Committees

Departmental Committees

Curriculum and Academic Planning Committee

Committee comprised of: Department Head*, Director of Graduate Studies, 1 Term Faculty and Administrative Support Supervisor.

The goal of the Curriculum and Academic Planning Committee is to ensure academic curriculum is 1) in compliance with ASHA (CFCC) Standards; 2) utilizing high impact practices and 3) optimizing efficiency through course transfer process, pre-requisites and scheduling. The committee reviews current curriculum, CFCC standards, pre-requisites and course scheduling and recommends updates or changes for departmental discussion in accordance with university policies and accreditation standards. Final curricular decisions follow established departmental and college governance processes. The committee works closely with the CSD Program Assessment Committee and the CEHSP Advising Office.

This committee addresses targets identified in the Strategic Plan for Accreditation for Curriculum: “The CSD Department will deliver an integrated and evidence-based curriculum that is consistent with current practice standards and allows students sufficient opportunities to meet outcomes”.

Visibility, Recruitment and Retention Committee

Committee comprised of: Department Head, Clinic Director, 1 Tenure-Track/Tenured Faculty 2 Term Faculty, Principal Office and Administrative Specialist and 2 Student Representatives

The goal of the Visibility, Recruitment and Retention Committee is to optimize the visibility of the Department within the community as well as for the purposes of recruiting and retaining students. The committee will maintain and update social media platforms, work with UMD’s Marketing and Public Relations and CEHSP Communication Specialist to increase visibility of the program and clinic, create strategies for optimizing student-facing information, explore funding mechanisms to host annual open house event. The committee will provide recommendations for departmental discussion.

This committee addresses targets identified in the CEHSP Strategic Plan: The CSD Department will increases internal and external visibility through establishing and maintaining social media presence and engaging in/initiation four community -based events that promote the CSD UG and Graduate program and reflect UMD’s mission.

Community Partnerships and Service-Learning Committee

Committee comprised of: Director of Externships*, 2 Term faculty, 1 Tenure-Track/Tenured Faculty

The goal of the Community Partnerships and Service-Learning Committee is to create and maintain reciprocal and responsive community partnerships for clinical experience, interprofessional educational opportunities and service learning. The committee will actively engage with faculty to learn about current and potential future partnerships, assist in building new partnerships and track partnerships that will inform various reports to the University, College and CAA. The committee provides recommendations for departmental discussion. The committee can also work closely with Visibility Committee, Recruitment and Retention Committee to determine how to best “showcase” particular partnerships for marketing and recruitment efforts. The committee also works closely with faculty in the department who are interested in adding service-learning opportunities to a course.

This committee addresses targets identified in the CEHSP Strategic Plan: “The CSD Department will create and maintain reciprocal and responsive community partnerships” and the Strategic Plan for Accreditation: “The CSD Department will increase service-based learning opportunities to enhance community engagement”.

Program Assessment Committee

Committee comprised of: Clinic Director and Director of Graduate Studies

The purpose of the Program Assessment Committee is to determine students’ mastery of knowledge and skills addressed in the curriculum through formative and summative assessment and to use information for improvements in the program and support student learning. The committee will collect, analyze and interpret assessment data and draft the yearly program assessment report to present to the department for discussion. This committee works closely with the Curriculum and Academic Planning Committee.

This committee addresses the program assessment requirements of the University of Minnesota.

Clinical Education Committee

Committee comprised of: Clinic Director*, Director of Externships, 2 Term Faculty, 1 Tenure-Track/Tenured Faculty

The purpose of the Clinical Education Committee is to ensure the clinical education provided in the UMD CSD Department reflects best practice to optimize student learning. This committee will review the literature and ASHA clinical education portal and discuss strategies and tools and how they apply to daily practice. Work closely with Curriculum and Academic Planning Committee, this committee will compare and contrast additional measures of clinical supervision assessment including peer review and self-reflection.

