Deputy Mayor of Paris stops by School of Social Work to learn about labor-management issues in the U.S.

April 21, 2009 –  Hamou Bouakkaz, a deputy mayor of Paris, France stopped in to meet with faculty of the School of Social Work to learn more about American unions and their relationships with labor unions and affirmative action.

Bouakkaz, who is a visitor invited to the United States as part of the Department of State’s International Visitor Leadership Program, also expressed interest in steps IUPUI takes to help freshmen succeed in their first year of school.

At home, more than 40 percent of students fail their first year, he explained. “It is incredible.” And in some disciplines such as psychology and law, the failure rate is more than 70 percent, he added.

Bouakkaz explained he was interested in a number of issues and that his responsibilities included trying to help non-government agencies, and trying to promote grass-root democracy in Paris. “I am also interested in how we can we can make united society and dialogue and therefore I am interested in how the social movement is organized here in the United States and the rights of the laborers in the companies.

Bouakkaz, who is visually challenged, noted that it was incredible to walk around the corridors of such a university because everything seems to be made to be useable by everyone. “We have a lot of examples to take from here for our universities.”

Dr. Barry Cournoyer, a professor of social work, explained that in the United States, social work covers a large area from community organizing, advocacy. Master and doctoral level social workers do the bulk of mental health and addictions counseling services in the United States,” he explained. “So a great many of our graduates work in clinics, agencies and organizations and hospitals that serve mental health and addiction problems.”

Dr. Charles Davis, a professor of labor studies and Marquita Walker, an assistant professor of labor studies, tackled questions on the relationship of labor unions to companies and on the effectiveness of affirmative action efforts.

Dr. Irene Queiro-Tajalli, Executive Director of Undergraduate Education and Interim Executive Director of the Labor Studies Program at the School of Social Work talks to Hamou Bouakkaz (seated)