[ad_1]
Audiology and speech-language pathology practitioners diagnose and treat individuals from all racial and ethnic backgrounds. However, professionals in these fields are largely a homogeneous group. According to the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA), as of 2022, approximately 9% of ASHA members and affiliates will self-identify as a racial minority. Racial disparities between providers and patients have been a long-discussed topic but have not yet been addressed. Change. ASHA recently announced in its 2024 Public Policy Agenda that one of its priorities this year is to “increase efforts to help address practitioner shortages by expanding opportunities for workforce development and diversification in audiology and speech-language pathology.” The Department of Communication Sciences and Diseases has begun to address this issue through the Academic Recruitment Program (ARP) of CSD’s “CSD4Me” campaign.
CSD has been awarded two Provost Innovation and Enhancement (PIE) grants to support its efforts to increase enrollment and recruit a diverse student population that is more representative of individuals receiving audiology and speech-language pathology services. This ARP was created to provide education about the field and profession to precollege students in order to increase awareness and stimulate interest among future clinicians. Led by Dr. McLoddy Kadyamusuma and Dr. Anthony Joseph, ARP has been student-led over the past two years, with many undergraduate and graduate students critical to its achievements. Graduate assistants played a central role in developing marketing materials and newsletters. The CSD4Me team has been actively involved in promoting and marketing the CSD major, SLP, and AuD graduate programs at high schools, community colleges, career fairs, social media, and campus networking events. Through the Student Ambassador Program, several undergraduate and graduate students in the department bring their passion to their hometown high schools to help students improve their understanding of communication science and disease.
Approximately 2,500 students have met a Student Ambassador or CSD4Me team member in person, and thousands more have been reached through our social media campaigns. The CSD4Me team plans to continue educating students in audiology and speech-language pathology consistent with the department’s goals of recruiting and retaining academically talented, diverse, and highly motivated students.
If you or someone you know would like more information about this program, please contact the Department of Communication Sciences and Diseases.
[ad_2]
Source link