University Advancement

Public Relations and Strategic Communications

NEWS RELEASE

CSUN’s National Center on Deafness Receives $5 Million
to Improve Academic Performance of Deaf Students

(NORTHRIDGE, Calif., Oct. 10, 2006) -- Cal State Northridge’s acclaimed National Center on Deafness (NCOD) has received a $5 million grant from the U. S. Department of Education to help improve the academic achievement of high school and college students who are deaf and hard of hearing in the Western United States.

The renewed five-year grant from the federal Postsecondary Education Programs for Individuals who are Deaf supports technical assistance and outreach efforts the center makes throughout the region to ensure that deaf and hard of hearing students have the resources they need in high school and college.

"The purpose of the grant is to provide quality and networked services to enable students to succeed in schools and colleges," said NCOD director Roz Rosen. "This will raise the educational sea level for all."

The NCOD program, known as PEPNet-West, reaches out to more than 859 schools in 16 states and six U.S. affiliated Pacific Islands. It includes technical assistance and consultation and uses consortia and cooperative agreements to optimize resources and build local capacity to serve deaf and hard of hearing students. It also provides in-service training and consumer involvement in the determination of staff development activities and the use of technology to deliver services and manage the project.

Among its goals are to identify relevant programs and services that address the technological, personnel development and other needs of the students; increase the skills and knowledge of those working with deaf and hard of hearing students at high schools and colleges; increase the level of co-operation between those who support deaf and hard of hearing students; increase the availability and dissemination of institutional and student resources; and to improve communication among the stakeholders through strategic use of technology.

Terry Piper, CSUN’s vice president for student affairs, called the renewal of the grant "a wonderful testimony to the accomplishments of the program and the work of our staff."

"Northridge takes pride in the quality of the work and leadership provided by our staff and allies to assure success for deaf and hard of hearing students, and those who serve them on and off campus," he said.

Cal State Northridge’s National Center on Deafness has served more than 2,500 students who are deaf and hard of hearing since its inception more than 40 years ago. NCOD provides communication access, leadership opportunities, scholarships, academic advisement, tutoring and direct communication classes each year to approximately 200 students who are deaf and hard of hearing. It is the largest program of its kind in the Western United States.

Established in 1964, NCOD was the first postsecondary program in the nation to provide paid sign language interpreters for interactive mainstream programming for undergraduate and graduate students in both academic and co-curricular settings. Its National Leadership Training Program has produced educational and community leaders around the nation.

California State University, Northridge has more than 34,000 full- and part-time students and offers 62 bachelor’s and 50 master’s degrees as well as 28 teaching credential programs. Founded in 1958, CSUN is among the largest single-campus universities in the nation and the only four-year public university in the San Fernando Valley. The university serves as the intellectual, economic and cultural heart of the Valley and beyond.