About The College

The College of Social Work at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, traces its origins back to 1942, when it was established in Nashville as the “Nashville School of Social Work.” Initially formed through a consortium with Vanderbilt University, George Peabody College for Teachers, and Scarritt College, the school secured a $40,000 grant from the General Education Board, one of the Rockefeller Foundations, to help fund its creation. Lora Lee Pederson, a driving force behind its establishment, became the School’s first Director, serving from 1942 to 1950. From 1944 to 1951, Master of Science in Social Work (MSSW) degrees were awarded through Vanderbilt University. In 1951, the school became part of the University of Tennessee, and from that point onward, degrees were awarded by UT.

The school expanded to Memphis in 1951 and later opened a full-time Knoxville Branch program in 1958. Due to financial difficulties, the Memphis Branch was closed from 1960 to 1965, reopening on the University of Tennessee Medical School campus (now UT Health Science Center). In 1973, the University of Tennessee elevated the School’s Director to the title of Dean. With the retirement of long-serving Director/Dean Sue Spencer that year, the Dean’s Office moved to Knoxville, and Ben Granger became the second dean. The college awarded its first Bachelor of Science in Social Work (BSSW) degrees in 1980, and in 1983, the first Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) in Social Work classes commenced. The school was renamed the College of Social Work in 1985.

In 1988, Dean Granger stepped down, and Eunice Shatz was appointed Dean. That same year, Distinguished Chancellor’s Professor Charles Glisson established the Children’s Mental Health Services Research Center (now the Center for Behavioral Health Research) with funding from the National Institutes of Health, focusing on the needs of abused, neglected, and emotionally troubled children and their families.

Karen Sowers became Dean in 1997 and launched one of the nation’s first online MSSW programs in 2007, expanding the college’s reach beyond Tennessee. The Memphis branch closed in 2011, with online programs serving students in that area. In 2012, the college introduced a Doctor of Social Work (DSW) in clinical practice and leadership, offering a unique advanced clinical social work curriculum. After 20 years of service, Dean Sowers retired in 2017, and Dr. Lori Messinger became the college’s fifth dean in 2019.

As a college of social work committed to the core values of our profession, we strongly reject all forms of hate speech and rhetoric that focus on the superiority of one group over other groups. We recognize and affirm the inherent dignity and worth of ALL persons. Moreover, we are committed to challenging all forms of hate speech and other acts of racism and bigotry wherever they are found, including our own campus.

The Bachelor’s and Master’s degree programs of the UT College of Social Work are accredited by the Council on Social Work Education (CSWE). The MSSW program is the state of Tennessee’s first and oldest CSWE-accredited program. Though CSWE does not accredit doctoral programs, the college’s Doctoral programs consistently receive strong, positive reviews from the University and national recognition from the National Association of Social Workers (NASW).

The offices of the Dean, Knoxville M.S.S.W. Program Director, BSSW Program Director, PhD Program Director, DSW Program Director, and faculty and staff of the Knoxville campus are located in Stokely Management Center on the University of Tennessee campus. Also located in Knoxville are the Office of Social Work Research and Public Service (SWORPS) and the Center for Behavioral Health Research(CBHR).

The offices of the Associate Dean for Academics, the Nashville, and Online MSSW Program Directors, faculty, and staff of the Nashville and online campus are located in the Polk Center at 193 Polk Avenue, Suite E. The Polk Center also houses offices and facilities of the Institute for Public Service and the Social Work Office of Research and Public Service. In addition to its full-time faculty members, the Nashville campus draws upon the research and teaching resources of 16 universities and colleges within the Nashville-Davidson County area. Students can access Nashville and Middle Tennessee’s educational, cultural, and social resources. Students have access to all University of Tennessee Libraries resources through online access to all library catalogs and databases, instant access to e-journals, and rapid inter-library loans.

The College of Social Work subscribes to the code of ethics of each of the following organizations:

National Association of Social Workers (NASW)
https://www.socialworkers.org/About/Ethics/Code-of-Ethics/Code-of-Ethics-English

International Federation of Social Workers (IFSW)
https://www.ifsw.org

Click here to view our current organizational chart.