Additional Information About the Program
Graduates are eligible for certification by the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA) and New York State (NYS) licensure. Additionally, students will be eligible for teaching licensure through completing the MS-SLP degree and other requirements for the Pathway: NYS Professional License and Process to Work in K-12 Schools.
Students are recommended to complete the standardized Praxis exam by the end of the program. Though students can graduate without completing the exam, Certification and most state licensing agencies will require successful Praxis exam scores.
Program Policies
Binghamton University’s Division of Speech and Language Pathology (SLP) maintains a comprehensive set of policies covering administrative, academic, clinical, and conduct standards. These policies are governed by the university, the Decker College of Nursing and Health Sciences, and professional standards set by the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA).
Additionally, the Academic Policies and Procedures for Graduate Students is an invaluable resource to be referenced and reviewed by all Binghamton University Graduate School students. It provides comprehensive information on Graduate School programs of study and outlines all University policies and procedures to be followed as an enrolled student of the Graduate School at Binghamton University.
Academic Progression and Standing Policy
Students must successfully complete all Speech and Language Pathology Master’s coursework specified in the degree curriculum requirements for their year of matriculation.
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Master’s SLP students must achieve a grade of 80% (B-) or above on each course.
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Master’s SLP students who earn a grade of B- or lower in a graduate course may repeat the course only once; students must obtain written approval from the Program Director and subsequent approval from Binghamton University’s Graduate School. Due to the program’s cohort-based sequencing, repeating a course may delay graduation.
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A graduate student whose cumulative GPA falls below 3.0 is placed on academic probation according to Binghamton University’s Graduate School policy. With written approval from the Program Director, the student may continue enrollment on a probationary status and must meet with the Program Director at the beginning of the semester to establish a plan for return to satisfactory academic standing. Graduate students on academic probation are expected to engage in structured academic advisement and progress monitoring, including seeking timely consultation with faculty advisors to improve their performance and return to satisfactory academic standing.
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A leave of absence is granted only under exceptional circumstances (for example, prolonged illness or significant personal hardship) and requires formal approval through Binghamton University’s Graduate School. Leaves are typically granted for 6 months, with the possibility of one additional 6-month extension (for a maximum of 1 year). Due to the program’s cohort-based academic sequencing, graduation delays may occur following a leave of absence. Requests should be submitted at least 1 month prior to the affected semester, using the Graduate School’s Request for Leave of Absence form.
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Per the Graduate School Policy, an Incomplete (I) grade may be assigned only when a student has satisfactorily completed the majority of coursework, but is unable to complete the remaining requirements due to unforeseen circumstances beyond the student’s control. An Incomplete may not be used to convert a failing grade or unsatisfactory work to a passing grade and must be resolved within the University’s 6-month grace period (or sooner if an earlier deadline has been established as part of the completion).
Human Subjects Review Guidelines
All research and capstone projects involving human subjects must be reviewed and approved prior to initiating any research or project. All research activities involving human subjects must be evaluated by the Human Subjects Research Review Committee using the Preaward and Compliance System (PACS). The level of the review (exempt, expedited or full review) depends on the type of research needed for the particular study or project. All students will need to complete the Collaborative IRB Training Initiative (IRB) before engaging in research. Students will complete this training as a part of their research course (SLP 565).
Violation of Professional Standards Policy
Per the Division of Speech and Language Pathology’s mission to develop competent and compassionate speech and language pathologists, the Violation of Professional Standards (VPS) policy requires students to abide by the following rules and regulations while enrolled in the program:
A violation may be issued by faculty or clinical supervisors any time a student is not compliant with the bulleted items above.
Records of violations are tracked and recorded internally. Immediately following a violation, the VPS report will be completed and submitted by the issuer of the violation. Once a VPS is reported, the student will receive the following to his/her/their official Binghamton University email:
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Description of the violation
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Consequences
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Required remediation instructions, if necessary
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Instructions for submitting comments, acknowledgment of receipt of the VPS letter
Faculty or administration may require remediation to address the VPS. A student who successfully completes the required remediation may be allowed to continue in the program. If remediation is required, failure to successfully complete the assigned remediation(s) will result in more severe consequences (and may include immediate dismissal). Additional guidance pertaining to clinical performance can be found in the Clinical Action Plan Policy.
Despite remediation:
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Three violations in one course will result in course failure.
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Five cumulative violations will result in dismissal from Decker College.
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A single incident determined to have produced serious actual/potential harm may also result in dismissal.
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Violations of federal, state and/or local laws will result in a report to law enforcement.
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Violations of affiliating agency policies and procedures may result in termination of privileges at the clinical site.
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Direct questions about this policy to the program director.
Dismissal from the program due to a VPS is final and may be recorded on the student’s official Binghamton University transcript.
A student may initiate the Decker College Grievance Policy as a formal appeal process.
Direct questions about this policy to the Program Director.
Clinical Action Plan Policy
Any student whose clinical performance is below the expectations in the syllabus for a clinical practicum or internship, will be given a structured and individualized clinical performance action plan. The student must meet the stated goals and objectives of a clinical action plan in order to pass the practicum or internship.
All clinical placements are at the sole discretion of the Division of Speech and Language Pathology administration. MS-SLP graduate students may be removed from a clinical site if there are serious academic, clinical, professional, ethical, or safety concerns.
