30th Anniversary History Book

In a December 2015 op-ed column for Education Update , Beacon’s President, Dr. George J. Hagerty, assessed the status of international educational efforts for students with disabilities: “It takes little time wherever one travels to recognize that the conditions and environments that define the delivery of education and services to learners with disabilities are matters of concern that transcend borders and are, as in the U.S., enormously consequential for affected children, youth, and families.”

“The issues of learning differences are global. They know no geography.” Dr. George J. Hagerty

His years of teaching and consulting abroad convinced Hagerty that “the issues of learning differences are global,” he said. “They know no geography.” Hagerty surmised that, as the college grew in size and reputation, educators and policymakers worldwide would begin to seek the maturing knowledge and pioneering expertise resident on the Beacon campus. His suspicion proved to be correct. The confluence of curiosity about Beacon’s model and the community’s enthusiasm for outreach have positioned Beacon College as a catalyst for change in the world of higher education for nontraditional students. As word spread of Beacon’s success with collegians who have learning and attention issues, the relationships Hagerty and others have nurtured throughout their careers have led to numerous invitations to speak at national and international conferences. The measurable outcomes that Beacon’s speakers are able to report are a testament

to the success of Beacon’s unique approach to higher education: 70 percent of students graduate in four years, compared with a 57 percent six-year graduation rate for all of higher education. About 15 percent of Beacon alumni go on to graduate school either immediately or within several years of graduation. Over the past 10 years, the college’s data show that within six months of graduation, 83.5 percent of Beacon’s graduates have entered their first career or been accepted for advanced study. Not surprisingly, educators worldwide are “attracted to the Beacon model and the kind of efficacy we have enjoyed with this profile of students,” Hagerty said. It is in this context that the college has accepted the invitations of five global partners in the last four years to offer educational services and professional training abroad.

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