In a statement released by Gallaudet, the Board of Trustees, at the conclusion of their two-day semi-annual meeting, announced that Dr. Jane Fernandes will immediately step down as Provost “to allow for the transition to her presidency. Dr. Fernandes will concentrate her work to carefully review all of the issues brought up during the lst few weeks and to work with the campus community to address them.”
Also announced were plans for two searches: one for an interim Provost, and one for a permanent Provost. President Jordan will begin the process for identifying an interim Provost. A committee of faculty, staff, and students will be assembled, and a call for nominations will be made. The Board strongly prefers that the interim Provost should not be someone who seeks the permanent position.
At the same time, Dr. Fernandes will lead a national search to identify the permanent provost, using a representative committee to develop the job description and conducting the search.
The Board acknowledged that there were several deep issues to be addressed. “We must move ahead and bring all sides together. We all gain if we work together, in a collaborative manner. We have been conducting open and honest dialogues with many different groups on and off campus. We are looking forward to moving ahead and continuing to strengthen our Gallaudet University,” Brenda Brueggemann, the acting-Chair of the Board, said.
So did anybody see that coming?
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I’d say that it’s a rather emphatic message that the BoT intends that Fernandes will be the next Gallaudet president.
No, I didn’t see that coming. But when you think about it, it’s the perfect response to the protestors, really. To give the protestors what they wanted was to show weakness. By doing this, the BoT is showing that they are in control, and not the protestors.
It’s definitely a smart and a very political move. Priceless! The media will think this is very reasonable, but the BoT knows the protestors will NOT consider this reasonable at all. The BOT definitely knows how to play the game better than NAD, GUAA, and FSSA. :P
yes, no question about it!
I bet Lynn Jacobwitz is going to **** in her pants and will lose her job in no time.
People like Jessy should be shot and discarded in some forest only to be forgotten.
E. Lynn Jacobowitz is an excellent professor - a person whom is treasured in Deaf World — people like you who barked with their voices claimed to have some kind of ownership with the “Deaf World” should be massacred.
R-
Ridor, she is very unprofessional and has been poisoning young students’ minds for the past two weeks.
Ridor — Remember what I said earlier about not attacking each other personally? That includes you, sir.
Gally Protest is hilarious and pathetic! No point and make no sense at all…someone must dislikes her for years and started the trouble a few weeks ago.
again: ridor is dangerous to the fssa. He’s a liability. To repeatedly refer to people who speak as “barking with their voices” and to declare that they don’t have any “ownership” in the Deaf world is tantamount to saying they “aren’t deaf enough”. Are we back to that as the motto? THINK JUST A LITTLE RIDOR. You claim detractors should be SHOT, and MASSACRED. You’re a liability, one that the FSSA should distance itself from. PRONTO.
That’s absolutely right. We’re stupid, naive and we would’ve not even protested if it was for Lynn Jacobiwitz and Dr. Zoltan!
PLEASE.
We are grown adults, and we know what we think and why.
There’s no reason to treat us like children who don’t know what they are doing.
I’m still reeling from that announcement. Definitely a check-mate against the FSSA.
I just had to add this now that I’ve thinking more clearly now… If FSSA has any political smarts, they would jump on the opportunity to influence who the interim and permanent provost will be. That way they would salvage their legacy. It’s already taken a severe beating. Might as well go out not being sore losers.
And in hindsight, we should’ve seen the BoT’s decision coming. It was said here and there, but quietly, that we should accept the presidential decision and focus on who would be the next provost. And those who said it were right.
We need to think several steps ahead. This is a game of chess, not checkers.
