Goals and Objectives

Mission and Strategic Plan

We will positively impact the lives of individuals with communication disorders through excellence in student preparation, scholarly activities, interdisciplinary practices, and inclusive community engagement.

• To engage in scholarly activities that advance science, healthcare, and education
•  To prepare students to become excellent speech language pathologists, audiologists, educators, and researchers who will provide the highest quality services by integrating research, education, and community

Goals and Objectives

Goal 1:  To have stable and transparent fiscal policies and practices.

• Objective A:  Maintain balanced and justified operational budgets consistent with our strategic priorities.
• Objective B:  Strategic plan-informed budget expenditures and accurate annual forecasting using current expense and revenue data that is provided by the College.
• Objective C:  Faculty know our strategic priorities and have a basic understanding of funding priorities and how our priorities influence spending practices.
• Objective D:  New/revised program changes successfully envisioned.
• Objective E:  Adequate resources available for program improvements.

Example Measures of Success:

• Department budget operates in the black.
• Faculty can explain basic budget – know budget priorities set by strategic plan.
• Effective electronic billing mechanisms in place for the clinic.
• Operational infrastructure uses contemporary scheduling, billing, collection, documentation (e.g. report and progress note), and activity tracking mechanisms.
• Successful maintenance of community relationships (e.g. Arlitt; CAA) and new partnerships pursued.
• Consistent and effective application of departmental  acros policy per the directions described in the department document. The department head has ultimate authority to determine workload from year to year based on the needs of the department. Workload for the following year are discussed with each faculty member during their annual review. The departmental workload grids are posted on the department Blackboard site for faculty review.
• Annually or biannually the faculty will be asked to review program needs including necessary curriculum adjustments, program growth, modification, or reduction. This process will be informed by program metrics (e.g. recruitment efforts, number and quality of program applicants, retention rates, graduation rates, and program evaluations. The graduate programs in speech-language pathology and audiology are accredited programs and any changes must follow the guidelines of the Council on Academic Affairs (CAA), American Speech Language and Hearing Association (ASHA). Program changes or discussion thereof will be documented in appropriate meeting minutes and CSD’s annual report to the Dean and CAA.
• In coordination with the department head and program directors, faculty will identify program areas needing funding and staffing priority (e.g. pursuit of SLPD). This will take place annually or biannually at faculty retreats and or designated faculty meetings.
• Staffing and monetary resource needs or variances (e.g. cost and budget forecasting) associated with programmatic changes must be determined in order to inform programmatic decision making and execution.
• Develop new, partnerships (2 or more faculty working together on a program or course) that support and facilitate program improvement.  
• Faculty seek and lead innovative (new to college, new application) content or operational changes that provide new opportunities to support student learning, faculty research, and employee satisfaction.

Goal 2: To promote a departmental culture that supports faculty, staff, and students.

• Objective A:  Individual freedom to do best work.
• Objective B:  Individuals make individual contributions to department as determined by personal goals.
• Objective C:  Individuals contribute to departmental needs when it is applicable to personal goals and are recognized for their contributions when appropriate.
• Objective D:  Individuals invest in student success as determined by personal goals.
• Objective E:  Individuals work at prioritizing departmental needs for departmental success.
• Objective F:  Individuals work together to make collective contributions to department goals.
• Objective G:  Individuals contribute equitably to the department and teamwork is recognized and incentivized. 
• Objective H:  Individuals work together as a department to determine what’s best for student success.

Example Measures of Success

• Individuals develop annual goals using the Faculty Update that can be measured and met as to how they can individually contribute to their success, departmental and student success.
• Develop a monthly online departmental newsletter that recognizes individual contributions and successes.
• Assurance of equitable workload across individuals via implementation and transparency of workload policy as determined by department head or committee.
• Department chair develops annual goals that can be measured on how CSD faculty/staff can work together for supporting individual, departmental and student success.  Chair disseminates this to department.  Teams are developed to implement goals and measure outcomes of goals. 
• Develop internal climate survey to be measured annually.  A committee will develop, disseminate and measures outcomes.  The climate survey will reflect the departmental goals/strategic plan. Engagement with this process and building an infrastructure in the department that support measurement and recognition of contributions is critical to creating a better climate.
• Develop a newsletter that reports collaboration and departmental and student success
• Develop service profiles of each faculty member and determine the number of people who serve the department and work to increase the number of faculty serving the department.
• Have faculty nominate colleagues for their contribution to the department to include in newsletter. 

