Retention Efforts Directed to Students of Color in Baccalaureate Social Work Programs

Given the increasing diversity of the U. S. population and social work clients, retention of students of color in baccalaureate social work programs is a major issue. This article reports on a two-phase exploratory study that looked at the retention efforts of accredited baccalaureate social work (BSW) programs and their respective universities in one state. The first phase of the study addressed the types of retention efforts being made toward students of color and the perceived success of those efforts. The second phase looked at students' perceptions of the retention efforts made by their university and their BSW program. The findings indicate that retention efforts offered by social work programs are effective in helping retain students of color, although they also indicate that the retention programs are underused. This may indicate the need for social work educators to work to increase awareness of retention efforts in their universities and programs.