To: Steve Haynesworth and COSI Faculty

To: Steve Haynesworth and COSI Faculty

From: Advisory Board

Date: March 7, 2007

RE: Summary Report from Visit #1 (2/1-2/07)

The following summarizes the important departmental and institutional issues and concerns identified during our first visit, paired with our conclusions and proposed recommendations:

1. Pending Program Accreditation

-This item represents an immediate and pressing project made more tenuous due to acting chair/faculty inexperience and limited available time

RECOMMENDATION

-Strongly urge approval for funding to obtain "hired help" in the form of both an "expert consultant" and secretarial/administrative "temps". The former will streamline the document development process(by organizing data and writing "boilerplate" text), and the latter will relieve junior faculty of unnecessary/inappropriate busy work.

-Additional suggestions include:

a. the consultant should be a faculty member from a university who has recently undergone ASHA accreditation

b. enlist the help of a marketing specialist to format the report in a professional manner

c. demonstrate how 2005 standards are being met and how 2008 standards are being addressed

d. make the report transparent so that no attempt is made to hide deficiencies---explain the process in place for improvement

e. demonstrate the investment of the Dean and Provost in the department by specific expenditures needed to move the department forward

f. do not be concerned with utilizing e-portfolio for this review; rather demonstrate how formative assessment of students is taking place

2. Faculty Size/Composition

-This issue represents a potentially fatal attribute of the current department configuration-----too few faculty, no senior faculty, and out-of-discipline acting chair. This condition negatively impacts virtually every aspect of departmental life: morale, quality of education provided, faculty development, successful staff recruitment, accreditation approval, and future vision/growth. Perceived as urgent concern that must be addressed immediately.

RECOMMENDATION

-Immediate approval for new faculty searches including chairman and minimum one(preferably two) mid-career to more senior faculty.

3. Current Faculty Workload

-There is an obvious and worrisome condition of distorted workload for all junior faculty. Excessive service components exist to the detriment of the required research component and future tenure/promotion success. In addition, there is perceived inequity among the junior faculty with the greatest perceived burden borne by Drs. Ciccia and Williams----to the point of abusive. For such a small faculty, even the teaching load creates a tangible burden and unhealthy stress.

RECOMMENDATION

-Long-term this is solved by an increase in faculty numbers and seniority. However, virtual faculty survival demands immediate reduction in the service load and reassessment of the teaching load imposed on junior faculty. The exact solution mechanism is uncertain but will undoubtedly require creative redefinition of loads, extended deadlines, more robust responsibility and opportunity for clinical faculty, part-time/temporary "bridge" hires, and guaranteed, permanent faculty recruitment plans. There is a perception that the MA-level faculty(including COSI and CHSC) are underutilized. They might help with some of the administrative/organizational issues in the department. Identifying/recruiting additional PhD-level adjunct faculty would also be profitable. The net effect would be a true team approach that can better share the load as the future department evolves.

4. Program Identity

-There is a perceived need for the department to develop future vision---find a "niche" in which it can prosper. This will impact a multitude of decisions ranging from curriculum and specialty certificates to faculty recruitment and building plans. The competitive nature of the marketplace requires creative thinking---not simply cloning a "standard" communicative disorders training program.

RECOMMENDATION

-A multipronged approach will be required and might involve the following:

a. immediately abandon COSI's involvement w/ teacher certification

b. assess value/feasability of COSI's role w/ geriatric certification

c. rethink the impending building design plans for the future, relocated department home in the new CHSC building---seriously consider expansion to include research space that would allow/encourage multidisciplinary collaboration

d. limit rather than eliminate the clinical master's program in order to capitalize on the crucial relationship between CWRU and CHSC, as well as allow reallocation of faculty/staff resources to a more robust doctoral program(coincidentally a current, identified, urgent marketplace need is more doctoral students)

e. define a more robust undergraduate program---thereby, creating a feeder system for the PhD program, and allowing closer alignment to the model of other departments in the College of Arts and Sciences

In this vision-creating process, it is essential for all parties to recognize and capitalize on the substantial investments already demonstrated by both the University and the Cleveland Hearing and Speech Center. Their continued partnership seems key to future success. Embracing the unique attributes of University Circle and Cleveland is important, as well. The advisory board might focus on program identity for visit #2

5. Faculty Morale/Communication

-There is a perceived tension among department members, seemingly related to a sense of hopelessness about excessive workload, inadequate career mentoring, and delayed faculty expansion. The signs of "family" dysfunctionality are beginning to emerge and will only grow more serious and entrenched. Communication among faculty and acting chair is perceived as being suboptimal----yet not unexpected given circumstances beyond the control of any current staff. This factor is disrupting teamwork efficiency, thereby, creating poorer morale/communication---a true vicious cycle!

RECOMMENDATION

-Success in this area will require redefining workloads and addressing load inequity, in combination with definitive actions for faculty recruitment. Unless/until CWRU establishes an aggressive faculty expansion plan, all current staff will continue to be misused, overworked and demoralized. There should be consideration of hiring an external consultant to facilitate dialogue among all department members with a legitimate airing of concerns as a necessary first step to eventual conflict resolution. The advisory board might act in that capacity.

Despite the challenge these issues represent for your program, we are impressed by the enthusiasm for change expressed by all parties. Support by the Dean's office was clearly voiced and leads to legitimate optimism. The established partnership between CWRU and CHSC is both a valuable resource and a potent source of negotiation leverage. We look forward to partnering with the department on its mission.

Respectfully Submitted,

Doug Hicks, on behalf of

Rob Fox

Bernard Henri

Alex Johnson

Barb Lewis