Program Strategic Plan

Mission Statement

The mission of the graduate program in speech-language pathology at Hofstra University is to educate and train future clinicians to provide diagnostic and therapeutic services using evidenced-based methodologies. Through our numerous and diverse clinical affiliations across the New York area, we are able to deliver unique, community-based experiences for our students and quality clinical services for local and broader communities. We prepare our students to become professional, competent and compassionate clinicians who utilize state-of-the-art technologies and procedures, and provide quality services to children and adults with communication disorders while maintaining sensitivity to cultural, linguistic, and individual diversity.

Vision Statement

The graduate program in Speech-Language Pathology at Hofstra University aims to address the academic and clinical needs of master’s students by providing rich, diverse learning opportunities that integrate theories of typical and atypical communication, evidence-based practice, developing technology, expanding service delivery platforms, and national and global outreach. The program is dedicated to fostering professional excellence that will benefit the quality of life of persons with communication disorders from varying cultural and linguistic backgrounds. We envision the future of our program developing with advanced technology, extended academic training, increased collaboration with other disciplines, wider variety of specialty clinics, and expanding opportunities to service new trends in population communication needs.

Strategic Plan

Distance Learning

Rationale: The world is becoming more reliant on technology and flexibility in the work place. For these reasons, we aim to ensure that our students learn state-of-the-art technologies and ways to assess and treat with the newest technology, and maintain flexibility during clinical externships. Distance learning courses during the second year of our program will achieve all three of these goals.

1. By the end of the 2023-2024 academic year, the program will have 6 courses approved and developed for distance learning for second-year courses.
2. By the end of the 2024-2025 academic year, the program will have 6 courses administered for distance learning for second-year courses.

Scholarship Funds

Rationale: The cost of graduate education is increasing every year. Students are burdened with paying back loans for many years after graduation and/or working during their education. In order to ease these burdens, we aim to assist our students by increasing scholarship funding.

1. By the end of the 2023-2024 academic year, the program will increase our scholarships funds by 10%.
2. By the end of the 2023-2024 academic year, 30% of our admitted students will receive a scholarship.

International Students

Rationale: As noted in our Mission Statement, the program trains students to “… provide quality services to children and adults with communication disorders while maintaining sensitivity to cultural, linguistic, and individual diversity.” Part of educating students to be sensitive to individual diversity is creating a learning environment with people from diverse backgrounds, including people from outside of the United States.

1. By the end of the 2023-2024 academic year, we will increase our matriculated international graduate students by a factor of three.

Diversity

Rationale: Our Vision Statement reads, “The program is dedicated to fostering professional excellence that will benefit the quality of life of persons with communication disorders from varying cultural and linguistic backgrounds.” As with our desire to increase the number of international students in our program, having students from a number of backgrounds will assist in educating our students about linguistic and cultural diversity, which will translate to a better understanding of the varying issues in the lives of persons with communication disorders.

1. By the end of the 2023-2024 academic year, the percentage of our matriculated applicants who self-identify as being from a minority group will increase.

Elective Courses

Rationale: The American Speech-Language-Hearing Association requires specific coursework to meet standards for licensure. Beyond those requirements, we want our students to expand their education by engaging in areas of study that interest them and are important for our profession.

1. By the end of the 2023-2024 academic year, the program will increase the enrollment in 1-credit electives that are offered.

Specialty Clinics

Rationale: The Speech-Language-Hearing Clinic has already established specialty clinics in the areas of neurogenic speech/language disorders, early intervention, Parkinson’s, language/literacy in the schools, and speech sound disorders. Services have benefitted the community as well as provided enhanced opportunities for student clinician training. Expanding the number of specialty clinics will further benefit all stakeholders.

1. By the end of the 2023/2024 academic year, the program will add two new specialty clinics.

Clinic Space

Rationale: The expansion of dedicated clinical space relates to our previous goal to increase the number of specialty clinics. Dedicated clinical rooms and resources will allow for optimal assessment and treatment experiences for our students and the community.

1. By the end of the 2023-2024 academic year, clinical space will be expanded and the program will have an increase in the number of large dedicated rooms for group work, and individual observable rooms.

Presentation of Student Research at Regional and National Conferences

Rationale: Student learning is greatly enhanced by participation in experiential learning, which includes independent study, participation in research projects with peers, and collaboration with faculty members. Through participation in research, students learn the value of advancing the knowledge of their discipline as well as broaden their perspective through attendance at professional conferences and presentation of research. In recent years, numerous students have presented research at regional and national conferences, including one project winning Best Poster at the New York State Speech-Language-Hearing Association annual convention.

1. From the 2020-2021 academic year to the end of the 2023/2024 academic year, the program will increase the number of posters presented by students at regional and national conferences by one every year.

SLPD Program

Rationale: The interest in advanced clinical practice degrees has increased in recent years (ASHA, 2020). ASHA has provided guidance for programs looking to provide training beyond the master’s degree. It is possible that the entry-level degree for speech-language clinicians will be a clinical doctorate in the not-too-distant future. Therefore, our program is preparing for such a change by beginning the process of outlining curriculum for a clinical doctorate in speech-language pathology.

1. By the end of the 2023-2024 academic year, a curriculum will be outlined for a clinical doctorate in speech-language pathology.

Plan for regular evaluation of the strategic plan

Once per year, the strategic plan goals will be reviewed as part of our yearly review process. The plan will be reviewed and appropriately altered during the spring semester based on the outcome data collected in the prior year. The mechanism for evaluation will be dependent on the specific goals outlined above and the data gathered to measure the goals.

An executive summary of the strategic plan will be posted on our department’s website after each academic year. Every three years, a Strategic Plan Committee will be formed and will follow ASHA’s Steps for Developing a Strategic Plan. During the development process, current goals may be altered or eliminated and new ones may be added.