Governance & documents
VCU School of Social Work governance encompasses the decision-making authority, the School Assembly, which meets eight times a year; two standing committees and various sub-committees, task groups and affiliated committees.
Additional governance resources
- SSW Faculty Council
- SSW Staff Council
- SSW standing committee assignments
- VCU standing committees
School of Social Work Governance
Learn about the governance structure. » View the full policy document
Key governance bodies
The School Assembly is a forum to which any committee, sub-committee, task force or individual member may make recommendations or raise issues for consideration. The Assembly, as a body, may also initiate recommendations or policy discussions.
Only one body, the School Assembly, has final policy-making authority in matters under its jurisdiction. As such, the Assembly:
- Is the collective decision-making body within the School;
- May appoint or amend committees and task groups to make recommendations to the Assembly;
- May charge committees and task groups to implement policy;
- Acts on all recommendations brought back to Assembly from these committees and task groups.
The School Assembly is responsible for policy in the following areas:
- Curriculum, academic standards, and admissions spanning the BSW, MSW, and Ph.D. Programs
- Governance of the School, including faculty rights and responsibilities
- Shared Governance within the School, including review and implementation of policy.
Voting members of the School Assembly (and standing committees) shall be:
- Tenured faculty.
- Tenure eligible faculty.
- Collateral (or “term”) faculty whose contract includes a service assignment.
- Administrative and Professional (A&P) faculty
- One enrolled student representative from each of the three degree programs: B.S.W., M.S.W., and Ph.D.
SSW Assembly schedule - AY25-26
- Sept. 22 – Agenda | Minutes
- Oct. 27 – Agenda | Minutes
- Nov. 24 – Agenda | Minutes
- Jan. 26 – Agenda | Minutes
- Feb. 23 – Agenda | Minutes
- March 23 – Agenda | Minutes
- April 27 – Agenda | Minutes
Note: Agenda content will be populated shortly before each month's meeting, and minutes will be updated as soon as they are available following each meeting. All documents are in the SSW-Assembly Shared Drive.
Governance & Operations leadership, AY24-25
Co-chair
» Hyojin Im, Ph.D., associate professor
Co-chair
» Nicole O-Pries, M.S.W., associate professor in teaching
The Governance and Operations Committee is a deliberative, advisory and consultative body for evaluation and recommendations of action to the School Assembly on all matters of faculty policy, planning, procedures, and implementation. The Governance and Operations Committee shall review and provide input on the policy recommendations that arise from the Promotion and Tenure Committee and Faculty Search Committees (both of which have separate appointment and/or election procedures within the School), and other affiliated committees, to ensure consistency with the mission of the School and university and congruence with other governing policies of the School and university.
The Governance and Operations Committee shall be comprised of approximately 30% of the faculty voting membership of School Assembly.
Academic Programs Committee leadership, AY24-25
Co-chair
» Nicki Lee, Ph.D., associate professor in teaching
Co-chair
» Allison Ryals, M.S.W., associate professor in teaching
The Programs Committee is responsible for planning, reviewing and overseeing the implementation of policy within the School related to student affairs, curriculum policy, admissions, and academic standards across academic programs. The B.S.W., M.S.W., and Ph.D. Subcommittees, together with the administratively appointed Program Director of each program, are encouraged to discuss issues, concerns, and priorities unique to each program in order to fully inform the work of the overall Programs Committee.
The Programs Committee will be comprised of approximately 70% of the faculty voting membership of School Assembly.
APC schedule - AY25-26
- Sept. 15
- Oct. 20
- Nov. 17
- Dec. 15
- Jan. 19
- Feb. 16
- March 16
- April 20
- May 18
Visualize the governance structure
Credit: Dr. Ananda Newmark
Archived SSW agendas & minutes
Documents for School Assembly, G&O and APC going back five academic years from the current year will be shared on the intranet.
Some minutes and agendas may be unavailable. All documents are in the SSW-Assembly Shared Drive.
AY24-25 agendas & minutes
AY23-24 agendas & minutes
AY22-23 agendas & minutes
- August 2022
- September 2022
- October 2022
- November 2022
- January 2023
- February 2023
- March 2023
- April 2023
AY21-22 agendas & minutes
- August 2021
- September 2021
- October 2021
- November 2021
- January 2022
- February 2022
- March 2022
- April 2022
AY20-21 agendas & minutes
Some minutes and agendas may be unavailable. All documents are in the SSW-Governance and Operations Committee Shared Drive.
AY24-25 agenda and minutes
- September 2024
- October 2024
- November 2024
- December 2024
- January 2025
- February 2025
- March 2025
- April 2025
AY23-24 agenda and minutes
- August 2023
- September 2023
- October 2023
- November 2023
- December 2023
- February 2024
- March 2024
- April 2024
- May 2024
AY22-23 agenda and minutes
- August 2022
- September 2022
- October 2022
- November 2022
- December 2022
- February 2023
- March 2023
- April 2023
- May 2023
AY21-22 agenda and minutes
AY20-21 agenda and minutes
Some minutes and agendas may be unavailable. All documents are in the SSW-APC Shared Drive.
AY24-25 agendas and minutes
AY23-24 agendas and minutes
- September 2023
- October 2023
- November 2023
- December 2023
- February 2024
- March 2024
- April 2024
- May 2024
AY22-23 agendas and minutes
AY21-22 minutes
AY20-21 minutes
SSW faculty & staff councils
The purpose of the Faculty Council is to generate a space for discussion of faculty shared governance and faculty roles, to have collegial conversations about responsibilities for our shared workspace and to share power in order to increase our capacity to engage in informed decision making in the SSW.
Faculty Council meeting schedule for AY25-26
Tentative dates; 9-10 a.m.
- Aug. 25
- Sept. 22
- Oct. 27
- Nov. 24
- Jan. 26
- Feb. 23
- March 23
- April 27
Faculty Council leadership for AY25-26
TBD
VCU Faculty Senate
Connecting faculty to VCU administration and to each other. » Learn more
VCU Staff Senate
Advocating for, communicating with, empowering and supporting VCU and VCU Health staff. » Learn more
SSW committee assignments & VCU standing committees
Academic Programs
TBD
Governance & Operations
TBD
Promotions & Tenure
TBD