The Council of Academic Programs in Communication Sciences and Disorders (CAPCSD) is a membership organization with over 350 communication sciences and disorders programs from the United States, Canada, China, Puerto Rico, and New Zealand. Member programs offer degrees in communication sciences and disorders, including undergraduate, graduate, and doctoral programs.
Over the past 44 years, CAPCSD has grown exponentially and continues to develop resources and programming to support members in the discipline.
- The annual conference, which attracts over 500 participants annually.
- CSDCAS, a centralized admissions service software for clinical entry level SLP and audiology programs, offered at no cost to graduate CSD programs.
- The Lisa Scott Leadership Academy for those interested in pursuing academic leadership as part of their career and building those skills.
- The scholarship program supports students pursuing a Ph.D., research in SLP and Audiology, and to recognize service by students in CSD.
- Webinars offer professional development opportunities for administrators, faculty and clinic directors.
- A series of eLearning courses provide evidence-based professional development in clinical supervision for clinical educators and preceptors facilitating practicums for graduate students in audiology and speech-language pathology.
- Salary data is available to assist administrators and job applicants negotiate for salaries comparable to other institutions of the same class or region.
- A number of white papers, as well as an eBook on Best Practices in Healthcare Simulations in CSD, have been written.
- Longstanding features, such as the job postings, academic and clinical resources, and proceedings from the annual conferences are also provided.
CAPCSD was incorporated in 1979, with a small group of department chairs meeting annually in St. Louis, Missouri, to contemplate and try to solve common problems facing administrators of the time. Since then, the annual conference has expanded to include clinic directors, graduate directors, and faculty. The annual conference continues to be the crowning achievement of CAPCSD. Different from other professional conferences in speech-language pathology, audiology, and speech and hearing sciences, the CAPCSD annual conference offers professional development in administration, leadership, and pedagogy specific to communication sciences and disorders.
The Council of Academic Programs in Communication Sciences and Disorders (CAPCSD) supports, promotes, and advances higher education programs in Communication Sciences and Disorders (CSD). As such, the Council is committed to dismantling systemic racism, discrimination, elitism, and oppression that hinders recruitment, admission, and successful progression of marginalized students in CSD programs and impacts marginalized staff and faculty working in these programs. We understand that authentic diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging (DEIB) efforts must be ongoing and require continued learning as well as unlearning. As we advance, our goal is to support member programs in the recruitment of a body of students and colleagues who represent the diversity in our communities and populations served. It is also our goal to provide guidance to programs on how to infuse cultural humility and responsiveness in CSD curricula thus influencing practice in the professions. These goals will be pursued through collaboration with marginalized communities and the inclusion of diverse voices in our decision-making processes. We will offer training, resources, and support to ensure our goals are met and evaluated annually for continuous improvement. Additionally, our aim is to create an organizational culture that mitigates conscious and implicit bias and helps academic programs to do the same. We will develop and implement clear strategies with defined milestones and accountability measures, working transparently with all. We strive to be at the forefront of building a more equitable and inclusive environment for all CSD community members.
Strategic Plan
In July, the Board of Directors concluded the 2021-2023 strategic plan. Core goals for the next strategic plan are being discussed, and work will begin on the new plan in January 2024.
