Modern social work and nursing as professions were borne under conditions of profound social and political upheaval in the 19th century. We have been committed ever since to the struggle for social change, social justice, healing and protection of vulnerable populations. We increasingly recognize the impact of social determinants on health and positive outcomes for all.

As dean, I want to reaffirm this dedication to social justice and our determination to support a fair, democratic and open nation.

One of our most important contributions to the social fabric is the work we do in the management of painful transitions for individuals, groups, communities and societies. The next four years may be one of our greatest challenges. 

We have the responsibility to step up because we are uniquely a national school in the truest sense of the word. Many of our classes in the Virtual Academic Center contain students from the East Coast through the West Coast and beyond, sharing different views and perspectives. We combine social work and nursing – two of the most powerful frontline professions. And because we are so diverse, sincere people in our school have reached very different conclusions in their choice of president and in their positions on the political spectrum. I hope we will be able to draw from this great diversity in the months ahead as we explore the consequences of the election.          

Supporters and detractors alike are unsure how President-elect Trump will lead. The effect is something like a political Rorschach test. Everyone sees something different, and there is no record of government service to provide clarity. Some see catastrophe; others find hope.

As dean, I am writing to affirm dedication by our school to bringing ideas, analysis and evidence to the remaking of health and social policy in this nation. The school has taken on responsibility for several of the Grand Challenges of the American Academy of Social Work and Social Welfare, which together represent a significant social agenda for the 21st century. We can anchor ourselves and our work in these Grand Challenges, stay focused on the problems we must solve, and work with the public and private sectors at every level.

We will need to stretch beyond our comfort zone. We can expect to see a new health and social policy agenda, or opportunities to connect social policy to proposals for infrastructure development, tax reform or other mechanisms. We have the obligation to bring science, fresh policy options and respectful dialogue to national, state and local governments. Our obligation is to improve our skill at public discourse and our willingness to advance big ideas in new ways, whether conservative or liberal in orientation. In all of these efforts, I ask that we remain conscious of the separation between personal and professional roles. Faculty and students must insist on, and demonstrate, mutual respect for differing responses to the election in our classrooms both on campus and in the Virtual Academic Center. 

There is hope. At no time in recent decades have we, social workers and nurses, been more important to American society than we are at this minute. We should remember that as a graduate program, our students and graduates have learned not just clinical skills alone, but how to exercise the levers of influence in management, community organization and policy development. Nurses and social workers are everywhere advocating for individuals and families in a myriad of settings – and we’re nearly three million strong if members of both professions are combined. Beyond our own professions, we have allies in other disciplines, community groups and national organizations that share our desire for advancement of a society that uplifts and benefits all.

In the days to come, we will build more avenues for discussion. I know that some of our students and faculty are experiencing considerable fear; others are angry. Still others have confidence that positive gains can be made with the new administration. As dean, I am writing to affirm dedication by our school to influencing public discourse in ways that improve understanding of human needs and human difference.

As Martin Luther King Jr. said, the ultimate measure of a person is not where they stand in moments of comfort and convenience, but where they stand at times of challenge and controversy. Let us be at our best.

Marilyn L. Flynn, Dean