Fall 2022–Spring 2025
Increase Student Support and Engagement
1. Increase student representation and sense of belonging across all levels of the CDS program.
Obj 1.1: Develop a strategic plan for the CDS Student Recruitment and Retention Committee by (1) administering a climate survey/needs assessment to undergraduate CDS majors, and (2) reviewing CDS alumni and graduate student exit data on the topic of program climate, student engagement, and retention.
Obj 1.2: Ensure undergrad and graduate representation at (a) faculty meetings and (b) CDS committees for Student Recruitment and Retention and Curriculum by: (1) developing written guidelines for student roles and responsibilities, and (2) using meeting minutes to document attendance.
Obj 1.3: Maintain and/or grow faculty mentorship opportunities available to undergraduate and graduate students by ensuring that (1) at least one faculty is in attendance for 3-5 undergraduate and graduate student-facing events (e.g., NSSLHA events, socials), (2) faculty present at least 1 opportunity for undergraduate observation hours per term, (3) faculty offer mentorship opportunities to assigned graduate advisees, and (4) faculty facilitate the success of the Building Community with Underrepresented Students and Professionals*
Obj 1.4: Develop processes to maintain and/or grow current student support and engagement activities including: (a) regularize prior successful events that support student recruitment and retention (e.g., BIPOC panel, virtual visit day), (b) maintain up-to-date resources guides for students (e.g., scholarships, mental health), and (c) revise and review the CDS Bias and Equity Feedback Form.
Improve Faculty Culture and Climate
2. Improve faculty culture/climate, with emphasis on increased support for faculty development and sense of belonging.
Obj 2.1: In conjunction with Department and College-level leadership, develop plans for onboarding/training of new faculty and ongoing mentorship toward professional growth and promotion for all instructional and clinical faculty.
Obj 2.2: Create increased opportunities for social engagement that are inclusive and accessible to all faculty (e.g., quarterly social events).
Obj 2.3: Establish opportunities and protocols for more consistent socioemotional and resource support (e.g., birthday recognitions, resource pool for life events).
Promote Excellence in Clinical Training
3. Conduct a Self-Assessment Process to evaluate the Specialty Clinic Model with attention to (a) clinical training outcomes aligned with the 2023 ASHA standards and (b) financial feasibility/sustainability of the current structure.
Obj 3.1: Utilize multiple measures (Matrix update survey, Calipso Cumulative Data Report, student/faculty survey, etc.) to collect data and evaluate effectiveness and efficiency of current clinical model and future outcomes.
Obj 3.2: Present collected data and engage in faculty-wide discussion of clinical training including:
Lead/Supervisor Roles and clarify job expectations via student training, service, and specialty clinic management. Make written document clarifying roles.
Specialty clinics/rotations and options for blocking to determine if extending/expanding would lead to stronger clinical training.
Model efficiency, including financial feasibility and sustainability.
4. Create consistent clinical curriculum and practices aligned with the 2023 ASHA standards that lead to students meeting clinical competencies across the lifespan and successful externship completion.
Obj 4.1: Update and include 2023 standards and CLD objectives in cross-clinic term-based clinical skills matrix.
Obj 4.2: Create SLHC-wide guide for deadlines, expectations, and timeframes.
Obj 4.3: Develop procedure to share clinic performance data/concerns and track concerns across terms that is consistent with College and University policies regarding student protections/rights.
Obj 4.4: Utilize Calipso Cohort Cumulative Evaluation combined with qualitative feedback from IPPEs from externship terms to evaluate cohort-wide clinical competency achievement.
Ensure Sustainability of the Undergraduate Program and Academic Excellence
5. Develop and implement a multiyear plan that increases stability for course coverage.
Obj 5.1: Identify which courses need consistent coverage (list in order of priority). For each course, identify the specific barriers towards sustainability and consistency. Determine what certification, training, and/or expertise is needed to teach each of the courses identified.
Obj 5.2: Identify and prioritize solutions to meet the barriers identified in objective 1 while still meeting course needs. Consider hiring priorities and practices (i.e., creating job descriptions with the undergraduate curriculum in mind).
6. Ensure undergraduate students are well-prepared to enter the field or pursue other allied health professions and associated professional programs.
Obj 6.1: Increase education in the UO about SLPs and alternative career paths beyond SLPs, including increased exposure for current students to alternative career paths, via:
Creating resource (like a slide deck) that includes basic information about different professions as well as interprofessional collaboration amongst these (this can be developed with and shared across programs).
Determining whether there are videos or other resources that already exist.
Obj 6.2: Collaborate with central advising and other university offices for increased graduate school preparation support (topics may include: application advising, navigating CSDCAS, orientation to starting graduate school, etc.).
Obj 6.3: Promote professional opportunities for student engagement outside of the classroom (e.g., clinic, research labs, student groups/workshops). These may include:
- Clinic and research engagement: Create a sustainable system for outreach and implementation that presents undergraduate students with 406 opportunities and credits for research involvement in labs.
- Research and internship engagement: Create resource list/slide deck that includes research opportunities (like the undergrad research website) as well as 406 information. Include community internships and other extracurricular activities.
- Community engagement: Consider community outreach to form relationships for further undergrad training (e.g., community-based organizations often love our students to help with parent chats, education about the profession, etc.).
- Interprofessional engagement: Create content that cuts across professions and programs. This should be done in coordination with other programs. For example, across majors there are topics like behavior and classroom management, learning disabilities, mock evaluation/presentation of treatment, etc. that could be attended by students of all SPECS programs and other COE folks.
*Obj 1.3 updated Feb. 2024, previously read as follows:
Increase faculty mentorship opportunities available to undergraduate and graduate students by ensuring that (1) at least one faculty is in attendance for 3-5 student-facing events (e.g., NSSLHA meetings), and (2) faculty present at least 1 case study per term.