Contact:
Gwen O’Brien
Director of Media Relations
Saint Mary’s College
Notre Dame, Ind.
(574) 284-4579
August 5, 2008 (Notre Dame, Ind.)—The new academic year at Saint Mary's College brings with it a new major. This is the first year the College will offer a communicative disorder major, which had been a minor at Saint Mary’s since the mid-90s. It is the first communicative disorders major offered by any college or university in the northern Indiana area.
“We are able to provide a great resource for our students here,” said Susan Latham, the major’s program coordinator and an assistant professor who took the lead in proposing the new major to the College’s curriculum committee. According to Latham the major is a course for students interested in learning about psychology, language development, and many other disciplines related to communicative disorders in people from birth to the elderly. It is also a jumping-off point for students who are interested in pursuing graduate work in speech pathology or audiology.
Mary Kate Daday, a senior majoring in both psychology and communicative disorders says, “the best part about the communicative disorders program at Saint Mary’s is that we get a lot of experience working with people in therapy.” The communicative disorders program requires students to complete 25 hours of observation of a certified speech and language pathologist (SLP) in the field before students can begin their clinical practicum senior year. In addition, throughout their studies, students will assess, diagnose, and write a treatment plan for a client who receives assistance through the Speech-Language-Hearing Services at Saint Mary’s College program. They also administer therapy under Latham’s supervision.
“I love how my professors help me see the big picture and not focus on the disability,” says Daday. “They teach me to focus on the individual and how I can help him or her reach his full potential.” Daday echoes a philosophy that Latham works to instill in her students. “Saint Mary’s prepares students to make a difference in the world,” says Latham. “Students can heighten a person’s potential to facilitate meaningful relationships, and to restore self-esteem, dignity, and independence.”
About Saint Mary’s College: Saint Mary’s College, Notre Dame, Ind., is a four-year, Catholic, women’s institution offering five bachelor’s degrees and more than 30 major areas of study. Saint Mary’s College has six nationally accredited academic programs: social work, art, music, teacher education, chemistry and nursing. Saint Mary's College ranks among the nation's top 100 liberal arts colleges in U.S. News & World Report's 2008 annual survey. Founded in 1844, Saint Mary’s is a pioneer in the education of women, and is sponsored by the Sisters of the Holy Cross.