Goal 3:  To strengthen the regional, national, and international research reputation of faculty.

• Objective A:  Individuals pursue necessary knowledge to support their scholarly endeavors.
• Objective B:  Individuals acquire strategies to support their scholarly agenda.
• Objective C:  Individuals execute strategies to implement their scholarly agenda.
• Objective D:  The department supports individual’s scholarly funding applications.
• Objective E:  The department supports dissemination of scholarly work.
• Objective F:  The department supports quality mentoring and collaborative relationships for scholarly career development.

Example Measures of Success

• Individuals document learning opportunities related to scholarly development in which they have participated EACH year on the annual review.
• Individuals document and develop an informed 5-year research plan/agenda and report upon activity towards goals EACH year on the annual review.
• Individuals report their internal and external collaborative relationships that enhance their scholarly agenda EACH year on the annual review.
• Individuals submit at least ONE external or internal funding EACH year. 
• Individuals submit at least TWO manuscripts for publication EACH year.
• The department provide appropriate release time based on funding status and work load for faculty scholarly development on YEARLY basis.
• The department support and nominate faculty for awards and recognition related to their scholarly work on YEARLY basis.
• The department encourages collaborative and mentoring relationships when NECESSARY.
  

Goal 4:  To continue to increase the quality of our teaching and programs in all forms and innovate where needed.

• Objective A:  Students have excellent preparation in the American Speech Language and Hearing Association knowledge and skills required in foundational coursework for clinical competence.
• Objective B:  Faculty utilize their expertise in foundational content to prepare students for professional practice.
• Objective C:  Excellence in teaching in a face-to-face classroom. 
• Objective D:  Proficiency in technology implementation to enhance foundational teaching.
• Objective E:  Lecture/assessment that reflects multiple learning styles.
• Objective F:  Excellence in teaching via distance learning.

Example Measures of Success:

• Identify current practices that are effective in education by surveying current faculty, students and clinical educators.
• Monitor the use of best teaching practices by faculty by regular audits of course syllabi and delivery methods (utilizing the CAHS QA task force guidelines).
• Through a survey, every three years, explore stakeholder’s current outlook on the polarities of tradition and innovation to align our goal/values with our stakeholders’ goals and values.  Adjust goals/values/actions steps related to polarities based upon the survey results.
• Work with CETIS to examine course design models and in-person instruction.
• Explore ways in which we may utilize new technologies in education delivery.
• Faculty/staff/study body will grow to support new and innovative methods of instruction.
• CETIS reviewed distance learning content for Quality Matters compliance.

Goal 5:  To increase quality and variety of clinical offerings that bridge coursework to clinical practice and grow students’ knowledge and skills. 

• Objective A:  Students will have research experiences that are related to clinical/classroom knowledge.   
• Objective B: Students will have clinical experiences that are founded in evidence-based practice. 
• Objective C: Students will have access to quality internal and external opportunities for student placement.    
  
• Objective D:  Students will have exposure to clinical practices that go beyond the bounds of what is covered in classroom knowledge and will experience a connection between clinical practice and research
• Objective E:  Students will have clinical experiences that are novel and innovative and may not yet be founded in evidence based practice. 
  
• Objective F:  Students will have access to a variety of internal and external opportunities that introduce them to innovative clinical techniques and equipment, including telehealth service delivery. 
  

Example Measures of Success:

• During the first year, designated Clinical Faculty members will develop a procedure to ensure that students are able to describe an EBP that they have learned in class and could be applied to their clinical setting as a consistent part of their conferencing with supervisors. 
• During the second year, designated Clinical Faculty members will develop a procedure to ensure that supervisors are addressing EBP consistency across clinical settings. 
• During the third year, designated Clinical Faculty members will develop and distribute an annual survey for supervisors, to assure consistency of expectations across practicum settings.
• During the first year, designated Clinical Faculty will identify existing alternative clinical education (ACE) opportunities.
• During the second year, designated Clinical Faculty will identify at least 3 existing clinical affiliations with diverse clinical settings.
• During the third year, a designated Clinical Faculty member will be required to collaborate with at least one outside entity with an innovative technique.
• Explore ways to utilize new technologies in clinical education (simulcast, case-based learning, etc).