CDS-Connection: FW: Antiracism Task Force Petition

[Communication Disorders & Sciences]

From: Alexis Aiello <alexisaaiello at gmail.com>
Sent: Monday, July 13, 2020 4:37 PM
To: Communication Disorders & Sciences <cds at uoregon.edu>
Subject: Antiracism Task Force Petition


To University of Oregon CDS program:

As a biracial alumna of this program, I have signed the petition that will be sent to ASHA, CAA, AAB, and CAPCSD to advocate for an Antiracism Task Force to review the current ASHA standards and to develop new standards for antiracism training in university programs. I urge more students, faculty and alumni to sign the petition at https://www.change.org/CAATaskForce<https://urldefense.com/v3/__https:/www.google.com/url?q=https:**Awww.google.com*url*q*3Dhttps:**Awww.change.org*CAATaskForce*26amp;sa*3DD*26amp;ust*3D1594678148144000*26amp;usg*3DAOvVaw1SL-IqDxH6UJL0lKhuveeL&sa=D&ust=1594678148159000&usg=AFQjCNHGBRjZCFDGTDd2vUB1EzYlA9SxUw__;Ly8vPyUvLy8lJSUlJSU!!C5qS4YX3!TTG3ibxYc0YryvuclX2BLpcDfw0Fv2psGZrjHa_WzWvIojh5wvp0-z1SvON86A$>.

The petition identifies systemic racism as being at the root of racial injustice in the speech-language-hearing field and in our university training programs. Systemic problems require systemic solutions. As such, I urge the CDS program to commit their organizational support by emailing your departmental endorsement of the petition to caaracismtaskforce at gmail.com<mailto:caaracismtaskforce at gmail.com> as other departments across the country have done.

The department’s endorsement would signal a strong commitment. While amendments to ASHA’s Accreditation Standards could take several years, departments that have a commitment to antiracism have the power to enact the recommended actions right away with or without an ASHA Task Force, including:

  1.  1. Reviewing program admissions criteria and barriers to access by students who are Black, Indigenous and People of Color;
  2.  2. Review retention data for students who are Black, Indigenous and People of Color
  3.  3. Surveying the experiences of students and faculty in CSD programs who are Black, Indigenous and People of Color  to identify curriculum-based and institutional factors impacting their lived experiences and training
  4.  4. Require that all faculty and students take evidence-based anti-racism training
  5.  Review barriers for hiring and recruiting faculty and staff who are Black, Indigenous and People of Color
  6.  5. Recognize that the infusion model of diversity-related instruction is problematic in its ambiguity and insufficient to bring about required changes. The curriculum must explicitly address antiracism.

I hope to see both the support of individual faculty and students and the endorsement by the department as a unit in support of this,  and/or other measure supporting systemic anti racial action. Taking such a clear stand would be appreciated by alumni, current students and prospective students in their search for a program to join.

In solidarity, respectfully, and with fond memories of the program!





Alexis Aiello

MS CCC-SLP

alexisaaiello at gmail.com<mailto:alexisaaiello at gmail.com>

530-304-8141


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