The Postsecondary Education Programs Network (PEPNet) is a collaborative organization of four regional postsecondary centers around the United States that have been established to provide technical assistance to post-secondary educational institutions that enroll individuals who are deaf and hard of hearing. This technical assistance comes in the form of workshops, written materials, conferences, informational guides, and consultations to help such institutions initiate or enhance the accessibility of their programs to students who are deaf and hard of hearing.

PEPNet works with two-and four-year colleges, vocational training and rehabilitation programs, adult education programs, private and public community service agencies, individuals who are deaf and hard of hearing, consumer and professional organizations, state and national organizations, and clearinghouses.

PEPNet's objectives are:

• To improve postsecondary access and transition opportunities for individuals who are deaf and hard of hearing
• To develop a national design for technical assistance and outreach service delivery to assure that postsecondary institutions and the students they serve will benefit from PEPNet's collaboration and coordination efforts
• To expand the knowledge and skill of postsecondary institutions related to the provision of educational support services for students who are deaf and hard of hearing
• To increase networking among postsecondary educational institutions
• To increase the postsecondary enrollment, retention, graduation, and employment rates of students who are deaf and hard of hearing

Descriptions of the four regional centers, and their respective affiliates, follow. Although working collectively under the PEPNet umbrella, each regional center has its own service model.

1. The Midwest Center for Postsecondary Outreach (MCPO) is located at St. Paul Technical College, in St. Paul, Minnesota. For nearly three decades, St. Paul Technical College has been a leader in providing technical education and assisting students who are deaf and hard of hearing to complete career training and become gainfully employed. MCPO serves the Midwest region, which includes the states of Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Ohio, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, South Dakota, and Wisconsin.

MCPO has four regional outreach sites that assist MCPO with dissemination, training, and technical assistance activities throughout the Midwest. The four outreach sites are:

• William Rainey Harper College; Palatine, IL
• Center for Sight and Hearing Impaired; Rockford, IL
• Columbus State Comm. College; Columbus, OH
• University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee; Milwaukee, WI

For more information contact:

Midwest Center for Postsecondary Outreach
St. Paul Technical College
235 Marshall Avenue
St. Paul, MN 55102
(612) 221-1327 (V/TTY)
(612) 221-1339 (Fax)
Email: ray.olson@sptc.mnscu.edu
WWW: http://www.mcpo.org
Raymond Olson, Director

1. The Northeast Technical Assistance Center (NETAC) is located at Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT) in Rochester, New York. NETAC is supported by one of RIT's colleges, the National Technical Institute for the Deaf, which is the world's first and largest technological college for deaf students. NETAC serves the Northeast region, which includes Connecticut, Delaware/New Jersey, District of Columbia, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Hampshire/Vermont, New York, Pennsylvania, Puerto Rico, Rhode Island, and Virgin Islands.

NETAC's affiliate sites are at:

• Northwestern Connecticut Community
  College; Winsted, CT
• Howard University; Washington, DC
• University of Maine System; Portland, ME
• Community College of Baltimore County-Catonsville; Baltimore, MD
• Northern Essex Comm. College; Haverhill, MA
• University of New Hampshire; Concord, NH
• Camden County College; Blackwood, NJ
• LaGuardia Comm. College; LI City, NY
• Hiram G. Andrews Center; Johnstown, PA
• University of Puerto Rico; San Juan, PR
• Community College of Rhode Island; Providence, RI

For more information contact:

Northeast Technical Assistance Center
Rochester Institute of Technology
National Technical Institute for the Deaf
52 Lomb Memorial Drive
Rochester, NY 14623-5604
(716) 475-6433 (V/TTY)
(716) 475-7660 (Fax)
Email: netac @rit.edu
WWW: http://netac.rit.edu
Dianne K. Brooks, Director

1. The Postsecondary Education Consortium (PEC) is located at the University of Tennessee at Knoxville in Knoxville, Tennessee. Initiated in 1983 with four affiliate postsecondary institutions, PEC has expanded outreach and technical assistance services to include 14 states. PEC serves the Southern region, which includes the states of Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, and West Virginia.

PEC is comprised of state outreach and technical assistance centers with the region. The sites include:

• Alabama: Jacksonville State University
• Arkansas: University of Arkansas at Little Rock
• Florida: St. Petersburg Junior College
• Georgia: Georgia Perimeter College
• Kentucky: Eastern Kentucky University
• Louisiana: Louisiana State University
• Mississippi: Hinds Community College
• North Carolina: Central Piedmont Comm. College
• Oklahoma: Tulsa Community College
• South Carolina: Spartanburg Technical College
• Tennessee and West Virginia: The University of Tennessee at Knoxville
• Texas: North Harris College
• Virginia: New River Community College

For more information contact:

Postsecondary Education Consortium
The University of Tennessee
2229 Dunford Hall
Knoxville, TN 37996-4020
(865) 974-0607 (V/TTY)
(865) 974-3522 (Fax)
Email: pec @utk.edu
WWW: http://sunsite.utk.edu/cod/pec/
Donnell H. Ashmore, Director

1. The Western Region Outreach Center & Consortia (WROCC) is located at the National Center on Deafness at California State University, Northridge, in Northridge, California. Since 1962, the National Center on Deafness has been a leader in the development and delivery of innovative support services to the highest number of students who are deaf and hard of hearing enrolled in a mainstream university in their region. WROCC serves the states and territories of Alaska, American Samoa, Arizona, California, Colorado, Guam, Hawaii, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, Northern Marianas Islands, Oregon, Utah, Washington, and Wyoming.

WROCC's sites are located at:

• San Jose State University; San Jose, CA
• El Camino College; Torrance, CA
• Pikes Peak Community College; Colorado Springs, CO
• Western Oregon University; Monmouth, OR
• Salt Lake Comm. College; Salt Lake City, UT

For more information contact:

Western Region Outreach Center & Consortia
California State University, Northridge
18111 Nordhoff Street
Northridge, CA 91330-8267
Toll Free (888) 684-4695 (V/TTY)
(818) 677-2611 (V/TTY)
(818) 677-4899 (Fax)
Email: wrocc@ csun.edu
WWW: http://wrocc.csun.edu
Merri Pearson, Director