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The master’s program in communication disorders in the McKay School received its renewed accreditation for the next eight years. The endorsement comes with no requests to follow-up—a high achievement for any program. This was an involved process that started in fall of 2021, and, according to department chair Christopher Dromey, “it was a team effort.”
Accreditation is crucial to the program. “We must have accreditation to be a viable program, to have our students go out and be employable,” Dromey said. “It’s a ‘must have’ designation.”
After the department submitted information to indicate the program is meeting accreditation standards—such as program completion rates and pass rates for the national exam—a team was sent to Provo to visit the department. This team consists of professionals who volunteer their time to review programs. From there, a report is sent to the Council on Academic Accreditation for Audiology and Speech-Language Pathology, who reviews the information.
After completing all of these steps, the McKay ComD program is happy to report that not only were they accredited, but that they received no areas for follow-up. “There was much rejoicing,” Dromey said.
Dromey credits the program’s faculty for the success. “We have really high-quality faculty and great teachers, we’re doing good research… it’s a well-oiled machine.”
In the end, it is all about the students. This accreditation will benefit both current and future students. When sharing what motivates the faculty Dromey says, “they really care deeply about the program, and they want the students to succeed.”
Writer: Bridget Quain
Contact: Andrew Devey