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Strategic Plan

Speech-Language-Hearing Sciences Department
Strategic Plan for the Graduate Program in Speech-Language Pathology 2023-2027

The Speech-Language-Hearing Sciences (SLHS) Department is committed to the education of students, both undergraduate and graduate, that is centered around the belief that all people—across all ages, cultures, socioeconomic backgrounds, and abilities—should be afforded the opportunity to be effective communicators. Our ambition is to prepare qualified, compassionate individuals and to inspire them to become leaders who seek to improve the lives of individuals with communication disorders by recognizing the unique qualities of each client and demonstrating respect for the communities in which they live. It was from here that the Graduate Program in Speech-Language Pathology (SLP) approached their recent Strategic Plan (2018-2022) and is the fundamental spirit as we embark on the systematic and thoughtful development of a new one to guide us from 2023 into 2027. 

As a department within the Loyola College of Arts and Sciences division of Loyola University Maryland, it is critical that our strategic plan align with the University’s, which also is currently in the strategic planning process. Consistent with the University, the Department of SLHS is committed to honoring the Jesuit tenet of ‘strong truths well lived,’ to look to the future with hope, to learn where and how we can do better, and to build on our resilience and strengths. Finally, our strategic planning is congruent with the University’s Jesuit, Catholic values, and is dedicated to following Loyola University MD’s lead to Collaborate and Aspire to Reflect and Engage (C.A.R.E.).

We continue to be held by our original Mission and Vision, which are as follows: 

Mission: The graduate program in the Department of Speech-Language-Hearing Sciences provides an ASHA-accredited path of study within the Jesuit tradition defined by challenging coursework and faculty mentors who assist students in acquiring the tools necessary to be discerning and knowledgeable speech-language pathologists who will lead and serve in a diverse and changing world. Through academic coursework, mentorship by dedicated faculty members, and clinical experiences across a variety of settings, students will master the professional skills they need to become effective and compassionate advocates for persons with communication disorders.

Vision: The Department of Speech-Language-Hearing Sciences will be a recognized leader in graduate education, offering an accredited Master of Science program which is responsive to the needs of the professional and academic communities it serves. The department will prepare qualified, compassionate individuals for careers inspiring them to become leaders who seek to improve the lives of individuals with communication disorders by recognizing the unique qualities of each client and demonstrating respect for the communities in which they live.

Process for New Strategic Plan

As noted by ASHA (2023), ‘strategic planning is a disciplined effort to produce fundamental decisions and actions that shape and guide what the program does, and why it does it, with a focus on the future.’  Our current planning process requires us to ask 3 questions: Where are we now? Where do we want to be/go? How do/can we get there? 

The following steps are being taken to create our new Strategic Plan, spanning from December 2022 to December 2023:

 Conduct a SWOT analysis to determine the strengths and weaknesses of the program
 Develop a Vision statement
 Develop a Mission statement
 Identify Focus Areas of concern
 Write an Issue Statement for each Focus Area
 Write an Outcome Statement related to the identified Issue
 Write an Indicator of Success statement that reflects a change in performance from the Baseline Data
 Develop Strategies that will be implemented to accomplish the desired Outcome. The Strategy should be an activity that will reduce the gap between the Baseline Data and the Indicator of Success
 Pull all of the components together to prepare the final Strategic Plan

Ongoing Initiatives: Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Justice 2020-2023

Consistent with the University, the Department of SLHS committed to taking specific steps to grow in better living out our commitment to diversity, equity, inclusion, and justice. Please see the SLHS Department’s Anti-Racism and Justice Statement. The DEIJ plan continues through 2023 even as we work to launch a new plan in early spring 2024. As we develop our new strategic goals and initiatives, we will ensure that we continue the work started in the DEIJ strategic plan and build upon it to make it a more integral part of our life at Loyola. 

Specifically, we remain committed to our original goals to (a) Recruit students from underrepresented groups (i.e., males, students who list their race/ethnicity as non-white, bi-multilingual, and non-traditional students); and (b) Increase number of opportunities for academic and clinical faculty to engage in training and, subsequently, teaching students related to diverse populations including: age, ethnicity, linguistic background, national origin, race, religion, gender, SES, and sexual orientation. In addition, we are committed in action to the direct, systematic DEIJ education for our graduate students specific to SLP, including culturally responsive and sustaining practices in assessment and intervention.