National University Launches Center for Deaf and Hard of Hearing with $500,000 from Congress

LA JOLLA, Calif. -- April 2003 -- National University System Chancellor Dr. Jerry C. Lee has announced that the U.S. Department of Education has appropriated $500,000 to launch the National University Center for Persons Who are Hard of Hearing or Deaf.

"This achievement is significant as the first funding appropriated by Congress for a National University project," said Chancellor Lee. He added that support from Congressman Randy "Duke" Cunningham was instrumental in securing the seed funding. National University will match the $500,000 in federal funding for a total of $1 million in seed money.

The Center will serve the research, higher education and technical assistance needs of working age adults who are hard of hearing or late-deafened. It will also support related projects for children who are hard of hearing or have cochlear implants.

"Many teacher education programs prepare teachers to instruct deaf children, but few programs currently focus on children who are hearing impaired," said Dr. Lee, who was formerly President of Gallaudet University, an institution that serves the higher education needs of students who are deaf or hard of hearing.

National University's Center for Persons Who are Hard of Hearing or Deaf has also identified other critical needs for research, including study of the physiological and psychological stress experienced at work and in everyday life by persons who are hard of hearing or late deafened, and the development and validation of an instrument for assessing the quality of life of persons who are hard of hearing or late-deafened. The Center will pay particular attention to persons of Latino/Hispanic and/or Native American background, of whom there are a large number in California.

Deaf persons in the United States are estimated to number half-a-million, and the number of hard of hearing and late-deafened persons is estimated at 26 million.

For more information regarding National University Center for Persons Who are Hard of Hearing or Deaf, contact Hoyt J. Smith at 858/642-8111.

National University is a 2002 recipient of the Eureka Award, presented by the California Council for Excellence in recognition of performance excellence. It is California's second largest private nonprofit university, with more than 17,250 full time equivalent students enrolled across the state. National University is an independent institution, accredited by the Western Association of Schools and Colleges (WASC), the International Assembly for Collegiate Business Education (IACBE), and the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE). The University was founded in San Diego in 1971 to make lifelong learning opportunities accessible, challenging and relevant to a diverse population of adult learners. NU consists of 29 regional centers in 11 major metropolitan areas throughout California. It offers 47 graduate and undergraduate degree programs, including 14 online programs and more than 200 online courses, as well as 15 teacher credential and certificate programs, a majority of which are available through a unique one-course-per-month format. Black Issues in Higher Education and The Hispanic Outlook in Higher Education have consistently recognized NU for its commitment to diversity. Black Issues in Higher Education's 2002 survey of the "Top 100" colleges and universities ranks NU 8th among more than 3,000 post-secondary education institutions in awarding master's degrees to all minorities in all disciplines. The Hispanic Outlook in Higher Education's 2002 "Top 100 colleges for Hispanics" list has ranked NU first among California Universities for the third consecutive year in granting master's degrees to Hispanics, and among the top five nationally for the past two years. NU is a member of the California Commission on Teacher Credentialing (CCTC) and recommends more individuals for teaching credentials than any other university in the state. NU facilitates continuing education in the workplace by offering a broad variety of its accredited degree and certificate programs through partnerships with companies such as General Electric, Banco National de Mexico, Sempra Energy, Pacific Bell, the San Diego Chargers, the U.S. Border Patrol and McDonalds. The University is a recognized leader in online and distance learning, utilizing the Internet and videoconferencing to expand access to higher education domestically and throughout the world. For more information, contact Hoyt J. Smith at 858/642-8111, or visit National University's Web site at www.nu.edu.