STOKES FELLOWSHIP PROGRAM

Frequently Asked Questions - For the Louis Stokes Fellowship Program

1. THE PROGRAM AND THE MSASS ENVIRONMENT
2. THE OPPORTUNITY FOR LEARNING: COURSEWORK AND FIELD EDUCATION
3. THE APPLICATION AND SELECTION PROCESSES
4. CONTACTING THE STOKES PROGRAM

A. THE PROGRAM AND THE MSASS ENVIRONMENT

1. What is this program?

This is a unique opportunity to obtain a Master of Science in Social Administration degree, with a concentration in community development, from the Mandel School of Applied Social Sciences at Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland, Ohio. The school is consistently ranked among the top schools of social work in the U. S. by U.S. News and World Report.

The Louis Stokes Fellowship includes a tuition scolarship and a travel stipend. The Program enables students to attend classes on campus one weekend per month, in the School's Intensive Weekend Program. They obtain the full Master's degree in three years, without having to leave their place of full-time employment in their home state.

The Louis Stokes Fellowships were created by the United States Congress to honor Congressman Stokes' many years of highly-effective public service. Courses are taught by the School's distinguished faculty, who are leaders in their fields and who bring considerable scholarship and practical experience at a very high level to their classrooms, engaging students in learning.

2. How much time will I miss from work?

Students travel to campus one weekend per month and take an average of five courses each year, at on time, throughout the academic year, for three years. Advanced Standing status is possible if the student has obtained a Bachelor of Social Work degree within the last seven years. Advanced Standing students usually spend two and one-half years in the intensive weekend degree program, instead of three years.

Each course is completed in a two-month period, given on Friday through Sunday during the first month and on Saturday through Sunday during the succeeding month. During the first academic year, students must also attend Thursday classes during the January and February weekends to prepare for their field work, which begins in the Spring of the first year of study.

Classes are held 9:00 am - 5:00 pm each day of the scheduled weekend. Travel time will vary depending on point of origin, but students must be in class during the stated hours. This sometimes means spending long weekends on campus, for example needing to arrive on Wednesday afternoon for a Thursday to Sunday class session.

3. Is Cleveland the right place for me to study?

It is difficult to learn about a place without visiting, but the web makes an enormous difference. Click on the link below to learn more about Cleveland, the home city of the University.
/cleveland/

4. Is the travel stipend provided by the Fellowship sufficient to cover all expenses?

It is for most people. You can get by without additional travel funds, but additional money would give you wider options for dining out and overnight accommodations.

5. Are African American and Hispanic students at the Mandel School?

In the 2002-03 academic year, 20.4% of the student body at the Mandel School identified themselves as African American and 4.0% identified as Hispanic. The faculty is 10.7% African American.

6. I have not been in an academic environment for many years. Will that be a problem?

A majority of our Stokes Fellows have been out of school and working for a number of years, so you will not be alone. A substantial orientation program is held on campus in August, which will give you the opportunity to get all of your questions answered, and learn what you need to know for a successful start.

B. THE OPPORTUNITY FOR LEARNING: COURSEWORK AND FIELD EDUCATION

7. What learning will occur by obtaining a Social Work Master-level degree?

You will learn about fundamental change from the unique perspective that social work provides, focusing on people - their motivations, differing methods of communication, learning theories, social role theory, etc.

The core curriculum includes the study of development and behavior of groups; personality development in various environments; how culture develops and serves to influence human behavior; social policies and how and why they are shaped; how political and organizational processes are used to influence policy.

The curriculum of the Community Development concentration prepares students to:

• empower communities, plan for, and manage organizational change;
• design social programs;
• develop strategic alliances,
• manage mergers and consolidations;
• attract government, foundation and corporate funding;
• manage budgets;
• understand the impact of power and politics on community processes; and
• recognize and resolve ethical dilemmas.

 

Students learn how to use research methods to examine neighborhood and community intervention strategies for evidence of success, and how to incorporate problem-solving methodology in their ongoing work responsibilities. They also develop and enhance their awareness of diversity to increase their competence in working with people different from themselves.

8. How can a Social Work Master-level degree help the student to perform better in his/her community development work situation?

Several degrees are applicable to community development, e.g., public policy, urban planning, or finance - but only social work approaches community development issues from a human standpoint first. In the Master's program at the Mandel School, students learn strategies that are related to both people and place.

They begin the program with a focus on relationship building with people. They learn the basics of adult development and progress to gain an understanding of group, organization, neighborhood, and community development. Later, they gain an understanding of legislative politics and advocacy. They develop budgeting and finance skills, learn to assess community needs, develop effective programs, and evaluate the effectiveness of programs. Place-based strategies become significant as they learn about housing, commercial, and other aspects of neighborhood development.

