The School of Social Work’s annual Pledge of Professionalism is a signature event for first-year bachelor of social work students.

At the ceremony, students pledge their commitment to uphold the Canadian Association of Social Workers Code of Ethics and the core values behind it as they prepare to embark on their first field practicums.

The school offers three unique bachelor of social work degree programs: bachelor of social work as a first degree and bachelor of social work as a second degree, both based out of Memorial’s St. John’s campus; and the bachelor of social work Nunavut cohort, which is offered as part of a broader partnership between Memorial University and Nunavut Arctic College and is completed in Nunavut.

Bridging a distance of 2,000 km

This year, for the first time, the Pledge of Professionalism was held as a hybrid event so that students in St. John’s, N.L., and students in Cambridge Bay, Nunavut, could recite their pledge together.

On March 25, five bachelor of social work students in Nunavut and 75 bachelor of social work students in St. John’s all stood to simultaneously pledge their commitment to cultivating a professional identity grounded in respect, integrity, confidentiality and competence in professional practice.

Elders and sisters Emily Angulalik, who was in Cambridge Bay, and Gwen Angulalik, who was in St. John’s, began the evening with a lighting of the Quilliq.

Special guests brought greetings from the governments of Newfoundland and Labrador and Nunavut, Memorial University, Nunavut Arctic College, the Canadian Association of Social Workers, and the Newfoundland and Labrador College of Social Workers.

Each student was presented with a personalized name pin that identified them as Memorial University School of Social Work interns.

Inuktut, English and French

Name pins in hand, students stood to recite the pledge, which was read in Inuktut, English and French.

While most of the students and guests taking part in the special event in the lecture hall of the Bruneau Centre for Research and Innovation on the St. John’s campus did not understand the words recited in Inuktut, the spirit of community, truth and reconciliation they signified was deeply felt.

And while co-ordinating the technology between St. John’s and Cambridge Bay may have been challenging, Margaret Sullivan, the manager of social work programs at Nunavut Arctic College, says the connection was well worth the effort.

“The students here in Nunavut truly appreciated the opportunity to share their culture with their cohort in Newfoundland and Labrador,” Ms. Sullivan said.

Dr. Paul Issahaku, acting associate dean of undergraduate programs and associate professor in the School of Social Work, says the joint pledge ceremony was part of the school’s effort to integrate the Nunavut cohort with the St. John’s campus cohort.

“The aim is to bridge the distance between these two groups, to facilitate peer connections and friendship networks between them, and create a sense of ‘we belong together as we all pursue our bachelor of social work degrees from Memorial University.’”

Academic rigor and hands-on experience

The Pledge of Professionalism ceremony highlights the important and vital role field practicums serve in social work education, marking students’ transition from academic classroom-based learning to social work practice-setting experience.

Participation in diverse social work practice settings — across government, health care, and community sectors — significantly deepens students’ educational experience and strengthens their readiness for professional practice, says Dr. Sulaimon Giwa, interim dean and associate professor in the School of Social Work.

“The integration of hands-on placement experience with rigorous academic training cultivates critical competencies, applied insight and professional judgment that are essential to effective social work.”