Adams Appointed Chair of CSWE Commission

LEXINGTON, Ky. (July 16, 2010)− James "Ike" Adams, dean and Dorothy A. Miller Professor in Social Work Education of the University of Kentucky's College of Social Work, has recently been appointed as the chair of the Council on Social Work Education's (CSWE) Commission on Accreditation (COA).

Adams, who has been a COA commissioner for four years, has been praised for demonstrating leadership in strategic planning initiatives as well as organizational change.

"Dr. Adams' skills and values represent the very best in higher education," said CSWE representative Carrie Murdock deGuzman. "He has a commitment to the quality, access and accountability underscoring the complexities of the current higher education environment and the challenges we face."

The COA is responsible for developing accreditation standards and ensuring that social work programs meet them.

"I’m honored to have been selected to preside over the COA for the next few years," said Adams. "I’ll forever cherish the thought that my peers were confident enough in me to chair such an important entity in social work education at this juncture, and I will work tenaciously to maintain that trust."

Adams conducted site visits and reviews of both undergraduate and graduate programs as a part of his previous COA commissioner post, which will prepare him for his new job as chair.

The COA administers a multi-step accreditation process to participating institutions, including program self-studies, visits and evaluations.

CSWE is a nonprofit national association representing more than 3,000 individual members, as well as graduate and undergraduate programs of professional social work education. Founded in 1952, CSWE is recognized by the Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA) as the sole accrediting agency for social work education in the United States.

Adams will serve as the COA chair from July 1, 2010 through June 30, 2013.