MS in Speech-Language Pathology Strategic Plan

MSUM Mission & Vision
Mission for College of Education & Human Services

Mission Statement for the Speech, Language, Hearing Sciences Department

The Speech Language Hearing Sciences Department will impart knowledge about human communication, swallowing, and related disorders; foster the necessary skills to practice speech-language pathology competently, and serve individuals affected by communication disorders in a diverse society.

Vision Statement for the Speech, Language, Hearing Sciences Department

The Speech Language Hearing Sciences department at Minnesota State University Moorhead aims to be the region's premiere program in the field of human communication sciences and disorders. We seek to transform outstanding students into professionals who will competently and compassionately meet the needs of individuals with communication and swallowing disorders.

Program Objectives

Recruiting and retaining a diverse body of high-quality students to our undergraduate and graduate programs and supporting them through high-quality rigorous courses, inclusive environments, clinical experiences, and faculty-mentored research opportunities.

Meeting the regional workforce need for speech-language pathologists in school, medical, and private practice settings.

Operating in a collegial student-focused environment where all students, faculty, clinical educators, and staff are respected and valued for their unique strengths.

Employing and retaining high-quality faculty and clinical educators through the provision of appropriate workloads, mentoring, and infrastructure so they can excel in classroom and clinic instruction, research, and service endeavors.

Fostering collaboration between the departments within our College of Education and Human Services, within MSUM, and with surrounding organizations in the region.

Serving the region through the MSUM Speech-Language & Hearing Clinic by providing state-of-the-art assessments, interventions, technologies, and resources.

Functioning as a financially sustainable SLHS department to provide an extraordinary undergraduate and graduate education.

MSUM Strategic Anchor: Student Achievement

We will define the distinctive attributes of our academic experience, building on the strengths that differentiate MSUM regardless of a student’s academic major. We will also ensure that we offer the optimal mix of programs and delivery modes to achieve our enrollment goals and financial sustainability.

  • Long-term (2022-2027): Maintain state-of-the-art facilities and market technology-infused program
    • 22-23: Reconfigure/remodel facilities to meet the needs of the students and the department and meet HIPAA and FERPA regulations
    • 22-23: Calibrate all audiometric equipment and plan for updates as needed
    • 22-23: Update clinical materials and technology as needed
  • Long-term (2022-2027): Successfully run the Regional Assistive Technology Center
    • 22-23: RATC will continue to collaborate with STAR with demonstrations and loans for assistive technology tools and support for Minnesota residents.
    • 22-23: Create a streamlined device loan process, patient intake, scheduling, billing, and contract process.
    • 22-23 Increase community education on RATC resources and outreach services.
  • Long-term (2022-2027): Provide telepractice/teletherapy clinical services
    • 22-23: Maintain capabilities to use Telepractice teaching techniques and strategies to meet the needs of the students and clients.
  • Long-term (2022-2027): Complete ongoing assessment of undergraduate curriculum and student achievement
    • 22-23 Complete UG Assessment (annual) & Writing Intensive Report (Tri-annual)
  • Long-term (2022-2027): Maintain accreditation to continue offering the graduate program
    • 22-23: Submit an annual report and be 100% compliant
  • Long-term (2022-2027): Maintain strong retention rates of SLHS and SLP students
    • 22-23: Dept Chair will serve on the CEHS Retention and Recruitment committee
    • 22-23: Continue SLHS Learning Community
    • 22-23: Continue 100% compliance with Early Alert Updates
    • 22-23: Continue SLHS Student Advisory Board (SAB)
    • 22-23: Continue effective, best-practice advising
      • Begin using Undergraduate Graduation Planner along with Plans of Study
      • Have the SLP Graduate Advisor Teach the Professional Issues Course
      • Continue Group advising with cohorts via HyFlex
      • Assign one advisor for each cohort; learning community advisor teaches FYE 101 course; Graduate coordinator advises all graduate students
      • Post-bacc/new transfer student orientation
      • Maintain high student outcomes on graduate program benchmarks.
      • Maintain D2L advising site for the graduate program
  • Long-term (2022-2027): Recruit and retain excellent students in SLHS and SLP programs
    • 22-23 Complete an Augustana recruiting visit; University of Manitoba (PB) if possible
    • 22-23 Hold Group Advising for Graduate School Applications for Juniors and Seniors
    • 22-23 Participate in Tri-college or Graduate Fair (PB)
    • 22-23 Facilitate shadowing / observation in SLHS Clinic for High school students
    • 22-23: Work with admissions by responding to prospective, admitted, and accepted students following visits
    • 22-23: Explore Praxis II preparation options to help students
    • 22-23: Engage in best practices for recruiting undergraduate students
      • Participate in preview days
      • Give tours to prospective students
      • Provide welcome and/or follow-up videos/notes for prospective students
      • Work with Student Relations Coordinator for CEHS and the transfer representative
    • 22-23: Intentionally celebrate student success to retain students, highlight the program, and celebrate faculty/staff success
      • Post successes on Dragon Digest and on the website
      • Twitter for MSUM SLP; Re-activate Department Facebook
      • Recognize scholarship recipients on the SLHS Wall of Honor
      • Graduation reception/hooding
    • 22-23: Evaluate and revise the graduate application process as needed
    • 22-23: Host UG & Graduate social
  • Long-term (2022-2027): Implement strategies to navigate current resources and meet the needs of students for certification/accreditation
    • 22-23 Graduate Update Graduate Curriculum Map; Identify curriculum revisions as needed for CAA 2023 Revisions
      • Continue to collaborate between the counseling department and the SLP program for course collaboration SLP 675
      • Continue two SLP 690 swallowing I & II
      • Ongoing assessment and refinement of simucase in curriculum
    • 22-23 Undergraduate
      • Complete course/program revisions for SLHS 302
      • Explore clinical experience options for SLPA practicum 100 hours (Ind Study or New Course)
    • 22-23 Clinic
      • Continue to explore a way to add experiences and knowledge with school-based documentation.
      • Explore infusing more IEP examples into academic and clinical curriculum
      • Explore ideas for more exposure in these areas a need: hearing treatment, oral-peripheral exams, and adult hours. swallowing, more intentional documentation
    • 22-23: Improve the efficiency of the clinic
      • Explore the balance of clinic hours with off-campus/on-campus clinic placements
    • 22-23: Continue Calipso for all clinical tracking of graduate students.
    • 22-23: Continue VALT digital observation system for the clinic
    • 22-23: Continue use of Fusion
    • 22-23 Continue Expanded Orientation for graduate students
    • 22-23: Reach financial sustainability for the clinic within the SLP program
      • Review metrics, clinic budgets, clinic revenue
      • The financial committee meets qtrly to review the status of the clinic (chair, clinic director, ESC, and accounting technician)
      • Explore contracts with outside entities
  • Long-term (2022-2027): Assessment procedures are revised to appropriately assess programs
    • 22-23: Submit assessment data for undergrad and graduate program in October
    • 22-23: Meet SLOs for both undergrad and graduate assessment