The writing was on the wall all along, if one would only look. If I were a human credibility scale, with the BoT, IKJ, and JKF on one side, and the student protestors on the other side, which side would YOU think will weigh more? There was such a big difference between the pro-Fernandes and anti-Fernandes camps all along. the BoT, IKJ, and JKF conducted themselves with dignity and respect every step of the way. No one can fault them for their professionalism. it cannot have been easy. The BoT conducted a proper search procedure that went by the book. The Gallaudet community had plenty of opportunities to participate in it. As JKF said, it’s not an election, it’s not a popularity contest, and it isn’t the students’ choice who gets to be president. The presidency of Gallaudet is a JOB. The FSSA, to give them credit, backpedaled on their original attack plan of “she doesn’t say hi” and “not deaf enough,” but too late. It did not help their strategy that other deaf protestors out there in the community continued to sabotage their efforts with their backstabbing and lack of hard evidence for flaws in the search procedure. I gather that Tent City and the student protestors on the scene were a fairly well behaved bunch… and then read the comments on Ridor’s blog about not shaking Jane’s hand during commencement. How immature! I said it here once, and will say it again: there’s going to be a new provost soon, and I hope the Gallaudet community can learn its lessons and move forward. I hope the new provost will be the ideal that everyone wants for Gallaudet. let’s see, do I know any physically disabled gay deaf person of color with tons of charisma who can LEAD? going through my mental Rolodex now… nominations, anybody?
So it’s all Ridor’s fault that the protesters and FSSA got screwed up? Lol.
I’m sure he’ll be thrilled to hear that.
no, no, not Ridor himself — the commentors.
Ridor is a sore loser. He’s never had a full-time job and has spent about ten or fifteen years backstabbing “D” people. Look at his Bitch Sessions- it says it all, really, about who he is. He is a divider, not a unifier. Please think real hard about what has been happening at Gallaudet University, and begin the healing process for all deaf people in the deaf community.
Ricky Taylor didn’t really finish school in time. He kept putting off his education so that he could backstab and spread rumors in the deaf community. He is not someone you can trust or rely on.
Hey Guys,
lets not talk about Ricky Taylor. Dont be a backstabber like him. If you want to talk bad things about him. Feel free to comment on his ridorlive.com. Simple as that. =)
Let’s discuss about Adam’s blog.
I don’t want to discount Mr. Ricky Taylor’s attempt to write news. This is a very good thing that the Deaf community is starting to write and that was nonexistent in the past. I am very thrilled that Deaf people are debating issues on text.
Mike, Why do you care about Ricky’s life? We re here to debate about Gally’s issue. Speak for yourself. You re backstabbing about him. Do me a favor. Change the subject. Adam’s blog. Not yours. Thanks
In a way, we must take care of our bad apples to continue the vitality of the deaf community. Thus, it is entirely appropriate to discuss squelching people like Ridor who bring nothing but embarrassment to the entire ‘D’eaf community.
We are a small group of individuals with a tribal mentality, fighting against the current. So, in order to make the movement successful, he must be eradicated, politically.
I am not sure Ridor is good at reporting because he often lets his emotions get in the way. Not only that, he enjoys all the attention he is getting, nevermind what he has been doing in his adult life. Just take a look at his website, especially that outrageously degrading bitch sessions he has been posting for the past few years. It shows he is trying to destroy deaf people’s reputations and has no desire to bring the community together. I don’t understand why the FSSA would welcome him on campus because he is partly the reason why the top officials on campus will never hear him out along with other bad apples in the so called tent city. He is one of many bad apples in the deaf community that need to be destroyed. The sooner, the better. Do not give him all the credit he does not deserve.
Ricky Taylor is a very marketable feller. Some people love him to life some people hate himto death. I dont love him and I dont hate him either. I just respect him because hes a very marketable feller.
Hahahaha — obviously, you do not understand what Bitch Sessions is all about.
R-
Nope not ridor’s fault…entirely, his ego would like that, but no.
“the BoT, IKJ, and JKF conducted themselves with dignity and respect every step of the way.”
spoken like a true non-Gallaudetian.
R-
Just knock it off and get a life. Find a job and move out of your parents’ house. I hear you are now 33.
there you go, Ricky! I rest my case. but I do love your blog, my gosh, you can dish the dirt better than anyone.
Ridor- were you one of the 12 year program students at gally…. did you even get a degree?
“The FSSA, to give them credit, backpedaled on their original attack plan of “she doesn’t say hi” and “not deaf enough,” but too late.”
