We support, promote, and advance higher education in

Communication Sciences and Disorders

Excellence * Visionary Leadership * Collaboration

Dear Member,

I hope October is off to a good start for you. Here in the Midwest, I’m enjoying the cooler days, cheers from the football stadium on Friday nights, and spectacular fall colors all around me!

Last spring, the CAPCSD Board of Directors approved A Guide for Future Practitioners of Audiology and Speech—Language Pathology: Core Functions. This guide replaces the 2008 Essentials Functions for Speech-Language Pathology and Audiology document. We encourage you to use the updated 2023 document to discuss and share the core functions of our professions with students. Kevin McNamara, VP for Clinical for Clinical Education, shares more about these updates in this newsletter.

CAPCSD is looking forward to hosting the Educational Testing Services Praxis Exam Preparation webinar next week! Nick Bellack, ETS Director of Educational Partnerships, will share a comprehensive overview of the Audiology and Speech-Language Pathology Praxis Exams. We were thrilled to see this webinar fill up in less than 24 hours. If you or your students were not able secure a spot, a recording of the webinar will be posted on the CAPCSD website a couple of days after the event.

The Board of Directors would love to meet you in person. If you are attending ASHA, please join us at the CAPCSD Business Meeting in Boston on Wednesday November 15th, 4:15 p.m. - 5:45 p.m. at the Omni Hotel. Bring your ideas on how CAPCSD can serve its members the best!

I wish you all an enjoyable October.

Sincerely,

Jennifer Simpson

President

Business Meeting Save The Date

The fall reception and business meeting will be held on Wednesday, November 15, 2023, from 4:15 p.m. - 5:45 p.m. at the Omni Boston Hotel at The Seaport, 450 Summer St, Boston, MA. The Board of Directors looks forward to seeing you in the Momentum B room and providing updates on the 2023-2024 fiscal year.

Reminder - Call for Resolutions

The Board of Directors gathers input on issues of importance to the membership of CAPCSD throughout the year. If you, individually or in concert with colleagues, have ideas or issues that you believe the Board of Directors should address, please formulate, and submit a resolution for consideration. Resolutions may be submitted by any member program or individual of a member program. Submitted resolutions will be discussed at the next regularly scheduled board meeting unless a quorum is not met.

Resolution Format

Title: Brief descriptive title for the resolution
Background: A sequence of logically ordered “Whereas” statements.
Resolved: Detailed description of proposed position, action, investigation, initiative, etc. that the resolution sponsors would like the Board of Directors to pursue.
Sponsored by: Name(s) and program affiliations of the resolution sponsor(s).

Submission Process

Submit a resolution any time during the year by email or USPS to:

Ned Campbell, Executive Director

ned@capcsd.org

CAPCSD, P.O. Box 929, Indian Hills, CO 80454-0929

A Guide for Future Practitioners of Audiology and Speech-Language Pathology: Core Functions

In April 2023 the CAPCSD Board of Directors approved A Guide for Future Practitioners of Audiology and Speech-Language Pathology: Core Functions (The Guide). This guide replaces CAPCSD’s 2008 Essential Functions for Speech-Language Pathology and Audiology document, which has been retracted and should no longer be used. Numerous concerns had been raised about the 2008 document regarding the relevancy of some of its content, and the potential for bias against and exclusion of numerous students, including those with disabilities or from underrepresented backgrounds. These concerns were heightened by CAPCSD’s evolving understanding of and commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion within our academic programs.

A Guide for Future Practitioners of Audiology and Speech-Language Pathology: Core Functions was developed to address the above concerns. It clarifies expected actions and behaviors, or “core functions,” linked to successful participation in CSD educational programs and preparation for entry into clinical practice. It does so in a manner that aims to limit potential bias and discrimination, while expanding opportunities for shared conversations between academic programs and students. The guide is an optional tool, not required by ASHA or its credentialing or certification bodies. It may be used to share the core functions associated with the professions of audiology and speech-language pathology with prospective students, and support discussions between current students and programs about strategies to achieve student success, including accommodations to ensure equal access to learning opportunities. It is not designed to be prescriptive or used as a tool to presumptively judge individuals’ potential for success. It must not be used to discriminate against individuals in any way, as an eligibility or assessment tool, or as program dismissal criteria.

A Guide for Future Practitioners of Audiology and Speech-Language Pathology: Core Functions can allow students to better understand their responsibilities, areas of development, and needed supports or accommodations. It can be found on CAPCSD’s Academic and Clinical Resources webpage. Look for an upcoming webinar that will further discuss ways to appropriately use this resource as a supportive tool for student success.

Kevin M. McNamara,

VP of Clinical Education

Admissions Summit and DEI Academy

Call for Applications

Faculty from CAPCSD member programs are invited to apply to the CAPCSD Admissions Summit and CAPCSD DEI Academy. These two in-person events will be held in the days leading up to the 2024 CAPCSD Annual Conference at the New Orleans Marriott. In order to apply, the applicant’s program must be a CAPCSD member with their 2023-2024 membership dues paid in full by September 15, 2023.

Tuesday, April 2, 2024, Admissions Summit (Limited to 25 participants)

Wednesday, April 3, 2024, DEI Academy (Limited to 30 participants)

Selected Applicant Registration Fee: $160

Important Dates:

Monday, October 2, 2023 - Application window opened
Tuesday, October 31, 2023 - Applications are due at 11:59 p.m. ET
Wednesday, December 6, 2023 - All applicants are notified regarding selection
Wednesday, January 31, 2024 - Participants must confirm, register, and pay registration fee, or an alternate participant will be selected.

