Merriam-Webster defines social work as “professional activities or methods concretely concerned with providing social services and especially with the investigation, treatment and material aid of the economically, physically, mentally or socially disadvantaged.” The reality is, this is often closely coupled with the business of providing it.
A collaboration effort in the works for over a year has now come to fruition, with Texas Christian University’s Harris College of Nursing & Health Sciences social work program and a Neeley School of Business consulting club, Student Consulting for Nonprofit Organizations, partnering with a local nonprofit serving children.
“Social work is housed in so many different areas. We work with so many different populations and on so many different levels,” Sh’Niqua Alford, associate professor of professional practice and the director of practicum education for social work, said. “I really hope that people see that even in very well-known areas, the business world, for example, there is always space for social work.”
What started as a conversation between department chairs in 2025 has become a success story of bridging the gap between real-life social work and better business habits, led by TCU students.
Crossing Disciplines for the Most Impact
Maria Bienvenu, a senior graduate student in social work, took the lead on the Harris side of the project, working under Alford.
As someone who wants to go into macrosocial work by taking on a more administrative or directorial role, Bienvenu said this project has expanded her education.
“TCU is providing these opportunities for its students; you don’t really get opportunities like this at other places,” Bienvenu said. “It’s really using all of its resources for the betterment of its students to be professionals; that’s really what I’ve taken in through this entire experience of being exposed to the business department.”
Alford said this project was a perfect opportunity to put into practice real-world interprofessional collaboration and education, which are key points in their program.
“I think that we really showed ourselves the benefit and what each profession has to offer and what that looks like when we come together,” Alford said.
Maureen Kenny, associate director of the professional development center for Neeley, is a 1985 graduate of the TCU social work department, so she provided keen insight and investment into this project.
“One of the things that I really want to do as part of my legacy is to build bridges across campus,” Kenny said.
Both Kenny and Alford agreed that this collaboration and the involvement of undergraduate and graduate students came together organically.
Delivering Results
Ben Gregory is a junior business information systems major and student in the John V. Roach Honors College, as well as the co-founder and president of Students Consulting for Nonprofits (SCNO). His role in the collaboration was to meet with social work and develop better business practices to recommend for the nonprofit and then present them to a Tarrant County nonprofit that works to protect children from child abuse.
Some of the recommendations included website development, marketing strategies and translating the website natively into Spanish rather than through a digital translation tool so their website is more discoverable when being searched online.
Gregory said the nonprofit reached back out to him, saying they had implemented some of their recommendations, and that there has been a positive reaction to and impact from the changes.
Gregory said the success of this project is encouraging, adding that the social work department was instrumental in helping find the client and showcase what can be done when students take the lead on a project like this.
“I think the mission of giving students the consulting experience in the real world, while putting good back into the Tarrant County community, will continue,” Gregory said. “I think social work will continue to be a large part of that.”