The members of the Silberman School of Social Work at Hunter College stand in solidarity with people throughout the United States and around the world in mourning the deaths of George Floyd, Ahmaud Arbery, Breonna Taylor, and Atatiana Jefferson. This senseless loss of life at a time when the official COVID-19 death toll in the U.S. has reached 100,000 defies our understanding.
Social workers must speak out against injustice and at the same time be self-aware to ensure that residuals of systemic racism as well as other ‘isms‘ that live in all of us are identified and addressed.
MSW student Fatmata Britton and BSW student Shannon Lubin did their field placements this year with Silberman’s 
This has been a time of much pain, anger, rage, and increased trauma as many thousands across the nation demand change and an end to institutions and practices that have for too long dehumanized individuals and communities of color. I want to take a moment to pause and honor the pain and trauma that you feel and your commitment to social justice.I would like, as well, to follow-up with you and to let you know of continuing actions being undertaken as we move forward together in ensuring that our programs and curricula here at Silberman are embedded in a social justice analysis, so that we fully teach the ethics of our profession as social workers. 
Earning a master’s from Hunter College and a doctorate in social welfare from CUNY, Georgianna Glose studied institutional racism facing African-American Catholic nuns. She applied that learning to running a social services nonprofit—one that stayed open during the pandemic to aid vulnerable Brooklynites. She died at age 73 from complications of COVID-19.
In light of the extraordinary public health emergency, we have requested approval from the State to temporarily reduce the field practicum hours required for successful completion of MSW requirements for all students eligible for such a reduction. So far, we have received approval to reduce the number of hours for the two year MSW timeframe graduating students.We are aware that CSWE recently announced a further potential reduction in the minimum required field hours. However, this has not been approved by NYSED. We will provide further information as it becomes available.
Professor Michael Lindsey