Vision, Mission, and Strategic Plan of the Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders

Vision

Our vision is to provide an exemplary educational experience that prepares the next generation of clinicians, researchers, scholars, and leaders in the field of communication sciences and disorders.

Mission

Our mission is to:

• Educate speech-language pathologists who are independent thinkers and problem-solvers and who are able to perform at the highest levels within the discipline, such that they can assist individuals with communication and swallowing disabilities reach their personal potential and maintain a quality of life over the lifespan.
• Educate students who are culturally competent, globally sensitive, and able to provide evidence-based clinical care for individuals they serve with communication and swallowing disorders.
• Conduct transformative research on the biological and developmental bases of communication as well as conduct research to advance treatments for individuals with communication and swallowing disorders.
• Engage in outreach activities that directly benefit and support the university community, students, as well as individuals and their families.
• Commit to maintaining a positive collaborate environment both within and beyond the discipline as a means to provide new and innovative solutions for people with communication and swallowing disorders.

Values

Our values are as follows:

• We commit to being good stewards of our resources by sharing our knowledge and expertise with students, our clients and their families, other professionals, the general public, and with collaborating colleagues in clinical practice and academia.
• We commit to providing an educational program that places an emphasis on the integrated connections of research, teaching, and clinical service.
• We accept the challenge and responsibility to advance scientific knowledge of communication sciences and disorders through basic and clinical research.
• We pledge to provide the highest quality of ethical clinical care to the community of individuals with communicative disorders.
• We commit to a work environment that protects academic freedom and encourages honesty, openness, and integrity.
• We commit to meeting all state and federal guidelines to ensure student and patient privacy.
• We commit to working together as a team to support, respect, and encourage one another.