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Communication Sciences and Disorders

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Dear CAPCSD Member,

Summer is finally here. It’s that time of year we’ve been waiting for all year. I hope this finds you enjoying sunshine and the space of summer. Whether that means more time with family and friends, spending time at a favorite place, or making time for a project you’ve been yearning to do, I hope you are finding joy and moments of restorative time for yourself.

Your CAPCSD Board of Directors has been planning for the upcoming year. In July, we welcomed Tricia Montgomery as President Elect and Heidi Verticchio as Vice President of Professional Development. Additionally, we welcomed back Ashley Harkrider for a second term as Treasurer. We also thanked Jennifer Taylor, Past President and Tricia Montgomery, Vice President of Professional Development, for their dedication, service, and thoughtful contributions to CAPCSD during their time on the Board.

In this newsletter you’ll find information about new online modules for clinical educators and exciting developments from the recently formed AI Task Force. This month we are featuring online webinars on the topics of students’ perspectives of best practices of accommodations in clinical education, ideas for implementing ethics into curriculum, and interprofessional education and practice.

Happy summering.

With gratitude,

Katie Strong

CAPCSD President

CAPCSD Board of Directors Update

I am pleased to introduce the 2024-2025 CAPCSD Board of Directors. The Board will start their work this year at the July board meeting later this month. The 2024-2025 Board of Directors:

Katie Strong, President
Jennifer Simpson, Past President
Tricia Montgomery, President-Elect
Christie Needham, Secretary
Ashley Harkrider, Treasurer
Rachel Theodore, VP of Admissions
Kevin McNamara, VP of Clinical Education
Erin Lundblom, VP of Online Professional Development
Maya Clark, VP or Organizational Advancement
Heidi Verticchio, VP of Professional Development (New)
Shubha Kashinath, VP of Research and Academic Affairs

You can find more information about the board members on the CAPCSD website. Please reach out to the appropriate board member if you ever have any questions.

Ned Campbell

Executive Director

Clinical Educators Academy - Save the Date

Clinical Educators' Academy: Collaborating, Leading, Mentoring

Tuesday-Wednesday, April 22-23, 2025

Atlanta Marriott Marquis

Application Window: October 2024

Selection Notifications: December 2024

New! 2025 Clinical Educators' Academy

A Clinical Educators' Academy will be held prior to the 2025 CAPCSD conference in Atlanta GA. Based on the principles of human-centered leadership, this event will provide an opportunity for new and experienced leaders in clinical education to explore skills needed to foster well-being, engaged team-building, and productive conflict resolution in clinical education environments. Innovative strategies for managing challenging roles and responsibilities in clinical education programs will be addressed, and participants will construct an ongoing peer network supporting best practices in clinical leadership. Due to the format of this event, attendance will be limited to 50 participants. Stay tuned for more information - program details and registration applications will be sent to CAPCSD members in early October.

New Online Module for Clinical Educators

CAPCSD's Clinical Education Committee has worked tirelessly to develop a new clinical supervision course for preceptors affiliated with CAPCSD member programs. The course will become available in the coming months and will continue to be offered as a membership benefit to CAPCSD member programs. CAPCSD's current four clinical supervision courses will be available for registration until December 31, 2024 with completion of courses due January 15, 2025. Availability of the new clinical supervision course will be announced in an upcoming email to CAPCSD member programs and in an upcoming CAPCSD newsletter.

Admissions Corner

The 2023-2024 CSDCAS cycle closed on July 1st. We had a record number of applicants with 13,235 individuals who submitted 43,050 applications. The median number of applications received per program was 133 for SLP programs and 47 for Audiology programs. 35% of all applicants were from a racially or ethnically minoritized group, 21% were first generation college students, and 26% had undergraduate degrees in a field other than CSD.

CAPCSD AI Taskforce Update

The CAPCSD AI Taskforce, formed in March 2024, has been actively working to address the growing impact of artificial intelligence on Communication Sciences and Disorders (CSD) programs. Comprised of diverse experts from across the field, the taskforce is charged with investigating the current state of AI in CSD programs, determining predictable uses of AI in education, providing resources for educators and supervisors, and exploring relevant policies and procedures.

Over the past few months, the taskforce has engaged in thoughtful discussions about the role of AI in CSD education, clinical practice, and research. Key areas of focus include:

Ethical use of AI and privacy concerns
Incorporating AI into clinical practice and teaching
Developing students' skills to critically evaluate AI-generated information
Potential impacts on admissions processes and student evaluation

In the coming months, CAPCSD members can expect to receive a survey aimed at gathering insights into the membership's understanding, use, and beliefs regarding generative AI in CSD. This survey will help inform the taskforce's future recommendations and resource development.

Additionally, the CAPCSD Board has recently approved a dedicated AI Taskforce webpage, which will be launched this fall. This page will serve as a centralized resource for CAPCSD members, offering guidance, best practices, and up-to-date information on AI in CSD education and practice.

Stay tuned for more updates and opportunities to contribute to this important initiative shaping the future of our field. To learn more about the membership of the AI Taskforce, visit https://members.capcsd.org/aitaskforce

CAPCSD Staff Member Shoutout!

Megan Woods, CAPCSD's Director of Centralized Admissions - CSDCAS, recently earned the Certified Association Executive (CAE®) credential from the CAE Commission of the American Society of Association Executives (ASAE). The CAE credential is the marker of a committed association professional who has demonstrated the wide range of knowledge essential to manage an association in today’s challenging environment. Please join us in congratulating her.

Audiologist Volunteer Needed

CAPCSD seeks an audiology member such as a Chair, Program Director, Graduate Coordinator, Clinic Director, Faculty, Dean, or Provost to serve on the 2024-2025 Membership Committee. The term will run through June 30, 2026.

In addition to your contact information, you will be asked to provide your CV and answer three questions to demonstrate your experience, expertise, and commitment to volunteering on a CAPCSD committee.

For complete information and to apply, click here.

NEW On-Demand Course

The CAPCSD Virtual Conference, on-demand course is now available for purchase. This on-demand course was developed from the 2024 CAPCSD Virtual Conference, streamed live from New Orleans on April 4-5, 2024.

It covers a range of topics related to cultural sensitivity in academic and clinical training programs, utilizing clinical research in speech-language pathology and audiology, ethical dilemmas in SLP clinical education, rethinking academic metrics in graduate admissions, enhancing clinical competencies through creative models, and active learning strategies in graduate education.

The ASHA course is approved for.6 CEUs with .2 ASHA Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion in Education, Training, Service Delivery, Public Policy, and .1 ASHA Ethics requirements. The AAA course is approved for .5 AAA CEUs.