Accreditation Specialist

POSITION SUMMARY

The Department of Social Work Accreditation (DOSWA) administers the Board of Accreditation (BOA)s accreditation of social work education programs at the baccalaureate masters and doctoral levels and postmasters fellowship programs within the United States and its territories. The primary function of the DOSWA is providing guidance on accreditation standards and processes by which both academic programs and fellowship programs are evaluated and recognized by peers. Accreditation also provides the public with vital information about the quality of programs available to social work students and practitioners.

The BOA is responsible for developing accreditation standards that define competent preparation for social work practice and for ensuring that social work programs meet those standards. The DOSWA administers a multistep accreditation process that involves selfstudies by programs site visits and BOA review of social work programs. The accreditation specialist provides and enhances services such as education resources and consultation to social work programs in the United States and its territories seeking candidacy or undergoing accreditation review. The incumbent facilitates BOA reviews of social work programs assists BOA members with detailed understanding of the accreditation processes and procedures and provides background and clarifying information about programs under BOA review. The position involves work with computer database and web applications to facilitate accreditation workflow management; writing reports and decision letters; and providing training for BOA members programs and accreditation volunteers. The accreditation specialist is an individual contributor role and includes opportunities for project management and volunteer leadership.

The Council on Social Work Education is committed to creating an accessible supportive environment that recognizes diversity and cultural competence as integral components of excellence. Candidates who contribute to that goal are encouraged to apply and to identify their strengths in this area.

ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

• Provides and enhances services such as education resources and consultation regarding accreditation standards policies and procedures to candidate and accredited social work programs.
• Provides accreditation consultation to programs on understanding interpreting and demonstrating compliance with the Educational Policy and Accredited Standards (EPAS) including mission & goals; formal curriculum; field education; the learning environment; antiracism diversity equity and inclusion; and assessment of student learning and programmatic outcomes.
• Provides individual and group accreditation consultations to program representatives via email phone video chat and inperson at professional conferences.
•  Regularly collaborates with and provides expertise to volunteers including site visitors and BOA members.
• Collaborates with BOA on reviews of programs during and between BOA meetings.
• Manages a BOA workgroup and facilitates smallgroup meetings.
• Understands and applies accreditation policies procedures and decisions made by BOA.
• Manages the distribution collection and archival of accreditation materials for BOA members programs and site visitors.
• Reviews program materials for completeness and consistency with accreditation policies.
• Compiles and formulates BOA decision letters and disseminates decisions to programs accurately within strict deadlines.
•  Manages projects to produce deliverables toolkits and resources that enhance the accreditation process.
•  Reviews and provides feedback on internal documents.
•  May serve as staff liaison to a CSWE governance group (i.e. commissions or councils) and/or participate in staff committees.
• Interfaces with the public about social work as a career educational requirements and accreditation.
• Maintains and applies knowledge of current and evolving issues trends and information related to social work education and accreditation.
• Works competently with basic computer applications all components of Microsoft Office 365 and database and Web applications for workflow management.
• Other duties as assigned.

Qualifications :

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS KNOWLEDGE AND SKILLS

• Masters degree required preferably in social work education or a related field
• Accreditation experience preferably in social work
• Ability to demonstrate working knowledge of accreditation standards and processes
• Computer proficiency including demonstratable skill in advanced functions of applicable software applications such as Microsoft Office 365 and understanding of technology applications for workflow management particularly database operations learning management systems project management platforms and online accreditation management systems
• Excellent interpersonal skills and the ability to interact professionally and effectively within a teambased environment as well as with all levels of staff and program administrators
• Ability to handle a sizeable workload of programs and develop ethical relationships
• Ability to deliver difficult news to constituents such as adverse decisions
• Ability to work independently and as part of a team to carry out various processes in accreditation of social work programs
• Ability to provide training online and inperson to current and prospective programs and volunteers
• Excellent communication organizational and problemsolving skills
• Ability to exercise careful attention to detail
• Ability to handle the details of multiple priorities simultaneously and adhere to strict deadlines
• Ability to travel 46 times per year
• Ability to work on evenings and weekends up to 8 times per year
• Passionate about working in an organization that values and promotes antiracism diversity equity and inclusion
• Demonstrates skill in understanding of cultural differences

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS KNOWLEDGE AND SKILLS

Fluency in Spanish (spoken and written academic language)

Experience with boards and/or volunteers

Doctoral degree preferably in social work

Experience in a higher education setting

Experience teaching in a social work program

Experience developing social work curriculum related to competencies

Experience with assessment of studentlearning outcomes

Problemsolving and innovative spirit to continuously engage in internal regulatory efforts and quality improvement

Additional Information :

The office is located in Alexandria Virginia. CSWE is a hybrid work environment.

APPLICATION INSTRUCTIONS:
Please submit a cover letter and your resume or CV by clicking the Im Interested button on the job posting. 

To be qualified an individual must have the requisite skills experience and education for the job and must also be able to perform the essential functions of the job with or without reasonable accommodation. The Council on Social Work Education provides reasonable accommodations to applicants upon request. Your information will be kept confidential according to EEO guidelines.

COMPENSATION
The salary range for this position is commensurate with experience.
CSWE offers a competitive benefits package including medical dental vision PTO 403b retirement contributions and more.

ADA SPECIFICATIONS
This position is primarily sedentary and is performed in an office setting. The physical demands of this position are limited to the ability to lift up to 30 lbs. and bend stoop and carry materials. Occasional travel within the United States and work on weekends may be necessary. The Council on Social Work Education (CSWE) is an Equal Opportunity Affirmative Action Employer. CSWE is dedicated to building a culturally diverse staff committed to working in a pluralistic environment. We encourage applications from women minority groups veterans and people with disabilities.

Remote Work :

Yes

Employment Type :

Fulltime