Doctorate in Audiology (Au.D.): NOAC

The School of Speech-Language Pathology and Audiology at The University of Akron and the Program of Speech Pathology and Audiology at Kent State University, in affiliation with the Cleveland Clinic Foundation, have united to provide a professional doctoral program, the Northeast Ohio Au.D. Consortium. NOAC is jointly administered by the two universities.

The University of Akron and Kent State University have been nationally recognized for their graduate audiology programs and are ideally suited to offer a collaborative professional doctorate. The collaborative nature of the Au.D. program merges the assets of these two strong audiology programs to form one unified professional doctoral degree program. This program has a close affiliation with the Cleveland Clinic Foundation, which is internationally recognized as providing excellent health care.

Fall Informational Meeting about NOAC program: November 10, 2023

Students interested in learning more about the Northeast Ohio AuD Consortium (NOAC) are invited to attend our Fall Virtual Open House scheduled for Friday, November 10, 2023, from 1 - 2 p.m. EST. A short presentation will be provided outlining how the consortium operates. Additionally, the Graduate Audiology Coordinators from Kent State University and the University of Akron will be available to answer specific questions about the admissions application process at both Universities.

The program faculty remain hopeful we will be able to hold our in-person visitation day scheduled for Friday, February 2, 2024.  NOAC Visitation Day allows applicants to visit our campuses and meet directly with all the NOAC faculty. Hope to see you at our upcoming informational event!

Access the Fall Virtual Open House

Important dates and contact information:

• Admissions deadline: December 15— Applicants should apply to Kent State University through the Communication Sciences and Disorders Centralized Application Service or CSDCAS. To access the system go to: https://portal.csdcas.org/
• Visitation Day (interviews and tour): First Friday in February. Invitations will be extended to students who have completed their applications by the December 15 deadline. For more information, please contact Dr. Erin Miller at elm@uakron.edu. 
• Dr. Forbes (mforbes4@kent.edu) is in the Audiology Graduate Coordinator and Clinic Coordinator at Kent State. Prospective students are invited to contact her for more information about the program or to arrange a campus visit.

View the Speech and Hearing Clinic Tour video below

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View the NOAC program video below

 

Invitation

At our annual NOAC campus visitation date, interested potential students will meet faculty and present students as well as tour facilities at The University of Akron, Kent State University and the Cleveland Clinic. If you want more information, please contact Dr. Erin Miller at elm@uakron.edu.

NOAC Mission Statement

The mission of the Northeast Ohio Au.D. Consortium is to be an innovative program of excellence that provides Ohio with a pool of independent and competent professional audiologists. To this end, the consortium seeks to: (1) Prepare audiologists through professional education and clinical training who can diagnose, manage and treat individuals with hearing and balance disorders; (2) Enhance service to the professional community through the leveraging of continuing education, mentoring, consulting and joint research; and (3) Provide for research and clinical service through entrepreneurship and external funding.

Accreditation

The Doctor of Audiology (Au. D.) education program in audiology at the Northeast Ohio Au. D. Consortium is accredited by the Council on Academic Accreditation in Audiology and Speech-Language Pathology of the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association, 2200 Research Boulevard, #310, Rockville, MD 20850, 800-498- 2071 or 301-296- 5700.

The Council on Academic Accreditation in Audiology and Speech-Language Pathology (CAA). 2200 Research Boulevard #310 Rockville, Maryland 20850 800-498-2071 or 301-296-5700.

See more at:  http://www.asha.org/academic/accreditation/accredmanual/section2c.htm

Please follow this link for Student Outcome Data

 

MEMBERS

The University of Akron
School of Speech-Language Pathology and Audiology

Kent State University
Speech Pathology and Audiology

Program Learning Outcomes

Program graduates will:

1. Demonstrate a broad-based knowledge of the foundations, theories, and application of audiology.
2. Demonstrate clinical competencies in the prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of hearing and balance disorders.
3. Demonstrate knowledge of research principles and their integration into evidence-based clinical practice in audiology.
4. Demonstrate knowledge and skills in the principles and practices of patient and family centered care.
5. Demonstrate knowledge of the ethical standards and conduct expected in the profession of audiology.

Placement Objectives for Graduates

A goal of the Northeast Ohio Au.D. Consortium is to educate students in all aspects of audiologic diagnosis and treatment. As such, graduates are prepared for placements in any type of audiology practice including hospital, clinic, private practice, school, or industrial settings.

