al and emerging areas of OT .
Diversity continues to be a championed value in the department . As such , the student body chartered the Governors State University chapter of the Coalition of Occupational Therapy Advocates for Diversity in 2021 . Composed of a diverse group of student leaders and faculty advisors , the COTAD chapter promotes justice , equity , diversity , and inclusion ( JEDI ), anti-racism , and anti-oppression within occupational therapy education programs and in the profession . And since around the start of the program , students have led through the Student Occupational Therapy Association ( SOTA ) to facilitate community engagement , to promote the profession , and initiate professional development opportunities .
As the field of occupational therapy continues to expand , the Masters and Doctoral level programs at Governors State are at work to meet the needs of the growing profession . The program continues to be led by a team of faculty who contribute annually to the field ’ s state and national organizations via spearheading special interest groups , promoting scholarship , and publishing research . And faculty is currently at work developing a drivers rehab curriculum to provide a specialized service for both incoming students and the surrounding communities . The program stands on the shoulders of giants and the future has never looked never looked more promising . Here ’ s to 25 more years of storied impact .
The archives committee continues to highlight the history of occupational therapy and occupational therapy assistant programs in Illinois . If you would like to highlight your schools ’ history , please contact Kathy Preissner at kpreiss @ uic . edu
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A group of people on a staircase , posing for a picture .
A group of people posing for a picture .
Illinois Occupational Therapy Association | 2022 ISSUE 4 12