University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. School of Social Work | University of Illinois Archives

In 1944, the University established a graduate curriculum for professional training in social work as part of the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences.¹ In 1946, the Trustees transferred the program to the newly established Division of Social Welfare Administration, to be administered as part of the Graduate School² and the two-year degree was accredited by the American Association of Schools of Social Work (now the Council on Social Work Education).³ In January 1949, the Division achieved independent status.⁴ Its name was changed to the School of Social Work in 1951.⁵ During the following year, permanent offices for the School were established at 1204 West Oregon Street, Urbana.⁶ In 1961, the School was renamed the Jane Addams Graduate School of Social Work in honor of the early Illinois social worker.⁷ Under a May 20, 1970, reorganization, there are two separate schools with identical names at the Urbana-Champaign and Chicago Circle campuses. The two schools have a single director who will report to both chancellors, and both schools will have the same executive committee. The director has an associate director on each campus.⁸ In 1968 the School of Social Work and the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences set up an undergraduate program leading to an A.B. or a B.S. in social work.⁹ In 1970 the doctorate program was approved wit its center to be in Urbana-Champaign.¹⁰ The curriculum, designed to give students the knowledge, attitudes and skills basic to all social work practice, is organized into four general areas: human growth and behavior, social work practice, the social services and research. The Name of Jane Adams was dropped from the C-U campus but retained in the Chicago Circle School of Social Work (Campus Report Vol. 9, No. 3, Nov. 1975, p. 3).

1. "Social Welfare Administration", Graduate Division Announcement for 1948-49, RS 19/1/801, p. 6.

2. Board of Trustees Transactions, 43rd Report, June 15, 1946, p. 1150.

3. "School of Social Work" 1957-59, RS 19/1/801, p. 7.

4. Board of Trustees Transactions, 45th Report, January 13, 1949, p. 205.

5. Board of Trustees Transactions, 46th Report, July 25, 1951, p. 844.

6. Board of Trustees Transactions, 46th Report, January 21, 1952, p. 1339.

7. Board of Trustees Transactions, 51st Report, April 19, 1961, p. 440.

8. Board of Trustees Transactions, 55th Report, May 20, 1970, pp. 916-17.

9. Board of Trustees Transactions, 55th Report, December 18, 1968, p. 201.

10. Board of Trustees Transactions, 55th Report, January 21, 1970, p. 763.