2025-2028 Strategic Plan
The complete 2025-2028 Strategic Plan and progress towards the initiatives are available using the hyperlink.
Executive Summary for the Strategic Plan
The Department of Communication Sciences & Disorders at the University of Maine has established a comprehensive strategic plan for 2025-2028, anchored by its mission to cultivate competent and compassionate professionals, advance research, provide evidence-based clinical services, and advocate for the community. The vision is to empower exceptional professionals who will shape the future of the field by integrating discovery with dynamic learning.
Strategic Objectives and Key Initiatives
The strategic plan is organized around four key focus areas with specific outcomes, supporting strategies, and indicators of success.
Building strategic influence and excellence by attracting motivated learners. This objective focuses on recruiting and enrolling high-quality students. The department plans to enhance its visibility, host virtual recruitment events, and support student ambassador programs. Success will be measured by the number and quality of applications, student enrollment numbers, and the first-year academic and clinical performance of new students.
Fostering dynamic learning through innovating curriculum and enhancing experiential learning. The first goal is to develop and update academic programs with forward-looking content. The department will map learning trajectories to address gaps, seek external curriculum reviews, and invest in faculty development related to pedagogy and course delivery. Indicators of success include student satisfaction, ratings from faculty and external clinical supervisors, and the number of faculty initiatives related to pedagogy.
The second area of dynamic learning is dedicated to providing rich, hands-on opportunities that connect theory with practice. Strategies include recruiting new clinical partners, formalizing partnerships with other health science departments for interprofessional education (IPE), expanding the use of simulation labs, and fostering collaborative initiatives between clinical and research faculty. Examples of tracking success include the number of varied experiential learning opportunities, the diversity of clinical sites, and student satisfaction with their placements.
Pioneering discovery and knowledge by advancing groundbreaking research. The department aims to cultivate a collaborative research environment to generate impactful, interdisciplinary research. To achieve this, it will explore developing a research “proseminar” series, engaging with university and professional funding resources, and fostering interdisciplinary collaborations. Key indicators include the number of research collaborators, publications in peer-reviewed journals, conference presentations, student involvement in research, and the amount of grant funding submitted and obtained.
Shaping future clinical practice by championing best practices. This objective focuses on elevating and increasing access to high-quality clinical services by sharing the expertise of faculty. The department will provide excellent clinical mentorship, expand the variety of learning opportunities, support community partners, and increase specialized external clinical collaborations. Success will be measured by the student-to-supervisor ratio, student satisfaction with mentorship, and the number of external partners and community presentations by faculty.