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New Perspectives - September, 2001 Issue #85
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Beacon
College
Leesburg, Florida
352-787-7660
Beacon College “Offers academic degree programs exclusively for
students with Learning Disabilities.” They feature B.A. and A.A. degree programs, intensive support services, field placement opportunities,
small classes and individual attention. Their faculty is “committed to promoting individual success” and they describe themselves
as “an opportunity to succeed in a college environment.” They are licensed by the State Board of Independent Colleges and Universities
to award Associate of Arts and Bachelor of Arts Degrees in Human Services and Liberal Studies.
They were incorporated as a nonprofit institution of higher learning in 1989, by a group of parents concerned about higher education
opportunities for students with learning disabilities. “The philosophy of Beacon College is to offer students academic programs supplemented
by appropriate accommodations and support services that will help them prepare for meaningful participation in society.” Since the
faculty at Beacon College believes that “individuals learn at different rates and in different ways,” they feel it is their “responsibility
to discover and use the educational techniques best suited to each situation and student.” According to their materials, they work
with “students with specific learning disabilities as defined by PL 94-192 and do not include learning problems which are due primarily
to visual, hearing, or motor handicaps, due to mental retardation, emotional disturbance, or environmental disadvantage.” Beacon College
is in Leesburg, Florida, approximately 50 miles northwest of Orlando. The town of Leesburg offers students access to goods and services
and encourages self- reliance and independent living skills. Group outings are scheduled during each month and are selected by the
student government and the Director of Student Services, with transportation provided by the college. Leesburg maintains a police
department with headquarters directly behind the Beacon College campus, and a fully staffed emergency service is operated around the
clock.
“The transferability of Beacon College credits to other colleges and universities is at the discretion of the accepting institution.
Beacon College is a Candidate for Accreditation with the Commission on Colleges of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools.”
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