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George Williams College was founded on the shores of Lake Geneva, Wisconsin in 1886 as a training institute for YMCA leaders. The College opened a second campus in Hyde Park, Chicago, in 1915. In the early 1960's the College was growing at a rate that made the facilities in Hyde Park inadequate. That campus was closed and in 1966 the College once again moved, this time to Downers Grove, Illinois.
In the 1930's the College took as its name George Williams. Sir George Williams founded the Young Men's Christian Association (YMCA) in London, England in 1844 to identify and work toward eliminating problems that plagued his society. This affirms the College's commitment to educating tomorrow's leaders of voluntary and social service agencies. The essential purpose of George Williams College, true to its founding identity, which was drawn from the Judeo-Christian traditions of the YMCA movement, is to educate men and women for careers of human service and humanitarian responsibility.
When George Williams College closed in December 1985, the Leisure and Environmental Resources Administration Division and the Social Work Division faculty and students, acting on their strong commitment to the mission of the school, banded together to assure the survival of their programs. Through the collective actions of students and faculty of both programs, and the vision of the Aurora University administration, the programs have continued and flourished at Aurora University since their1986 relocation.
The Master of Social Work program was founded in 1966 at George Williams College. The MSW program emerged from a program in group work administration designed to prepare people for human service in voluntary agencies. The history of that program can be traced back to 1890. The School of Social Work today prepares students for professional social work practice that is responsive to the diverse needs of the community. Students are educated to skillfully apply current knowledge and humanitarian values toward the promotion of mutual well being and the solution of human problems within a holistic context.
Guided by the general mission of Aurora University, the faculty of the George Williams College of Health and Human Services of Aurora University specifically endeavors to assure that its educational programs are permeated by a philosophy that asserts the dignity and worth of each individual, that emphasizes a trained sensitivity to human potential and problems, and that recognizes effective service requires knowledge and skill. The resultant commitment to social service endures through the values of the University's trustees, officers, and faculty, who guide the College's educational programs. Further, the College strives to:
Posted: 9 March 2005