January 30, 2009
Bowling
Green, Ky. - Western Kentucky University representatives traveled to New York City on Jan. 15 to celebrate the graduation of 28 WKU Distance Learning students who received their master’s degree in communication disorders.
The Division of Extended Learning and Outreach and Department of Communication Disorders at WKU partner with the United Federation of Teachers (UFT) to provide this customized degree program that meets their specific needs. The collaborative program enables full-time teachers in New York City to complete a master’s degree in speech language pathology as part-time students.
The students maintain their current teaching positions and complete course work online and on weekends. WKU, through the Division of Extended Learning and Outreach, has tailored the courses offered in New York to fit the needs of the UFT. In 2006 the program received regional and national recognition for distance education from the Association for Continuing Higher Education.
According to Dr. Don Swoboda, dean of the Division of Extended Learning and Outreach, programs like this help WKU reach an important goal. “Distance Learning is a perfect example of how WKU is becoming a leading American university with international reach,” he said. “We were able to meet the needs of the students in New York which enhances Western’s image as a national provider of higher education services.”
This new crop of WKU alumni is the fourth cohort of UFT graduates to receive their degrees from WKU through this customized Distance Learning program. A fifth group is progressing through the program and a sixth group is set to begin in fall 2009. The first cohort of 30 students began their coursework in August 2002, and since that time, more than 160 students have been admitted to the program.
For information regarding the Master of Science in Communication Disorders, contact Dr. Joseph Etienne, department head, at (270) 745-4299. To learn more about Cohort Programs, contact Laura Ricke at (270) 745-2481.
The Office of Cohort Programs is a unit of the Division of Extended Learning and Outreach (DELO).
More WKU news is available at www.wku.edu and at http://wkunews.wordpress.com/. If you’d like to receive WKU news via e-mail, send a message to WKUNews@wku.edu.
For information, contact Stacey Biggs at (270) 745-1926.
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"A leading American university with international reach"
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