We are a dedicated team supporting a large and rapidly growing group of social work students. Therefore, we work hard to communicate with you in the most effective ways. If you need to reach our advising team via email, please utilize the official ways to contact us:
- Pre-Social Work, prospective BSSW, and prospective MSW Program students
Email [email protected] - Current BSSW Program students
Email [email protected] - Social Work Minors or prospective minors
Email [email protected] - Current MSW Program students
Email [email protected]
If you need to schedule an appointment via phone, please call our Welcome Desk at 303-615-0555.
Social Work Advising Team Directory
Scroll down to the "Meet the Social Work Advisors" section below to learn more about our team and the students they support
Sam Montague, M.S.E.
Director of Social Work Student Services, Operations and Finance
Advises prospective and current BSSW Program students
[email protected] Schedule an Appointment with Sam
Claire Alfus, M.A. (she/her)
Assistant Director of Student Services
Advises prospective and current Advanced Standing MSW students
[email protected] Schedule an Appointment with Claire
Elizabeth De La Rosa, M.A. (she/her)
Undergraduate Advising Services Coordinator
Elizabeth is not currently accepting appointments. Current BSSW Students - please schedule with Sam, Claire, or Jocelyn.
[email protected] Schedule an Appointment with Elizabeth
Jocelyn Galindo (she/ella)
Student Services Manager
Advises pre-social work students and social work minors
Schedule an Appointment with Jocelyn
Ernie Navarette (he/him)
Academic Advisor and Retention Support Specialist
Advises pre-social work students and social work minors
Schedule an Appointment with Ernie
Tisha Townsend (she/her/hers)
Graduate Advising Specialist
Advises prospective and current Regular Program MSW students
[email protected] 303-605-5393 Schedule an Appointment with TishaEmergency Funds for Social Work Students
The Department of Social Work is excited to offer an opportunity for social work students in the BSSW or MSW program to apply for emergency funds to help support students with unforeseen financial challenges. Please review the eligibility criteria to receive emergency funds below:
Social Work Students Emergency Funds Criteria:
- Must be a current BSSW or MSW student.
- Students must be registered for the semester for which they are applying for the funds.
- Must have a completed FAFSA or CAFSA (we will use this to determine SAI).
- Students cannot have already applied for and been approved to receive these funds for the semester for which they are applying.
- Students can only be awarded Social Work emergency funds once in their academic program.
- Must have exhausted all other funding options available through MSU Denver.
- Must have either depleted all student loan funds (as in, they no longer have access to student loans to fund their degree). If student has declined student loan offer, we can determine eligibility on a case-by-case basis.
If you think you may be eligible we encourage you to apply. The minimum award given is $500 and the maximum award is $2,000. The amount of the award you receive will be dependent on information submitted in the application, and based on availability of funds.
Apply for emergency funds using this form.
Applications are reviewed on a rolling basis and if funds are no longer available we will let you know. You should receive a response to your application within 1-2 weeks.
Advising Quick Links
Academic Calendar
UNSW and BSSW Program Advising Chart
Social Work Minor Advising Chart
MSW Regular Program Advising Chart
MSW Advanced Standing Advising Chart
Forms and Policies
Students can switch sections and add/drop courses without approval up to the 100% add/drop date in any given semester (see the academic calendar for exact dates: http://lilysw.com/events/academic/). After this deadline, students must submit a request to the Office of Social Work Student Services via the Registration Adjustment Request Form. This form is to be used by students as the first step in requesting a registration adjustment, which includes:
- Adding a course after the start of the semester (late add request)
- Requesting a section switch mid-semester
- Requesting a section switch for a linked course
This request should include the current section the student is registered for (for section switches), the section they would like to switch to or be added to (for section switch and late add requests), and the reason they are requesting this switch after the deadline. The Office of Social Work Student Services will reach out to the student via email when a decision has been made or if additional information is needed.
Note: Submitting a request does not guarantee approval and the request will only be reviewed if there are extenuating circumstances. A decision will be made on a case by case basis and if there is space in the new/requested section.
A student who is concerned about the completion of a course may request a grade of Incomplete. It is up to the student to review the policy, complete the departmental incomplete form, and request approval from the instructor prior to the end of the semester. Incompletes are not automatic; it is at the discretion of the faculty member whether to grant an incomplete in all circumstances.
