Diversity Equity and Inclusion
Western Washington University Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders Diversity, Equity, and Justice Position Statement
Western Washington University’s Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders (WWU CSD) is committed to dismantling systematic and systemic discrimination locally and globally. We acknowledge that the fields of speech-language pathology and audiology have not centered the experiences, interests, dialects or languages of marginalized people and communities, which has contributed to their isolation and delegitimization. We have made mistakes in our history and continue to use assessments, materials, and tools that are biased and disproportionately misdiagnose members of marginalized communities. We acknowledge that the composition of our fields has likewise not centered marginalized community members’ perspectives and voices, and this has led to underrepresentation in our department and our programs.
We believe that communication and language matter. In a world that continually oppresses marginalized groups, we must acknowledge our own mistakes, listen to and amplify the voices of our diverse colleagues and clients, call out injustice, and then conscientiously and deliberately work towards dismantling power structures that serve to discriminate. We are committed to changing our department, our clinical practices and services, and profession by cultivating and preserving a culture of equity, inclusion, and connectedness
A CSD Diversity, Equity, and Justice (DEJ) Committee was formed in 2020, with a commitment to:
- identify and reduce barriers for marginalized and underrepresented students and clients,
- foster awareness of systemic racism in our profession,
- cultivate an inclusive and welcoming community, and
- increase transparency of departmental actions and efforts to address systemic bias and discrimination.
The DEJ committee maintains a publicly available Goals and Action Items document, which is updated annually. Past accomplishments include developing and funding a BIPOC graduate scholarship, hosting undergraduate/ graduate/alumni listening sessions, instituting a holistic graduate admission process, creating and sustaining an undergraduate multicultural course, fostering the development of a multicultural student club, and the establishment of a DEJ resource library.
