“MY PROFESSORS HAVE MADE THE LAB AND CLASSROOM PLACES WHERE IT’S OKAY TO MAKE A MISTAKE AND LEARN FROM IT.”
Prologue
The vision, mission and strategic plan of the Department of Speech Language Pathology (SLP) is an extension of the strategic plan set forth by Saint Mary’s College, Revere and Revise: Saint Mary’s College 2030. The SLP strategic plan implemented for the years 2017-2020 focused on enhancing and increasing departmental programming, recruiting and retaining students, addressing infrastructure needs as needed, and developing sources of revenue. Many of these goals were accomplished with substantial effort and dedication of SLP department faculty/staff and the support of the College community. The SLP department supports the fundamental principles as outlined in the strategic plan of Saint Mary’s College. Specifically, as a department which includes both undergraduate and graduate programs, we are very supportive of the College Fundamental Principles to further develop a serious graduate culture and provide opportunities for graduate housing on campus. We move forward and support the College commitment plan with our new department strategic plan for 2020-2030 outlined below.
Mission of the Department of Speech Language Pathology
The mission of the Department of Speech Language Pathology is to prepare and educate students who are dedicated to the service of persons from infancy to maturity with communication, cognitive and swallowing disabilities. Students will be capable of interacting effectively in a variety of service and employment settings. This goal is achieved through a curriculum that integrates academic rigor, research methods and evidence based clinical practice all built upon a strong foundation of social responsibility.
Vision
The Department of Speech Language Pathology prepares students with a wide theoretical base for understanding normal development of basic human communication and swallowing processes as well as the nature, causes, evaluation and treatment of disorders of swallowing and communication, including issues pertaining to culturally diverse populations. It provides a variety of opportunities for supervised student clinical education with persons across the life cycle who are delayed or disordered in the development or use of communication, cognitive and/or swallowing. The academic, clinical faculty and students work together to develop competence in clinical diagnosis and intervention, interactions with families of individuals with communicative impairments, and collaboration with other professionals for effective and efficient team management of persons with complex disabilities. We strive always to value diversity of persons, both in culture and opinion, and encourage an attitude of openness and discovery among students, faculty and staff. Our intent is to always challenge faculty, staff and students to actively involve themselves in meeting the needs of their communities, as highly skilled professionals and good citizens. We strongly promote and instill in the students and each other to value scientific rigor, a spirit of inquiry and use of evidence-based practice among future professionals. Our graduates are empowered to function independently as lifelong learners, pursuers of social responsibility and ambassadors for the profession.
Strategic Plan Commitments, Strategies, and Measures of Success
Commitment 1: Achieve a Culture of Human Dignity and Solidarity
Strategy 1.1
Complete targeted recruitment and continue holistic admissions review to increase student of color enrollment in both undergraduate and graduate programs for SLP.
Measure of Success: Meet or Exceed the percentage of enrollment of students of color at Saint Mary’s College overall in both the undergraduate and graduate programs each year.
Strategy 1.2
Review, revise, and expand the curriculum in both the undergraduate and graduate programs to include multicultural content and courses offered at both undergraduate and graduate level.
Measure of Success: Offer a multicultural course at both the undergraduate and graduate level and include case studies throughout the curriculum focused on individuals from diverse backgrounds.
Strategy 1.3
Provide workshops and CEUs that directly address diversity and cultural differences in communication.
Measure of Success: Offer at least one workshop or CEU event on diversity and cultural differences in communication every other year.
Strategy 1.4
Increase the services provided to individuals from marginalized communities via the Judd Leighton Speech and Language Clinic and satellite clinical sites.
Measure of Success: The percentage of clients served by the clinic and satellite clinical sites from marginalized communities is equal to or greater than the percentage of those communities in the South Bend region.
Strategy 1.5
Continue to provide a free clinic in which marginalized populations can receive assessment and treatment services.
Measure of Success: Maintain or increase the number of clinical evaluation and treatment hours provided to community members free of charge each year.
