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Fontbonne Transitions from College to University
in March, 2002 (Scanews archive photo)
Fontbonne University has been awarded $1 million in federal
partnership funds for establishment of a unique academic center.
The university will renovate a portion of the "East" academic building on its Clayton campus to create the Fontbonne University Center for
Communication Disorders and Education/Special Education Teacher Training. A
new speech clinic also will be housed in the center. Architectural designs
will be completed this spring with renovation to follow.
The funding is part of a $397.4 billion Omnibus Spending Bill signed by President George W. Bush Feb. 20.
  
Dr. Dennis Golden, President of Fontbonne University
"We are extremely pleased to receive this funding because it will help
our outstanding faculty and clinicians continue their mission of
transforming people's lives," said Dr. Dennis Golden, Fontbonne president.
"More than 500 students are enrolled annually in degree programs for the
departments included in this collaborative initiative.
Establishment of this new center will enable us to continue offering excellent academic programs
that address critical community needs."
The center will provide a collaborative setting for the training of teachers certified in education, special
education, deaf education and speech-language pathology at both the undergraduate and graduate level.
"When completed, this new center will be a unique national model for how
to prepare a new generation of teachers," said Dr. Gale Rice, chair of
Fontbonne's communication disorders and deaf education department. "Housing
these departments and our speech clinic in a common facility will create a
cornerstone for our teacher training programs. This is excellent and
exciting news for our program and the many students who will benefit from it
as well as community members who need our services."
Fontbonne's speech clinic serves more than 100 individuals annually providing both diagnostic evaluation and
treatment services for those with speech and hearing disabilities, slow language development and attention
deficit disorders. The services provided at the clinic - at reduced rates -
are especially important to those clients who would otherwise go without
treatment because of a lack of managed care or Medicaid coverage.
The current award of funds is the result of an initiative that began more than two years ago. Fontbonne administration, faculty and board members have
been working closely with key members of Congress to make the case for this
unique proposal.
"Our university has a strong reputation with the elected officials who represent this state and our local
congressional districts," explained Tom Gunn, chair of Fontbonne's board of trustees. "It is clear they saw the
value in establishing a center that will not only enhance the educational
opportunity of our students, but will also provide innovative teacher
training for years to come."
Fontbonne University is a Catholic, coeducational, liberal arts institution founded in 1923 by the Sisters of St. Joseph of Carondelet. The university
offers 24 majors, 18 minors and 10 master's degree programs.
 
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