Audiology, Communication Sciences & Disorders Programs Receive $80,000 from Closing of Eugene Hearing & Speech Center

In late November, Pacific University received a generous $80,000 gift from the Eugene Hearing & Speech Center for the Audiology and Communication Sciences & Disorders programs.

The gift will be used to establish endowed scholarships for students in Pacific's schools of Audiology and Communication Sciences & Disorders.

The Eugene Hearing & Speech Center was founded in 1955 to offer services for deaf children in the Eugene community. The center’s mission was to provide the highest quality evaluation, treatment, education and advocacy for individuals with communication disorders. The center provided hearing evaluations, testing for diagnosis of hearing and balance disorders, speech-language therapy for preschool and school age children, rehabilitative therapy for deaf and hearing-impaired children, and hearing aid fitting. It also provided support groups and individual therapy for people who have had strokes or throat cancer.

In 2016, after more than 60 years of providing services to the hearing and speech-impaired community, the Eugene Hearing & Speech Center closed. Upon closing, the center’s board distributed their assets to institutions that will continue it’s mission.

Pacific University is home to nearly 4,000 undergraduate, graduate and professional students in the arts and sciences, business, education, health professions and optometry. In addition to its four campuses in Oregon, Pacific operates several op tometry and health clinics throughout the greater Portland area, including an EarClinic through the School of Audiology and a variety of workshops and clinical services through the School of Communication Sciences & Disorders.

In November 2017, the university launched the public phase of Lead On: The Campaign for Tomorrow at Pacific University, an $80 million fundraising effort to support endowments, innovations, and learning environments and resources.