The Lois V. and Samuel J. Silberman School of Social Work at Hunter College, was established in 1958 and is the oldest and largest public school of social work in New York. Our mandate is informed by the School’s location within the City University of New York (CUNY), the nation’s largest urban public institution of higher education, and within Hunter College, one of CUNY’s five senior colleges. As part of CUNY, our goal is to provide social work education of the highest quality at the lowest possible cost. Our location in the urban public system of New York City directs us to seek and encourage social work talent for and from the least advantaged in the population. Hunter’s commitment to educational access is evident in our continued dedication to admit and graduate a diverse student body primarily from New York City; to maintain our affordability by providing financial aid and scholarship opportunities in addition to our already modest tuition; to offer students an array of academic opportunities and supports for achievement; and to strive for multi-layered diversity in our student body, faculty, administration, and staff. The mission of the Silberman School of Social Work promotes civic engagement and dedication to public services in the City of New York. Our student body, field agencies, and alumni are the primary social work workforce of the public human service departments and not-for-profit agencies in New York City. The School’s intellectual and academic life is informed by our standing as a graduate department of Hunter College, the largest and most pre-eminent of CUNY’s five senior colleges. The central elements of Hunter’s mission statement – cultivating intellectual and personal development, encouraging social and civic engagement, inspiring a lifelong zest for learning in the students of New York City – resonate deeply within the Silberman School of Social Work.