National Student Speech Language Hearing Association (NSSLHA)

National Student Speech Language Hearing Association (NSSLHA) is a national organization with university chapters throughout the country, including at Western Washington University. The organization is geared towards providing undergraduate and graduate students with preparatory professional development. NSSLHA works closely with the American Speech-Language Hearing Association which is the national association which provides credentials, resources, advocacy, and support for clinicians in the field of Speech Language Hearing Sciences.

Our chapter invites students from the Communication Sciences and Disorders (CSD) undergraduate majors/minors as well as graduate students in the Audiology and Speech-Language Pathology programs to join. Additionally, undeclared students who are interested in CSD, as well as students from related fields are welcome to attend our events to take advantage of our pre-professional learning opportunities.

Membership

Requirements

To become a member of the WWU NSSLHA chapter, there are no membership dues nor initiation requirements. To be considered a member, you must attend one required meeting each quarter throughout your time as a declared student in the undergraduate or graduate program. Two excused absences are permitted, and you must contact the secretary to have those absences excused.

Beyond being a member, there are annual elections in the Spring to select chapter officers. Positions include President, Vice President, Secretary, Public Relations, Treasurer, and Community Outreach. Additionally, in the Fall, one or two students in the Junior cohort are selected to represent their class to the board to facilitate communication and engage all students.

Benefits

Being a member of NSSLHA has many benefits, the first being it is a great addition to your resume as a pre-professional student. Since NSSLHA is a nationally recognized and renowned organization, your participation in the chapter would be appreciated by employers, graduate schools, and other organization. Additionally, as a member meeting the attendance requirements, you qualify to receive cords for graduation. Lastly, by attending our events and accessing the resources we share, you will be better equipped for your future endeavors in the field.

Events

As mentioned above, we have one required meeting each quarter, but we often hold additional, optional events that we also encourage you to attend. Overall, our events are intended to provide resources and guidance on students’ current studies as well as future professional endeavors. Some previous events include:

• Q&A panels with current WWU graduate students in the Audiology and Speech-Language Pathology programs
• Explanation and guidance on requirements/the path to graduate school
• Collaborations with other CSD groups, such as other NSSLHA chapters in the state, the Multicultural Club for CSD at WWU , the Washington Speech Language Hearing Association, etc.
• Viewing of annual Advocacy Day event, where clinicians advocate for legislation related to the field
• Q&A panel with WWU CSD alumni
• Annual Spring CSD Soiree
• Informational sessions on volunteer opportunities

In addition to hosting events, we often hold fundraisers for community organizations, the chapter, and the WWU Speech and Hearing Clinic. These may include, but are not limited to bake sales, merchandise sales, and toy drives.

National Membership

It is not mandatory to be a member of the national NSSLHA organization in order to be a member of the local WWU NSSLHA chapter. However, if you choose to, the annual national NSSLHA membership dues are $60. This membership is available to undergraduate, post-baccalaureate, graduate, and doctoral students in the field. It provides you with further resources, leadership positions, scholarships, discounts, networking, and honors opportunities.

There are also multicultural constituency groups through ASHA that you are able to join. Those groups are as follows:

Lastly, there are special interest groups, also through ASHA, which are available at a discounted rate to national NSSLHA members ($10). Those groups are as follows:

If you would like to contact our chapter, or learn more about us, you are welcome to check out our Western Involvement Network page and/or our Instagram. These will have the most up to date information on how to reach us and the events we are holding.

NSSLHA members during the 2024 Spring Soiree