Each one of the three finalists’ presentations is a crucial step in their bids to become the 9th president of Gallaudet University. In a 20-minute presentation, they’re to articulate their vision of Gallaudet five-to-seven years down the road.

Disclaimer: I am not a Gallaudet student, alumnus, employee, or former employee. I’ve never attended a class or a program sponsored or hosted by Gallaudet. I never heard of Dr. Stephen Weiner until last week. I only know what Dr. Jane Fernandes looks like because I saw her picture on Gallaudet’s website. The closest I ever got to meeting Ron Stern was going to the same high school prom as his son.

My point: There are hundreds of people out there with far more intimate knowledge of one or more of the other candidates. Instead of being one of those people out there, I’ll be able to approach each finalist’s presentation with a relatively objective perspective unfettered by past misdeeds.

So, I went to Dr. Weiner’s presentation yesterday afternoon. Oh, it was exciting. The auditorium filled up within two minutes. The sense of history in the room was palpable. This man, about to address us, could be our next president, the second deaf president of Gallaudet.

A hour later, I got real.

Dr. Weiner’s presentation was inspiring. The way he spoke of his pride in Gallaudet - I wished at that moment that I was a Gallaudet alumnus. He would make a great recruiter. A great provost.

But not a great president.

Dr. Weiner took nearly 40 minutes to complete his 20-minute presentation and also took a slightly bigger step, thinking ahead eight years to 2014, Gallaudet’s 150th anniversary. Touche.

He was remarkably clear. I finally felt that an administrator was speaking my language, instead of some hastily-thrown-together sign and speech combination. It was remarkable to feel that 100% communication access coming from a potential university president.

The content of his presentation, however, left much to be desired. I felt like I was at a Youth Leadership Camp workshop listening to his interpretation of the eight strategic goals rather than a clear articulation of his vision of Gallaudet at age 150. An inclusive deaf university. Okay, isn’t that already what we all want? I wanted to hear something new. Something bold.

He threw in some great gems, though. “Working at Gallaudet is not a job; it is a mission.” “We are past capital-D deaf.” “We must serve all deaf with mutual respect for all.”

Oh, and he quoted my most favorite Talmud quote ever, “He who saves one person saves the world.”

But still - I didn’t feel his vision. I’m still not sure what it was.

The oft-important quality of an university president is to make money for the school. In this case, the money comes from Congress and corporate foundations. Does he have the right stuff to work with corporate presidents, Senators, or legislative assistants? The answer to that question was clearly shown during Dr. Weiner’s question-and-answer session following his presentation.

It’s all too easy to look at I. King Jordan and see a president. He’s had the job for 18 years; of course he looks presidential. He has that august presence around him and you can’t help but be dazzled every time he enters the room.

I know I can’t expect to see that regality in any of the three finalists. Even IKJ needed some time to grow into his new pairs of shoes back in 1988. But I still wanted to see some glimmer of greatness, and I didn’t see that in Dr. Weiner.

As he was listening to each person’s question, he couldn’t stop fidgeting. His feet were doing their own dance. One time, his leg swung around. I wasn’t sure what I was watching, his shiny dress shoes or his expressive hands. And he teaches public speaking courses. A Gallaudet President cannot fidget in front of other people!

So, unfortunately, his frenzied feet just killed the whole deal for me. Also, for someone with his longevity as a Gallaudet student and employee, I was surprised at many of his answers. He didn’t have satisfactory responses for the graduate student community, for oral/mainstreamed students, or for non-traditional students. He was flying by the seats of his pants through other answers, sometimes appearing even amateurish.

That disappointed me. I expect the presidential candidate to know more about what’s going on in his campus, especially if he has a home-turf advantage.

You can tell that Dr. Weiner is a great guy just by listening to him for a few minutes. He’s proven himself to be a good dean. I’d love to get to know him better. He has so much pride in Gallaudet and its students, and I thoroughly applaud his dedication to a more inclusive deaf university.

Kudos to him for trying. That took guts. He went much, much farther than so many of his peers, and delivered a captivating presentation. The bar has been set.

Yep, he’d make a great provost. I want him to be provost. He’d be an awesome provost. But president?

Nope.

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