November 23, 2024
New Virginia State University Program Specializes In ‘Trauma Informed Care’
Virginia State University (VSU) is making HBCU history with new accredited program.
Virginia State University is setting itself apart from other historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs) by adding a Master of Social Work program. The advanced degree program will be the first Council of Social Work-accredited (CWSE) program of its kind offered at an HBCU.
The university announced the program’s accreditation on Nov. 21 on the school’s official website. Although the program has been active since 2022, it is only now receiving full accreditation. The CWSE is bestowing the accreditation retroactively to include previous semesters up to Fall 2022.
With the addition of the program, VSU’s mission is to strive to educate culturally and socially competent mental health experts to help support and uplift their communities.
“Preparing graduates to systematically and strategically address the well-being of individuals who have experienced trauma. It is also committed to promoting human rights and social and economic justice through community engagement, advocacy, and collaborative scientific inquiry that impacts professional practice locally, nationally, and globally,” states the press release.
VSU is not the only HBCU winning in the academic landscape. BLACK ENTERPRISE recently reported on Jackson State University being the first HBCU to earn the Founder’s Award from the National Academy of Inventors (NAI).
The NAI was founded in 2011 and has inducted over 700 Fellows. The organization promotes and honors creativity, diversity, and invention. To join the prestigious organization, a scholar must hold at least one U.S. patent.
JSU is a charter member of the organization and boasts multiple successful innovators-turned-NAI-fellows in its ranks.
Ernest Izevbigie, a 2012 inductee, earned two patents that led to the creation of EdoBotanics. The dietary supplement helps cancer patients with the side effects of chemotherapy and radiation. Other inductees include 2017 fellow Kamal Ali and 2018 fellow Danuta Leszczynska.
JSU President Marcus Thompson acknowledged the honor, “This recognition further underscores our dedication to academic excellence, economic development, and societal progress. It is a significant milestone not just for JSU, but for all HBCUs and the state of Mississippi.”
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