Strategic Plan
Speech-Language-Hearing Sciences Department
Strategic Plan 2024-2028
Focus Area 1: Academic and Clinical Success
Outcome Statements |
Indicators of Success |
| The SLHS department will employ innovative, inclusive, and collaborative pedagogical approaches in graduate and undergraduate academic and clinical education to ensure acquisition and retention of foundational knowledge needed for critical thinking. |
Students will demonstrate acquisition of knowledge and application of skills across relevant academic and clinical settings. Faculty will conduct graduate curriculum review for scope and sequence of academic and clinical experiences appropriate to the ASHA Standards expected by graduation. Faculty will conduct undergraduate curriculum review for scope and sequence of academic courses. |
| The SLHS department will investigate alternative models of undergraduate/graduate education. |
The department will complete an undergraduate program review that includes consideration of 4+1 model, direct admission to graduate school, online/hybrid programs, undergraduate students in clinical courses, etc. |
| The SLHS department will foster collaborative relationships with community partners that align clinical and academic education with needs of the community. | There will be an increase in quality and quantity of collaborative relationships with community partners, inclusive of undergraduate and graduate students. |
| The SLHS department will increase research productivity across faculty and students. | There will be an increase in publications and presentations to local and national conferences that involve students and faculty in clinical and academic research. |
Focus Area 2: Recruitment and Retention
Outcome Statements |
Indicators of Success |
| The SLHS department will identify and develop strategies to improve the ways in which information about the field and the program are produced, accessed, digested, and maintained to recruit qualified prospective students, staff, and faculty to Loyola University Maryland. |
Create multiple modalities and accountability measures for sharing up-to-date information available in a range of social media platforms, the website, and in-person methods such as presentations, class lectures, professional development, program events, and availability for funding and stipends. Introduce and expand knowledge to undergraduate students and the community about the field of speech-language pathology and the program. Identify and create a standardized process that highlights the clinical and academic expertise, equipment, resources, partnerships, and research. |
| The SLHS department will increase and improve efforts to recruit and enroll qualified students from the Baltimore community, regionally, nationally, and specifically from the Loyola University Maryland undergraduate program. |
Create partnerships with local high schools and ongoing engagement with their students, focused on education of the profession and the SLHS undergraduate program. Create opportunities for service learning within the SLHS program for high school students and undergraduate students. Increase opportunities and advertisement of individualized tours for prospective students. |
Focus Area 3: Faculty Satisfaction
Outcome Statements |
Indicators of Success |
| The SLHS department will implement an equitable workload model across clinical courses. | Equity across clinical rotations/courses as measured by tracked units and clinical experiences. |
| The SLHS department will establish guidelines in the TCF annual update criteria that highlight and incorporate student training/education, consultation, remediation, management and maintaining client caseload. |
Implement a new workload model that prioritizes diverse clinical experiences and student training. Workload model includes guidelines for clinical rotation for minimum requirements to be achieved. Modify TCF annual update criteria to include student training/education, consultation and remediation, management and maintaining client caseload and satisfaction and program development within the TCF criteria. |
| The SLHS department will improve the climate of the department through an innovative approach to promote communication, collaboration, and cohesion. |
Faculty liaison advisory committee (FLAC). Anonymous climate survey administered twice annually. |
| The SLHS program will create and implement a mentorship program that supports faculty with orientation to the position and environment, pathway to promotion and leadership opportunities. |
Direct point person and someone in leadership within the SLHS department. Written framework provided to the mentor. Mentorship team includes leadership/admininstration responsible for hiring new faculty and a clinical and/or academic faculty member in the specialized area of teaching. |
