Jan. 29, 1998 Contact Pauline Austin (541) 346-3129 EDUCATION NOTE EUGENE--The American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA) has approved re-accreditation for the University of Oregon Graduate Program in Communication Disorders. The accreditation is for an eight-year period. ASHA is the only national accrediting agency for speech language pathology training programs in the nation. "This recognition of the quality of our program is crucial if we are to continue our effort to help fill the national shortage of well-trained speech language pathologists," says Marilyn Nippold, director of the UO Communication Disorders and Sciences program. Forty master's degree students are currently enrolled in the UO program. Graduates work as speech language pathologists in settings such as public schools, hospitals and rehabilitation centers. When the UO program was established in 1930, accreditation was not required. Since the early 1990s, only students from accredited programs can receive national certification. -30- #O-6051/Higher Ed