Alabama Repeals 1965 Law Requiring Standalone Social Work School, Students Fear "Harmful" Consequences

The Alabama House Ways and Means Education Committee approved legislation Tuesday that would repeal a 1965 state law establishing the University of Alabama School of Social Work as a standalone college, raising concerns among students, alumni, and critics who view the move as retaliation for the program's embrace of diversity initiatives and social justice pedagogy.

House Bill 152, sponsored by Representative Danny Garrett (R-Trussville), would eliminate the statutory requirement that UA maintain a graduate school of social work under direct Board of Trustees control. The bill now advances to the full House for consideration, with an effective date of October 1, 2026 if signed into law.

While university officials and bill supporters characterize the legislation as granting "autonomy" and removing outdated mandates, students and advocates fear it creates a pathway to demoting the school to departmental status, eliminating its dean position, and undermining a program that ranks 17th nationally among public graduate schools and has trained Alabama's social work workforce for six decades.

The 1965 Mandate and What Changes

Current Alabama law, Section 16-47-170, states: "There is hereby created and established a graduate school of social work in the State of Alabama, to be under the sole management, ownership and control of the Board of Trustees of the University of Alabama. This school shall provide not less than a two-year course of instruction in social work and related subjects on the graduate level."

HB 152 would repeal this entire statutory article, eliminating the legal requirement that UA maintain social work as an independent school. The university would retain the option to continue the School of Social Work in its current form but would not be legally obligated to do so.

"We discovered that this was a structure that was mandated by the legislature, and really we shouldn't be doing that," Garrett said Tuesday. The bill sponsor emphasized that the legislation does not prohibit UA from keeping a standalone School of Social Work—it simply removes the requirement.

Other Alabama universities structure social work programs differently. Auburn University houses its program within the Department of Sociology, Anthropology & Social Work in the College of Liberal Arts. The University of Alabama at Birmingham places social work in the Department of Social Work within the College of Arts and Sciences. The University of North Alabama also operates social work as a department rather than an independent school.

Student and Alumni Concerns: "Harmful" and Threatening

Reagan Hope Wilson, a UA social work senior, expressed alarm about the bill's potential consequences. "If this harmful bill is passed, I hope UA advocates for and funds the School of Social Work in a way that recognizes it as the asset to our state's communities and economy that it is," Wilson said.

She noted that the School of Social Work, protected by state law for six decades, has consistently educated and trained the workforce Alabama relies on to meet critical human service needs. Removing statutory protection could leave the program vulnerable to budget cuts, reorganization, or elimination during future fiscal pressures.

Elizabeth Prophet, a 2024 School of Social Work alumna, emphasized the benefits of independent school status. "I would much rather have a dean in place, a set of administrative staff, professors, students who are firmly situated in their own college and degree program to advocate for their needs, advocate for development, advocate for the future of the profession, both at University of Alabama and in the state of Alabama," Prophet said.

The distinction between "school" and "department" carries significant implications in academic governance. A school is led by a dean who reports directly to the provost, controls the program's budget, manages fundraising, oversees tenure decisions through internal committee structures, and sits at tables where university-wide strategic decisions are made. A department is led by a chair who reports to a college dean, exercises far less budgetary autonomy, and wields considerably less institutional influence.

Prophet credited the school's independent status with creating an environment intentionally catered to those entering the social work profession. "I think it made me a more empathetic social worker and better prepared to take on the task of helping the state of Alabama," she said.

The DEI Context: "Radicalism Sprouts From Toxic Ideology"

Critics argue that HB 152 represents political retaliation for the School of Social Work's commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives and social justice frameworks that conservative lawmakers view as divisive.

In March 2025, one year after Alabama's divisive concepts law took effect, the UA School of Social Work hosted national training through its doctor of social work program featuring numerous sessions promoting identity-based perspectives, diversity, equity, inclusion, and anti-racism.

