NEW ASSISTANT DEAN, SPRINGFIELD COLLEGE OF SCHOOL OF HUMAN SERVICES, PROMOTES HIGHER EDUCATION

FOR AFRICAN-AMERICAN COMMUNITY

There’s a growing need for well-trained human services professionals from the African-American community, and James Whitley, Springfield College’s new Assistant Dean of the School of Human Services (SHS), is determined to “get them here.”

The School of Human Services, which offers bachelor’s and master’s degree programs tailored for the adult learner, has grown to become the largest of its kind in the nation, with campuses in Springfield, Mass., and at nine other locations across the United States.

Whitley heads the Springfield College program for experienced human services workers to complete their bachelor’s or master’s degrees on weekends. “Our students already have a passion for human services and the desire to become better change agents,” says Whitley, who has held positions in public health and advocacy. “But they’re hitting a ceiling in their jobs and need to develop their professional skills through higher education.”

Time and expense are important to the adult learner, Whitley notes. Classes are held two consecutive weekends per month. Most students are able to complete the bachelor’s degree in 16 to 24 months, which includes academic credit for work experience that is equivalent to college learning, and transfer credit from other accredited institutions of higher learning. This schedule makes the program more affordable than four-year programs at other institutions.

“Our students come from varied educational backgrounds—some with no college but a great deal of experiential learning, and others with some college credits,” says Whitley. “Our objective is to equip them to achieve their professional goals. That means providing the most current information, effective skill building, and an environment and services conducive to learning.”

The environment at the School is both diverse and supportive. “Faculty members are not only academicians, but also practitioners in the same fields where students work,” says Whitley. “Classes are structured around discussion, rather than lecture. We offer an Academic Success Center, for tutoring in writing and other subjects.” Students and faculty come from a wide range of backgrounds and cultures, adds Whitley, which creates a “rich range of real-world experience that enhances the program as students learn, not only from the faculty and curriculum, but also from each other.”

But it’s not only the students that benefit from learning at the School of Human Services; the greater Springfield area does as well. To graduate, students are required to identify a community need and design and implement a project to address it. Projects are usually in partnership with various community organizations. “We are actively working to understand the needs in Greater Springfield,” Whitley says. “Being a strong institutional citizen and educating the region’s future human services leaders is very important to our School.” n