Photo by Helen Cheng on Unsplash

The Inclusive Excellence Committee of the Graduate School of Social Work (GSSW) at the University of Denver (DU) is a committee representing the whole community that aims to envision, design, and implement fundamental transformation of the school to value, engage and include the full diversity of students, staff, faculty, administration, alumni and community constituents. Consistent with the ideals of the Council of Social Work Education (CSWE) and the National Association of Social Work (NASW), this committee is charged with creating specific GSSW ideals, and recommending policies, actions, programs, and pedagogy that promote social justice and inclusivity. Pulling from social work values, research, knowledge, theories, and methods as well as incorporating knowledge and perspectives of other disciplines, this committee will work with the extended university community, as well as outreaching to the public, to inform innovative and responsive practices, policies, and structures that promote inclusive excellence at GSSW.

The scope of work focuses on advising, coordinating, and providing oversight on initiatives that promote inclusive excellence to the Dean, the Executive Advisory Committee, and the Community of the Whole.

IEC is an oversight committee whose mission is to push GSSW forward in its commitment to inclusivity by:  

• Serving as a clearinghouse for inclusive excellence initiatives
• Identifying community priorities  (focus areas) and naming gaps for improvement
• Connecting GSSW’s IE efforts to the larger university & community
• Marking & celebrating GSSW's IE accomplishments