Social workers face a complex and ever-challenging environment. The Institute of Medicine’s (IOM) report, Crossing the Quality Chasm (IOM, 2001), noted the dramatic changes in service delivery in the United States will require new skills among those in the workforce. Now more than ever, the workforce is looking for lifelong learning programs to build their competencies and state and local agencies are seeking partnerships with academic institutions to build career ladders for the people they employ. To respond to these challenges, Boston University’s School of Social Work (BUSSW) aims to build upon our talented pool of alumni and create opportunities for alumni to continue to be engaged with BUSSW and further their knowledge and skills through lifelong learning and graduate opportunities.
The Interprofessional Leadership in Healthcare Certificate Using an Alumni Mentoring Approach project is a collaboration between the College of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences: Sargent College (Sargent College) and the School of Social Work (SSW) to create a non-credit online certificate in Interprofessional Leadership in Health Care using an alumni mentoring approach.
BUSM+
The Medical Education Badge Program, led by Gail March, Director of Instructional Design and Faculty at the BU School of Medicine Development, offers an open global opportunity for clinicians, community physicians, fellows, residents, medical students, and health care team members to fulfill lifelong learning skills that they may have missed in their medical education.
COM Beyond
The Boston University College of Communication (COM) seeks to expand the circle of learners it serves to include lifelong learners from their teen years through their adult lives. To become a hub for developing critical communications career skills in diverse communications areas, COM will create a coherent brand and efficiencies of scale in administration, education delivery platforms, marketing, registration, and referrals.
Population Health Exchange (PHX)
Public health is a dynamic field, encompassing scientific, economic, social, and contextual factors that affect the health of populations. Public health professionals across the globe need a place to engage in educational experiences in flexible user‐centered formats. Engineers, urban planners, sociologists, doctors, architects and others need a space where they can infuse a population health perspective into their thinking.
Questrom Digital
The Questrom School has posed two questions: how will workers develop the mindset and skillsets required by an increasingly digital workplace, and how will BU extend its MOOCs for on-demand learning worldwide? The answer to both is Questrom Digital, a portfolio of 21 online modules drawn directly from the BUx/edX MicroMasters programs in Digital Leadership and Digital Product Management.
School of Theology Lifelong Learning
The Boston University School of Theology (STH) is excited to consolidate its current online resources and opportunities and expand into two new arenas: mini-courses for alums and other faith-based leaders, and spiritual growth groups. Toward this end, STH proposes a three dimensional online lifelong learning program that attends to the life-patterns, spiritual growth, and practical needs of ministers and others in religious leadership. This is envisioned as a two and a half year pilot program that will broadly test the demand, explore the potential for expansion, propel the next wave in theological education, engage the wider community, and allow STH to assess the best avenues for sustainable online lifelong learning for faith-filled and justice-driven leadership.