OXFORD, Miss. – The new year will mark new beginnings for
the communicative disorders department at the University of
Mississippi as a national search begins to find a chair for
the newly named department.
Formerly the Department of Communicative Disorders, the
Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders received
its new name in fall 2007 after approval from the Board of
Trustees of State Institutions of Higher Learning. It is
part of the School of Applied Sciences.
Interim chair Lennette Ivy, who took over for former chair
Carolyn Higdon earlier this year, said the new name
reflects the broad science base of the professions of
speech-language pathology and audiology.
“Our students acquire knowledge in the diagnosis and
remediation of various communication disorders, and this
knowledge is grounded in scientific method and in
evidence-based, empirical research,” Ivy said. “In
addition, the new name better reflects the mission of the
department’s commitment to excellence in academic study,
clinical training, creative research, service learning and
community outreach.”
Linda Chitwood, dean of applied sciences, said the new name
is the prevailing standard for academic departments
accredited by the American Speech and Hearing Association.
She added the school hopes to hire a permanent chair for
the department by July 1.
“We are conducting a national search to find the best
person to help this department continue the wonderful
progress it has made over the last few years,” Chitwood
said. “We need a person who is experienced in academia as a
department chair or program director, who has an
established record of scholarship and grants, has the
ability to mentor our young and highly talented tenure
track faculty, and can help the department develop ties
with the professional and university communities.”
Essentially, the goal is to continue the department’s
progress, which includes a record number of graduate
students, new grants and continued operation of the Speech
and Hearing Clinic on campus.
Ivy said the primary goal for the entire department is to
make a difference in the region and the state.
“There is such a great need to improve the reading and
writing skills of our school-aged children,” she said.
“With literacy being the foundation of all education, the
graduate students trained in communication sciences and
disorders have a lot to offer in establishing that
foundation. Our students receive extensive knowledge and
training in language and phonological development, which
makes them valuable resources to public school teachers in
the area of literacy development.”
For more information on the Department of Communication
Sciences and Disorders, visit
http://www.olemiss.edu/depts/comm?disorders/index.htm. For
more information on the School of Applied Sciences, visit
http://www.olemiss.edu/depts/applied?sciences/.