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Athens, Ohio 45701
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Strategic Plan, Vision and Mission

Strategic Plan 2018-2023

VISION

Ohio University's Division of Hearing, Speech, and Language Sciences will be nationally recognized for fostering excellence and ambition in our students, faculty, staff, and alumni to make effective communication accessible and achievable for all.

MISSION

  • To engage faculty, staff, and students in the discovery of knowledge through applied and basic research.
  • To educate students from all backgrounds in an inclusive environment that integrates academic rigor, service experience, and cultural sensitivity.
  • To cultivate independence, professionalism, and competency for students to succeed as scholars, practitioners, and advocates.
  • To extend the boundaries of the university to enrich the quality of life for diverse populations.

GOALS AND OBJECTIVES

Goal 1: Provide ongoing support, appropriate incentives, and clear expectations of the range of research activities for faculty, staff, and students (Goal 1 aligns with Ohio University Vision and College Mission Goal 2).

Objective A: Develop an annual goal setting process for faculty and staff with clear procedures for feedback and expectations in terms of workload.

  • Strategies for Attainment: The current College policy asks for metrics from individual units. Metrics will be revised to better reflect workload expectations for faculty and staff that are consistent with the priorities of CSD. Metrics will include guidance on productivity in publications, presentations, and grants that fit a faculty member’s field and goals for career development.
  • Schedule for Analysis: The Associate Director and School Director will hold an annual review meeting in January with each faculty and staff member to discuss yearly and longer-term research career goals (appropriate goals determined by faculty position) and what support needs are for faculty. 
  • Metrics implemented by Fall AY 2019-2020.

Objective B: Establish clear workflow to assist students in applying for and establishing funding to support their research and professional travel.

  • Strategies for Attainment: There are funding mechanisms through the unit, college, and university of which students are aware. There is variability, though, in extramural grant activity by Ph.D. students. Ohio University subscribes to PIVOT, a comprehensive database for identifying funding opportunities. Training in PIVOT searches and locating other (external) sources of funding would empower students. One hundred percent of Ph.D. students will be trained in PIVOT searches. MA and undergraduate students involved in research will gain exposure to PIVOT and American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA) sources of funding through individual faculty mentors.
  • Schedule for Analysis: Chair of CSD Awards and Chair of Ph.D. Scholarships inform Ph.D., MA-SLP and AuD, and undergraduate students about different internal and external funding/scholarship opportunities each fall and spring (e.g., CSD has an extensive list of student funding opportunities).
  • Metrics implemented by Fall AY 2019-2020.

Goal 2: Create a cohesive identity for the unit such that everyone can articulate the individual programs and interconnected mission of the group (Goal 2 aligns with Ohio University Vision and College Mission Goals 1, 2, 3).

Objective A: Choose a growth direction for undergraduate American Sign Language (ASL) program in CSD.

  • Strategies for Attainment: We are adding five new courses to the ASL curriculum.
    • Introduction to the Deaf Community
    • Introduction to Deaf Culture
    • Advanced ASL I
    • Advanced ASL II
    • ASL Development
  • Schedule for Analysis: Coordinator of ASL Program (in consultation with Associate Director and Coordinator of Undergraduate Program) will submit a course program change (including course descriptions and rationale) to the College and University Curriculum Committees Spring AY 2018-2019.
  • Anticipated roll out for new course offerings Fall AY 2019-2020.

Objective B: Engage in any rebranding required and consistently present unit to internal and external constituencies with an agreed executive summary of programs.

  • Strategies for Attainment: Present “Our Story” to University Advancement to facilitate fundraising efforts on behalf of CSD. Develop stronger digital presence on our website for recruitment purposes (e.g., videos of undergraduate and graduate students telling “their story” about why they chose our program, brief faculty descriptions about their areas of research/clinical expertise and teaching philosophy).
  • Schedule for Analysis: The Associate Director will work with faculty, select undergraduate and MA-SLP and AuD students, and College communications staff to develop a stronger digital presence that includes: (a) greater array of photos of our clinical spaces, labs; (b) brief text (perhaps video) descriptions of each faculty and clinical staff member’s area of teaching and research expertise and teaching philosophy; and (c) brief videos of current undergraduate students and MA-SLP and AuD students describing why they selected our program.
  • Roll out of activities by end AY 2019-2020.  

Goal 3: Provide greater opportunities for development of writing and critical/integrative thinking skills of CSD students (CSD Goal 3 aligns with Ohio University Vision and College Mission Goal 2).

Objective A: Provide enhanced writing and critical/integrative thinking opportunities for CSD undergraduates taking CSD 3410, a course devoted to exploring career options in CSD.

  • Strategies for Attainment: Modify current CSD 3410 class to meet objective.
  • Schedule for Analysis: Instructor of CSD 3410 will revise course to offer more opportunities for students to engage in focused writing and critical/integrative thinking exercises related to “clinical issues of the day.”  
  • Anticipated modified CSD 3410 course roll out Fall AY 2020-2021.

Objective B: Incorporate more critical thinking and analysis exercises into CSD undergraduate courses.

  • Strategies for Attainment: Assess courses with respect to critical thinking and analysis and provide more opportunity to engage these skills in classes where absent. Importantly, many classes already incorporate such skills (e.g., Speech Science, Hearing Science, Language Development, Phonetics, Research Methods).
  • Schedule for Analysis: Coordinator of the Undergraduate Program will lead faculty discussion about types and frequency of critical thinking/analysis opportunities to offer students in each undergraduate course. A master table of opportunities will be created.
  • Course analysis to begin Fall AY 2020-2021.

Objective C: Ensure professional programs (MA-SLP, AuD) annual summative assessments have clear milestones and checkpoints through academic and clinical programs to lead students toward successful integration of skills.

  • Strategies for Attainment: Course objectives aligned with learning outcome measures for the College in HLC (The Higher Learning Commission report).
  • Schedule for Analysis: Coordinator of MA-SLP and AuD Programs (in consultation with Associate Director and full faculty, i.e., focused faculty meeting discussions) will prepare a complete report that includes all objectives and learning outcomes for each course.
  • Annual Academic Assessment Report for AY submitted Fall AY 2018-2019.

Goal 4: Serve the community through outreach and through instilling in students a community, interprofessional, and client/patient-centered orientation (CSD Goal 4 aligns with Ohio University Vision and College Mission Goal 3).

Objective A: Ensure CSD student representation in community outreach serving individuals with communication disorders and the deaf community.

  • Strategies for Attainment: A significant number of undergraduate and graduate students are involved in a variety of volunteer and service activities. However, we do not have a catalog of all these activities. We will develop a digital tracking system in which student activities are tracked, including a list of activities, agencies, and headcount.
  • Schedule for Analysis: Associate Director will develop a catalog of activities listing the number of students (PhD, MA-SLP and AuD, undergraduate) participating in various outreach activities. Tracking to begin Spring AY 2018-2019.

Objective B: Provide options related to interprofessional activities for students.

  • Strategies for Attainment: All undergraduate students are required to have at least 2.0 credits of interprofessional education. There are six courses within the Interprofessional Program within the College to fulfill this requirement. All professional program (MA-SLP, AuD) students are involved in interprofessional activities. We will develop a digital tracking system in which professional student activities are tracked.  
  • Schedule for Analysis: Coordinator of the Undergraduate Program and Coordinator of MA-SLP and AuD Programs will develop a catalog of activities listing the number of students participating in various interprofessional activities.
  • Tracking to begin Spring AY 2018-2019.

Approved by Hearing, Speech and Language Sciences Faculty and Staff 05-04-2018

Updated 01282019 to clarify Strategies for Attainment and Schedule for Analysis