In the fall of 2008, Michigan State University (MSU)
students will be able to live in a residence hall where American Sign Language
is the primary mode of communication. The new hall, located in Snyder-Phillips, is expected to attract students who are deaf or pursuing a career in
speech pathology.
When the hall opens, MSU will be the only public
university in Michigan to offer such a program. Harold Johnson, professor of
special education and a deaf education expert, says the MSU program will be one
of the most unique programs in the country.
“This gives us a cultural and linguistic setting that
will welcome individuals who sign and allow students to develop their ASL
skills above and beyond what can be done through coursework,” Johnson says.
“We’re moving ASL out of the classroom and into living.”
Snyder-Phillips was chosen to host the program because it
was recently renovated to accommodate students who enjoy language arts and
culture. It also includes a theater and three-story cafeteria.
Source: Nicole Geary, Michigan State University College
of Education
Ivy Hughes, development news editor, can be reached here.
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