Admissions Summit Program Description:

CAPCSD's Admissions Summit will bring together faculty members who are interested in deepening their knowledge of holistic review procedures for CSD graduate admissions processes and we invite you to apply. We aim to build a community of individuals that can continue to support each other and sustain efforts to implement these processes over the following academic years. Event will be moderated by Admissions Summit Co-Chairs, Dr. Danai Kasambira Fannin and Dr. Kerry Mandulak.

CAPCSD Admissions Summit graphic with multi-colored fingerprint, April 2, 2024 date, and New Orleans, LA location

DEI Academy Program Description:

CAPCSD’s DEI Academy is an intensive one-day program providing academic programs with resources, strategies, and training needed to meet diversity, equity, inclusion (DEI), and belonging goals, consistent with having a workforce ready to serve the population. This program is designed to equip CSD professionals at our member programs with the skills to facilitate conversations and work toward change related to DEI within their programs. This year’s DEI Academy will be led by Dr. Jerrihlyn McGee, Vice Chancellor for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion at the University of Kansas Medical Center.

CAPCSD DEI Academy graphic with Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion specified, April 3, 2024 date, and New Orleans, LA location

Committee Highlight - Admissions Committee

We’d like to introduce you to the CAPCSD Admissions Committee! This group of colleagues volunteer to further the resources and support we can offer you all in your admissions efforts. Some of the projects they have been busy working on include the CSDCAS Open Data Initiative, curating resources for you related to the supreme court’s decision to end affirmative action among other topics, planning ways to support the recruitment of students into the CSD profession, and advising on the content and features of the CSDCAS application.

We’d like to welcome our four newest members – Renee Fabus, Caitlin Price, Amy Rominger, and Heidi Verticchio! They are joining Radhika Aravamudhan, Erin Burns, Steffany Chleboun (Chair of the Data Subcommittee), Danai Kasambira Fannin, Nicole Reisfeld (Chair of the Resources Subcommittee), Leigh Schaid, Karen Villanueva (Chair of the Recruitment Subcommittee), Danielle Watson, and Monitoring Officer Rachel Theodore, the CAPCSD VP of Admissions.

Last Call! Submit a paper/poster for 2024 Annual Conference

This Wednesday, October 4, 2023 at 11:59 PM ET is the deadline to submit a paper or poster for Jazz It Up: Ascending to New Heights!

We are anticipating 500+ CAPCSD members in attendance at the annual conference in New Orleans, LA on April 3-6, 2024. CAPCSD's Conference Planning Committee would like to present an array of topics, by a wide variety of presenters, to meet the diverse needs of the CAPCSD membership.

The Conference Planning Committee aims to have 50% of presentations by invited speakers and 50% from submitted papers.

Do not delay!

Submit today!

Or by Wednesday!

CAPCSD Salary Survey

An email was sent to program directors yesterday requesting participation in the Salary Survey being conducted by CAPCSD. The data being collected is for academic year 2022-2023 and the survey is open until Wednesday, November 1, 2023. We know that up-to-date salary information is vital to member programs and CAPCSD encourages all programs participate. We look forward to publishing the results after the first of the year.

CSD Education Survey Drawing Winner

Thank you to the programs that already completed the CSD Education Survey.

Congratulations to Springfield College on winning the drawing for a complimentary registration to the 2024 CAPCSD conference!

The survey closes October 31st, so it is not too late to participate if your program has not already done so.

Program Spotlight

Valdosta State University has partnered with the Scottish-Rite Foundation since 2020 in order to provide literacy-based services for those living in south Georgia. Through their efforts, over 2,500 children have been screened for early warning signs of dyslexia. In addition, evidence-based interventions have been provided for well over 200 children within the community in their year-round dyslexia clinic. Perhaps most importantly, all VSU SLP students have received hands-on experience in screening, assessing, and treating literacy disorders through this partnership. All of these services have been provided free-of-charge due to the overwhelming generosity of the Scottish-Rite Foundation. For more information, please visit https://www.gascottishrite.org/ or https://www.valdosta.edu/colleges/education/communication-sciences-and-disorders/valdosta-speech-and-hearing-clinic/ritecare.php

Spotlight Your Program!

Each month of the calendar year is designated as the national month for many groups that speech-language pathologists and audiologists serve. In addition, many single dates are recognized as days of remembrance for people we serve. CAPCSD would like to recognize programs who go above and beyond to serve these special groups. Please email Matt Carter at mdcarter@valdosta.edu and let us know a little bit about what your program does for these individuals. We would love to highlight your program on our social media pages!

The following are recognized in the month of November:

Native American Heritage
Veterans' Day
Epilepsy Awareness
Lung Cancer Awareness
International Stress Awareness
Giving Day

See all the Program Spotlights for the 2023-24 Academic calendar on our website here.

Admissions Corner

Many students have started the process of exploring their options for graduate school. With national trends showing a decline in applicants per program, communicating with your "In Progress" applicant pool is more important than ever.

CSDCAS sends general email notifications to applicants regarding the status of their application, but we encourage each program to communicate with their prospective applicants to highlight the unique features of your university and build those important connections. These communications are also useful to remind applicants of your requirements and procedures, highlight recent alumni accomplishments, direct them to the financial aid office, and inform them of their status or of your timeline for review.

We have a number of email communication tools available for you in WebAdMIT:

You can standardize email templates and brand them with images.
You can link these templates to local statuses so that they automatically send when you update a status.
You can communicate to groups of applicants at once by using the Batch feature in the List Manager, Search, and Clipboard.
You can send and individual email to an applicant from the Applicant Details page.
And you can even see if your applicants have opened them!