Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Working Groups

We stand united as we work to promote diversity, equity, and inclusion within our department, the university, the community, and the professions of audiology and speech-language pathology.

Department Working Groups

Recruitment and Retention of a Diverse Student Body

• Faculty and Staff Members: Diane Williams (organizer), Nicole Etter (ex officio), Jessica Caron, Jenna Eldreth, Carol Miller, Annie Olmstead, Krista Wilkinson, Courtney Wozetek

Inclusion of Multicultural Content in the Graduate Curriculum

• Faculty and Staff Members: Nicole Etter (organizer), Julia Karnezos, Janice Light, Carol Miller, Michael Robb

Inclusion of Multicultural Content in the Undergraduate Curriculum

• Faculty and Staff Members: Maegan Mapes (organizer), Shasta Dreese, Jenna Eldreth, Aarthi Madhavan, Navin Viswanathan, Kelly Webb, Courtney Wozetek

Disparities in Service Delivery

• Faculty and Staff Members: Anne Marie Kubat (organizer), Amanda Byrd, Connie Kossan, Elise Lindquist, Eileen Kowalski, Maegan Mapes, Leslie Purcell, Chaleece Sandberg

SMART in CSD—Students Mobilizing the Anti-Racism Transformation in Communication Sciences and Disorders

Our Ph.D. students have also formed a student group to support diversity, equity, and inclusion in CSD through establishing a repository of research by and/or for culturally and linguistically diverse individuals to help support the inclusion of these resources into CSD teaching and research.

Accomplishments

• With funding from the Equal Opportunity Planning Committee we implemented BRIDGE (Bringing Resources to Increase Diversity in Graduate Education), to support CSD undergraduates from diverse backgrounds to become successful applicants for graduate programs in audiology and speech-language pathology.

• We established the Schreiber Scholar program in partnership with the Schreiber Center for Pediatric Development in Lancaster, PA and bolstered by Penn State’s Educational Equity Matching Program providing financial support annually to a CSD master’s student from an under-represented background.

• We partnered with the Penn State Upward Bound program that works with high school students from diverse backgrounds who are interested in STEM fields to promote knowledge and interest in the professions of audiology and speech-language pathology.

• We presented to Penn State Undergraduate Admissions to promote knowledge of the Communication Sciences and Disorders major and the need to recruit diverse students.

• We have surveyed our undergraduate CSD majors to listen and learn how we can create a welcoming environment for all of our students.

• We have surveyed our graduate CSD students to gather their ideas of how to increase knowledge and experiences on cultural diversity in our clinical and academic programs.

• We have surveyed CSD faculty to learn about current inclusion of multicultural content in graduate and undergraduate courses.

• We are collaborating with community partners to lay the foundations for new clinical programming and services and disseminating knowledge and resources via educational programs targeting underserved populations.

• We have moved to a holistic graduate admissions process that no longer requires standardized test scores and places more emphasis on student experiences, abilities, and potential. 

• Our undergraduate students have an active chapter of the National Black Association of Speech-Language and Hearing (NBASLH) that fosters an environment of inclusivity within the field of communication sciences and disorders.

• We are developing a course in cultural responsiveness to add to the master's degree curriculum.

• Worked with University leadership to have American Sign Language recognized to fulfill undergraduate world language requirements.

• CSD faculty regularly give presentations to the University and local community with an aim to promote awareness of Deaf culture, breakdown barriers, and reduce discrimination in workplaces and other public settings.