Speech-Language Pathology

Program Design 

The Department of Communicative Sciences and Deaf Studies (CSDS) is part of the College of Health and Human Services at California State University, Fresno. The program offers five options at the undergraduate level and two at the graduate level. The speech-language pathology option includes academic coursework and clinical practicum. The graduate academic coursework in speech-language pathology is primarily seminars. The graduate speech-language pathology program is accredited by the Council on Academic Accreditation in Audiology and Speech-Language Pathology (CFCC) and the California Commission on Teacher Credentialing (CCTC).

A shared governance model is used within the CSDS department. Faculty work collaboratively to make key curricular decisions. Communication within the program and among the institution is ensured by several mechanisms. First, there are twice-a-month meetings of all CSDS faculty. These meetings address all current student, program, and college issues. Second, the department chair attends twice-a-month Dean’s Cabinet meetings. Third, the CSDS graduate coordinator has regular meetings with the Division of Graduate Studies. Fourth, CSDS has a faculty member who attends all sessions of the Academic Senate. Fifth, CSDS faculty participate in a variety of university and college committees—relevant information from those committees is shared during the CSDS faculty meetings.

Coursework and field experiences are structured to meet ASHA Standards. Accordingly, our program of study is designed to ensure that candidates demonstrate knowledge in the following areas:

• Professional practice competencies
• Foundations of speech-language pathology practice
  • Identification and prevention of speech, language, and swallowing disorders and differences
  • Evaluation of speech, language, and swallowing disorders and differences
    • Intervention to minimize the effects of changes in the speech, language, and swallowing mechanisms
    • General knowledge and skills applicable to professional practice

There have been no major changes in the program over the past 2 years. However, there have been several modifications. For example, in response to employer feedback regarding the need for additional instruction in IEP development, training access to the Special Education Information System (SEIS) was obtained and an assignment was added to our course sequence to address this need. A guest lecture was also added to our CSDS 114 course to ensure students start being exposed to this information earlier on in their program. The impacts of changes such as these are reviewed at least annually through the Student Outcome Assessment Plan (SOAP) process.

Means for stakeholder input include normal communication with the faculty, department chair, and the dean; participation in or comments to the CSDS advisory committee; written client evaluations of the services performed in the CSDS speech and hearing clinic; and public comments to our accreditation body, the Council on Academic Accreditation in Audiology and Speech-Language Pathology. Additional input is obtained by employer, alumni, and graduate student exit surveys.

Course of Study (Curriculum and Field Experience)

Description of the Sequence of Coursework, Including Courses in Critical Areas

Generally, a bachelor's degree in speech-language pathology is required to apply to the graduate program in Speech-Language Pathology. For students with a bachelor's degree outside of speech-language pathology, students may complete a prerequisite "bridge" program to take the required undergraduate prerequisites. These bridge programs should include coursework in normal communication development and processes, disordered processes and development, diagnostic and treatment methods, audiology, and statistics. It is strongly recommended that applicants have a minimum of 30 units of prerequisite courses for consideration for full classified admission Currently, Fresno State does not have a formal "bridge" program of this nature.

Upon admittance to the graduate program in Speech-Language Pathology, students move through the program in a cohort. Exhibit 4.1 provides an outline of the current course sequence. Courses are designed to address critical areas, including work with students from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds (e.g., CSDS 214) and a wide variety of disability eligibility areas (e.g., CSDS 202, CSDS 204, CSDS 210, CSDS 214, CSDS 215, CSDS 216, CSDS 218, CSDS 220).

Coordination and Connection of Coursework with Fieldwork

Field placements (practicum) occur throughout the candidate’s academic coursework to allow for opportunities to integrate the knowledge and skills obtained during courses into field experiences. The program of study is organized in such a way that courses and clinical practicum taken early in the program are expanded upon and supplemented in courses and practicum taken later in the program.

Field Supervision, Advisement, Evaluation: Frequency, type, from BOTH the program personnel and the district employed individual (master teacher) with required in a program

During the program, candidates are guided and coached on the practical application of their knowledge and skills gained from their coursework. Performance is evaluated using formative processes. During both their on-campus (CSDS 230) and off-campus (CSDS 257) practicum in the CSUF Speech, Language and Hearing Clinic and in local school districts, candidates are directly supervised by a licensed and certified speech-language pathologist. While completing on-campus clinical practicum, candidates receive a written 3-week, midterm, and final evaluation from their clinic supervisor as well as regular verbal and/or written feedback throughout the semester. During their student teaching, all candidates receive a written midterm and final evaluation, with some also receiving a 3-week evaluation (at master teacher discretion).

Throughout their student teaching field experience, the university supervisor provides supervision via emails and telephone conversations with the candidate and master clinician. The university supervisor may visit the school site during the semester, although the master clinician remains as the primary direct supervisor.

Assessment of Candidates

There are two primary means by which CSDS graduate speech-language pathology candidates are assessed for program competencies: The Knowledge and Skills Acquisition process and the clinical practicum evaluations. As described in the following two paragraphs, these assessments are conducted throughout a candidate’s academic and clinical program. Candidates are informed of these assessments during first semester orientation meetings, first meetings of the relevant courses, and in the program’s graduate student handbook. These assessments are currently conducted using CALIPSO, a web-based evaluation tool aligned with the CFCC standards.

Knowledge and Skills Acquisition (KASA)

The KASA form records the clinical and academic standards set forth by the American Speech, Language, and Hearing Association (ASHA) that are required for all students as they progress through the graduate program. Classes are identified in which each of these standards is addressed. For each of these classes, competency verification is monitored using CALIPSO to ensure that each student is gaining the knowledge needed to meet those standards as they move through the program. While the student is taking those classes that have been identified, the instructor uses CALIPSO to document that the specified academic and clinical competencies are met. If a student does not demonstrate competency, an action plan is established and the instructor works with the student to ensure that the competencies are addressed and mastered prior to graduation. Each semester, the graduate student meets with their academic advisor to monitor acquisition of required competencies. If competency is not demonstrated in any area, the academic advisor would then be aware of that in addition to the instructor. The academic advisor and instructor will continue to work with the student to try to ensure that the competency is mastered prior to moving forward in the program. However, if a competency is not mastered by the time of graduation, then the KASA evaluation will not be approved, and the student will not be eligible for the Certificate of Clinical Competence through ASHA.