Dr. Schnavia Smith Hatcher, dean of The University of Alabama School of Social Work since 2021, will step down in August after five years and remain at UA as a full professor, continuing her research, teaching and service.
“Under Dean Hatcher’s leadership, the School of Social Work has strengthened its academic programs, expanded its research enterprise and deepened its partnerships across the state,” said Interim Provost Lesley Reid. “We are grateful for her dedicated service and look forward to her continued contributions as a member of our faculty.”
With about 2,500 annual vacant social work positions in Alabama, the state faces a critical shortage of health and behavioral health workers. Reid noted the School of Social Work plays a vital role in filling that gap. A research leader nationally, under Hatcher’s guidance, the school has helped fuel the state’s economy with 93% of bachelor’s and 64% of master-level graduates remaining in Alabama to begin their careers.
The provost’s office will name an interim dean in the coming weeks and begin a national search for the school’s next leader in the fall.
During Hatcher’s tenure, the School of Social Work has seen notable growth in its national profile. The school’s graduate program is ranked among the top programs in the country by U.S. News & World Report and is recognized as one of the leading programs among public flagship institutions. The school also reached 13th nationally in the National Science Foundation’s ranking of federal research expenditures among social work programs.
Under her direction, the school sharpened its focus on Alabama’s workforce pipeline. By embedding licensure exam preparation into practice courses, the school contributed to a 13.4% increase in first-time Master of Social Work pass rates, with its graduates accounting for 65% of Alabama’s licensed clinical social worker passes.
Hatcher also expanded community-engaged initiatives such as the Black Belt Internship Initiative, which connects students with under-resourced communities across the state and established the Office of Experiential Programs and Community Partnerships to deepen the school’s service reach. Other milestones include the opening of the Title IV-E Simulation Lab, recognized as one of the most developed simulation learning environments, and a grant from the Alabama Commission on Higher Education to prepare social workers to navigate artificial intelligence in practice. The school also remains the only program in Alabama offering BSW, MSW, DSW and PhD degrees in social work, and is one of just a handful of schools nationwide to offer a semester-long practicum in Washington, D.C.
“Serving as dean of the flagship school of social work in my home state has been an extraordinary privilege,” Hatcher said. “I am proud to leave the school stronger, more innovative and well-positioned to advance its mission of addressing adverse social conditions and promoting societal well-being long into the future.”
Hatcher noted the ongoing importance of the school’s work, particularly as Alabama continues to face significant health and behavioral health challenges. Licensed clinical social workers represent the state’s largest group of mental health service providers, and the school’s graduates play a critical role in strengthening communities and meeting workforce needs across the state.
The UA School of Social Work, established in 1965, is the only program of its kind in Alabama. Its graduates serve in schools, hospitals, mental health clinics, child welfare offices and community organizations across the state and beyond.