DEI

As part of the University of Missouri, a land-grant institution with a mission to serve the broader community, the Department of Speech, Language and Hearing Sciences (SLHS) is committed to making every person feel included and standing on the core value of YOU BELONG. This is driven by the values and statements of our college, university, accrediting body, and professional organizations. As teachers, researchers, and clinicians with a focus on communication in its many forms, SLHS is in a unique position to pursue these goals.  Language is foundational to culture and community. By investigating the basic science of communication, identifying communication challenges and solutions, and providing therapeutic support, we seek to help individuals achieve their potential and participate fully in their communities.   

SLHS demonstrates our commitment to recognizing, celebrating, and affirming each person by setting goals in the three main pillars of our activities.

1. TEACHING AND LEARNING ENVIRONMENT

We are committed to building an educational environment that supports students from diverse backgrounds, is free from bias or discrimination, and that meets each person’s needs.  This includes a commitment to carefully consider and implement ideas to optimally mentor and support students throughout their trajectories.

- We will improve recruitment practices to identify and encourage applications from all qualifying students.

- We will use inclusive teaching practices in our courses.

- We will expand mentoring and student support programs to build an inclusive community and facilitate success.

2. RESEARCH

We are committed to building better science with creative and rigorous research and through engagement with our communities.

- We will ensure that our lab members and research participants represent the diversity of Columbia, on and off campus.

- We will engage in outreach activities with the communities with whom our research intersects to improve access to the field and promote community-engaged research.

3. CLINICAL PRACTICE

We are committed to providing culturally responsive clinical services by fostering cultural humility within our students and by offering diverse clinical experiences. Our commitment equips our students with the skills needed to effectively respond to the unique needs of clients from varied backgrounds, ensuring inclusive care.

- We will foster cultural humility within our students, including a lifelong curiosity for understanding the complexity of their clients' identities and how that influences their assessment and treatment decisions as well as a desire for continued self-reflection of their own biases.

- We will provide diverse clinical opportunities that expose our students to clients from various cultural, linguistic, and socio-economic backgrounds, enabling them to develop a deeper understanding of cultural nuances and communication styles while honing their clinical skills in culturally responsive ways.