by Stan Dublinske
A new Board of Directors (BOD)—reflecting the first major governance change in 38 years—opened the year's business in ASHA's new national office on Feb. 2–4. In keeping with a goal of the governance structure change—to open up communication for members—the Board discussed how to seek and respond to members and constituency groups regarding professional issues.
The BOD reviewed two new Web links: ASHA Resolution Form allows members to submit resolutions online, while Members...In Touch with ASHA allows members to contact the Board through an "In Touch" form. The communications plan also includes strategies to better respond to the Advisory Councils.
At the meeting, Arlene Pietranton, ASHA executive director, reviewed recent association highlights.
- ASHA successfully competed for a contract from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to review evidence and develop future directions for limiting loss to follow-up in universal newborn hearing screening programs. The final "deliverables" to CDC, due in September, will include a proposed plan to develop guidelines and the results of widespread peer review.
- Perspectives, the publications of the ASHA special interest divisions, will join ASHA Journals Online in March. Divisions 1 (Language Learning and Education), 3 (Voice and Voice Disorders), 4 (Fluency and Fluency Disorders), 7 (Aural Rehabilitation and Its Instrumentation), 9 (Hearing and Hearing Disorders in Childhood), 11 (Administration and Supervision), and 13 (Swallowing and Swallowing Disorders [Dysphagia]) will be the first to go online with their March issues.
- Membership in the special interest divisions has increased—at the end of 2007, division affiliates numbered 30,088, up from 25,949 at the end of 2006.
Outreach to Professional Associations
The 30th anniversary of the National Black Association for Speech-Language and Hearing (NBASLH) will be marked with a tour and reception at the new national office. The Board approved a motion to sponsor the event for participants attending the 2008 NBASLH Convention in the Washington, D.C., area.
As part of an outreach effort to student organizations, the BOD discussed a future meeting with representatives from the National Association of Future Doctors of Audiology and National Student Speech Language Hearing Association. The meeting is designed to explore how the groups can work collaboratively on projects, and how ASHA can support students in speech-language pathology and audiology.
The Board also reviewed a previously approved Leadership Development Program, a year-long program that seeks to encourage individuals with demonstrated leadership characteristics to apply these skills within ASHA. Participants receive information related to communication styles, problem-solving, decision-making, coaching, project management, strategic planning, and governance. In 2007, 104 applications were received and 18 ASHA members were slected to participate. In 2008, 110 nominations have been submitted; 20 will be selected.
Stan Dublinske, senior advisor for planning, can be reached at sdublinske@asha.org.