Welcome to NADD

Founded in 1986, the National Association of Deans and Directors of Schools of Social Work (NADD) is a volunteer membership organization dedicated to promoting excellence in social work education. Our membership is composed of more than 200 deans, directors, and chairpersons of graduate social work programs in the United States and Canada. NADD supports its members in their professional development and effectiveness as academic administrators.

NADD organizes two meetings per year: a one-day gathering at the Council on Social Work Education’s Annual Program Meeting and a 2½ day conference in the spring. At these networking meetings, leadership training sessions are offered in areas such as fundraising, research infrastructure, faculty development, and crisis management, and speakers address current issues pertinent to social work education.

NADD members have a Forum and a listserv where they can share with each other best practices, discuss program offerings, and coordinate responses to emerging topics in education, research, policy, and practice. NADD is a member of the Leadership Forum, which includes designees from the Association of Baccalaureate Social Work Program Directors, Council on Social Work Education, Group for the Advancement of Doctoral Education in Social Work, and the St. Louis Group.

External relations are often initiated and nurtured by NADD’s task forces. For example, NADD’s Gerontological Social Work Task Force contributed to building unique partnerships with the John A. Hartford Foundation and the New York Academy of Medicine and NADD’s Health Disparities Task Force created partnership with Office of Minority Health. NADD’s other Task Forces focus on Behavioral Health, Child Welfare, International Collaboration, Structure in Education, and Trauma & Disasters.