Each year, NSSLHA chapters participate in the NSSLHA Chapter Honors program—vying for gold, silver, and bronze status. And, each year, we’re awed by the incredible work being done.

So [drumroll, please] … we’re excited to announce that Cleveland State University is the 2018 Chapter of the Year!

We especially loved how many of their chapter’s tactics support National NSSLHA’s Strategic Plan:

Deepened Member Understanding and Engagement

To grow membership and engagement in their chapter, this chapter took a three-pronged approach:

1. Raised awareness of chapter and activities. Whether it was hosting on-campus recruitment tables or creating monthly newsletters for students who commute rather than live on campus, this chapter grew its member attendance from 20 to 50 members!
2. Educated students on National NSSLHA membership benefits. Chapter leaders invited the Ohio Student State Officer to speak about the mission of National NSSLHA, how it differs from local chapters, and the benefits of membership. As a result, 30% of the chapter joined National NSSLHA—helping to meet Gold Chapter Honors status!
3. Promoted their CSD program. To showcase their academic program, this chapter created a video that featured their clinic and program, then shared it at their state association’s conference.

Created Effective Advocates

To develop a strong culture of advocacy, the chapter followed two easy steps:

1. Taught students about current issues. Chapter officers researched and presented current legislative issues in Ohio that affect the professions.
2. Simplified the process. The Ohio Student State Officers assisted in advocacy efforts by providing templated messages that chapter members could personalize and send to their Ohio House Representative.

Served the Community

To give back to their community, the chapter focused on three areas:

1. Giving back. Each year, chapter members participate in their annual Giving Tree event, where they collect donations of food, clothes, and gifts for families who visit the university’s clinic.
2. Skill sharing. During BHSM, chapter members offered free hearing screenings and promoted awareness of communication disorders on campus.
3. Taking care of their peeps. Chapter leaders wanted to give back to their members, so they organized events like Grad School Q&As, respite nights at local churches, and interprofessional socials.

Congrats again to Cleveland State University for really knocking it out of the park this year!