Grievance Policy
The Decker College of Nursing and Health Sciences Grievance Policy applies across all Decker College divisions and schools. It includes all Decker College courses, including those cross-listed with other programs/schools that have a Decker College faculty member as the primary instructor.
View the Decker College Appeals Process for Academic Honesty and Grievance Decisions.
Incident Reporting Policy
An incident is defined as any unusual occurrence, with or without injury, that interferes with the functioning of the system or the patient (e.g., patient fall or injury, incorrect procedure, exposure to blood and/or body fluids).
Procedure for reporting incidents:
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The student will report the incident promptly to the instructor. If the instructor is not immediately available to the student or there is any evidence of immediate danger for the patient or others, report the incident immediately to the supervisor of the unit, agency or system where the incident occurred (e.g. Rehab Services Supervisor, School Principal). Proceed to notify the instructor subsequent to the above action.
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The student, together with the instructor, will complete an incident report (agency form) as soon as possible following the incident. If the event occurs at the on campus clinic, the Decker Incident Report form will fill this purpose. Both the student and instructor will sign the form and forward it to the supervisor within the system. Incidents involving patients where there is real or potential injury or untoward effects must be communicated to the attending physician. The decision as to who will communicate with the physician is usually jointly determined by the supervisor in the agency and the instructor. Most often, it is the student with the guidance and support of the instructor. Should the student be questioned about the incident by the agency staff or any other party after the initial reporting process, the student should decline to respond until the instructor is present.
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Incidents involving a student and patient occurring at an external clinical site during an affiliation, must also be reported immediately to the instructor of record and the Program Director. In addition to completing a Division of SLP Incident Report form, a University Accident or Injury Reporting form (CS-13 form) must be filed with the University’s Environmental Health and Safety Office within three days of the incident.
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In most situations, agency incident reports cannot be photocopied; therefore, the student and instructor will need to write a narrative description of the incident. The description should be sufficiently detailed so as to clearly describe what occurred. A copy of this report should be forwarded directly to the Program Director. The report is a confidential document and will be kept in a locked file. It will not become a part of the student’s permanent file.
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In situations where the agency does not view the situation as a reportable incident but faculty/student believe it to be an unusual occurrence, a narrative report must be completed and forwarded as described under #4 above.
Finally, incidents that threaten the safety of the patients, students or staff in an agency are reportable to the New York State Department of Health within 24 hours of occurrence. This reporting is the responsibility of the agency in most situations. Each agency will have a policy for such reporting that defines reportable and nonreportable incidents.
Attendance and Transportation Policy
Attendance
The Division of Speech and Language Pathology adheres to the attendance policy outlined in the Binghamton University Academic Guide for all classes and laboratory experiences.
Clinical cancellations: The instructor of record or clinical supervisor will communicate all clinical cancellations due to weather or other reasons.
Clinical absence: The Division of Speech and Language Pathology expects students to attend all scheduled academic and clinical obligations. Attendance is essential to meeting course objectives and developing required competencies. In the event of an unavoidable absence, including unexpected circumstances or religious observances, students are expected to communicate with the appropriate faculty member or clinical supervisor no later than the scheduled start time. Unapproved absences or the refusal of a clinical assignment may impact a student’s grade and/or delay graduation.
Transportation
Students are responsible for their own transportation to and from all scheduled academic and clinical obligations. Local clinical assignments may require a commute of up to 150 miles from Binghamton University’s Health Sciences Campus. Student placements are determined by the availability of assigned practicum sites. These placements may remain within the local region or be located at non-local facilities. While students may provide preferred location requests, placement at a specific preferred location is not guaranteed and is dependent upon affiliation agreements, supervisor availability, student eligibility, and clinical hour requirements.
Equal Opportunity and Fair Treatment
The Decker College of Nursing and Health Sciences is committed to the principle of equal opportunity. The Division of Speech and Language Pathology is committed to nondiscrimination and the equitable treatment of clients and families served in our clinics, applicants and students in our program, and departmental faculty and staff.
It is the policy of the Division of Speech and Language Pathology, and Binghamton University policy, to comply with the law regarding equal employment opportunity for all qualified persons so as to prohibit unlawful discrimination against persons because of race, gender, sexual orientation, pregnancy, color, marital status, veteran status, religion, age, disability, handicap, national origin or ancestry in its employment policies and its education and admissions programs as required by Title IX of the Educational Amendments of 1972, section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, the Age Discrimination Act, the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, or any other classification protected under state or federal law or city ordinance.
Any concerns regarding discrimination should be directed to the Program Director and/or the Binghamton University of Office of Affirmative Action, Equal Opportunity and Diversity.
Knowledge and Skills
Graduate students in the Division of Speech and Language Pathology will be expected to meet all knowledge and skill competencies required for certification by the Council for Clinical Certification (CFCC) of the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA). The 2020 Standards and Implementation Procedures for the Certification of Clinical Competency in Speech-Language Pathology can be found at the ASHA website.
Code of Ethics
The ASHA Code of Ethics is a framework and focused guide for professionals in support of day-to-day decision-making related to professional conduct. These principles will be discussed through academic courses as well as clinical practicum. Students are responsible for understanding and adhering to these ethical standards throughout their graduate educational process. Any violation or inability to meet the spirit of this code is considered unethical and will have negative consequences on academic as well as clinical performance.
For more information on the Speech-Language Pathology, program, please refer to the program page. To apply to the program, please visit the University Admissions website.
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