{"id":11119,"date":"2010-07-13T23:51:01","date_gmt":"2010-07-14T04:51:01","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/deafnetwork.com\/wordpress\/?p=11119"},"modified":"2010-07-14T02:15:27","modified_gmt":"2010-07-14T07:15:27","slug":"college-for-deaf-has-come-a-long-way-in-30-years","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/deafnetwork.com\/wordpress\/blog\/2010\/07\/13\/college-for-deaf-has-come-a-long-way-in-30-years\/","title":{"rendered":"College for deaf has come a long way in 30 years"},"content":{"rendered":"

College for deaf has come a long way in 30 years<\/strong><\/p>\n

By STEVE REAGAN
\nStaff Writer<\/p>\n

Considering the school began with a converted military hospital and not much
\nelse, it\u2019s fair to say SouthWest Collegiate Institute for the Deaf has come
\na long way in three decades.<\/p>\n

Current and former students and staff, as well as a long list of
\nwell-wishers were present on campus this past weekend as SWCID celebrated
\nits 30th reunion.<\/p>\n

While fun and games were also on the reunion agenda, the event mainly gave
\npeople a chance to reflect on just how far SWCID, the only self-contained
\ncommunity college for the deaf and hard of hearing the United States, has
\ncome since its first class enrolled in 1980.<\/p>\n

The Howard County Junior College District created SWCID in 1979 and the
\nfirst class, which consisted of about 25 students, attended classes for the
\nfirst time early the next year.<\/p>\n

Danny Campbell, who has been an instructor at the campus since the school\u2019s
\ninception, said SWCID\u2019s first executive director, Dr. Douglas Burke, had a
\ngrand vision for the school despite its humble beginnings.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhen I first came here, there was just one building, the old (Webb AFB)
\nhospital \u2014 and you could tell it was a hospital,\u201d Campbell said through an
\ninterpreter. \u201cBut Doug didn\u2019t see maternity wards or surgical suits or
\npatient rooms, he saw classrooms and offices and a library and a cafeteria.
\nI remember how excited Doug was when we went through that building for the
\nfirst time.\u201d<\/p>\n

Campbell said the rest of the campus was mostly \u201cgroundhogs and dry, ugly
\nland\u201d at the time, and student dormitories were converted World War II-era
\nbarracks that some parents would not allow their children to live in, but
\nDr. Burke envisioned other buildings, such as a diagnostic center, student
\nunion building and other structures, which have become a reality in recent
\nyears.<\/p>\n

Dr. Burke\u2019s wife, Beatrice, was an instructor that first year and said her
\nhusband\u2019s enthusiasm and vision for the school helped her overcome some
\ninitial misgivings.<\/p>\n

\u201cAt first, I wondered if my husband knew what we were getting into,\u201d Mrs.
\nBurke said through an interpreter. \u201cHonestly, I had some some doubts,
\nalthough I never told him about them.\u201d<\/p>\n

Howard College President Dr. Cheryl Sparks, who was HC dean of students at
\nthe time of the first classes at SWCID, said the school\u2019s humble beginnings
\nwere unavoidable.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe knew we\u2019d have to make do with the facilities we had at the time,\u201d she
\nsaid. \u201cAnd adjusting those facilities to the needs of deaf students was a
\nunique experience, to say the least.\u201d<\/p>\n

Over the years, however, the college has grown, in both student count and
\nbuildings, as well as services provided.<\/p>\n

Aside from modern dormitories and activity center, the school recently
\nunveiled a 5,000-square-foot career technology center. And student
\nenrollment is currently on the high side of 120, Sparks said.<\/p>\n

\u201cAnd we\u2019re not finished,\u201d she said. \u201cWe have the buildings, faculty, staff
\nand tradition in place. Now, we just need to get the greater world to
\nembrace what has happened here.\u201d<\/p>\n

While the major thrust of the reunion was to look back, Dr. Mark Myers,
\nSWCID\u2019s current provost, said the institution also is looking forward to the
\nfuture.<\/p>\n

\u201cSWCID is the only community college in the nation to provide full
\ninstructional services to the deaf and hard of hearing. It is unique,\u201d Myers
\nsaid through an interpreter. \u201cWe will continue Dr. Burke\u2019s vision and legacy
\nand my vision for the future includes improvements in educational
\nopportunities, such as building support for distance learning classes \u2026 Big
\nSpring is a small town and we realize it is difficult for most people to get
\nhere, so we need to be creative in reaching out to them.\u201d<\/p>\n

Mrs. Burke said her husband, who died in 1988, would approve of the
\nschool\u2019s progress and future direction.<\/p>\n

\u201cI think he would be very satisfied and pleased and I think he would be a
\nbit overwhelmed,\u201d she said. \u201cI\u2019m amazed how SWCID could come from a dream
\nthat many people thought would not be possible. We planted an oak tree that
\nhas grown, and its roots are spreading.\u201d<\/p>\n

Contact Staff Writer Steve Reagan at 263-7331 ext. 234 or by e-mail at
\nreporter@bigspringherald.com<\/p>\n

Source: http:\/\/www.bigspringherald.com\/content\/view\/244953\/<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

College for deaf has come a long way in 30 years By STEVE REAGAN Staff Writer Considering the school began with a converted military hospital and not much else, it\u2019s fair to say SouthWest Collegiate Institute for the Deaf has…<\/p>\n