Department of Social Work Incomplete Agreement of Completion Form
MSW Program Departmental Note: MSW students who have been granted an incomplete must complete the Incomplete Form in collaboration with the faculty member. Any outstanding incomplete at the start of the following semester will initiate an automatic performance review and could result in an altered academic plan. MSW students are not allowed to have more than one outstanding “incomplete” at one time. This status will initiate an automatic performance review and the student will not be in good academic standing. Refer to the Sequential Coursework Policy and consult with Office of Social Work Student Services advisors ([email protected]) to see how this may impact you.
BSSW Program Departmental Note: BSSW students who have been granted an incomplete must complete the Incomplete Form in collaboration with the faculty member. Any outstanding incomplete at the start of the following semester will initiate an automatic performance review. Refer to the Sequential Coursework Policy and consult with Office of Social Work Student Services advisors to see how this may impact you.
University Policy: The Incomplete (I) notation may be assigned when a student, who was achieving satisfactory progress in a course and who had completed most class assignments, is unable to take the final examination and/or did not complete all class assignments due to unusual circumstances such as hospitalization or disability. Incomplete work denoted by the Incomplete “I” notation must be complete within one calendar year or earlier, at the discretion of the faculty member. If the incomplete work is not completed within one year, the “I” notation will convert to an “F.” Students must have completed at least 75% of the course work to qualify for consideration for an Incomplete. The student must be passing the course in order to be granted an Incomplete. The course counts toward the student’s attempted hours, does not count toward earned hours, and is not calculated in the GPA or quality points.
Determination of eligibility does not guarantee that an incomplete will be granted. Students who meet the qualifications may request an incomplete from the faculty member who is teaching the course. The decision to grant an incomplete is up to the faculty member or at the department chair’s discretion. The decision to grant an incomplete as an accommodation based on a student’s disability shall be made by the faculty member or the department chair, if the faculty member is not available, in consultation with the Director of the Access Center. If an incomplete is granted, the student and instructor should fill out and sign an Incomplete Agreement form to clarify what the student needs to do to complete the course.
Approach to Advising
The advising approach in the Office of Social Work Student Services (OSWSS) is different. Our student services team is a “one stop shop” across the entire student life span – from when you are a prospective student through when you will be an alum from one of our programs!
We advise with a team approach in the Department of Social Work, which means that every student accepted into the BSSW or MSW Program has two advisors to provide support and guidance: professional advisors (the team on this page) and faculty advisors. While we take a collaborative approach in working with students, professional advisors (also called academic advisors) typically take the lead on helping students navigate the academic side of your program – class scheduling, degree planning, communicating policies and procedures, and linking you with campus resources as needed. Faculty advisors typically take the lead on supporting you through your academic career and professional goals, challenges in the classroom, and personal and professional difficulties. We will often work together when supporting students, so we encourage you to reach out to both of your advisors when you are unsure of who to reach out to for support. You don’t have to be an expert on who to reach out to, let us support you and be the expert. Your job is to just reach out!
Advising for Current MSU Denver Students
Are you a current student at MSU Denver or have been admitted to the University? You can schedule an advising appointment online via your Student Hub!
- Visit your Student Hub and click the “Academic Advising” button (in the Course Info section)
- Select the “Appointments” tab once logged in, then choose that you want to schedule an advising appointment, pick a service category, and a service for the appointment
- If you are not currently a social work major or minor, make sure to select “Declaring/Changing Major”, “Declaring/Changing Minor” or “Exploring a Major/Minor” as the service to be able to schedule with our advisors
- Select “Social Work” as the advising location
- To find the first available appointment, leave the “Pick a Staff Member” field blank and click “Find First Available?”
- Click on the appointment slot you want and fill out the required information.
- NOTE: for phone appointments, please include a phone number we can reach you at.
- Need help?
- Watch a step-by-step walkthrough of the process
- Call our Welcome Desk at 303-615-0555 for assistance
Advising for Future Students
Are you planning to transfer to MSU Denver? Looking to apply to the Master of Social Work Program? Want to learn more about what social work has to offer? Our advising team is here and ready to meet with you!
Call the Welcome Desk at 303-615-0555 during business hours to schedule an appointment as a prospective student with an advisor. You can also email [email protected] with any questions you have about our programs.
