MM107 - Partners in Building Better Audiologist: Leveraging Advisory Boards to Drive Quality in AuD Education

Abstract: The rapidly changing health service marketplace has created challenges and changes to traditional approaches in clinical education. Effective quality assurance mechanisms are critical to ensuring clinical education aligns with professional competencies, accreditation standards, and evolving workforce demands. There is limited literature describing the establishment, structure, and measurable benefits of advisory boards within Doctor of Audiology programs. The purpose of this project was to use evidence-based strategies to develop and implement a program advisory board within a Doctor of Audiology program. The advisory board was created to strengthen quality assurance, revitalize community partnerships, enhance clinical education, and advance programmatic improvement.

Summary: Doctor of Audiology (AuD) programs are responsible for academically and clinically preparing future professional to meet the healthcare needs of diverse populations in a constantly evolving and challenging healthcare landscape. The rapidly changing health service marketplace has created challenges and changes to traditional approaches in clinical education of all allied health professionals (Mclaughlin et al., 2019). Effective quality assurance mechanisms are critical to ensuring clinical education aligns with professional competencies, accreditation standards, and evolving healthcare workforce demands (Taylor et al., 2010). In other higher education disciplines, such as industry, communication, and business colleges, the successful implementation of program advisory boards has proven to enhance quality assurance by strengthening community partnerships, increasing program funding, providing unique insight to curricula updates, enhanced student mentorship, and increased student job placement (Rose & Stiefer 2013). Despite these successes, there is limited literature describing the establishment, structure, and measurable benefits of advisory boards within both allied health and Doctor of Audiology programs.

Purpose: The purpose of this project was to use a multistep phased approach using evidence-based strategies to develop and implement a program advisory board within a Doctor of Audiology program. The advisory board was created to strengthen quality assurance, revitalize community partnerships, enhance clinical education, and advance programmatic improvement.

Methods: Our program developed an audiology program advisory board in 2024 composed of clinical educators, alumni, community partners, and employers. Board membership was intentionally structured to represent the diverse professional settings in which graduates practice and to obtain insight from individuals that are emersed in the consistently transitory healthcare landscape. The board meets twice annually to review program outcomes, student competencies, clinical practicum feedback, and to provide structured input on curricular alignment, emerging professional trends, and workforce expectations. Data from board discussions and meeting minutes are analyzed to identify themes and guide continuous programmatic improvement initiatives.

Results: Since the board’s establishment, the program has documented measurable improvements in stakeholder communication, clinical educator engagement, and curricular planning. Advisory board guidance informed the audiology program faculty of expectations regarding clinical readiness benchmarks, the design of competency-based assessments, and the development of targeted clinical educator support resources. Feedback also identified gaps between academic instruction and clinical expectations in key competency areas, prompting integration of additional case-based experiences early in the curriculum. Qualitative feedback from board members highlights increased trust, transparency, and collaboration between the university and clinical partners, while our second phase of development will focus on student performance data to measure improved preparedness during off-campus placements.

Conclusion: The development of a program advisory board represents a replicable model for advancing quality assurance and professional collaboration in audiology education. By formalizing stakeholder engagement, programs can strengthen clinical education outcomes, enhance accountability, and ensure graduates are prepared to meet the dynamic needs of the healthcare landscape. Broader adoption and systematic study of this model across audiology programs may yield best practices for maintaining educational excellence and render opportunities to further investigate gaps in literature focused on the scholarship of teaching and learning in clinical education programs.

Brief Summary of Clinical Takeaways: The clinical takeaway for this session includes understanding the key recommendations for quality assurance in educational institutions and the benefits of advisory boards in clinical education programs. Attendees will be able to apply an evidence based approach in constructing and/or participating in an advisory board devised to support clinical education.

Assumptions: The attendee should hold knowledge regarding the current challenges faced by Doctor of Audiology programs to provide both academic and clinical education that meets the needs of the constantly evolving healthcare landscape.