The Louis Stokes Fellowship for the Mandel School Intensive Weekend Master's degree requires students to retain their jobs in their communities while pursuing the degree.

Not long after the courses begin, your employer is likely to see a change in you the employee/student, that will benefit your work organization. Students bring new ideas and approaches, bring leadership skills, and take a more macro view regarding issues.

9. How will I arrange field education time around a full-time job?

Most students do their field placements at their places of employment and incorporate most of the 10-14 hour weekly requirement into their regular work week. The total commitment for field placement is four periods over three years totaling 1,148 hours, lasting from Spring of the first academic year until Spring of the third academic year. Advanced standing status requires three periods, and the commitment over two years totals 972 hours. The schedule for field work is somewhat flexible and mutually agreed upon by student, employer, and field instructor.

10. What kinds of projects are acceptable for the field requirement?

Projects typically involve macro-level activities. Areas for projects may include combinations of policy making, staff training and development, needs assessment, organizational assessment, advocacy, board involvement, fund raising, and development of alliances.

11. Who supervises the field work?

The field instructor must hold a Master of Social Work degree and a current license at the highest level available in his/her state of residence, or they may be license-eligible. The field instructor must be someone other than the student's supervisor or that person's supervisor. Some students utilize field instructors from outside their own organizations. Sometimes, a social work professor at a nearby social work school or program will be able to provide the necessary supervision. The student and field instructor must meet for at least one hour each week. The position of field instructor, which is unpaid, is well-recognized within the social work field.

12. Does my employer relinquish privacy by having someone from the outside review my work?

The student and field instructor must be able to fully discuss the student's fieldwork. For that reason, often a suitable employee elsewhere within their organization can be found to act as a field instructor. However, we have not found that outside field instructors create problems of confidentiality and many have proven to be most helpful by providing a unique outside perspective regarding issue development and solutions.

13. What is a typical MSASS graduate course like? How are they structured for the intensive weekend program?

The courses are rigorous and generally require a considerable amount of reading, as well as assignments. The master syllabus for course SPPP 470: Social Policy is available through the link below. It will give you a general idea of course content. In the intensive weekend program, assignments and readings are issued ahead of time, and are due when you arrive on the first day. Once you are admitted to the Program, whenever you get a packet from Case, do not wait to open it - it may be your next reading assignment.
/downloads/stokes/samplesyllabus.pdf

14. How important is the employment requirement in the community development concentration?

One of the criteria of the intensive weekend program is one year of experience and current employment in the field. Field education will take place in the student's work setting. Thus, the work requirement is essential to the Fellowship program.

C. THE APPLICATION AND SELECTION PROCESSES

15. What does the Stokes Fellowship application process involve?

The process for admission to the School is described on the Mandel School website. There is no additional process needed in order to be considered for a Stokes Fellowship, but one must be accepted for admission to the School before being evaluated for the Fellowship.
/admissions/admissions.html

16. The personal statement in the application seems important. Any advice?

The essay is important, and one should approach it conscientiously. Until the telephone interview (if you are selected for one), both the essay and the letters of recommendation are the best way for us to get a sense of who you are, how you think, how you write, and what you aspire to in the community development field.

17. When am I likely to hear if I am to be interviewed for the Fellowship?

Stokes Fellowship applicants are interviewed, by telephone, at various points during the year.

18. What is the interview like? How long? Is there ever more than one interview?

No two interviews are alike. The interview, done usually over the telephone, is intended to bring out the candidate's strengths and to give the applicant a view of the program. One or two faculty members will contact you for an interview. The interviewer will try to put you at ease, but you will also be challenged in a fair and even-handed manner, so the interviews are rigorous. The telephone interview lasts about 25-30 minutes.

19. What previous academic achievement is required? Is there a minimum GPA?

Intellectual ability is an important criterion, but it cannot be measured by grades and academic honors alone. Reference letters, the personal statement, and the interview (for those candidates selected for one) are extremely important as well. A minimum cumulative GPA of 3.0 is required.

20. How many Stokes Fellowships are awarded each year?

Three to five Fellowships are awarded each year, for entry in the fall semester of the academic year.

D. CONTACTING THE STOKES PROGRAM

21. May I speak with a school representative about further questions or concerns?

Depending on your questions, there are different people ready to help you. Please contact the project coordinator who can answer you or direct your questions to the right people:

Shanon E Milligan, PHD
(216) 368-2335
Fax: (216) 368-5157
sem@case.edu