INSIDE THE SCHOOL OF GRADUATE STUDIES
Welcome to the first edition of the School of Graduate Studies newsletter
For 25 years, Elmhurst University has awarded graduate degrees and certificates. Currently, there are over 600 graduate students enrolled in over 20 graduate programs and certificates. Through this newsletter, we aim to connect members of our community through stories and updates from our engaged faculty, alumni and students. See what meaningful projects our students and faculty members are part of and see how you can join us at some upcoming campus events.
PROGRAM UPDATES AND NOTES
ALPFA Partnership
The Elmhurst University MBA Program and the Association of Latino Professionals for America (ALPFA) have partnered to help reflect the shifting demographic of the United States.
The mission of ALPFA is to empower and develop Latino men and women as leaders of character for the nation, in every sector of the global economy. We believe ALPFA members can help to achieve its mission by providing members a business focused graduate level experience. The partnership also allows the MBA Program an opportunity to create a classroom experience that enriches the experiential-based cohort model, elevating academic and career readiness.
SCHOOL OF GRADUATE STUDIES BY THE NUMBERS
GRADUATE PROGRAMS IN 1998 5
GRADUATE PROGRAMS TODAY 20+
The graduate programs from the departments of Communication Sciences and Disorders, Occupational Therapy, and Special Education were awarded a competitive, 5-year federal grant (2023-2028) from the Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services, U.S. Department of Education to address needs for highly qualified bilingual/multilingual professionals working in Illinois schools. The Excellence in Multilingual Personnel in Illinois Schools (EXCEMPILS) training project grant provides financial support to graduate students in speechlanguage pathology, occupational therapy, and special education as they pursue specialized academic, clinical, research, and leadership training. EXCEMPILS scholars will complete enhanced coursework related to evidence-based, culturally and linguistic responsive services to school-age bilingual/multilingual learners with disabilities, participate in specialized fieldwork or clinical practicum experiences with school-age bilingual/multilingual learners with disabilities, complete a research project on a topic related to schoolage bilingual/multilingual learners with disabilities, and engage in monthly interdisciplinary meetings with a variety of hands-on learning experiences.
“There is a well-documented problem of misidentification of minoritized children with disabilities. Both over- and underidentification of children for special education diminishes their educational quality and long-term outcomes. The severe shortage of fully qualified and diversified multilingual personnel is one factor perpetuating this problem. The EXCEMPILS project will address critical shortages and prepare multilingual scholars who are fully qualified to provide needed interdisciplinary services to identify, promote high expectations, and improve outcomes for children with disabilities in Illinois schools.”
- Brenda Gorman, Project Director
“Developing
successful
multidisciplinary
practitioners who understand the depth and breadth of working with diverse clients who require an understanding of an inclusive healthcare environment is vital to positive outcomes.”
- Liz Wanka, Co-Director
“This grant will help support graduate students in speech-language pathology, occupational therapy, and special education as they learn how to improve therapeutic services and education for diverse students with multifaceted needs, a critically underserved population in our state.”
- Jenna Kremkow, Co-Director
"The EXCEMPILS scholarship is a unique opportunity for multilingual graduate students in special education to support multilingual students who receive special education services in schools. Through monthly professional development with professors and their peers in speech language pathology and occupational therapy, special education graduate students will develop a situated understanding of the whole multilingual child and provide an integrated service plan."
- Beverly Troiano, Co-Director
MOT UPDATES
During the past year, we completed our re-accreditation self-study and our on-campus visit by the American Council for Occupational Therapy Education (ACOTE). As a result, the Elmhurst Master of Occupational Therapy (MOT) Program received an award for a 10-year re-accreditation. Another outstanding outcome is a 100% pass rate, since the inception of our program Congratulation to our strong alums! As we progress with the promise of a new building for the School Health Sciences, we move forward with the notion of continual interprofessional collaboration. As we move toward greater collaboration, we are proud to be awarded the EXCEMPLIS grant with CSD and special education. The success of the MOT program is due to the collaboration between our current students, past alums, community partners, interprofessional and intraprofessional collaborators, and dedicated faculty.
