Communication Sciences & Disorders
221 Bohannon Hall, 1207 Ordean Court, Duluth, MN 55812
Phone:(218) 726–7974; Fax: (218) 726–8693
Email: cd@d.umn.edu
Part 5: Clinical Education Mission Statement
Preparation for a career in speech-language pathology and audiology is founded upon a balance of knowledge and skills in three primary areas:
- Academic
- Research
- Clinical experience
Clinical practicum is a mechanism vital to the preparation of speech-language pathologists, audiologists, and other health care specialists who anticipate employment as providers of clinical services. The CSD Department endeavors to provide a high quality clinical practicum education to prepare students to work as ASHA-certified professionals in a variety of work settings with a variety of individuals with communication and swallowing disorders.
Student interns work with ASHA-certified clinic instructors to develop their clinical skills throughout practicum. Clinical practicum helps students accrue the breadth and depth of experience required by the Department for a graduate degree in speech-language pathology, and by ASHA in working toward the Certificate of Clinical Competence. ASHA requires:
- A minimum of 25 hours of supervised observation
- A minimum of 375 clock hours of direct service provision across various communication disorder areas.
- Demonstration of sufficient depth and breadth of experience to demonstrate mastery of clinical knowledge and skills across service areas.
See Handbook Part 3 for information regarding ASHA requirements for the Certificate of Clinical Competence.
The CSD Program clinical experience requirements either meet or exceed ASHA requirements, as outlined in the Handbook.
Professional Conduct in CSD
In research and education endeavors, the CSD Department seeks first to protect the consumer of clinical services delivered under the auspices of the clinical education program.
- All clinical education activities, whether at the RFP Clinic or off-site affiliations, must follow the ASHA Code of Ethics (Handbook Part 3 and Appendix B).
- Students are required to sign a form indicating they have read and will abide by the ASHA Code of Ethics in all clinic practicum activities.
Student Information Release Authorization for CSD Department Communication:
In compliance with the Federal Family Education Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) of 1974 and the Regents´ Policy on Access to Student Records, the CSD Faculty and Staff are prohibited from accessing certain information from your student records, such as information on grades.
You may, at your discretion, grant the CSD Faculty and Supervisors permission to access information for the purpose of fair assessment of student performance. Your authorization release grants permission only to CSD Faculty and Staff, and will be released only if requested by a CSD Faculty or Staff Member.
In order to provide a fair and inclusive student evaluation and to maintain standards of accreditation, the CSD Department requests your authorization to access the following information and resources:
- Input on performance from CSD clinic instructors
- Input on performance from CSD faculty
- Input from off-site supervisors related to completion of coursework in CSD
See Appendix B to review Student Information Release Authorization.