University invites public input Feb. 24 on expanded speech-language pathology program

FORT WAYNE, Ind.—Purdue University Fort Wayne is one step closer to offering students the opportunity to earn a graduate degree in speech-language pathology.

An effort first announced in early 2019, program developers are now preparing to welcome representatives of the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association to campus Feb. 24–25 for an onsite assessment. The surveyors’ main objective will be to learn more about the program and meet with faculty and students in advance of a final decision on whether enrollment can begin as early as August.

Another aspect of the visit will be an open public forum Feb. 24 at 5:30 p.m. in room 104 of the Modular Clinic Classroom Building on the Purdue Fort Wayne campus. Any member of the community who wishes to provide input to the accreditation site visitors is welcome to attend. Further information about the accreditation process and the public forum can be found at caa.asha.org.

“Getting to this point would not have been possible if we weren’t building on an exceptionally strong undergraduate program in communication sciences and disorders, which has been a part of our university community for decades,” said Stacy Betz, chair of the Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders at Purdue Fort Wayne.

Once accredited, the addition of graduate students will allow the department to more than double the number of community members who can receive free speech and language therapy from its Communication Disorders Clinic.

“Each semester, we have to turn away potential clients who have communication disorders because we do not have enough student clinicians to provide those services,” Betz added. “We are excited about the opportunity to expand our clinical services and further increase the engagement between our department and the region.”

The program is expected to receive official notification of its accreditation status from the association in July.

Contact Betz at 260-481-6409 or [email protected] for more information.

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