Janet Berry retires: A legacy of social work education online, on campus, and ongoing

Faculty member Janet Berry retired at the end of this summer to begin a new chapter in her life.  On top of being an alumna of the FSU College of Social Work, Janet has been a long-time faculty member at the College, taking on various roles and responsibilities.  Included among these roles were the development of the online MSW degree program and the online Leadership in Executive and Administrative Development (LEAD) Certificate Program as well as coordinating and designing the Capstone Assignment for Field Seminars.

“Janet Berry through her quiet but visionary, persistent, and effective leadership has had a profound influence on the College of Social Work and all those we serve,” Dean Nick Mazza said. “Drawing from her years of practice/administrative experience and community involvement, Janet proved to be an outstanding social work educator. Janet’s compassionate commitment to the development of her students, the College of Social Work, FSU, the profession, and the larger community is indeed inspiring!”

She has had a particularly special impact on the students and alumni of the College and this impact can be seen in many ways, including recently at the 2013 Summer Graduation Reception held in Miller Hall.  Janet received a special FSU commemorative coin, which is generally presented only to student veterans upon completion of their degree at Florida State. With President Barron’s approval, Janet was presented this coin by student veteran and MSW student A.J. Riall as a token of appreciation for her impact on his time in the MSW program, keeping him on track and encouraging him to complete his degree despite the frustrations he encountered along the way.

Janet agreed to an interview to reflect on her time at the College and what she foresees for herself in the near future.

How long have you been with the College of Social Work? And what were some of the major roles, positions and responsibilities you’ve held?

Janet: I came here in my youth as a student to earn my MSW. After working in both the private sector and for the State, I was invited to be an adjunct. When a permanent position became available in 1985, I applied and was hired as a full-time faculty member. I have been fortunate to be here ever since!.My major roles were as the Director of the Part-Time programs both on campus and off campus, and then developing and implementing that first online MSW program. All of that entailed activities such as attaining accreditation; marketing the new program; recruiting, hiring and training instructors and area coordinators; and, traveling to the off campus sites to meet with the potential and new students.

What was your favorite thing about being a social work instructor?

Janet: As an instructor, it’s working with the students and developing practical and meaningful courses that will assist them in gaining practical skills in the profession..

What do you hope will be the main thing you are remembered for during your time with the College?

Janet: I hope I am remembered for my compassion and my dedication to the profession. I have tried to represent the College and the field of social work well. Certainly from an academic perspective, developing and expanding the off campus and online programs is memorable. We currently have more MSWs enrolled in those programs then we do in the face-to-face program in Tallahassee; and, I think that’s a testimony to those programs.

We applied for a FIPSE (Funds for the Improvement of Post Secondary Education) grant. Many colleagues were skeptical about our chances of receiving this prestious funding. They would make comments like ‘You will never get that grant.’ And I said, ‘Well, don’t apply, and I will. And I’ll get it.’ We did get it! and were awarded close to a half a million dollars. It allowed us to go to rural areas of North Dakota, South Dakota, Nebraska and Alabama. That’s where we really made an impact. We were able to reach people that would not have otherwise had the opportunity to get an advanced degree without leaving their communities. And now those folks are giving back to their local communities. We have alumni all over this whole country as a result of that endeavor.

You were responsible for pioneering the distance learning program, particularly the online program. Looking back, why was it such an important step for the College?

Janet: The online program demonstrated that FSU and the College are leaders in social work education. It proved that high quality online programs are “doable.”  We were the first accredited online MSW degreed program in the country. We did the research and we have the evidence to prove it works. Importantly, it opened the door to students throughout the US to earn online advanced MSW degrees.

What were some of the specific challenges you faced initializing the online program, and how were you able to meet those challenges?

Janet: The first challenge was convincing the faculty that it was viable to do and we had unanimous support to try it, even from people that were not interested in teaching online. They saw the vision and they were willing to step aside, so to speak. That included our current Dean. As a member of the faculty said, ‘I don’t ever want to teach online, but I am supportive of that effort.’ And he actually did teach many years for us off campus.

So that was the first challenge, and then came recruiting students and training online faculty for a curriculum that hadn’t been done before. We needed the University’s approval and CSWE accreditation. We were the first to demonstrate that the standards for online courses are consistent with the standards established for face-to-face programs. All of this was accomplished thanks in large part to the support of the administration, including the president of the university.

How do you hope to see the online program change and grow in the future?

Janet: My vision would be to continue to expand the quality of the MSW degree by utilizing new technologies and also to potentially create an undergraduate program as well.

Any advice for the next generation of social workers?

Janet: I think it’s important for them to continue to be a beacon of hope for those that they work with. They may be the only bright spot and guiding light some folks will have.

What do you plan to do with your time after retirement?

Janet: Well, I’m not planning on retiring. It’s true. I’ve started a successful business involving online training and education. I also hope to continue my affiliation with FSU and the College.