A Message to Programs

The CAA thanks you for your continued patience and for providing comments and asking questions about the changes in the higher education landscape. The CAA recently approved a revised version of Standard 3.4 A/B to be fielded for peer comment. The following is context for the proposed revisions so that you can make informed decisions when submitting your comments.

Since the beginning of January, the CAA has closely monitored the (a) Executive Orders* from the current federal administration, (b) communications [PDF] from the Department of Education, and (c) state legislation regarding eliminating diversity, equity, and inclusion from higher education and the impact that it has on accredited programs as it relates to Standard 3.4 A/B. These Executive Orders and legislations have largely been tied to faculty hiring, student admissions, and Title IV federal financial aid funding, which are mostly outside of the CAA’s scope as a programmatic accreditor. The CAA’s primary goal is to ensure that graduate academic programs provide academic and clinical opportunities for students to be prepared to enter the fields of audiology and speech-language pathology.

Concerned programs have stated that in order to comply with state laws and regulations, some institutions are now requiring the removal of any reference to diversity, equity, and inclusion from course titles and content.

The CAA is focused on ensuring that all accredited programs can equitably meet the required standards to maintain their accreditation, regardless of where the program is located. Since Standard 3.4 A/B is directly related to diversity, equity, and inclusion in terms of providing patient care, the CAA has reviewed the intent of the standard and confirms that the intent of the standard has not changed; programs must provide educational and clinical opportunities so that students learn to provide individualized person- and family-centered care to any client who comes into their clinical space.

Standard 3.4 A/B Revisions

Due to the challenges facing programs, the CAA has voted to send forward the following for peer review revisions to Standard 3.4 A/B:

Standard 3.4 A/B: An effective audiology/ speech-language pathology program is organized and delivered in such a manner that the tenets of person- and family-centered care are reflected in the program, consistent with recognized standards of ethical practice and in accordance with applicable state and federal laws.

Requirement for Review:

• The program must provide evidence that the tenets of person- and family-centered care are taught in didactic coursework.
• The program must provide evidence that the tenets of person- and family-centered care are modeled throughout the clinical practicum experiences.

CAA Peer Comment Survey

The CAA's peer comment survey is open May 20–June 10, 2025. To participate:

• Carefully review the survey and the language of the proposed edits to Standard 3.4 A/B.
• Provide comment as to whether the revised language captures the intent of the standard and allows programs to meet the standard without violating state or federal law.

Note: The CAA’s definition of “person- and family-centered care” will be included with the survey.

The CAA appreciates your time and honest comments about the proposed changes. If you have any questions about submitting comments, please contact accreditation@asha.org.

*Executive Orders

The CAA has been tracking the following Executive Orders and their impacts on accreditation and higher education:

• Ending Radical and Wasteful Government DEI Programs and Preferencing – January 20, 2025
• Ending Illegal Discrimination and Restoring DEI Programs and Preferencing – January 20, 2025
• Improving Education Outcomes by Empowering Parents, States, and Communities – March 20, 2025
• Reforming Accreditation to Strenghten Higher Education – April 23, 2025