Earlier this year, Yeshiva University announced that it is in the process of opening a new graduate school for speech pathology. Though the program is still under review, if all goes as planned, this graduate program will open in Fall 2016 under the direction of Dr. Linda M. Carroll.
In an exclusive interview with The Observer, Dr. Carroll described the long path that YU took to get to its current stage in the graduate school building process. The initiative for the program began in 2013, and after Dr. Carroll was hired to serve as the new program’s director in 2014, she began filing for approval of the graduate program with New York State and receive national accreditation with the Council on Academic Accreditation in Audiology and Speech-Language Pathology (CAA), which is part of the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA).
“Graduate programs in Speech-Language Pathology undergo strict scrutiny in development and maintenance of the strategic plan for the proposed program,” Dr. Carroll explained. Review is then followed by a two-day site visit from the CAA after the program’s Candidacy Application has been accepted.
On February 15, there was a public meeting conducted by CAA site visitors, which gave the public an opportunity to express their feelings about the new graduate program, as well as their own experience with academic programs at YU.
The final decision as to the program’s accreditation will be made in July, only months before the school’s planned opening in the Fall of 2016.
Many assume that the field of speech pathology is competitive and saturated with professionals since it is a popular career within the religious Jewish community. Nonetheless, there is still a large demand nationwide for these professionals in places like schools and hospitals
Graduate school is still, in fact, competitive. Even though there is a large demand for Speech-Language Pathologists (SLPs), there are not enough seats in graduate programs to satisfy the need. To become an SLP, one must complete a Master’s Degree, followed by a year in a clinical fellowship. Each year, thousands of students apply to study in this field, but the nationwide acceptance rate is a discouraging 23%.
Though graduates of Stern College have a respectable track record of getting into graduate school, Yeshiva University seeks to relieve some of the nationwide pressure to produce more speech pathologists while simultaneously servicing the needs of the Washington Heights/Bronx community for clinical speech pathology at the graduate school’s campus that will be located on the uptown Wilf Campus. YU’s graduate program will target its degree toward medical speech pathology. According to Dr. Carroll, “There are few graduate programs nationally that have a focus on medical SLP, and we feel our curriculum and resources will set a new standard for excellence in academic and clinical training.”
“Everyone, including my peers and professors, is extremely excited at the prospect of a graduate program for YU,” said Rochel Bastomski, a Stern College senior who is studying Speech Pathology and Audiology. Bastomski has recently finished the application process for graduate programs for Fall 2016, but has not ruled out the option of continuing at YU for her Master’s.
“To be able to continue under Yeshiva University would be incredible,” she added, “my undergraduate experience has surpassed any expectations I had. The Speech Pathology and Audiology (SPAU) department here at Stern is an excellent source of support and offers stellar resources for its students…it would be a ‘dream come true’ to continue under the YU name for graduate school, a culmination of my college education for my chosen discipline.”
Many students like Bastomski have been looking forward to this possibility for almost two years; there were rumors circulating that the school would open this past fall.
“Speech pathology is a relatively new field and there are not enough options for graduate programs. I think this is an excellent stride for the development of the Yeshiva University world as opening up a graduate program attracts an array of people and new opportunities for both its faculty and students,” she concluded.