In 1961, 26 students and a handful of faculty took up residence on the second floor of a former warehouse on campus. Since that time, the School has grown to become one of the largest in the United States, with more than 900 students enrolled in its three academic programs during the 2005-2006 academic year. In 1983, the School consolidated all of its Baltimore City-based faculty and students in one building. Louis L. Kaplan Hall, a block-long complex designed expressly for the School and its programs, was dedicated in 1992. Dr. Kaplan, Chairman of the Board of Regents at the time of the creation of the School of Social Work, was instrumental in locating the School in Baltimore. It was purposefully placed in the shadow of housing projects and vacant lofts in the city whose now internationally celebrated renaissance was but a glimmer. The School of Social Work is very active in serving the Baltimore community. For example, the Social Work Community Outreach Service (SWCOS) and Family Connections, both located within the School of Social Work, are noted for the services they provide to the citizens of Baltimore and their children. Most recently, the School of Social Work has collaborated with the School of Medicine in creating the Center for Families. Not only do these school-based "agencies" provide a service, but equally as important, provide an excellent training ground for our students who may be placed there. These are visible manifestations of the school's commitment to serving the needs of its surrounding community. The School's Media Center, in Kaplan Hall, is a two-story facility equipped with complete closed-circuit television and a series of monitors, cameras and extensive recording equipment. Its portable single-camera units permit students and faculty to videotape at agencies and in the community. The School's Computer Center is one of social work's most advanced. It has two computer labs-a student lab for general use and a training lab for class instruction. These state-of-the-art learning centers train our graduates to make advanced technology an integral part of future practice. These innovations symbolize the quest for knowledge to be applied in service for a future that holds both challenges and promises. top .
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