UNL-Boys Town Agreement to Boost Audiology Education in Nebraska

Lincoln, Neb., June 22, 2004 -- The University of Nebraska-Lincoln Department of Special Education and Communication Disorders and the Boys Town National Research Hospital have entered into a cooperative agreement designed to enhance doctoral education in audiology.

Under the agreement, scientists from Boys Town will join the UNL faculty as adjunct professors in the Department of Special Education and Communication Disorders, a division of the College of Education and Human Sciences housed in the Barkley Memorial Center on East Campus. That arrangement will give UNL doctoral students in audiology the advantage of instruction from scientists holding grants from the National Institutes of Health, and also the opportunity to work in the research laboratories and audiology clinics at Boys Town.

"This collaboration launches what promises to become one of the strongest audiology graduate training programs in the United States," said Patrick E. Brookhouser, M.D., director of Boys Town National Research Hospital. "Talented students, who otherwise might leave the state, will now have the opportunity to stay in Nebraska for training. This should ultimately improve audiological services throughout Nebraska, particularly in underserved areas. These students will benefit from access to the Boys Town National Research Hospital's clinics and research laboratories where they will receive unparalleled exposure to state-of-the-art hearing science."

UNL has the only program in Nebraska for the preparation of audiologists. The program has offered the Ph.D. degree for many years and it has been instrumental in providing the majority of audiologists who practice in Nebraska, but university faculty said the agreement with Boys Town provides the program with an excellent opportunity for additional growth.

"The association with Boys Town National Research Hospital places our program in a position to greatly expand and provide educational experiences that will prepare students for leadership roles at a critical time in the profession," said T. Newell Decker, professor of special education and communication disorders at UNL. "While the number of scientists training in audiology programs in the United States is at an all-time low, the need for such individuals is at an all-time high. Educational changes must be made in order to provide state-of-the-science education, meet evolving national standards for professional training and provide a sufficient number of audiologists to meet growing regional and national needs."

Decker said his department has added a doctor of audiology (Au.D.) degree that would be the entry level for the practice of audiology. The new degree replaces the master's degree in audiology at UNL.

"The cooperation between the university and a world-class center for hearing research and aural rehabilitation will greatly enhance our doctoral program and make the Au.D. program highly visible and a much sought-after degree," he said. "The association affords an opportunity to provide outstanding clinical and research training to prospective students in audiology by exploiting the strengths of both institutions."

John Bernthal, professor and chair of the Department of Special Education and Communication Disorders, said under the agreement, UNL doctoral students will get clinical and laboratory research experience in their first two years in the program. "After that, they will have to declare for either the Ph.D. or the Au.D. degree, but they will be well-prepared for both."

Bernthal, who also serves as director of the Barkley Center, said another advantage of the agreement is its cost-effectiveness.

"At a time of financial crunch, this allows us to do something significant in improving our program without a major influx of resources,"
he said.