The Ph.D. Shortage in Communication Sciences and Disorders

The Ph.D. Shortage in Communication Sciences and Disorders CAPCSD Palm Springs, CA April 25, 2002 Rosalind R. Scudder and Janet Koehnke

SID 10 Task Force on Doctoral Shortage • Janet Koehnke, Chair • Sharon Stewart • Julie Scherz • Anne Cordes Bothe • Elaine Frank Survey emailed to 60 programs offering doctoral degree. 17 returned, 28%. One program not active.

Geographic Regions • 2 New England • 4 Middle Atlantic • 1 East North Central • 3 West North Central • 3 South Atlantic • 1 East South Central • 0 West South Central • 1 Mountain • 1 Pacific • 0 Alaska/Hawaii

Areas of Emphasis for Study • Audiology 12/16 1-44 years (M=26) • SLP 14/16 4-44 years (M=26) • Sp & Hrng Sci 10/16 10-44 years (M=33) • Other • Normal Processes 1/16 30 years • Au.D. 1/16 Fall 2002

Full-time/Part-time Students • 5 programs full time • 1 program part time • 10 programs both Full time = 9-12 hours/semester Part time = Varies greatly!

Students Currently Enrolled • SLP, Full time 1-13, (M=5.7) • SLP, Part time 1-12, (M=3.2) • Audiology, Full time 1-12, (M=5.0) • Audiology, Part time 1-3, (M=1.75) • Other, 16 full time students

Methods Used to Recruit Advertising Website: 13 Brochure: 7 Recruit at ASHA and ASHA ads: 7 Faculty Presentations, conferences: 3 Word-of-mouth (i.e., reputation: 2 ASHA Guide to Grad Studies: 2 CAPCSD: 1 Leadership Personnel Training Grant Ads: 1 Very little done: 1

Recruiting Methods (cont.) • Campus Visits • Program faculty visited other institutions, • across the country: 3 • in tri-state area: 1 • Rarely, but a couple: 2 • None (or no answer): 10

Recruiting Methods (cont.) • Financial Incentives • Scholarships and Research Assistantships: 15 • None: 1 • Support ranged from some support for a limited • time, to full support of tuition waiver plus a • ~ $22,000 stipend. • Many commented on variety of sources used.

Recruiting Methods (cont.) • Other • Reduced tuition for supervising • Opportunities to teach and supervise • Mentoring program - students admitted • only if an appropriate mentor is • available • Stuttering Foundation funding • Campus visits by students • Numerous email communications, & • interactions during presentations

INSTITUTIONAL BARRIERS Faculty Issues Small faculty – limited areas of research that can be supervised: 3 Limited time of faculty:2 Weak faculty, lack of experience with research and scholarship, lack of effort in building a decent doctoral program, no selection criteria.

INSTITUTIONAL BARRIERS (CONT.) Funding Issues Recruiting is a problem due to lack of funds or time. Funding: 5 Funding for advertising, time for recruiting:5 Lack of lab resources: 1 Lack of resources to allow students to visit: 1

INSTITUTIONAL BARIERS (CONT.) Student Issues Students’ time commitment and family issues. Types of students: 1 ------------------------------------------------------- None: 1

STUDENT-CENTERED BARRIERS Primarily financial: 11 Time commitment required: 5 Child care, family issues: 4 Geographic: 3 Cost of visit: 1 Doctoral stipends below what they can earn as clinicians: 1

STUDENT-CENTERED BARRIERS (CONT.) Students not stellar, academically. Large number are foreign and want full support. Some want distance learning, we do not provide: 1 Students accepted and then don’t attend: 1 Lack of interest in a research career: 1 Part time students selected without criteria are weak and border on failure: 1

STUDENT-CENTERED BARRIERS (CONT.) Apprehension about their ability to meet the academic challenges of doctoral study: 1 Ties to family and significant others: 1

EXIT INTERVIEWS: FACTORS TO COMPLETE PROGRAM Commitment to completing the degree: 6 Mentor relationship: 4 Interest in departmental research: 4 Support from faculty and peers: 4 Interest in academic pos. upon graduation: 3 Dedicated faculty: 2 Flexible scheduling: 2

EXIT INTERVIEWS: FACTORS TO COMPLETE PROGRAM (CONT.) Better employment prospects: 1 Family support: 1 Excellent reputation of the faculty: 1 Peer pressure: 1 Camaraderie: 1

INTERVIEWS: FACTORS TO DROP OUT OF PROGRAM Financial: 3 Family issues: 3 To attend medical school: 2 Thought a Ph.D. was an advanced master’s degree: 1 Weren’t really motivated to pursue research as a career option: 1

INTERVIEWS: FACTORS TO DROP OUT OF PROGRAM (CONT.) Unsuccessful on comps: 1 Competing life circumstances: 1 Family illness: 1 Counseled out: 1 Spouse transferred: 1 Change in goals: 1 Taking a job before dissertation completion: 1

SINGLE MOST IMPORTANT ISSUE Funding!!: 9 High Quality Mentoring: 2 Larger Pool of students wishing to pursue doctoral education: 1

WHAT CAN ASHA DO? • Stipends, stipends, stipends! • But also, travel funding, special meetings, mentoring programs, and more. • Collaborative initiatives between ASHA, CAPCSD, Div. 10, and universities.

INNOVATIVE STRATEGIES • Reduced tuition for supervising • Leadership Preparation Grant • Flexibility in designing programs • Encourage multi-disciplinary programs • Involvement in research throughout program • Emphasis on applied research and evidence-based practice

AND, FINALLY….. Things to think about…..

The Ph.D. Shortage in Communication Sciences and Disorders