Barriers to Graduate Applications: Perspectives of Undergraduate Students From Underrepresented Backgrounds in Communication Science and Disorders.

Purpose: The purpose of this preliminary study was to examine the perspectives of students from underrepresented backgrounds on the graduate school application process and identify ways to improve diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility in communication science and disorders. Method: A novel...

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Publicado en:Perspectives of the ASHA Special Interest Groups Vol. 8; no. 4; pp. 729 - 741
Autores principales: Lugo, Victor Alan, Wood, Carla, Torres-Chavarro, Michelle, Garcia-Salas, Miguel
Formato: research tables/charts Journal Article
Publicado: American Speech-Language-Hearing Association Aug2023
Acceso en línea:Ver este registro en EBSCOhost
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      dt: Aug2023
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      pub: American Speech-Language-Hearing Association
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        10.1044/2023_PERSP-22-00142
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        atl: Barriers to Graduate Applications: Perspectives of Undergraduate Students From Underrepresented Backgrounds in Communication Science and Disorders.
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          Lugo, Victor Alan
          Wood, Carla
          Torres-Chavarro, Michelle
          Garcia-Salas, Miguel
        affil: School of Communication Science and Disorders, Florida State University, Tallahassee
      sug:
        subj:
          Education, Graduate Psychosocial Factors
          Communicative Disorders
          Communication Education
          Students, Undergraduate
          Student Attitudes
          Diversity, Equity, Inclusion
          Health Services Accessibility
          Minority Groups
          Human
          Funding Source
          Semi-Structured Interview
          Decision Making
          Learning
          Mentorship
          Workforce
          Open-Ended Questionnaires
          Descriptive Statistics
          Natural Language Processing
          Content Analysis
          Data Analysis Software
          Thematic Analysis
          Comparative Studies
          COVID-19 Pandemic
          School Admissions
      ab: Purpose: The purpose of this preliminary study was to examine the perspectives of students from underrepresented backgrounds on the graduate school application process and identify ways to improve diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility in communication science and disorders. Method: A novel 15-item survey was used to solicit information about the experiences and perspectives of the graduate application process from 39 senior undergraduate students in a communication science and disorders program. Semistructured interviews were then conducted with seven students from underrepresented backgrounds to further explore perceived barriers to graduate applications and potential resources and supports. Results: Results demonstrated a variety of factors, including financial demands, Graduate Record Examinations requirements, and program location and prestige, that influenced student decision making during the application process. Students from underrepresented backgrounds reported applying to more programs on average but engaged in numerically fewer hours of research and practicum experiences than peers from majority backgrounds. The most significant barriers to the graduate application process included learning and mentorship challenges during COVID-19, limited experiential learning opportunities, and difficulties forming social connections. Departmental support, application assistance, and mentorship initiatives were highlighted as potential levers of change. Conclusions: Based on reported barriers to the graduate application process, more research is necessary to further investigate the extent these factors influence achievement, retention, and overall success of students from underrepresented backgrounds. Additional resources and supports, especially those recommended by students in this study, may serve as potential action steps to improve diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility in communication science and disorders programs. Supplemental Material: https://doi.org/10.23641/asha.23519058
      pubtype: Academic Journal
      doctype:
        research
        tables/charts
        Journal Article
      ougenre: Article
    language: English
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