“Saint Mary’s has really allowed me to step outside my comfort zone and be involved.”
"Dr. K"
Frances Bernard Kominkiewicz, whom students call “Dr. K,” is a professor in the Department of Social Work. Raised in South Bend, she was a licensed social worker and educator in the community for many years. She joined the Saint Mary’s faculty and began directing the social work program in 1998.
Kominkiewicz holds PhD and MSA degrees from the University of Notre Dame and a bachelor of social work degree from Indiana University. In an interview appearing in Courier, Saint Mary’s alumnae magazine, Dr. K said the following about the nationally accredited program and her approach:
"Having that national expertise in social work to guide us and assist in achieving learning goals for students has, I believe, made us a better program academically. Accreditation is difficult because it takes a great deal of time; it means being able to attend national conferences, being able to learn what is new, what is coming, and what we have to be prepared for. We always have to be on our toes, but our knowledge base has increased, and it’s made us so in tune with the students. We’re lifelong learners just as the students are lifelong learners."