The Provost's Curriculum Improvement Award, implemented in 2023, recognizes outstanding efforts in enhancing the undergraduate educational experience at USC. The Bachelor’s in Social Work program in the College of Social Work has won the award for 2024.
Bree Alexander, undergraduate program director, and the BSW program committee outlined a vision for a collaborative and evidence-based approach to curriculum development. They won the award with their plan to:
- Promote collaboration between academic units to achieve meaningful improvements
- Leverage evidence-based best practices tailored to a bachelor’s degree in social work
- Conduct a comprehensive curricular analysis to identify strengths, weaknesses and strategic improvement areas
- Implement innovative and well-reasoned curriculum modifications
- Continuously evaluate and refine the curriculum through ongoing assessment
The college's multi-level approach to curriculum improvement, including explicit and implicit curriculum, syllabus review and regular instructor feedback, exemplifies their commitment to excellence and demonstrated a broad impact on courses, non-credit offerings, experiential learning and research.
What they’re saying
“Dr. Alexander, Dean Browne and the faculty of the College of Social Work are exhibiting the kind of inventive thinking that will benefit their students now and into the future.” – Donna Arnett, executive vice president for academic affairs and provost
“I am incredibly proud of Dr. Alexander’s efforts and the College of Social Work for receiving the Provost Curriculum Improvement Award. This recognition reflects our exceptional commitment to enhancing the educational experience for our students." – Teri Browne, dean