This committee addresses targets identified in the Strategic Plan for Accreditation: “The CSD Department will develop clinical education resources to provide a breadth and depth of education for students”.

Instructional Planning and Design Committee

Comprised of: 2 Tenure-Track/Tenured Faculty and 1 Term Faculty

The purpose of the Instructional Planning and Design Committee is to provide faculty resources and tools for utilizing evidence-based teaching and incorporating high impact practices into courses as needed. The committee will seek out and review current teaching practices in higher education and adult learning literature, glean information from university resources for teaching and instructional design and, working closely with Clinical Education Committee, critically analyze methods of teaching assessment such as peer review and self-reflection to supplement SRTs.

Research and Scholarly Activity Committee

Comprised of: All Tenure-Track/Tenured Faculty and all Term Faculty who serve as Primary Plan B Advisors

The purpose of the Research and Scholarly Activity Committee is to sustain undergraduate and graduate student research. This committee will review and discuss standards and timelines for Plan B research and UROP projects, ensure members of the department have updated information on research practices designated by the University.

This committee addresses targets identified in the Strategic Plan for Accreditation: “The CSD Department will sustain undergraduate and graduate student research through Plan B and UROP opportunities”.

Graduate Admissions Committee

Committee comprised of: Director of Graduate Studies*, All Tenure-Track/Tenured Faculty and Clinic Director, Administrative Support Supervisor

The goal of the Graduate Admissions Committee is to review and optimize the processes for the graduate application process, review applications and make decisions regarding admission into the graduate program.

Duties for CSD Departmental Administrative Team

Department Head, Director of Graduate Studies, Clinic Director, Director of Externships and Administrative Support Supervisor

Accreditation Annual Report

Standing Charge: Gather, organize and interpret data for the annual accreditation report for ongoing compliance with CAA standards.

Commitment: Expected to meet 4x/year

Education Survey

Standing Charge: Gather, organize and interpret data for the annual education survey for ongoing compliance with CAA Standards.

Commitment: Expected to meet 2x/year (fall semester only)

Advisory Boards

Community Advisory Board

Committee comprised of: Clinic Director*, Director of Externships, members of the community and CSD student representatives.

The Communication Sciences and Disorders graduate program maintains an external Advisory Board to provide consultative input related to curriculum relevance, clinical education trends, workforce needs, and community engagement. The Advisory Board is composed of community partners, clinical professionals, and other stakeholders with relevant expertise in speech-language pathology and related fields. The Advisory Board serves in an advisory capacity only and does not function as a governing or decision-making body. Members provide feedback, recommendations, and perspective to support continuous program evaluation and improvement. Program faculty and administrators retain responsibility for curricular decisions, clinical policies, student assessment, and program operations in accordance with university governance structures and accreditation standards.

Advisory Board input is considered part of the program’s ongoing self-study, assessment, and quality-improvement processes and may inform future planning, policy refinement, or program development as appropriate.

Student Organization

Communication Sciences and Disorders Club

Committee comprised of: Undergraduate student officers, undergraduate students with a major in CSD, Faculty Advisor

The CSD Club is a student-run organization centered on supporting undergraduate students in the CSD major and community service. The club is an affiliate of the National Student Speech Language Hearing Association (NSSLHA). CSD Club members organize fundraising events, participate in and host volunteer opportunities, generate resources for students and community members, and organize an annual banquet for the department. The faculty advisor is responsible for providing guidance and recommendations to club officers and all club members, in addition to ensuring smooth transitions between academic years.

2025-2026 CEHSP Committees

Academic Affairs Council

Lynette Carlson -June 30, 2026

Department Head Group

Mark Mizuko

Executive Committee

Ashley Weber - June 30, 2026

Graduate Programs Council

Dana Collins - June 30, 2026

Social Justice Action Committee

Hanna Wright - June 30, 2027

Technology Council

Jolene Hyppa Martin; Student Reps: Alexis Dupis (UG)

UEA Representative

Jolene Hyppa Martin - June 30, 2026

UROP Selection Committee