PPD: Model Program for Hearing Impaired and Deaf Students in Engineering

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9353824 Wankat This project will develop and institutionalize a model program for deaf and hard of hearing students in engineering at Purdue University. The program will focus on providing academic support and social integration for deaf and hard of hearing students who want to study engineering in a mainstreamed environment. Emphasis will be placed on promoting retention of these students because data indicate that attrition rates for deaf and hard of hearing students are one-third higher than for hearing students. Program staff will also work with the University's Engineering Co-op Office and with companies to make jobs available to the students who are hard of hearing or deaf. The program will also contain a recruitment component aimed at pre- college students who are deaf or hard of hearing. The recruitment activities will concentrate on both encouraging qualified high school seniors to attend Purdue and on encouraging students in grade school through high school to stay in mathematics and science courses so that they will be eligible for engineering, mathematics, and science in college. Efforts will be made to convince counselors, parents and teachers that engineering is an excellent career opportunity for hard of hearing and deaf students. In addition, a national computer electronic network for deaf and hard of hearing students interested in studying engineering will be designed and developed. This network will serve as a linkage between high school students, their parents and teachers; current college students in engineering or interested in transferring into engineering; engineering professors; and practicing engineers. The network should help in the retention efforts and should provide a basis for recruiting more deaf and hard of hearing students into engineering. Information on the program's methodology and results and the electronic network will be disseminated throughout the United States to engineering colleges and to organizations inte rested in the education of deaf and hard of hearing students to promote development of similar programs.