Strategic Plan (2018-2023)
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
Mission
The mission of the Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders is to provide the highest quality student-centered learning environment where undergraduate and graduate students gain the theoretical knowledge, clinical expertise, and life-long learning skills to prepare them for professional careers and advanced study in speech-language pathology, audiology, and related fields. The faculty and staff are dedicated to:
- Fostering knowledge and skill acquisition through critical thinking, inquiry and reasoning, and communicating in multiple modalities (e.g., verbal and written).
- Promoting an understanding of social, political, ethical, and multicultural issues that impact learning, research, and clinical service delivery in local, regional, and global communities.
- Supporting student clinical preparation through innovative and collaborative clinical services, on campus and in the global community.
- Encouraging and supporting civic engagement and leadership in campus life and the broader community.
- Providing high-quality speech-language-hearing services to community members.
Vision
The Western Washington University Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders (CSD) is a nationally-accredited clinical training program that prepares individuals to think critically, communicate clearly, and collaborate effectively to support the needs of people with hearing, speech, and language disorders and differences locally and globally. According to the Occupational Outlook Handbook (OOH) from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the employment rate of audiologists and speech-language pathologists is expected to grow faster than the average for all occupations through the year 2022.
In five years, the Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders will:
- Build our clinical training programs and expand our clinical services;
- Explore opportunities for increasing funding for graduate studies, and graduate and undergraduate research;
- Diversify our student and faculty body;
- Expand inter-professional collaborations to explore research and clinical interests of faculty and students; and
- Infuse topics of diversity throughout the undergraduate and graduate curricula.
Our department strives to uphold our mission and vision by following Western Washington University’s four goals to advance Western. The goals are:
- Provide a transformative education grounded in the liberal arts and sciences and based on innovative scholarship, research, and creative activity.
- Advance a deeper understanding of, and engagement with, place.
- Foster a caring and supportive environment where all members are respected and treated fairly.
- Pursue justice and equity in its policies, practices, and impacts.
STRATEGIC GOALS
In keeping with the mission of Western Washington University and the College of Humanities and Social Science, the Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders has identified the following priorities as being critical for the continued advancement of our program:
CHSS/CSD Goal Alignment | CSD Strategic Objectives and Measurable outcomes |
CHSS Goal 1: Expand the capacity of students, faculty, and staff to create knowledge, think critically, and communicate effectively.
CSD Goal 1: Advance educational excellence by supporting evidence-based academic and clinical teaching, and engagement in high-impact research. |
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CHSS Goal 2: Pursue excellence by assembling, supporting, and retaining a diverse and engaged community of faculty, staff, and students.
CSD Goal 2: Promote diversity and inclusion through recruiting and retaining diverse students, faculty, and staff. |
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CHSS Goal 3: Through course offerings and scholarly pursuits, advance a deeper understanding of local, state and global communities and promote the mastery of skills for intercultural communication and cooperation.
CSD Goal 3: Strengthen Communities locally and globally.
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CHSS Goal 4: Promote contextual awareness, personal responsibility, ethical conduct, and social justice by fostering introspective, respectful environments that support diverse thought, experiences, and cultures.
CSD Goal 4: Infuse diversity throughout the academic and clinical curriculum at the undergraduate and graduate level. |
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CHSS Goal 5: Enable the entire university community to pursue a transformative education by expanding access to experiences in the humanities and social and behavioral sciences.
CSD Goal 5: Attract and support through diverse sources of funding outstanding undergraduate and graduate students for the AuD program and the SLP program. |
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Mechanism for regular evaluation of the plan
- Review the mission, strategic goals, and strategic objectives annually at the Department Retreat and update every four years as necessary.
Mechanism for regular evaluation of progress in meeting the plan’s objectives
- Faculty/clinical educator feedback will be reviewed annually with department chair or clinic directors.
- Curriculum review will be conducted annually during spring quarter.
- Progress across all objectives will be reviewed by all departmental members annually at the faculty/staff retreat.
- Progress will be discussed and documented in the department chair’s annual meeting with the college dean.
- Progress will be summarized and reported in the annual report to the Council on Academic Accreditation in Audiology and Speech-Language Pathology.
Accreditation Standards (CAA)
1.3 The program develops and implements a long-term strategic plan.
The plan must be congruent with the mission of the institution, have the support of the university administration, and reflect the role of the program within the community. Components of a plan may include long-term program goals, specific measurable objectives, strategies for attainment, a schedule for analysis, and a mechanism for regular evaluation of the plan itself and of progress in meeting the plan's objectives. The plan and the results of the regular evaluation of the plan and its implementation must be shared with faculty, students, staff, alumni, and other interested parties.
Reviewed and updated 09/24/2018