Dear Parents,

I am writing to you personally to update you on some very important developments at the University that will directly impact your student. There will be additional communication from the University with more specifics, but I did not want to wait any longer than necessary to get this news to you. After much prayer and deliberation, the University will be eliminating the School of Social Work and all programs offered through it, effective Fall 2021. At it’s spring meeting this week, the Board of Trustees approved a recommendation from the administration to this effect. The rationale for this decision and what you can expect from this transition are outlined below. 

The Council on Social Work Education (CSWE) released the latest draft of their required institutional criteria for accreditation. This draft has not yet been finalized, but it indicates the trajectory the council is on. The draft includes significant changes built upon theoretical and philosophical assumptions that require instructional and curricular commitments inconsistent with our own institutional commitments. It also embraces a social and cultural agenda that now includes the acceptance of a view of human sexuality, gender identity, and gender expression that is inconsistent with the University’s biblical position on human sexuality. In addition, previous CSWE guidelines have permitted institutions to interpret the guidelines in a way that aligns with their university mission; that language has been removed in the most recent draft, so, if approved, institutions will be required to align with the values and purposes of the profession that are outlined in the document as being built upon a set of critical theory and intersectionality assumptions and values inconsistent with our biblical view of humanity, human nature, and the world. Considering this information in tandem with the School of Social Work’s pre-existing issues of sustainability and enrollment, the Board of Trustees and I believe that this is the time to make the difficult but necessary decision to close the School of Social Work and reallocate university resources to other strategic needs and opportunities. 

The dilemma with our position regarding the social work programs is that unlike other programs, social work in the United States has only one accrediting body, and students cannot pursue licensure or a career in social work without a CSWE-accredited social work education. This means that our affiliation with CSWE is required in order to prepare students for licensure in the workplace. Cairn University is committed to addressing human need and human suffering, to being the hands and feet of Jesus in a world that desperately needs the love of Christ, and to sharing the good news of His gospel. We will be striving to find additional ways to do that and additional ways to carry out the mission of this University despite the elimination of this specific professional preparation program. We are obligated to do so as followers of Christ in obedience to His Word and according to His example. I look forward to sharing with you exactly how we will do that in the future. Our current programs in psychology, counseling, criminal justice, and youth and family ministry remain intact and will be integral to our development of new opportunities that send students into the world as servants of Christ. Additionally, all academic programs will be discussing how they can address the critical issues faced by human beings made in the image and likeness of God in our current day. 

This decision was not easy to make. Social work at the University has a rich heritage of over 50 years. We have sent generations of graduates into some of the most challenging and difficult contexts where human suffering is the most pronounced. We have had faculty and staff members whose tireless commitment to the Lord and to their profession has had a significant and eternal impact not only on their students but on the region and the world. Our institution was a pioneer of training social workers from an explicitly biblical worldview. That is something we will always be proud of, and we praise God for giving us the opportunity to do it for so long. We also recognize that everything has a season, and that even the best things, which have shaped us and given us joy, must sometimes come to an end. This is a sad development, and we grieve, but we must trust the Lord. 

While we will not be accepting any new social work students, the University is committed to a teach-out program that will allow your student to finish his/her biblical social work education at Cairn and graduate with a CSWE-accredited BSW degree. Dr. Juliet Campbell-Farrell will be leading a transition team that includes Dr. Lawrence Ressler and Mrs. Meghan Krouse. These individuals have the trust and confidence of colleagues, the administration, the alumni, and your students. Dr. Campbell-Farrell and the transition team will be available for any questions or conversations this summer about this change, and they will be sending you an email next week. I plan to hold a Town Hall meeting for social work majors and any other interested students in the fall to discuss these changes with you, to hear your perspectives, and to answer your questions. 

I understand this decision is a hard one to bear and that you may be angry, confused, hurt, and disappointed. It is a decision I hoped we would never have to make. I have been a proponent of social work going back to my days as the undergraduate dean in the mid-1990s. I taught many social work majors over the years, including many of you who are studying here now, and I trust you know we will do all we can to care for you as we make this transition. We have a faithful God, and I pray that you will continue to walk a different path with us as we continue to follow Him where He leads us.

Yours,

President Williams