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    Le Moyne Opens Occupational Therapy Space

    February 22, 2016

    Le Moyne Officially Opens Downtown Space Housing Occupational Therapy Program

    At a ceremony held on Monday, Feb. 22, officials from Le Moyne College were joined by government and business leaders for a ribbon cutting and blessing of the recently renovated 10,000-square-foot space that is home to its new Master’s in Occupational Therapy program. Launched in 2015 as part of the Purcell School of Professional Studies at Le Moyne, it is the only master’s OT program in the greater Syracuse region.

    Shown in the photo above are, from left, Al Naples, M&T Bank regional president, David McCallum S.J., special assistant to the president, Bill Ryan, chief of staff for the City of Syracuse, President Linda LeMura, Purcell School Dean Dr. Dennis DePerro, OT student Mitch Hilligas, and OT Program Director Dr. Ivy Lazzarini.

    The space is on the first floor of the Larned/M&T Bank Building, located at 140 E. Genesee Street in Syracuse, with the main entrance on the southeast corner of Hanover Square. The facility – which has been in the planning stages for more than a year – features classrooms, occupational therapy labs, student study and social spaces, and faculty offices. Students began taking classes there on Jan. 25, the start of the spring semester.

    “This new state-of-the art facility will be extremely beneficial to the College as we work to build the occupational therapy program, “ said Dean DePerro. “Le Moyne is proud to be able to fill the dire need for preparing professionals to work in the field of occupational therapy, which is consistently ranked as one of the top 20 fastest growing professions requiring a college degree.”

    “Le Moyne is thrilled to be back in downtown Syracuse, which is where our first classes were held back in 1946,” said Le Moyne College President Linda LeMura. “The move by our occupational therapy program to this location will serve to strengthen our presence within the City of Syracuse, while adding to the vibrancy of downtown.”

    Le Moyne offers two separate OT programs:
  • A Master of Science with a concentration in OT is a 24-month, 80-credit, full-time program; students who possess a bachelor’s degree in a field other than occupational therapy are eligible to enroll in the program.
  • A post-professional Master of Science – for individuals who Hold a bachelor’s degree in occupational therapy – is a full-time, 47-credit, 18-month program.

  • Among the features of the facility are a daily living lab with a kitchen and bathroom setting, allowing students to learn skills to transport and help patients relearn basic daily tasks. The College is leasing the space from M&T Bank, which is also located in the building. It formally housed conference rooms used by the company for employee training purposes.

    The first cohort began taking classes last summer and is comprised of 30 students. A second cohort of 45 students will begin in June. Once at full capacity, there will be 90 students in the program, supported by seven faculty and staff members.

    The Accreditation Council for Occupational Therapy Education (ACOTE) has granted “Candidacy Status” to the Occupational Therapy Program at Le Moyne College. Although the designation “Candidacy Status” is not a guarantee of accreditation, it does indicate that the resource allocation and plan for development of the proposed program appear to demonstrate the ability to meet the ACOTE Standards for a Mater’s-Degree-Level Educational Program for the Occupational Therapist if fully implemented as planned.
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