New dean of social work puts focus on cultural competency

When Salome Raheim learned that a UConn diversity training program scheduled for the School of Social Work conflicted with the Jewish holiday of Passover, she wasted little time getting the training changed to a more appropriate date.

Raheim’s actions sent a clear message to her faculty and staff that, as the School’s new dean, she takes her commitment to diversity seriously.

Those who know Raheim from her days at the University of Iowa, where she was director of Iowa’s School of Social Work, say they were not surprised by that account. During Raheim’s 11 years in Iowa, she earned a national reputation for her expertise in building diversity and cultural competency.

It’s a mission Raheim hopes to continue at UConn – training future social workers, as well as her own faculty and staff, to be welcoming, respectful, and inclusive when it comes to working with people whose race, ethnicity, gender, age, sexual orientation, religious beliefs, or ability status is different from their own.

While the School of Social Work already has a good record in terms of diversity – approximately one third of its students, faculty, and staff are members of underrepresented racial or ethnic groups – there is always room to do more, Raheim says.

“As the diversity of this school, this state, and this nation increase, we all encounter people from different cultures, and we need to build our understanding and develop new skills,” Raheim said during a recent interview in her office at the Greater Hartford campus. “And that’s even more important for a school of social work that is training students to work in the context of that diversity.”

Academic plan
Raheim’s commitment to cultural competency and diversity is also reflected in the school’s new academic plan, one of several major initiatives she has tackled since joining the University last August.

Raheim also spruced up the school’s interior design, splashing fresh coats of paint in parts of the building that needed it and replacing worn furniture to freshen up the look and feel of the place.

A monthly “Dean’s Report,” through which she keeps faculty and staff updated on the significant accomplishments of their students and peers, is also new.

It’s all part of community building, says Raheim.

“I help pull people together, help them to develop a shared vision, and help them mobilize the organization toward accomplishing that vision,” she says. “I’m known for bringing out the best in people and helping to create in an organization a sense of community and mutual respect and appreciation.”

Raheim says she is proud of the school’s “talented and committed” faculty and staff, who worked diligently to craft an academic plan that she believes will raise the School’s prominence through a renewed commitment to education, research, diversity, and public engagement.