MSUM Strategic Anchor: Diversity and Inclusion

We will continue to build our organizational capacity to achieve equitable educational outcomes for all students, recognizing that achieving equity will require changing our systems, policies, practices, assumptions, and campus climate.

  • Long-term (2022-2027): Support undergraduate students from underrepresented groups.
    • 22-23 – Complete MSUM Academic Affairs Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Training
    • 22-23 – Collaborate with Associate Provost for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion as needed for curriculum revisions/updates.
  • Long-term (2022-2027): Develop, initiate, evaluate, and revise study abroad programs for the SLHS/SLP programs
    • 22-23: Engage in collaborative study abroad opportunities with social work and criminal justice for SLHS students
  • Long-term (2022-2027): Bring American Sign Language and Deaf Culture courses back to MSUM.
    • 22-23: Continue to offer SLHS 301 fall as LASC 8
    • 22-23; Explore ways to offer Sign Language Courses with adjuncts outside of our re-assigned time and re-activate SLHS 302 (ASL II)
  • Long-term (2022-2027): Recruit graduate students from underrepresented groups.
    • 22-23: Intentionally offer financial assistance for at least one scholarship (Gregory Lof Endowed Scholarship) specifically for an underrepresented group
    • 22-23 Increase the number of underrepresented groups and male graduate students (underrepresented in the SLP field)
    • 22-23: Expand outreach recruiting for underrepresented (Dille Grant Project) to Fargo, Moorhead, and West Fargo High Schools; Continue summer SCRUBS camp, and student observers of the clinic.
    • 22-23: Chair participates on CEHS Retention and Recruitment committee
  • Long-term (2022-2027) Integrate diversity, equity, inclusion, and cultural competency through coursework and clinical experiences.
    • 22-23: Continue activities related to cultural competency, diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) in undergraduate and graduate coursework.
  • • Long-term (2022-2027): Continue to provide clinical services to a diverse clientele.
    • 22-23: Continue community screenings. (Head Start, Fraiser, Bethany)
  • • Long-term (2022-2027): Recruit faculty/staff from underrepresented group
    • 22-23: Explore hiring adjuncts, staff from underrepresented groups

MSUM Strategic Anchor: Community Development/Engagement

We will build community partnerships that strengthen and sustain our academic programs, enhance students’ educational experiences, and meet important community needs.

