A group of 30 teachers from New York City will graduate in May from Western’s online graduate communication disorders program. The teachers will be the first class to graduate from the program.

The program started three years ago, said Joe Etienne, communication disorders department head.

John Bonaguro, dean of the College of Health and Human Services, Etienne and communication disorders professor Stan Cooke visited New York City this weekend to meet the students in the program. Faculty members have also visited the students in the past, Bonaguro said.

The teachers in New York City participated in the program to earn their master’s degrees within three years of receiving their bachelor’s degrees, a process that is required to receive a permanent teacher certification, Bonaguro said.

Many graduate schools in New York City were full, so the United Federation of Teachers formed a partnership with Western to allow teachers to earn their degrees online, he said.

“That’s a great example of partnering at a distance with a special audience of student,” said Don Swoboda, dean of the Division of Distance Learning and Outreach.

Each course in the program is completed through Blackboard, Etienne said. Assignments are mailed or e-mailed to professors.

“It’s just another way for Western to be accessible and meet the needs of other regions, states, nations and the globe,” President Gary Ransdell said.

A 400-hour practicum, which directly exposes students to communication disorders, is the only course that cannot be completed online.

Students in New York can complete their practicums at a clinic in Manhattan that is operated by two speech pathologists with master’s degrees, Etienne said.

Some local students are also enrolled in the program, Etienne said.

There are about 10 degree or certificate programs that Western offers online, Swoboda said.

Reach Ashlee Clark at news@wkuherald.com.