Meeting the Needs of Ohio

There is a clear local, regional, and national need for audiologists. Employment for audiologists is expected to grow much faster than the average through the year 2024. This increased need for audiologists is expected since hearing loss and balance disorders are associated with aging, and there is a rapid growth in the population of individuals aged 55 and older due to the aging of the “baby boomer” generation. The need for audiologists is expected to increase by 29% by the year 2024 (Bureau of Labor Statistics, ”U.S. Department of Labor, Occupational Outlook Handbook,” 2016-17 Edition, Audiologists, visited April 27, 2016).

Ohio has a critical need for additional audiologists. Ohio’s elderly population currently ranks 7th nationally. Projections are that the elderly population in Ohio will increase to over 11.7 million people by 2025. Given the prevalence rate of hearing impairment (30% for age 65 and 70% for over age 80), significant need exists for additional audiologists. There are fewer than 30 certified audiologists employed in Ohio’s primary and secondary public schools to serve the thousands of children with periodic and/or permanent hearing problems. More audiologists are needed in Ohio’s public schools if children with hearing problems are to be identified and served properly. Universal hearing screening of all newborn infants is mandatory. Ohio currently ranks 7th nationally with nearly 140,000 births per year.

A goal of the Northeast Ohio Au.D. Consortium is to educate students in all aspects of audiologic diagnosis and treatment. As such, graduates are prepared for placements in any type of audiology practice including hospital, clinic, private practice, school, or industrial settings.

Program Licensure Disclosure

This program is designed to prepare students to apply for Audiology licensure in all 50 U.S. States.  If appropriate options are selected during your time in the program, you may also become eligible to apply for licensure as a P12 practitioner in the State of Ohio, as approved by the Ohio Department of Higher Education.

NOAC Strategic Plan

Vision Statement

We aspire to be the premier Doctor of Audiology program in the country with a reputation for excellence, innovation, and leadership in the education of students and in the generation, integration and dissemination of knowledge concerning audiology.

Goals and Strategies

Goal 1: Ensure student success by attracting outstanding students and providing excellence in didactic and clinical education.

Objectives:

• Increase the number of students admitted to NOAC at least 11 per university per year.
• Refine and update the NOAC curriculum on a continuing basis.

Strategies:

• Maintain an informative and current NOAC Web Site.
• Encourage prospective students to visit the NOAC institutions.
• Promote the program on the local, state, and national level.
• Review and update the curriculum on a continuing basis with extensive review once every five years.

Goal 2: Strengthen the collaborative nature of the consortium

Objectives:

• Enhance communication among NOAC faculty, students and preceptors.
• Improve joint admissions process.

Strategies:

• Insure that all NOAC students have access to both campuses and the services provided on each campus.
• Continue to inform upper administration of continuing successes in meeting criteria of excellence.
• Continue to benchmark with other Au.D. programs.
• Continue to develop and expand opportunities for collaboration with the Cleveland Clinic including pediatric assisting opportunities, observations through the Family Health Centers and journal clubs.
• Explore a joint application through the Communication Sciences and Disorders Centralized Application Service (CSDCAS) for joint admission to the NOAC program.

Goal 3: Enhance and expand partnerships with the professional community

Objectives:

• Increase the number and variety of external training sites for students including 3rd and 4th year sites.
• Engage in more collaborative activities with affiliated external sites.

Strategies:

• Enhance, acknowledge and reward relationships with external sites by providing CEU events.
• Obtain additional funding for students to work and support research in hearing, noise and balance at the Northeast Ohio Medical University.

Goal 4: Improve community well-being by providing exemplary audiologic services to the public of Northeast Ohio

Objectives:

• Continue to provide diagnostic and treatment services for individuals with hearing, tinnitus and balance problems including specialized clinics for amplification, auditory processing disorders, tinnitus, balance, and hearing assistive technology.
• Serve as a resource for solving community problems related to hearing impairment, balance, and hearing loss prevention.

Strategies:

• Provide resources and support for community use of Hearing Assistive Technology.
• Provide noise measurements and audiology consultation services.
• Partner with community agencies in providing hearing and balance diagnostic and treatment services.

Goal 5: Enhance consortium resources

Objectives:

• Increase the amount of external funding provided to the consortium

Strategies:

• Identify potential sources of funding from individuals, corporations, and foundations.
• Work with the offices of development to increase the amount of donations from individual, corporate, and foundation donors.

Assessment Timeline:

This strategic plan will be evaluated over the next five years. Data concerning each goal will be collected and assessed annually.

Rev. 06.16

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