WSU Student Speech-Language-Hearing Association (WSUSSLHA)
WSUSSLHA Officers
and CSD department chair celebrate 2024 WSU Commencement!
***WSUSSLHA achieved NSSLHA Bronze Honors in 2024***
MEMBERSHIP FORM
Are you ready to join your peers in the official WSU student organization for speech-language-hearing
students?
There are a few ways to join and pay for your WSUSSLHA membership. First, fill out
the online membership form below:
Payment Options
Option 1: Credit/debit card payments are accepted via the Online WSUSSLHA Store
Then email your completed membership form to: wsusslha@wichita.edu
Email receipts are sent to you and auto-copied to WSUSSLHA.
Option 2: Bring or mail completed form and cash/check/MO payments to the CSD office in AH
401 or give to a WSUSSLHA Officer for processing.
MEETINGS
General membership meetings are typically held once/twice montly on Monday late afternoon or evenings (contact an officer for further details).
FALL 2024 meetings
9/3 ICE CREAM SOCIAL/DR PARHAM
9/17 GENERAL MEETING/NSSLHA INTRO
10/1 SLP GRADUTE PANEL
10/29 AUD GRADUATE PANEL
11/12 SLP/AUD GUEST SPEAKERS
11/26 XMAS CARDS/TEACHER GIFTS
12/7 FINALS STUDY DAY
SPRING 2025 meetings
TBA
WSUSSLHA NEWS AND EVENTS
Officers and advisors at Autism Acceptance Night
Wichita Thunder hockey game 2024
Feel free to follow the Wichita State University Communication Sciences and Disorders Facebook page for more news and event photos!
Additionally, our members can submit a request to join the WSUSSLHA private Facebook group. Please contact one of the Officers if you have any questions.
You can also follow WSUSSLHA on our Instagram account - take a look!
EVENTS
For event information, please contact WSUSSLHA Officers for details.
Some dates are not finalized as of yet (TBD below) - but listed so you can see some
of the activities that may be planned each year.
Fall 2024 Events
AUGUST
WSUSSHLA Ice Cream Social
SEPTEMBER
TBD
OCTOBER
Walk for Apraxia
Parade of Stars
Trunk or Treat
Student Advocacy Day
CHP Spooktacular
NOVEMBER
WSU Health Professions Souper Bowl
Ronald McDonald House
Spring 2025
Below is previous information from Spring 2024- new 2025 info will be posted as it's known.
JANUARY
WSUSSLHA Spring Celebration
TBA
Come-and-go event with snacks, fun and games, and welcoming new members. CSD faculty/staff
invited!
Then students will have their regular business meeting afterward.
FEBRUARY
Champions of Literacy
MARCH
Audiologist Guest Speaker
Barnes and Noble Book Fundraiser
Our annual book fundraiser for clinic!
WAS:
Saturday, March 23, 2024
11:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.
Barnes & Noble
1920 N Rock Rd, Wichita, KS 67206
Book purchase proceeds benefit the
Evelyn Hendren Cassat Speech-Language-Hearing Clinic
WSUSSLHA Chipotle Fundraiser - Wed. from 5-9pm
APRIL
Neurodiversity Week
Autism Awareness event
Wichita Thunder hockey game
ASD Hockey Game at 6pm - more to come!
MAY
"Better Hearing & Speech" month
Celebrate all May!
CSD Graduate Hooding and Awards Event
WSU Eugene Hughes Metropolitan Complex
WSU Commencement
Fall: December
Spring: May
WSUSSLHA Officers and Membership Information
2025 AY WSUSSLHA Officers
President: Shelby Fernandez sxfernandez@shockers.wichita.edu
Vice President: Azeneth Ramos-Bencomo axramos-bencomo@shockers.wichita.edu
Secretary: Jasmine Martin jvmartin1@shockers.wichita.edu
Treasurer: Mona Jesri majesri@shockers.wichita.edu
Social Chair: Riley Goodson rxgoodson@shockers.wichita.edu
NSSLHA Rep: Alexis Newman arnewman@shockers.wichita.edu
AuD Rep: Wendy Hernandez wxhernandez@shockers.wichita.edu
SLP Rep: Bryonna Hawk bmhawk@shockers.wichita.edu
General Information and Membership Details
- What is WSUSSLHA?
- What benefits do I receive as a member of WSUSSLHA?
- How do I join WSUSSLHA?
- What is NSSLHA?
- Master's Graduates or Doctoral Candidates Information on the NSSLHA-to-ASHA Conversion Program
- What benefits do I receive as a member of NSSLHA at the national level?
What is WSUSSLHA?
The Wichita State University Student Speech-Language-Hearing Association (WSUSSLHA) is a student organization open to all WSU students. WSUSSLHA encourages professional interest among all students in the study of both normal and disordered human communication. It also provides a vehicle for student representation in matters of professional concern.
WSUSSLHA is a local chapter of the National Student Speech-Language-Hearing Association (NSSLHA), a pre-professional organization for undergraduate and graduate students in speech language pathology and audiology. This organization promotes departmental and community involvement as well as opportunities for national membership and participation. NSSLHA is the student branch of the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA), which is the national professional organization for this field.
Social events sponsored by WSUSSLHA include the Faculty/Student "Back-to-School" picnic and the Winter Holiday party. WSUSSLHA serves as a service organization by hosting guest speakers from non-profit organizations and donating both time and money to special events throughout the year.
What benefits do I receive as a member of WSUSSLHA?