While you’re waiting for your advising appointment, check out these resources:
Bachelor of Science in Social Work (BSSW) Program
Master of Social Work (MSW) Program
Meet the Social Work Advisors
Get to Know Claire, Assistant Director of Student Services
Read Claire’s Biography, Advising Philosophy & Approach to Advising
Type(s) of students you advise:
Prospective and current Advanced Standing MSW Program students
What are some of your favorite books? The ones I love to reread are Life of Pi, The Mists of Avalon, and A Tree Grows in Brooklyn.
What are some of your favorite genres of music or musical artists? It depends on my mood, but Neko Case, Vampire Weekend, and Bat For Lashes are usually on repeat.
What’s one of your favorite places in Colorado? Antero Hot Springs – I try to get there a few times a year for a reset.
What’s one of your favorite places outside of Colorado? Anywhere near moving water.
A fun fact about me is… I grew up in the town where the movie Groundhog Day was filmed.
Get to Know Elizabeth, Undergraduate Advising Services Coordinator
Read Elizabeth’s Biography, Advising Philosophy & Approach to Advising
Type(s) of students you advise:
Pre-Social Work students
Prospective and current BSSW Program students
Prospective and current Social Work Minor students
What are some of your favorite books? I like to read fiction; I feel like the whole point of reading is to escape reality.
What are some of your favorite genres of music or musical artists? I am the type of person that listens to everything. If you were to take a ride in my care for 30 minutes, you would listen to Bad Bunny, Karol G, Grupo Firme, Carin Leon, Jack Harlow, Drake, and Luke Bryan.
What’s one of your favorite places in Colorado? If I share the location it would stop being my favorite place, but essentially it is in the mountains 🙂
What’s one of your favorite places outside of Colorado? Mexico, any beach but I love being in Cascais, Portugal.
A fun fact about me is… I was the first person in my family to get on a plane at 17 years old and have traveled to 14 countries since then.
Get to Know Jocelyn, Student Services Manager
Read Jocelyn’s Biography, Advising Philosophy & Approach to Advising
Type(s) of students you advise:
Pre-Social Work students
Prospective and current Social Work Minor students
What are some of your favorite books? I am not really a reader, but I enjoy binge watching shows on Netflix.
What are some of your favorite genres of music or musical artists? I enjoy listening to all types of music, both English and Spanish (mainly salsa). Some of my favorite artists are Alicia Keys, Selena, and Amy Winehouse.
What’s one of your favorite places in Colorado? I enjoy going to all of the small mountain towns and walking around looking at the shops.
What’s one of your favorite places outside of Colorado? Any place near the beach.
A fun fact about me is… I enjoy watching sports, mainly football, baseball, and college basketball.
Get to Know Ernie, Academic Advisor and Retention Support Specialist
Read Ernie’s Biography, Advising Philosophy & Approach to Advising
Type(s) of students you advise:
Pre-Social Work students
Prospective and current Social Work Minor students
What are some of your favorite books? I’m not much of a book reader, but my favorite TV shows are Breaking Bad and Game of Thrones.
What are some of your favorite genres of music or musical artists? Being a musician, I appreciate all types of music. If I have to pick one, classic rock would be it.
What’s one of your favorite places in Colorado? Steamboat Springs, great in the winter and summer!
What’s one of your favorite places outside of Colorado? Any place with a nice beach and London, UK.
A fun fact about me is… I started playing the drums when I was 12 years old.
Get to Know Tisha, Graduate Advising Specialist
Type(s) of students you advise:
Prospective and current Regular Program MSW Program students
What are some of your favorite books? Anything Stephen King or any thriller/horror. I’m also exploring contemporary Mexican authors, specifically women, to help with my thesis for my grad program.
What are some of your favorite genres of music or musical artists? My music taste is all over the place, I’d say the only genre I don’t listen to is country.
What’s one of your favorite places in Colorado? The mountains, though I don’t go often, I appreciate the access because being out in nature is really grounding and helps put the world into perspective for me.
What’s one of your favorite places outside of Colorado? I grew up in New Mexico and I miss it. It is such a unique place compared to other parts of the country, so always recommend people go visit.
A fun fact about me is…One of my favorite activities is krav maga (self-defense type of martial art). It is the best release I have found and it’s really just a lot of fun to have that kind of an outlet and learn some moves. Highly recommend!
Contact Us
The Social Work Advising Team is here to support you on your journey!
Have a question or comment for us? Please fill out the form linked below and a member of our team will reply via email in 2-3 business days.
Contact FormOffice Location:
Central Classroom Building, Suite 201
Welcome Desk Phone:
303-615-0555