The FSSA was created on Wednesday, May 3. What you just explained was the Gallaudet students’ original reaction to the announcement of Dr. Fernandes being selected as the 9th president. It was not an attack plan by FSSA.
Have a nice summer.
Haiku by Me
Guess what, it is over
It was a flash in the pan
And so is Big “D”
Earwax, oh! oh! oh!
Our “D” is but a “Q”tip..
We bid thee farewell!
What if JKF and Ron Stern were just marginal close?? what if Ron Stern was selected would we be prostesting and make all these accusations to the BOT, PSC, playing the DEAF CARD.. it was the protesters who objected … ?? just being the devil’s advocate here for a moment.. FSSA are desperately grasping for straws now since at this point … in the eyes of ADA is in favor of JKF .. there is no way they can remove her as President.
FSSA need to come up with a different strategy now .. make demands on the searching for a DEAF Centric provost .. they still need their jobs and students still need to gain their education… perhaps coming to terms with a DEAF centric provost (who actually leads in inside of the university) … can the FSSA make those kind of resolutions as their jobs are at stake now .. FSSA was just re established on May something after 18 years being fizzled .. talk about leadership .. maybe it was the FSSA who actually went to sleep to let this happen in the first place?? why did they not set up FSSA way back in Sept. when IKJ annonced his retirement.. talk about apathy.. perhaps as myself being a strong DEAF person with strong ASL skills and love being in the Deaf culture… we need to take a good look at ourselves since ADA, IDEA, technologies, medicine, and cochlear implants are about 20 years ahead of the cultural aspect of the Deaf community… perhaps it is time for us to be more global minded and find bridges to work with diversity of Deaf people … than just being solo on one small island… we can no longer deny .. .. we are considered quite “Old School” while the world is progressing along without us .. hmmm .. something to think about … it is sad but REALITY does bite !!???
Haiku by Me
Looks like a former Duck
Has migrated South for the Winter
Sage words of advice
Sadly, this haiku might be right on the mark.
Earwax, oh! oh! oh!
Let us migrate Down on you,
Swallow your wisdom.
That is hilarious.
No man is an island, entire of itself…
I’ve been reading the blogs (www.deafdc.com, elisa’s and rido’rs faithfully) and found the postings of comments very instructive however contrasting (it pays to keep an open mind and think globally). Let’s suppose Ron Stern gets the provost job and what if JF decides to delegate whatever duties to drown Ron that way. I’m not saying this for a fact, just wondering.
We are not fooled by BoT’s tactic here. We know that it is absolutely no change or compromise on their part at all. They simply changed the names of positions, and made everybody think that it will take longer. Oh please, Fernandes is STILL going to be a president in January. FSSA and many of us finds this not acceptable, and rather sly. If BoT thought we would fall for it, that tells you how ignorant they are for thinking Deaf people are not on the same playing level.
My message to BoT is simply two words, “NICE TRY.”
Huh? How are they trying to be sly? They wouldn’t be issuing a PR announcing the next step. Falling for what? They’re being upfront and saying that they are NOT backing down and will proceed with their plans to transition from IKJ to JKF.
Sour grapes… you protesters need to learn to swallow the hard pill and face reality. This is your chance to work with the administration to put in the right kind of Provost in place.
If you don’t work for this compromise, your rhetorical slogan “Unity for Gallaudet” will mean nothing.
It’s sly to them because it was a brilliant political maneuver. Nobody anticipated them removing JK from public view until she becomes president. Most of us here expected the BoT to stay with their decision, but speaking for myself on this part, I certainly didn’t expect them to do what they did with JK and the provost position. That effectively removes FSSA’s ammo against JK, because they were using JK’s actions during the protest. So they have to find a new tactic now. That’s smart on the BoT’s part, and that’s why people are saying the BoT’s sly. ;)
the BOT has educated people on it the protestors are uneducated…. what do you expect uneducated people dont know how to use tact and properly debate something. you got a bunch of young immature clowns protesting and they dont even know what they are doing other then trying to make themselves famous like the DPN people… it didnt matter who was selected there were plans to protest all of the final three so these kids could make a name for themselves and be like the DPN crowd… well the DPN crowd people were educated and did it. these kids prolly had dreams of getting a movie gig or somekind of book deal and getting rich quick without getting a college degree
Clearly your goal is to..well…troll a bit…every board needs one, it’s true. And, yes, there are some among the FSSA who are less educated. As there were last time, as there are with anyy protest. There are also some bright, caring, passionate folks who want what’s best for the deaf community, for their families…
Yes, I’d say that this is not a surprise. sadly. And, I’d say I predict tent city to lose steam and wander away. I’m left a bit bummed, and not altogether surprised.