Commitment 2: Empower Women at all Levels and Stages of Life
Strategy 2.1
Expedite pathways to graduate programs through implementing a 4 + 1 model for a bachelor’s and master’s degree in Speech Language Pathology.
Measure of success: A combined B.A. and M.S. in Speech Language Pathology program will be offered with at least 50% of the graduate students having entered the graduate program via the combined degree path.
Strategy 2.2
Increase opportunities for students to enter graduate programs without having an undergraduate in speech language pathology by offering a pre-professional program, a bundle of pre-requisite courses needed for admission.
Measure of success: A structured pre-professional program will be offered.
Strategy 2.3
Provide CEU opportunities to faculty, staff, and the community to support professional development at all stages of career.
Measure of success: At least one CEU opportunity will be offered per academic year.
Strategy 2.4
Expand Graduate Assistantship opportunities in the Department and College.
Measure of success: Maintain at least one Graduate Assistant in the department per academic year. Advertise college wide Graduate Assistantships to incoming and continuing graduate students each spring.
Commitment 3: Elevate Research Focus
Strategy 3.1
Review, revise, and expand the curriculum in the undergraduate program to offer and maintain research opportunities through Research Practicum courses.
Measure of success: Each faculty member with research responsibilities will offer at least one research practicum for undergraduate students per academic year.
Strategy 3.2
Encourage faculty, staff, and students to present research at college-wide events to foster and share a research community.
Measure of success: Every faculty will have at least one student presenter at the on-campus Symposium at least every two years.
Measure of success: All students who complete a research practicum will present at the on-campus Symposium.
Strategy 3.3
Hire highly qualified clinical and academic faculty with the needed expertise and research lines to further extend and develop the program.
Measure of success: Fill all clinical and academic faculty positions within the timeframe needed to ensure adequate course coverage.
Strategy 3.4
Reduce the number of course preparations per year to afford faculty additional time to explore collaborative research projects within the department and across other departments, especially in the development of IPE (Integrated Professional Education) as described by CAA and ASHA and with students while pursuing research and scholarship.
Measure of success: Except in the initial year of employment, each faculty member will be required to teach no more than one new course preparation per year.
Strategy 3.5
Encourage faculty, staff, and students to value their research work and seek external financial support to allow this work to meet its full potential.
Measure of success: All faculty who have research expectations will apply for one external source of financial support for research in a three-year period.
Strategy 3.6
Acquire physical space that promotes and allows research, such as lab space and research offices.
Measure of success: At the time of hire, all full-time faculty whose job responsibilities include conducting research will be provided with research lab space and equipment sufficient for accomplishing their current research goals. If lab space and office needs change over time, faculty will consult with administration to determine alternative space options.
Commitment 4: Stabilize and Enhance Financial Performance
Strategy 4.1
Recruit and retain enrollment of 30 graduate students while maintaining high academic standards.
Measure of success: Maintain a 3-year rolling average of 30 graduate students per year and a 100% pass rate on the graduate comprehensive exam
Strategy 4.2
Faculty and staff participate in college-wide recruitment efforts for undergraduate admissions.
Measure of success: At least one SLP faculty member will attend each college-wide undergraduate recruitment events that request faculty/departmental participation.
Strategy 4.3
Continue to monitor and enhance multiple pathways, including: 4 +1, BA, MS, Dual Degree, and Pre-Professional program.
Measure of success: Faculty will review enrollment data and student evaluations of each program once per year.
Measure of success: At least one modification will be made to each program per year. Modifications will fall along a continuum from large scale, formal changes such as changes to degree requirements to more informal changes such as increased social interactions between faculty and students.
Plan for Ongoing Review of the Strategic Plan
During the first departmental meeting of the fall semester, one agenda item will be a review of the strategic plan. This review at the beginning of the academic year will serve as a guide for developing a plan for which objectives and strategies will be targeted that year and each faculty and staff person’s role in implementing those strategies. During the last departmental meeting of the academic year, one agenda item will be a review of the success of each strategy and overall progress in fulfilling the strategic plan. An executive summary of the progress in achieving the strategic plan will be provided to college level administration, the advisory board, and posted on the departmental website.