ASHA Stretegic Plan

Issue B

Fourth Quarter Progress Report (October - December)

Issue B: Facilitating Team Leader, Vic Gladstone

Issue B: A critical shortage and continuing attrition of doctoral-level faculty in higher education is affecting the preparation of professionals as well as the conduct of research in communication sciences and disorders.

Outcome 1: Increased number of potential doctoral level teachers/researchers in personnel preparation programs to fill short term and long-term faculty vacancies in human communication sciences and disorders.

Strategies

1. By December 31, 2006, the Academic Affairs, Scientific Programs and Research Development, and the Clinical Practices units will have developed and disseminated informational resources that support 1) current practicing professionals who want to obtain a research doctoral degree, or 2) current practicing professionals who already hold a research doctoral degree and want to transition to a career as a teacher-researcher in higher education. [Completed]
2. By December 31, 2006, the Academic Affairs, Scientific Programs and Research Development, and Membership and Information Systems units will have developed a mentoring portal in communication sciences and disorders and related disciplines to assist current PhD students in the discipline in the pursuit of teaching-research careers. [Completed]

Outcome 2: Increased number of students recruited into the professions who continue their education to become teachers/researchers.

Strategy

• By December 31, 2006, the Academic Affairs and Scientific Programs and Research Development units will have developed and funded an ASHA award program, the Students Preparing for Academic and Research Careers (SPARC) award, to promote PhD career development for CSD undergraduate/graduate students through enhanced educational mentorship experiences/curricula that prepare students for successful PhD education and academic careers, travel to enhance research exposure, research training under a mentor, and web-based cohort activities for program participants. [Completed]

Outcome 3: Increased retention of doctoral-level faculty.

Strategies

1. By December 31, 2006, the Academic Affairs and Scientific Programs and Research Development units will have developed and funded an ASHA award program, the Advancing Academic and Research Careers (AARC) award, for new faculty who are in the beginning stages of their academic/research careers for the purpose of promoting retention in higher education by providing financial incentives to mentor research in their own students, conduct research, and/or improve teaching knowledge and skills. [Completed]
2. By December 31, 2006, the ASHF and ASHA's Chief Staff Officer for Science and Research will have developed and funded a jointly sponsored ASHA and ASHF Interdisciplinary Research Young Investigator Award program that facilitates interdisciplinary research among new investigators. [Completed]
3. By December 31, 2006, the Chief Staff Officer for Science and Research in conjunction with the ASHF will conduct a study-section meeting for consideration of the 2006 New Century Scholars' and Young Investigators' applications to the ASHF that would bring together a panel of senior (investigators with funded research and study-section experience) and junior investigators (those who are faculty members in a CSD program with 2-3 years experience that have not received substantial funding) for the purpose of fostering knowledge of the grant review process in order to generalize this knowledge to future grant applications. This program is modeled after the successful program operated by the AAOHNS, which showed a dramatic increase in funding for their field for young investigators that participated in such an opportunity. [Completed]
4. By December 31, 2006, the Academic Affairs, Scientific Programs and Research Development, and Membership and Information Systems units will have developed a mentoring portal in communication science and disorders and related disciplines to assist new faculty-researchers in the discipline in the pursuit of their teaching-research careers. [Completed]

Outcome 4: Increased federal funding for doctoral program fellowships.

Strategies

1. By December 31, 2006, the Governmental Relations and Public Policy unit will have sought through federal legislation to have Communications Sciences and Disorders (CSD) graduates recognized as shortage specialties that have access to increased federal professional development and training funds, federal student financial aid, federal research funds and loan forgiveness policies that impact recruitment and retention of qualified school-based personnel, doctoral faculty and researchers. [Carry Over to 2007]
2. By December 31, 2006, the Governmental Relations and Public Policy unit will have pursued FY 2007 federal appropriations through the Fund for the Improvement of Postsecondary Education (FIPSE) Comprehensive Program or line-item appropriations for academic programs in Communication Sciences and Disorders (CSD) to help mitigate the doctoral shortage in the professions of speech-language pathology and audiology. [Carry Over to 2007]

There are 9 strategies in the work plan for Issue B. Following is the status for the 1^st, 2^nd, 3^rd, and 4^th quarters.