Small BSW programs are challenged to survive. Governors State University's BSW program was no exception. By 2002, this BSW program had dramatically declined in enrollment to 24 students. In the annual assessment that the University does on each program, the BSW program was rated "marginal", and the program was placed on the Provost's watch list for elimination. Governors State University's BSW program was just removed from the watch list this fall. Efforts that we have made since Fall 2002 have resulted in a 144% increase in enrollment.

Efforts that the BSW program faculty made to increase enrollment included, but were not limited to, the following:

1) We developed and implemented a major marketing campaign with no money. Faculty went to many community meetings at community colleges and job fairs.

2) We looked at our admissions process. In 2002, students had to complete all liberal arts prerequisites before they could take any social work classes. These students were admitted, and then sent back to community college to finish the rest of their liberal arts classes. Governors State University offers only upper division and graduate courses: we have no freshmen and sophomores at our University. The BSW faculty determined which BSW classes did not have prerequisites. We decided to admit students and enroll them in these social work classes while they finished their liberal arts prerequisites. We encouraged them to finish these courses at our four-year counterparts instead of returning to community college.

3) We looked at retention. The changes that we put in place around admissions improved our retention. The students now had constant contact with their advisor, and the faculty who taught their courses. The advisor could see the students once a trimester to assure they were staying on track with their study plans and were continuing in the program. We now only lose one or two students a trimester for personal reasons, which is a radical improvement.

These few efforts made by the BSW program at Governors State University made a difference in our program. Faculty members were delighted when the program was removed from the Provost's watch list for elimination. Enrollment continues to increase; early figures for the Winter trimester look as though we are now up 168%.

We now have only two tenure-track faculty. If enrollment continues to increase, we will be adding new faculty. We will begin to recruit for a third tenure-track faculty next year, and maybe two if we continue to grow.