Connecting Beyond Your SAA Chapter

A perk of national SAA Membership is the opportunity to connect with student members from different universities, states, and regions to share ideas, collaborate on events, and expand your professional network. The national SAA is happy to facilitate this communication by providing student members with a number of different opportunities to connect beyond your SAA chapter.

Regional Representatives and Undergraduate Regional Representatives
Regional Representatives are members of the SAA Executive Committee who serve as the first line of communication between the national SAA and chapter members. Similarly, Undergraduate Regional Representatives are members of the Chapter and Member Relations Committee available to help with questions or ideas about undergraduate involvement. Reach out to your representatives with questions you may have about national events, ideas for ways to enhance the SAA experience for your chapter members, or just to share the exciting things your chapter is accomplishing. Support from the national SAA is only a quick email away!

Regional Outreach
In response to feedback from SAA members, this year the Chapter and Member Relations Committee is happy to be introducing new Regional Outreach initiatives, making it easier than ever to connect with other SAA chapters within your region.

To allow for more communication and collaboration between SAA chapters, SAA is giving members the opportunity to share their contact information with other members within their region. Inter-Chapter Communication is a great way to facilitate collaboration for the upcoming National Day at Your State Capitol Day (NDAYSCD) initiative, plan meetups at audiology events in your area, or plan SAA events with other chapters in your region. When SAA chapters work together, whether it be for advocacy, education, fundraising, or just to socialize and expand your professional network, the possibilities are endless!

Also coming soon to some regions are Regional Facebook Groups, where SAA members will be able to chat informally about upcoming events, inquire about questions they may have, and receive updates on national SAA news or events. Participation in your Regional Facebook Group is an excellent way to introduce yourself and your SAA chapter to others within your region, share ideas, and plan collaborative events with other SAA chapters in your area!

State Ambassador Program
This year, the national SAA piloted the State Ambassador Program in seven states: Illinois, Indiana, Louisiana, Ohio, Texas, West Virginia, and Wisconsin. The purpose of the program is to connect SAA chapters, professionals, and students interested in audiology within each state to accomplish legislative goals and collaborate on audiology initiatives. Each ambassador applied and was selected to serve as their state leader, communicating monthly with SAA chapters within the state, their professional mentor (many of who are a part of the Academy’s State Relations Committee), and their respective state organization.

As our profession continues to encourage public health initiatives and the current climate necessitates legislative action, the SAA State Ambassador program serves a unique niche in the student population: grassroots advocacy and education. Stay tuned for more updates about the program on our website, including the call for Ambassador applications in Fall 2018.

Updates from Pilot States

“One of Texas’s primary barriers to fostering chapter connectivity is geography, as our SAA chapters are upwards of 600 miles apart. As the Texas SAA Ambassador, I facilitate conference calls between our five chapters and distribute a monthly newsletter so we can all learn about the various initiatives, events, and accomplishments happening across our state. In March, we are taking a trip to Washington D.C. where students will have an opportunity to bond while meeting with legislators and advocating for audiology.”

-Alexander Morris, SAA State Ambassador – Texas

 “We are working to bring together four SAA chapters across the state to take part in Ohio’s first National Day at Your State Capitol Day event this spring. Chapters are invited to come and let their passion for Audiology drive edifying conversations with our state’s legislators. Together we intend to advocate for the profession on a variety of legislative topics impacting the patients we serve and the multitude of audiologists employed in Ohio.“

-Nicole Greenwalt, SAA State Ambassador – Ohio

SAA is committed to giving student members the opportunity to connect, collaborate, and generate professional networks that expand far beyond your university and SAA chapter. If you’d like to get more involved or have ideas for how to connect reach out to Stasia Grindle, Chapter Outreach Subcommittee Chair and Liz Marler, President-Elect!

Anastasia Grindle is currently a third-year audiology student at Northern Illinois University, with interests in pediatric and research audiology. She currently serves as chair of the Chapter Outreach Subcommittee and is a member of the national Chapter and Member Relations Committee.

Liz Marler is currently a third-year audiology student at Purdue University. Her audiology interests include everything, but most recently electrophysiologic tests. She is currently serving as the national SAA President-Elect.