Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders Welcoming and Belonging Values

Syracuse University is fully committed to fostering a welcoming, belonging-centered campus community where every individual feels valued and supported. Our commitment to creating spaces of belonging is rooted in the belief that multiple points of view, life experiences, ethnicities, cultures and belief systems are essential to academic excellence and optimal outcomes for all.

Our CSD department is committed to advancing welcoming and belonging practices that enhance access and success in our local and national communities.

We recognize that our field must address issues of racism, bias, health inequity, and health disparity, and we are committed to meaningful change that promotes belonging for all individuals we serve.

Our goal is to cultivate a welcoming environment that attracts students from diverse backgrounds, facilitates the success of all students within our program, and develops culturally responsive practitioners who can provide person-centered, optimal services to their clients. This approach aligns with the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association's commitment to respectful, purposeful engagement of diverse perspectives and culturally responsive care as a clinical imperative.

We honor individual uniqueness while harnessing our collective strength to drive meaningful change. We believe that representation is essential, that culturally responsive care improves client outcomes, and that exceptional service requires professionals who engage in continuous self-reflection and actively create inclusive environments that dismantle systemic barriers to access and equity.

Department Specific Initiatives Related to Welcoming and Belonging

● Established a Student Inclusion and Success Committee in 2017 to support student thriving

● Revised our admissions review process to a holistic approach that welcomes applicants with diverse backgrounds and experiences

● Developed strategic approaches for promoting the success and belonging of all students in our department

● Developed the ALIGN program that specifically promotes the academic and career success of matriculated CSD graduate students from backgrounds under-represented in our fields, fostering community and belonging. See the following video testimonials for the impact that ALIGN has had on our students.

● Initiated culturally responsive practice training as a seminar in CSD 450/650 to prepare students for person-centered care

● Created CSD 426/626: Sociocultural Bases for Communication, an elective course that explores how cultural contexts shape communication and care

● Developed CSD 425/625: Culturally Responsive Healthcare, an elective focused on person-centered care skills that optimize patient outcomes across diverse populations.

● Service-learning component to undergraduate program currently in development to strengthen community connections

Syracuse University Links:

• Commitment to fostering a community that is Welcoming to All
• Syracuse University Office of People and Culture
• Belonging and Access Campus Resources and Initiatives
• Office of Equal Opportunity, Inclusion and Resolution Services (EOIRS)
• STOP Bias and Hate initiative

Resources for Personal Growth and Culturally Responsive Practice:

● Project Implicit: self-tests that can measure unconscious, implicit biases that people may be unaware of. The results of these assessments may be unexpected or upsetting. It is recommended that you read the Frequently Asked Questions section to learn more about these tests before taking a test.

ASHA Cultural Competence Checklists for Self-Development.

● ASHA Multicultural Affairs and Resources for developing cultural competence and culturally responsive practice. Includes information for students, faculty, and clinicians.

● ASHA tools for Person-Centered Care

● LEADERS Project: Teachers College, Columbia University resources for “connecting clinical practice with law and research for providing culturally and linguistically appropriate services.”