Does SocialWorkCAS admission software integrate with existing enterprise resource planning (ERP)
and student information systems (SIS) on my campus?
YES, SocialWorkCAS admission software does integrate with existing ERP and SIS systems.
Does SocialWorkCAS require my school to relinquish its existing admission systems?
NO, SocialWorkCAS does not require a school to relinquish its existing admission systems.
How it works: Liaison has developed the Export Manager tool for its online software WebAdMIT to congure exports
of any subset of applicant data needed by an ERP/SIS system. The most common systems used by university clients
include Banner, Datatel, PeopleSoft, and Jenzabar.
Learn more:
• Connect with a CAS user—81% of campuses with a social work program have a CAS. E-mail
[email protected]g if interested.
• Watch a 20-minute video about data integration: https://vimeo.com/181098239.
• Talk to Liaison’s IT support staff (Tel: 716-636-7777, ext. 7; E-mail: [email protected]).
Does SocialWorkCAS offer students a user-friendly application experience?
YES, the application design was informed by students to ensure it does offer applicants a streamlined, user-friendly
application experience, ensuring it exceeds their expectations.
Will I have to give up my program-specic requirements in the application?
NO, SocialWorkCAS does not require you to give up your program-specic requirements in the application. Programs
have complete control over their admission decisions and processes, data and reporting, and program deadlines and
materials. The CAS is essentially a mechanism to gather data from applicants—it provides information in a ready
to review format. Although it increases efciency in multiple ways, the service will never interpret or evaluate the
eligibility of any applicant.
How it works: Students enter basic information related to their background and academic history, and this information
is shared with all programs they apply to. Program-specic information is also collected in the application—data from
this section is not shared with any other social work programs. Students submit reference requests electronically and
mail one set of transcripts to Liaison, and they receive real-time notications about their application status.
Learn more:
• Request a test account to see how the application looks and functions.
• E-mail [email protected]g to request a virtual application demo.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Will I have to give up staff members to justify using SocialWorkCAS?
SocialWorkCAS does not require programs to eliminate current staff members.
How it works: SocialWorkCAS gives you the opportunity to reallocate your resources away from time intensive
administrative tasks (e.g., transcript review, GPA calculations) to more valuable endeavors such as recruitment,
marketing, and relationship building. SocialWorkCAS increases the time the admissions staff has to engage with
prospective students. Because CAS provides a ready-to-review product, current staff members may be better
positioned to manage more applications with the same resources.
Learn more:
• Watch a 20-minute video about the support and services Liaison provides: https://vimeo.com/186479214.
• Connect with a program that has enrolled in SocialWorkCAS to learn more about their experience—send an
e-mail [email protected]g, and we will set it up!
What does the fee structure look like for a student applicant?
SocialWorkCAS does charge students a fee, which serves as their application fee. The fees support the application
software, maintenance, and enhancements, as well as the support services Liaison provides to students and programs.
With more than 40 CAS systems in existence, students are accustomed to and desire a streamlined application. Social
work students are no different—in 2015, 91% of master’s-level students surveyed indicated they would pay for a more
streamlined and efcient application process. SocialWorkCAS is currently collecting data from students about their
views on the fee structure and its impact on the number of programs they applied to.
Will I have to forfeit revenue from application fees?
Using SocialWorkCAS does not mean a program will suffer a loss of revenue. Many institutions participating in other
CASs continue to charge a university/graduate school/supplemental application fee. According to other professional
associations with a CAS, charging a supplemental fee has not negatively affected programs or deterred students from
using the service. Danielle Di Silvestro, director of applicant and student services at the Physician Assistant Education
Association, reports:
Some of our programs (about 51%) collect supplemental fees which are often justied by having supplemental
applications. We have seen this number decrease as the application now offers custom conguration options, but
some schools still have the fee which they dene as a graduate school or application processing fee. We haven’t
seen this impact application numbers signicantly over time.
How it works: Students pay $75 for the rst application designation and $45 for any additional program designations.
CSWE offers a national income-based fee waiver program for eligible students, which waives the rst application fee.
Learn more:
• Visit the SocialWorkCAS website for additional information about the fee structure and fee waiver program:
http://socialworkcas.liaisoncas.org/students/.
• Watch a 20-minute video about integrating CAS in different admissions and enrollment management
frameworks: http://socialworkcas.liaisoncas.org/events/.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
