Calvin University Sociology & Social Work Department

There is still time to register for our generalist standing MSW program that begins this fall! Learn more below.

Calling all young professionals! 📣
Interested in joining a supportive therapy group designed for young professionals who want to better understand themselves, improve relationships, and develop greater confidence? Check out this unique local group that will be led by a licensed clinical social worker and licensed professional counselor on Monday afternoons, 3:45-5pm from September 14-November 16.
Learn more below.

The summer season means a quieter campus and department, but also allows faculty to spend dedicated time on focusing on things like research, writing, program and curriculum development, and planning for the upcoming academic year. We also try to prioritize time to be together as a department team, for a little fun! 🤩 This year has involved both laughter and tears and celebrations and laments together. Through it all, we are appreciative for this incredible group of people. 💙

We are excited to share our experience from last week with our inaugural 600-level MSW course, SOWK 620: Anti-racist, Anti-oppressive Social Work Practice!

This course is the first course that our advanced standing students take within the Calvin MSW program and is the start of the second-year courses taken by our regular standing students. SOWK 620 officially started during our Summer 1 term in an online format, but also requires students to participate in a hybrid intensive residency week, and wow, the learning has been powerful. Having a solid foundation and in depth understanding of anti-racist and anti-oppressive social work practice is imperative to setting up our students to be successful MSW social workers.

In addition to focused learning, our students also enjoyed an array of delicious cuisine for lunches during the week. Shout out to these local minority-owned restaurants for providing amazing service and food for our group – Load a Spud Potato Bar, Big Ed’s BBQ GR, and El Granjero Mexican Grill!

Congratulations to Professor Elisha Marr on her recent research publication "Pronatalism in Adoption Seeking: Characteristics of Contemporary Women in the US" in Adoption Quarterly! Check it out below.
https://www.tandfonline.com/eprint/PHJMNKIWKVMRXMSZ6MTK/full?target=10.1080%2F10926755.2026.2686667&fbclid=IwY2xjawSfuNVleHRuA2FlbQIxMQBzcnRjBmFwcF9pZBAyMjIwMzkxNzg4MjAwODkyAAEe0L0aDoOTjntmoDxBvwzkUAo8ZDVflxNLfuiLuGUJ-dfajCQRN-99OtUKTsg_aem_bQhSkyOyqjv0i9MMJ0S_tQ

Pronatalism in Adoption Seeking: Characteristics of Contemporary Women in the US In a pronatalist society such as the US, motherhood is often framed as the expected next step in a series of normative milestones after marriage and financial stability. Adoption is one of the area...

Are you interested in working with those impacted by human trafficking and expanding your skills in trauma-responsive care? Check out this upcoming free training hosted by the West Michigan Human Trafficking Coalition and Safe Haven Ministries, scheduled for Thursday, May 28th from 1-4pm. This training will be hosted at the Seidman Center on Grand Valley’s downtown Grand rapids campus.

This 3-hour training (approved for 3 CEs) will cover elements of the who, what, where, why, and how of human trafficking, as well as share practical examples of how to implement trauma-responsive care and person-centered services and support within anti-trafficking agencies. This training will cover best practices information about survivor engagement within the anti-trafficking movement, as well as facilitated discussion between attendees about current challenges that they are facing in the work. The goal of this training is to provide attendees with tools and tips to help create a shared understanding amongst anti-trafficking survivors and providers, as well as create a space for brainstorming and collaborative engagement. Sign up here: https://host.nxt.blackbaud.com/registration-form/?formId=d8d05785-3877-452c-ab50-7c9fa6d70ec7&envId=p-afKibBqnjkG2R-cnhwOgeQ&zone=usa

Social Work and Sociology ... keeping it in the family 🤩
Something fun and unique about this 25-26 academic year, is we had four of our own faculty students enrolled at Calvin, all majors within our own department. Naturally we had to document it 📷

Pictured below:
-Professor Hennie Schoon and Karis Schoon, Class of 2026 majoring in Social Work, Psychology, and English with a minor in Ministry Leadership
-Professor Stacia Hoeksema and Seth Hoeksema, Class of 2026, majoring in Social Work and Geography
-Professor Jon Hill and Kayla Hill, Class of 2029, majoring in Social Work
-Professor Mark Mulder and Case Mulder, Class of 2028, majoring in Sociology

What a wonderful weekend celebrating our Class of 2026 graduates! We are incredibly proud of our department graduates, including Sociology, Social Work, and Criminology majors and minors and Urban Studies and Gender Studies minors. Congratulations to you all!😍🎓🙌