives of Upheaval in Higher Education
Source Author(s)/Editor(s): Denise Simard (The State University of New York at Plattsburgh, USA)and Janet Acker (The State University of New York at Plattsburgh, USA)
DOI: 10.4018/979-8-3373-2063-2.ch012

Keywords: Educational Leadership & Administration / Higher Education / Information Science Reference / Knowledge Management and Library Science

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Abstract

This chapter explores the creation of a Master of Social Work (MSW) program amid the dual crises of the COVID-19 pandemic and systemic instability in higher education. Set within a liberal arts institution in New York, between 2018 and 2022, the chapter examines how the development of this program facilitated both resilience and innovation during a period of significant uncertainty within higher education, such as institutional closures, rapid transition to remote instruction, and social upheaval. Simultaneously, the need for well-prepared social workers to respond to the crisis reached unprecedented levels. This chapter outlines how faculty and administrators worked to design a program that met rigorous academic and professional standards while also responding to the urgent needs of students and the surrounding community. This is one of the first studies to examine the creation of an MSW program in the United States during the COVID-19 pandemic and offers an example of how higher education can adapt through community engagement, social justice, and bold programmatic vision.

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Building From the Rubble: Launching a New Program Amid Institutional and Social Instability

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