Adopting a Financial Capability and Asset Building Curriculum at Historically Black Colleges and Universities

Social workers currently engage in financial capability practice with low-income and financially vulnerable individuals and families in diverse practice settings but typically lack professional preparation for this work. In response, several schools of social work have begun developing curriculum. Using an in-depth interview methodology, this study explores the experiences of faculty and administrators (N=19) at four Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) that adopted a curriculum in financial capability and asset building. Findings show that key reasons for adopting are the relevance of the content to student and community needs, faculty interest, and alignment with program, institutional, and professional goals. Additional findings show that relationship building and trust helped create the environment for adoption.

Subsequent publication: Rochelle, M., McClendon, G., Sherraden, M. S., Brackett, M., Wright, M., Jordan, T., … Birkenmaier, J. (2017). Adopting a financial capability and asset-building curriculum at historically Black colleges and universities. Journal of Human Behavior in the Social Environment, 27(5), 367–384. doi:10.1080/10911359.2017.1291391

Project: Financial Capability and Asset Building