Experiences of Social Work Faculty Members during the COVID-19 Pandemic and Lessons Moving Forward

Overview: This qualitative study examines the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on graduate education in social work (MSW and Ph.D. education), and the implications for building even more resilient social work education programs to respond to future long emergencies.Proposal text: Introduction
This qualitative study examines the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on social work faculty, and the implications for building more resilient social work programs to respond to future long emergencies (McFadden et al., 2020). Our research questions are: (1) How have faculty members experienced their own work in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic? (2) What lessons have we learned from the COVID-19 pandemic relevant to increasing the resilience of schools of social work across the country? (3) What changes do faculty members perceive one year later?
We approach these questions through focused ethnography, sensitized by developmental ecological-systems theory.
Method
This presentation focuses on data from in-depth, semi-structured, Zoom-recorded interviews with 19 Social Work faculty members from a land grant, research 1 university. The interviews were conducted approximately one-year from the beginning of the pandemic, with a follow-up on year later. Participants described their professional experiences in the context of COVID-19, the potential consequences for Schools of Social Work across the country when we emerge from the pandemic, and lessons learned for building more resilient social work programs.

Recorded interviews were transcribed verbatim. Using analytic induction (Schwandt, 2014), participants’ responses were interpreted through repeated readings of the transcribed interviews by two independent coders. A coding system was developed through discussion and critiqued by a third independent reader. Two independent coders applied the coding system to the interviews. Disagreements were resolved through discussion. Credibility of our interpretations were enhanced through peer debriefing and member checking. Negative cases were used to expand and revise initial interpretations. Data were managed using NVivo. This research was approved by the University of Minnesota IRB.

Results

Participants described their experiences of the pandemic as pervasive with sustained effects on all aspects of their personal and professional lives. Participants described the stress of rapidly shifting from in-person to online teaching, disruption of research activities, and challenges in sustaining community relationships. These challenges were experienced while fearing for their own and their loved ones’ health. Many also described stress due to racial and political unrest. Participants described their experiences as profoundly isolating.

Participants also described ways in which this pandemic may enhance the resilience of schools of social work across the country. They described increased comfort with technology such as zoom as facilitating communication with faculty across the world. Participants also described renewed gratitude for contact with one another, increased human compassion and flexibility, and enhanced commitment to preparing the next generation of social workers.

Finally, entering the third year of the pandemic, faculty described frustrations with university administrations’ handling of pandemic-related challenges, the erosion of school community, and concern about the toll of the long emergency on individual well-being.

Discussion

Limitations. This study was conducted at a large, Research 1 University. Additional research should consult social work faculty at smaller, and private institutions whose experiences may not be reflected in this study.

Learning from the wisdom of faculty members who have personally experienced the COVID-19 pandemic will increase our resilience for responding to future long emergencies.