Read more →<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":6,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_crdt_document":"","advanced_seo_description":"","jetpack_seo_html_title":"","jetpack_seo_noindex":false,"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":false,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[2],"tags":[81,215,35,5556,2934,3550,5557,213,5555,552,71,17],"class_list":["post-11119","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-deaf-news","tag-big-spring","tag-college","tag-community","tag-danny-campbell","tag-dr-cheryl-sparks","tag-dr-douglas-burke","tag-dr-mark-myers","tag-howard-college","tag-howard-county-junior-college-district","tag-southwest-collegiate-institute-for-the-deaf","tag-swcid","tag-texas"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p752R-2Tl","jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":10900,"url":"https:\/\/deafnetwork.com\/wordpress\/blog\/2010\/06\/21\/swcid-reunion-2010-updated-4\/","url_meta":{"origin":11119,"position":0},"title":"SWCID Reunion 2010 Updated","author":"Grant Laird Jr","date":"June 21, 2010","format":false,"excerpt":"SWCID Reunion 2010 presents Terrylene - \"I Wonder Why\" ASL Poetry Evening with Terrylene When: July 9, 2010 Where: SWCID Time: 8:00 PM Location: Big Spring, Texas Terrylene will be selling and autographing her videos made available for $20 dollars.\u00a0Please bring extra funds if you are interested in purchasing her\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "General"","block_context":{"text":"General","link":"https:\/\/deafnetwork.com\/wordpress\/blog\/category\/deaf-news\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":8411,"url":"https:\/\/deafnetwork.com\/wordpress\/blog\/2009\/11\/13\/founders-students-dignitaries-to-turn-out-for-swcid-anniversary\/","url_meta":{"origin":11119,"position":1},"title":"Founders, students, dignitaries to turn out for SWCID anniversary","author":"Grant Laird Jr","date":"November 13, 2009","format":false,"excerpt":"Founders, students, dignitaries to turn out for SWCID anniversary by Ruth Campbell Midland Reporter-Telegram Published: Friday, November 6, 2009 BIG SPRING -- The dedication of a $1.15 million technical training center at Southwest Collegiate Institute for the Deaf kicks off the campus' 30th anniversary celebration at 12:30 p.m. today. A\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "General"","block_context":{"text":"General","link":"https:\/\/deafnetwork.com\/wordpress\/blog\/category\/deaf-news\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":7381,"url":"https:\/\/deafnetwork.com\/wordpress\/blog\/2009\/08\/11\/more-money-for-howard-college-swcid\/","url_meta":{"origin":11119,"position":2},"title":"More Money For Howard College, SWCID","author":"Grant Laird Jr","date":"August 11, 2009","format":false,"excerpt":"More Money For Howard College, SWCID 7\/28\/09 CBS 7 News Staff July 28, 2009 Big Spring, Texas - Howard College and its sister school will soon be getting more help from the state. The state has granted more than $650,000 dollars for Howard College and the Southwest Collegiate Institute for\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "General"","block_context":{"text":"General","link":"https:\/\/deafnetwork.com\/wordpress\/blog\/category\/deaf-news\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":9109,"url":"https:\/\/deafnetwork.com\/wordpress\/blog\/2010\/01\/26\/buildings-named-after-husband-wife\/","url_meta":{"origin":11119,"position":3},"title":"Buildings named after husband, wife","author":"Grant Laird Jr","date":"January 26, 2010","format":false,"excerpt":"Buildings named after husband, wife January 26, 2010 Burkes honored for role at SWCID By CINDY SMITH Special to the Herald The Howard College board of trustees gave special recognition to Dr. Douglas and Beatrice Burke by naming buildings on the SouthWest Collegiate Institute for the Deaf campus in their\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "General"","block_context":{"text":"General","link":"https:\/\/deafnetwork.com\/wordpress\/blog\/category\/deaf-news\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":17598,"url":"https:\/\/deafnetwork.com\/wordpress\/blog\/2012\/02\/10\/call-for-nominations-provost-at-swcid\/","url_meta":{"origin":11119,"position":4},"title":"Call for Nominations: Provost at SWCID","author":"Grant Laird Jr","date":"February 10, 2012","format":false,"excerpt":"February 8, 2012 CALL FOR NOMINATIONS: Provost at SWCID To the Deaf Education Community: We are seeking nominations for the Provost position at the Southwest Collegiate Institute for the Deaf in Big Spring, Texas. After three years of successful service, Dr. Mark Myers is returning to the East Coast to\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "General"","block_context":{"text":"General","link":"https:\/\/deafnetwork.com\/wordpress\/blog\/category\/deaf-news\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":39241,"url":"https:\/\/deafnetwork.com\/wordpress\/blog\/2019\/06\/07\/swcid-name-change-to-swcd-now-official\/","url_meta":{"origin":11119,"position":5},"title":"SWCID name change to SWCD now official","author":"Grant Laird Jr","date":"June 7, 2019","format":false,"excerpt":"SWCID name change to SWCD now official By ROGER CLINE May 21, 2019 At the Howard College Board of Trustees meeting Monday, College President Dr. Cheryl Sparks announced SWCID's name has officially been changed to SWCD. The South West Collegiate Institute for the Deaf is now the South West College\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "General"","block_context":{"text":"General","link":"https:\/\/deafnetwork.com\/wordpress\/blog\/category\/deaf-news\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/deafnetwork.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/06\/swcd-group-2019-768x1024.jpeg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]}],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/deafnetwork.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/11119","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/deafnetwork.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/deafnetwork.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/deafnetwork.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/6"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/deafnetwork.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=11119"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/deafnetwork.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/11119\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":11124,"href":"https:\/\/deafnetwork.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/11119\/revisions\/11124"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/deafnetwork.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=11119"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/deafnetwork.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=11119"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/deafnetwork.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=11119"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}