The primary purpose of this research is to gain insight into undergraduate CSD student perspectives on representation of a range of populations in their course materials and content at UW-Eau Claire. We are aiming to understand undergraduate CSD students' familiarity with individual variability in communication and how diverse human experiences are presented in academic coursework. CSD students were surveyed about academic experiences across content areas of the field, rating their familiarity with how cultural differences can affect communication, cognition, and swallowing for the individuals we serve. Preliminary results indicate a relative lack of familiarity with swallowing disorders (i.e., dysphagia) vs other content areas, as well as greater familiarity with individual variability and cultural differences across content areas for students who were near the end of their academic career (e.g., seniors). Quantitative and qualitative data about student perspectives will be discussed.
