Undergraduate Student Success Initiatives in Communication Sciences and Disorders

Abstract

Purpose Undergraduate students are faced with an extremely competitive application process when applying for graduate studies in communication sciences and disorders (CSD). This clinical focus article describes initiatives created by faculty within a CSD program at a medium-sized public university, with the goals of helping undergraduate students engage in high-impact practices and increase their competitiveness when applying for graduate school. Conclusions This clinical focus article describes a framework for four initiatives geared toward undergraduate student success in CSD, as follows: (a) self-actualization, (b) leadership development, (c) increased student–faculty interaction, and (d) collaboration. To achieve the goals of these initiatives, an undergraduate orientation, a peer-mentoring program, faculty-led research opportunities, and leadership development were implemented. After the implementation of the framework, we observed that the number of students entering the graduate program at the University of West Georgia and in other institutions increased over the past 3 years.