Collaborate with professionals/organizations in our field or related fields outside of MSUM

  • Long-term (2022-2027): Strategically plan off-campus screenings for efficiency and student needs; strategically plan service-learning opportunities based on resources and student needs.
    • 22-23: Provide service-learning activities for SLP 627; Hearing & cognitive screenings: Bethany, One Oak Place, Casselton.
    • 22-23: Continue speech, language, and hearing screenings in the area
    • 22-23: Participate in the Cleft Palate clinic through the ND Department of Health
    • 22-23: Continue service opportunities through faculty mentoring student groups
    • 22-23: Explore partnership with TNT
  • Long-term (2022-2027): Foster relationships and collaborations with community organizations and members.
    • 22-23: Continue involvement with Community Advisory Board
    • 22-23: Work with ND DPI to provide scholarships and support employment in ND
    • 22-23: Collaborate with Sanford Health and providers for patients seeking transgender health services.
    • 22-23: Continue to be site host for Moorhead local Chapter of the National Stuttering Association.
    • 22-23: Foster continued strong relationship with FM Sertoma.
      • NSSLHA/Collegiate Sertoma Group volunteer Signing Santa
      • Submit a new grant with FM Sertoma for updated Hearing Screen and OAE Equipment
  • Long-term (2022-2027): Collaborate with organizations outside of MSUM to provide opportunities for students and to serve the community/region
    • 22-23: Continue with the STAR grant in order to connect RATC with MN residents for assistive technology needs.
    • 22-23: RATC will collaborate with the ALS Foundation to meet the communication needs for ALS clients
    • 22-23: Collaboration with the ND Department of Health to provide services at the regional Cleft Palate clinic five times an academic year
    • 22-23 Collaboration with Community of Care Casselton, Fargo, West Fargo, and Moorhead for annual Screenings. Explore resuming MSUM EEC Screenings.
    • 22-23 – Clinic collaboration with West Fargo and Moorhead Schools for clinic and diagnostic experiences.
    • 22-23 – Facilitate Community Service opportunities for NSSLHA/Collegiate Sertoma
      • FM Special Needs Support Network TNT Open Gyms
      • Arc of MN Arc Games & More
      • Arc of MN Dances
      • Farm on the Dell of the Red River Valley
      • Dorthy Day Food Pantry
    • RR Valley Fair Board – Holiday Lights
  • Long-term (2022-2027): Explore additional IPE/IPP opportunities for our students
    • 22-23: Continue the collaboration with U. of Mary’s Occupational Therapy dept and University of Jamestown’s Physical Therapy dept.
    • 22-23: Explore a Pediatric IPE/IPP collaboration with School Psych or SPED at MSUM
    • 22-23: Continue to explore collaboration with Special Education on IEP training for students
    • 22-23: Use SimuCase to emphasize IPE/IPP experience in academic and clinical experiences.
  • Long-term (2022-2027): Share knowledge and skills with community professionals in the field and in related fields
    • 22-23: Invite local professionals in our fields and related fields to speak in SLHS courses.
    • 22-23: Provide consultation with current professionals related to areas of expertise
    • 22-23: Collaborate with UND for the 2023 Spring Symposium (MSUM Host)
    • 22-23: (SLHS lead) CEHS Visiting Scholar for Fall 22 presentation

Collaborate with students, other faculty/staff, and programs at MSUM

  • Long-term (2022-2027): Increase collaborations with other programs and departments to benefit students’ learning
    • 22-23: SLHS faculty/staff speak in classes in other programs.
    • 22-23 Participate in CEHS Preview days and SOAR days
    • 22-23: Continue collaboration with Shirley Johnson CEHS, Special Education, for IPE Case Study activity within SLHS 343 Clinical Procedures and Special Educations Methods Class; Add Assistive Technology Lab with SPED Responsive Teaching Course
    • 22-23: Faculty-mentored student research will be accepted at regional and national conferences
    • 22-23: Active participation in Student Academic conference: mentoring student research; volunteering at events; dept. involvement in the planning committee and as a liaison between SAC and Graduate Council
    • 22-23: Increase communication between our program; our student groups and FM Sertoma and Delta Zeta sorority as the four groups share some common missions

Articulation agreements

  • Long-term (2022-2027): Increase the number of articulation agreements for our undergraduate program
    • 22-23: Explore options with M State for students to transfer to SLHS UG.
    • 22-23: Explore options with Alexandria Tech for SLPA Certificate options for students.
Executive Summary