This is a major win for the pro-Fernandes side and a minor win for FSSA, if they’re willing to stop being stubborn and start getting who they want in the Provost’s position. Instead of fighting, lets work with them and get who you want as Provost.
Exactly. Truer words couldn’t be said.
bam bam bam bam….. court is now in session…
I’d say, talsey, that that is a very realistic, optimistic position…and then work on reforumlating the BoT which is going to take some lobbying…
BoT may have gotten this situation solved somehow by having JKF resigned as provost. However, the BoT needs to make sure JKF gets a provost who listens and works with Deaf students and Faculty. Another JKF = another disaster. We will end up seeing a volcano erupting on campus!
Right, which means the fssa MUST work proactively to get at the table and help ensure that the next provost is the right person for the job.
I guess all these kids want to be babied just like they were in their deaf schools never held accountable for their lack of education and behavoir. Why cant these kids grow up suck it up get an education and stop crying about everything… this is getting old… what happens after their 12 years of college is the federal government suppose to baby them and pay them to sit behind a desk so they can be drunk there and **** each others wives?
The brilliance of this announcement is that it offers the protesters a chance to “lose” with dignity. It does not make them look bad. It offers them the opportunity for collaboration and to shape the leadership of Gallaudet in a new important way: the provost position. I hope that the FSSA embraces this offer. I honestly couldn’t imagine a better end. And JKF will be eager to put a provost in place that will satisfy the FSSA….and who would be on the inside track to be the *next* president.
I don’t think any faculty will be fired — most do have tenure, you know.
While I agree, in principle… there are a number of young, Deaf faculty who do not yet have tenure. I believe it’s never wise to assume untenured faculty won’t face consequences.
If JKF is as smart as I think she is, she will not take action against any untenured faculty protesters — unless they broke the law or did something really offensive. It’s time for healing and forgiveness.
I agree…and I hope to God she sees things the same way.
Trust me, she won’t see that. And when she does that, we’ll make sure that it backfires like Hell.
R-
Ha-ha-ha, I laugh my butt off…
This is day one for me. I did not receive tenure and I am not a Gallaudet faculty anymore. If any other faculty will be in my shoes in the near future, will be seen. One thing is sure: tenure track faculty refrained from supporting the protest, becasue they are scared. They know this administration, and won’t offer them a bare chest for stabbing into. Except freaks like me who was already executed at the start. (no name please)
You’re saying you recently received your denial of tenure?
so many comments by so many people who are not well adjusted about issues related to being deaf…get past this and look at the issues on kendall green closer–this is not only about kendall green. this is not only about gallaudet. this is you. this is me. this is us. when you talk about ‘divide’, read your comments.
has anyone figured out who is leading this protest is it all the jack ass’s in the 12 year education plan? cuz they cant get an education and this is the only way they can feel like they did something at gally?
anyways if they used their brains they would realize this isnt ending all that bad for them.
What bothers me now after this announcement is a certain blogger who shall remain unnamed is now blaming Jane Fernandes for the murders at Gallaudet.
I’m worried they will go into desperation mode and go down the low road. This bothers me greatly.
