Recognizing April 11, 2025, as Social Work Advocacy Day at the State Capitol.
WHEREAS, The National Association of Social Workers, Texas
Chapter, is hosting Social Work Advocacy Day at the State Capitol on
April 11, 2025, and this occasion provides a welcome opportunity to
recognize the highly acclaimed School of Social Work at The
University of Texas at Arlington; and
WHEREAS, The UTA School of Social Work is one of the largest
and most prestigious programs of its kind in the nation; boasting
over 2,100 students and more than 13,000 alumni, the school offers a
bachelor’s degree program that is consistently ranked among the top
three in Texas and the Southwest, as well as an online master’s
program that has been rated as the best in the country by several
independent evaluators; and
WHEREAS, A national leader in aging and gerontology
education, UTA’s School of Social Work is among a minority of
graduate programs in North America offering a specialty track in
this field; the school’s master’s degree program features
additional specialties in health care, children and families,
mental health and substance misuse, and community and
administrative practice, and the school allows students to become
certified to provide social work services to veterans and members
of the military; moreover, its academic offerings include a highly
regarded Ph.D. program, and it is expected to launch its
much-anticipated doctor of social work online program in January
2026; and
WHEREAS, The School of Social Work is a research powerhouse
dedicated to promoting lifelong learning, professional growth, and
personal development; last year, its faculty members ranked in the
96th percentile for publication in academic and scientific research
journals and secured $6.8 million in external funding awards for
their research; and
WHEREAS, UTA social work students, through their field
practicum and internship courses, contribute nearly 600,000
volunteer hours annually at more than 300 community agencies and
organizations, which translates to an economic impact of over $15
million; and
WHEREAS, Since its founding in 1967, The University of Texas
at Arlington School of Social Work has advanced society’s
understanding of social justice and trained generations of social
advocates who have positively influenced the lives of countless
people in North Texas and beyond; now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 89th Texas
Legislature hereby recognize April 11, 2025, as Social Work
Advocacy Day at the State Capitol and extend a warm welcome to all
those who are visiting Austin in observance of this occasion.