Presentations included "Cultivating Liberatory Classrooms: Strategies for Relational, Anti-racist Teaching in Social Work Education," "School social work and anti-racist practices," "Preparing Social Workers to Address Racial Injury," and "Healing Together: Navigating Shared Trauma, Self-Care, and Supervision for QTPOC Clinicians," which centered on needs of queer, transgender, people of color practitioners.

Another presentation, titled "This Ain't Cupcake Island: Navigating False Hopes and Social Work's Role with Undocumented Latinx Immigrants," focused on treating undocumented immigrants. A social justice block featured additional anti-racism programming. Multiple presentations promoted "BIPOC" (black, indigenous, and people of color) advancement in the field.

The doctor of social work program, described by the school as "highly selective," lists "Advanced Theories in Oppression and Disparities" as its first required class, signaling the centrality of identity politics and power analysis to the curriculum.

School Dean Dr. Schnavia Smith Hatcher celebrated the program's 60th anniversary with language emphasizing social justice commitments: "For six decades, our School has been dedicated to preparing passionate and skilled professional social workers who are committed to advancing human rights, equity, and social justice."

The April 2026 training is scheduled to return with presentation notices going out this week, demonstrating continued commitment to these pedagogical approaches despite legislative scrutiny.

Garrett's Broader Legislative Agenda

Representative Garrett, who chairs the House Education Budget Committee, has positioned himself as a champion of removing outdated mandates while increasing institutional accountability and combating what he views as ideological capture of higher education.

Garrett has publicly championed "outcomes-based funding," arguing that university appropriations should be tied to workforce data and economic alignment. He has warned that universities failing to comply with anti-DEI laws will face "consequences."

In the same legislative session, Garrett also filed House Bill 151 to repeal the law establishing the Physicians Advisory Board of the University of Alabama School of Medicine, House Bill 165 requiring postsecondary institutions to report how much federal funding they receive and how they would respond if that funding were reduced, and House Bill 178 allowing city school systems to consolidate if they choose.

Garrett told the Decatur Daily that Education Trust Fund revenues are "holding their own" but could change, and he believes those revenues are divided over too many systems. "They need to stretch the dollars they get further," he said, suggesting that some smaller systems should consider combining resources.

One analyst characterized HB 152 as "discipline—a stripping of legal privilege in response to perceived ideological deviance," arguing that the bill's neutral rhetoric about autonomy and efficiency masks punitive intent targeting a program that maintained "allegiance to its profession's ethical standards rather than the political preferences of the legislature."

The Official University Response: Welcoming "Autonomy"

The University of Alabama has officially welcomed HB 152, framing the statutory change as a gift of institutional freedom.

"UA is the state's leader for social work education and research, and for 60 years has graduated highly skilled, highly versatile social work practitioners who strengthen communities across Alabama," said Alex House, associate director of communications for the University. "We will continue to build upon that foundation, and this statutory change will provide the University autonomy over curriculum, organization and continued innovation in meeting the needs of the state and our students."

This response aligns with Garrett's framing but leaves critical questions unanswered. Will UA commit to maintaining the School of Social Work as an independent college with dean-level leadership? What guarantees exist to protect the program from future reorganization or downsizing? How will the university respond if accreditation standards require specific administrative structures?

The university's statement emphasizes continuity—"we will continue to build upon that foundation"—but makes no explicit commitment to preserving the school's current independent status, creating ambiguity that concerns students and alumni.

The 1965 Crisis That Created the School

Understanding what HB 152 threatens requires understanding why the 1965 legislature mandated a standalone social work school rather than simply authorizing a program.

In the early 1960s, Alabama employed fewer than 100 professionally trained social workers across its entire governmental and nonprofit apparatus. These credentialed professionals accounted for only 19 percent of personnel occupying social welfare positions, leaving the vast majority of positions filled by untrained workers lacking graduate-level education in assessment, intervention, casework, and community organization.

This wasn't merely an abstract quality concern—it was a financial crisis. Federal law required states to meet specific professional standards to receive matching funds for social services. The federal government had increased matching rates to 75 percent, but only for services delivered by credentialed professionals.

