Harding University has offered academic coursework in communication sciences and disorders since 1953, when Richard Walker introduced “speech therapy services” to Searcy.
This year marks the 60th year of the program.
There are three main events planned for the 60th anniversary. The first is a reception on Sept. 20 at 10 a.m.in the Health Sciences building. All CSD undergraduate and graduate students as well as Harding faculty, staff and guests are invited to the reception.
On Friday, Oct. 25, there will be a CSD chapel and an open house with displays about the program through the years.
On Friday, March 21, Julie Masterson from Missouri State University will be speaking on “Spelling, Reading, and Writing: Putting the Pieces of the Literacy Puzzle Together.”
Dan Tullos has been a part of the speech therapy program since graduating in 1979 and now serves as program director and chair. In the 60 years since, the program has evolved through many changes.
“When thinking in light of where this program has come from, starting in the third floor of the administration building, it has been remarkable,” Tullos said. “We had a tiny little room up there with a big audiometric suite and we just crammed in speech therapy.”
Tullos said the program then moved to the back to the Ganus student center where the old radio station, bookstore and supply area used to be.
“It had dark paneling, tiny rooms and incandescent lighting,” Tullos said. “It felt like you were in a dark scary cave.”
The speech therapy program had one more destination before moving into the new Health Science building: the Reynolds Communications building. Jan Traughber began supervising at Harding in 2007 and began serving as the director of clinical services in July of 2012. Traughber said the students and the moments she has with them make this program the way it is.
“I find moments frequently throughout the week (when) I get to watch them in class (have) that ‘aha’ moment of what we have been teaching them comes to life,” Traughber said. “Or when they are in clinic and they finally see their efforts paying off in the positive compression of skills in their client.”
Tullos said he is excited for the celebration.
“I often feel that the Communication Sciences and Disorders Program receives little attention,” Tullos said. “There are very few speech-language pathology and/or audiology programs in the country that have been around for 60 years … This celebration gives us an opportunity to highlight our history and role in Harding’s past.”
