NIU’s physical therapy program recently has acquired laboratory space and will graduate 21 students this semester, despite being in danger of elimination last April when facility space and a lack of funding posed major problems for the program.

Mary Jane Harris, physical therapy program coordinator, said the program is “making headway.” She was uncertain when the program size would be increased to 22 students, which was the program’s size before enrollment was cut almost in half last April. Twelve physical therapy students are scheduled to graduate in May 1990.

Indications of program improvement include the allocation of new space for laboratory research and storage. The program currently has classroom and laboratory space in the clinic room of the University Health Service building, from which asbestos was removed last summer.

Harris said the new laboratory research space for the program is located near the physical therapy offices in Pottinger House at 520 College View Court.

Under criteria established by NIU Provost Kendall Baker for a physical therapy program enrollment increase, the program needed five full-time faculty on staff, an increase in outside resources including grants and an alumni funding program, installation of a faculty practice program and increased collaboration with internal and external agencies.

Harris said the program was making progress in meeting these criteria, including a search for new faculty members. She said she hopes to keep enrollment for next semester consistent with last semester’s total.