Alabama, lacking the educational infrastructure to produce qualified social workers, was hemorrhaging federal revenue. The "critical shortage" cited in 1965 legislative history wasn't simply a shortage of compassionate helpers; it was a shortage of billable human capital whose credentials could unlock federal reimbursement streams.

The legislature's response, Act No. 234 of 1965, was not a suggestion but a mandate. The statute didn't merely authorize UA to create a social work program if convenient; it required creation of "a graduate school of social work in the State of Alabama" with specific structural protections ensuring institutional permanence and independence.

What Could Happen Next

Analysts predict a likely sequence if HB 152 becomes law. On October 1, 2026, the statute would be repealed and the School of Social Work would cease to exist as a statutory entity. During 2026-2027, the Board of Trustees would likely initiate a "review" of the school's administrative structure, framing it as routine governance rather than political punishment.

By 2027-2028, the school could be reorganized—most likely demoted to departmental status within the College of Arts and Sciences or merged with the College of Human Environmental Sciences. The dean position would be eliminated and replaced with a department chair appointment. In 2028-2029, the Council on Social Work Education would conduct a site visit to assess the program's continued compliance with accreditation standards under the new structure.

This trajectory is neither inevitable nor publicly acknowledged by university officials, but the removal of statutory protection creates the structural possibility for such reorganization in ways that current law prevents.

Accreditation and Professional Standards

The Council on Social Work Education accredits social work programs nationwide, setting standards for curriculum, faculty qualifications, administrative structure, and resources. Whether a reorganized departmental program could maintain accreditation depends on specific circumstances.

If reorganization resulted in reduced administrative autonomy, diminished resources, faculty departures, or compromised curriculum control, accreditation could be jeopardized. Loss of accreditation would be catastrophic, rendering degrees unmarketable and graduates ineligible for professional licensure in most states.

The school currently holds full accreditation and ranks 17th nationally among public graduate programs according to U.S. News & World Report. AffordableColleges.com ranks the school's online master's program as the 25th most affordable nationally. These recognitions reflect sustained investment and institutional support that statutory protection has helped preserve.

Broader Implications for Alabama

Alabama's social work workforce depends heavily on UA School of Social Work graduates. If the program were weakened through reorganization, fewer qualified professionals would enter the state's child welfare system, mental health agencies, hospitals, schools, and nonprofit organizations serving vulnerable populations.

This echoes the exact crisis that prompted the school's 1965 creation—untrained personnel filling positions requiring professional expertise, federal funding at risk, and Alabama communities underserved.

State Representative Garrett's assurance that other universities operate social work as departments rather than schools overlooks critical differences in scale, research capacity, doctoral programs, and accreditation complexity. UA's program offers bachelor's, master's, doctor of social work, and PhD degrees—a comprehensive array unmatched by departmental programs at other Alabama institutions.

The Vote and What's Next

HB 152 passed the House Ways and Means Education Committee on Tuesday and now advances to the full House. If approved by the House, it moves to the Senate for consideration. If both chambers pass the bill and Governor Kay Ivey signs it, the statutory repeal takes effect October 1, 2026.

The bill has "powerful sponsorship, fits the ideological priorities of the legislative majority, and faces no obvious political obstacles," according to one analysis, suggesting passage is likely barring unexpected opposition.

Students, alumni, social work professionals, and advocates opposing the bill face the challenge of mobilizing resistance against legislation framed in seemingly neutral administrative terms. Arguing against "flexibility" and "autonomy" proves difficult even when those terms mask potential harms.

For UA's approximately 1,000 social work students across undergraduate, master's, and doctoral programs, uncertainty looms. Will their degrees retain market value? Will faculty depart for institutions offering more stable environments? Will reduced resources compromise educational quality?

"If the harmful bill is passed, I hope UA advocates for and funds the School of Social Work," student Reagan Hope Wilson said. Whether those hopes will be realized remains to be seen.