David Watts, left, president of the University of Texas of the Permian Basin, introduces Kay Ketzenberger, bachelor of social work program director at UTPB, as they announce the BSW program's accreditation by the Council on Social Work Education.

Joshua Scheide|Odessa Ameircan

 

UTPB earns accreditation for Social Worker program

Standing in front of eight students currently enrolled in its social worker program, UTPB President David Watts announced Thursday that the university had finally received accreditation from the Council on Social Work Education. 

“UTPB is the only university within 140 miles that has nationally accredited social worker program.” Watts said.

UTPB has been working toward a full accreditation for the past four years.

In September 2003, the Texas Legislature restricted licensing to accredited schools. 

Thus, students who graduated with a degree in the social worker program at UTPB were not accredited and not able to work as social workers, just social worker associates.

Now that UTPB is accredited, graduates need only take a licensing test to become fully certified, licensed social workers.

And, on a positive note, the accreditation is retroactive. Seventeen students who have graduated since 2003 are eligible to take the state-licensing test, UTPB professor and program coordinator Kay Ketzenberger said.

UTPB student Sharon Royal said she’s known about the plan for a while and is excited.

“They’ve been informing us for about a year that it was possible,” she said. “I didn’t have any doubts that it would happen.”

After graduation Royal plans to continue working in Odessa.

Currently, there is a shortage of social workers in West Texas and the program will help meet that need, Watts said.

“We attract people from all over the state. This is one more program that will attract students to come and pursue their academic profession,” he said.

Ketzenberger echoed that.

“It’s a really marketable degree,” she said. “There’s a lot of employment out there for social workers."