Dear Students:
Last week a student who attended ETS for a short time (and
then left ETS last term) sent an email to several NGOs applying seeking a job.
This student misrepresented themselves as a current student at ETS and also
misrepresented ETS as a foreign university stating that s/he earned a BSW from Michigan
State University. ETS is not a “foreign university”; though we use a foreign curriculum
and our professors are almost all educated in the US, Canada, or Europe, it is
not honest to claim that you attend a foreign university.
Though I know that
all of our current students are responsible and ethical, I also understand that
some people feel it makes them look better to claim to attend a foreign school.
It doesn’t! To be dishonest is unethical. Individuals who claim to graduate from a program which they did not attend are not practicing social work ethics and, if applying to work for the government, could even be guilty of a crime.
The presence of foreigners and the
reasons why students may want to complete a curriculum that abides by CSWE
standards is a subject that we have discussed at length over the past two
years. Once you gradate, you can apply
for CSWE to recognize your degree. IF your degree is reviewed and they
recognize it, it useful when you study in the US for an MSW (or a PhD) to
demonstrate that you do not need to repeat the BSW or MSW that you earned in
Haiti; but getting your degree recognized by CSWE does not mean that you are
studying at an American university.
Please, make an effort to be clear with
everyone (those you serve, those you interact with at your internship, and
those you interact with while seeking employment): ETS is a new institute that
is in the process of being recognized by the MOE. ETS is not part of Michigan State
or any other foreign universities. The diploma earned at ETS comes from
ETS, not from a foreign university. Please be clear on this. We will continue
to clarify it when we find that misunderstandings or misrepresentations have occurred.
Jennifer Balistra
