The graduate program in speech-language pathology is undergoing re-accreditation by the Council on Academic Accreditation in Audiology and Speech Pathology (CAA) of the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA). As part of the site visit – which occurs every eight years for programs seeking continued re-accreditation – the Department of Communication Disorders is holding a public meeting to receive feedback.

The public meeting will take place Nov. 3 from 4:30 to 5:30 p.m. at the Harrington Academic Building, room 189. Dr. Brenda Cross, clinical assistant professor and department chair, would like clients of the West Texas A&M University Speech and Hearing Clinic to attend.

“We hope that previous and current patients will attend, as well as anyone that has family members seen in our clinic,” Cross said.

Students who graduate with a master’s degree in speech-language pathology will seek employment as a licensed speech-language pathologist.

“They are employed in private clinics, ECI, school districts, VA [veteran affairs] hospitals, hospitals and outpatient rehab clinics,” Cross said. “BSA, Northwest Hospital, Turn Center and Amarillo Speech and Hearing are only a few of the local employers of the program’s graduates.”

Graduate students in the department gain real-world experience by working with clients in the clinic. These students are supervised by licensed and certified speech-language pathologists and audiologists from the WTAMU faculty, according to the clinic’s website.

“The program is highly competitive and highly successful when published outcomes are reviewed and compared to the other 240 accredited programs in the country,” Cross said. “ASHA/CAA require 400+ clinical training hours to be complete prior to graduation with many skills and knowledge components that must be mastered. 1 out of 9 applicants who apply for admissions will start a graduate program in the US.”

Patients and others who want to provide feedback but cannot attend the public meeting can submit their comments to ASHA before Nov. 1. The guidelines for written comments are on the ASHA website.

This article is sponsored by the Department of Communication Disorders. To advertise with The Prairie News, please view our advertising page or email us at [email protected].