- Develop an understanding of the transition from student to professional
- Student representation in matters of professional concern
- Professional growth opportunities
- Develop leadership skills
- Organize social or community activities
- Promote the profession
- Copy machine use in the Clinic student workroom
- WSUSSLHA assists student members who wish to attend ASHA
Students may join WSUSSLHA at any time by submitting a completed membership form, along with the dues payment, to the WSUSSLHA Treasurer. Payments may be dropped off at the CSD Office in 401 Ahlberg Hall, or the WSU Speech-Language-Hearing Clinic (Hughes Metropolitan Complex, entrance T).
Membership dues are $15.00 for one (1) year or $25 for two (2) years. For those who initially join in the Spring semester, the fall renewal rate will be
prorated to $7.00 for the first year of membership. Form is available at top of webpage
or you can pick one up at either the CSD academic or clinic offices.
- Founded in 1972, the National Student Speech-Language Hearing Association (NSSLHA) is the national organization for graduate and undergraduate students interested in the study of normal & disordered human communication.
- NSSLHA is the only official national student association recognized by the American Speech Language Hearing Association (ASHA).
- NSSLHA has approximately 11,000 members with chapters in more than 301 colleges & universities.
- NSSLHA membership is available to any part- or full-time, graduate or undergraduate student interested in the study of communication disorders.
- Students pursuing academic study as speech-language pathology assistants, students pursuing a doctorate of philosophy or doctorate of audiology, and students enrolled in a CSD program outside of the United States can be members of national NSSLHA.
Master's Graduates or Doctoral Candidates Information on the NSSLHA-to-ASHA Conversion Program and Discount
- What exactly is the NSSLHA-to-ASHA Conversion Discount?
The NSSLHA-to-ASHA Conversion Discount provides a reduction in the initial membership and certification fees for students when they transfer their membership to ASHA. - How will I know if I qualify for the conversion program discount?
To qualify for the conversion program discount a student must have paid national membership dues to NSSLHA for two consecutive years at the time of graduation from a master's program. - What constitutes two consecutive years of national membership?
If a student is graduating from a master's or doctoral program in 2015, for example, that student must have paid national membership dues in 2014 and in 2015 to qualify for the conversion program discount.
This discount is NOT available to students who are members of the local chapter only (WSUSSLHA). A student must have paid national (NSSLHA) membership dues ($45/annually) to receive this discount. - How much of a discount will I receive?
Students that qualify for the NSSLHA-to-ASHA Conversion Program Discount receive a $150.00 savings off the initial fee of $486.00 for membership and certification in ASHA. - When is the best time to convert membership from NSSLHA to ASHA?
NSSLHA members are advised to apply for ASHA membership and certification by the August 31 deadline to ensure that they will receive the conversion program discount. If a student waits until September 1 or later, he/she will lose the discount and will have to pay the recent graduate conversion rate.
What benefits do I receive as a member of NSSLHA at the national level?
Involvement in NSSLHA leads to a fuller appreciation of the professions of audiology and speech-language pathology and a greater awareness to the issues affecting these fields. As a member of NSSLHA, a student will receive:
- Two issues of Contemporary Issues in Communication Science and Disorders (CICSD), a NSSLHA publication.
- Three issues of NSSLHA's newsletter, NSSLHA Now!
- A print subscription to The ASHA Leader.
- A print subscription to your choice of one of the following ASHA journals: American Journal of Audiology; American Journal of Speech Language Pathology; Journal of Speech, Language, and Hearing Research; or Language, Speech, and Hearing Services in Schools.
- Access to the "members only" areas of the NSSLHA and ASHA Web sites, which include all ASHA journals, ASHA's Literature Review Service, and convenient membership dues renewal.
- A reduced registration fee for the ASHA convention.
- Discounted Associate Affiliate membership in ASHA's Special Interest Divisions.
- Discounts on the purchase or lease of a new car from Subaru of America.
- Discounts on ASHA or NSSLHA products and publications.
- Technical assistance and resources from ASHA.
- A NSSLHA credit card with no annual fee for the first year (approved application required).
- Professional liability, medical, and dental insurance through plans available exclusively to NSSLHA members.
- Eligibility for the NSSLHA to ASHA Conversion Program Discount, which represents a significant savings on dues and fees for your first year of ASHA membership and certification
Committees
Want to get involved? Contact any officer about joining the following committees.
Graduation Reception
Members work on planning the annual graduation event in May. There is a lot of room
for creativity.
Social Events
Members plan informal social get-togethers on a monthly basis, and also work on annual
events like the picnic, baseball party, etc. There is plenty of room for creativity
and new ideas.
Welcome Committee
This committee is something new we want to try as a way to connect our undergraduate
and graduate members. We have many new ideas on how this could be accomplished, including
a "mentor-mentee" program for grads and undergrads. This committee will do most of
their work during the summer in order to get ready for the fall.
Fundraising
We are always looking for ways to earn money for our organization to support things
like ASHA trips for members. Members of this committee will brainstorm, plan, and
help execute fundraisers to be done throughout the year (probably one a semester.)
Convocation
This committee will be in charge of planning and doing the Convocation Banner for
WSU's Convocation, which is right after school year begins in the fall. The majority
of the planning/design will take place during the summer. WSUSSLHA has an impressive
past as doing very well in the competition (we won last year), so we want to maintain
that presence!
Faculty Advisors
Karissa Marble-Flint, PhD
316-978-6356
Karissa.Marble-Flint@wichita.edu
Terese Conrad, MA
316-978-3397
Terese.Conrad@wichita.edu