Students relocate their studies to the new Speech-Language and Hearing Clinic

The recently renovated Speech-Language and Hearing Clinic held a ribbon cutting ceremony and open house on March 4, where members of the USD and Vermillion community could check out the new space.

The clinic officially opened for classes and operations on Jan. 10 inside the McKusick Technology Center. Prior to this, the clinic was housed in Noteboom Hall where they had been since the mid-60s.

With the new space, the Speech-Language and Hearing team have been able to add microphones and cameras to the clinic rooms which helps streamline the supervising and teaching process.

“It allows a lot of flexibility when you’re supervising,” associate professor and speech pathologist Mandy Williams said. “Before, we had to go down and look through a mirror and then go upstairs to the second floor where there’s another session going on, so it just makes it much more efficient (to have the cameras and microphones).”

Along with the updates to the clinical rooms, the newly renovated building also provides a student space where students can gather to do homework or relax between classes. Graduate student Elizabeth Woods said this student space has been a lifesaver during her long days on campus.

“I am from Canton, SD…and I actually commute for grad school, so I drive every day down here which is why it is super nice to have a space like this…because I don’t have a room to go back to or roommates to hang out with, so now my classmates are always here and there’s always someone to hang out with,” Woods said.

The old space in Noteboom Hall was comprised of four floors and Woods said it was difficult to find and communicate with her professors when she needed them. Now, the Speech-Language and Hearing Clinic is housed all in the same space and has made student/faculty accessibility easier.

“I think it’s super awesome that even if we don’t have certain professors in class, we are still able to meet them in the new space because they’re the ones who are teaching us how to treat future patients and to become the professionals that we are. That’s a blessing,” Woods said. “It’s night and day from our old building…It just feels like a more professional space.”

Since the space is fairly new, Williams said they are sure to continue experiencing more positive effects the new clinic will have on both the students and community it serves. 

Chair of the communication sciences and disorders department Lindsey Jorgensen said the new space has made their jobs of teaching students and helping the community an easier feat.

“I really think we provide a phenomenal service to the community, and now we have a space that can shine to provide those services. However, our really big focus here is not just providing those services, but we are also a clinical education center. So this new center really allows us to meld those services that we provide to the community with the importance of that clinical education,” Jorgensen said.