But, I believe, with the exception of a “vocal” few…folks will keep to the high road.
leave it to the uneducated clowns at gally to make more of a mess they rank right up there with our wounderful republicans on capital hill….
dont these jackasses realize they are destroying the deaf community???
guess what folks not everyone was happy about alan being the president of NTID but they dealt with it and moved on and are working with him. you cant have everything you want in life sometimes you have to play the cards and work with them the best you can. Highly doubt JfK has any intentions to do anything bad to the students or gally…. these protestors missed their chance to stop her and their claims now are sooo uneducated they are making us as a communtiy look uneducated
that’s what I said on http://www.gallypreswatch.com, kill Jane with kindness
And it will likely happen. I watched earlier today as folks on “another blog” blamed JKF for the bomb threats.
don’t you think IM-like responses to blogs suck?
YEP!
I would like to add that I definitely think FSSA has a chance to cement their influence by playing their hand to get the next provost they want! Don’t waste political capital and then find yourself without it! Remember only 16 months ago Bush came into his second term with A LOT of political capital and now he has NONE and can barely beg his party to all stand together for him on his nominees to head the CIA. Let this be a lesson for FSSA. Don’t be arrogant and look at this as an opportunity to improve your education and get a provost that will be better than Jane.
I ALSO want to point out it is time for a new VP of Admin and Finance. Paul Kelley definitely has to GO! So FSSA PLEASE USE YOUR MINDS AND ENERGY to influencing who will be the next provost and VP of Admin and Finance because that is a victory itself! Students pick two positions.. BOT picks one. And if Jane gets fed up and leaves then those two positions will likely be the successors for President.
I think Ron Stern would be a PERFECT provost and Isaac Agboola, Chairman of the Business Department, would be the perfect VP of Admin and Finance. Most of you will say Issac WHO? go to http://business.gallaudet.edu/faculty.htm and you will see his picture on top. He represents diversity and I believe he is originally from Africa and definitely is outgoing and talkative to students! Big heart and qualified for the job for VP of Admin and Finance!
Spread this idea!
Finally, that is something that FSSA can do instead of beating up a dead bison.
Only BoT can fire Paul Kelly as it outlined in BoT bylaws. Paul Kelly is considered as a Treasurer for Gallaudet. You can find it on http://bot.gallaudet.edu/x512.xml and click on The Administration - Treasurer. Basically, we are stuck with Paul Kelly UNTIL BoT decides to kick him off. To see Paul Kelly’s formal title - you can find it on http://phone.gallaudet.edu and click on employees then find his surname. It will say that he’s the vice president AND treasurer.
Paul Kelly can’t be let go unless BoT says so as it says in their by-laws http://bot.gallaudet.edu/x2025.xml#63. His formal title is VP and Treasurer as incidated in http://its.gallaudet.edu/employee_list.php therefore we are stuck with him until he was let go by the BoT. It doesn’t matter if we get a new president or not. He will remain there until BoT says something.
excellent. Do u live in DC? I live in Ohio. If you do live in DC, do u think you cld share with the FSSA with what you just said?
Have seen it coming - kinda knew this will happen for them to ask JK to step down and let someone take over provost. From I read, I think Karen Kimmel will be temporary one (BoT made it very clear that the temporary won’t be one of candidates for permanent provost). So I hope KK is going to be temporary one then get a better one for permanent one - perhaps, MJ? Lynn? KJ from clerc center? Isaac Agboola? who?
Good morning, I do not think Jane would fire Lynn Jacobwitz - she is an excellent teacher, I’ve had her as my teacher although I don’t like her as a person. I can keep personality separate from professionalism. In fact, I was talking with friends last night and we came to an agreement that if Jane knew about Gallaudet University as a child and went to Gally for her undergraduate degree, she would have joined Phi Kappa Zeta and the PKZ would have molded Jane into a proud Deaf woman with all the qualities that MJ and Lynn would have wanted in a PKZ President. Phi Kappa Zeta, why dont you make Jane an honorary member and guide her through the process of being a member of Deaf Womenhood!
Yes, Jane Fernandes is a honorary sister of the so-called phi kappa zeta sorority.
It was all political. They wanted someone like her on her side because the sorority is going to hell in a handbasket, that’s all.
I never believed the BoT would change their position — but the FSSA, or more so the faculty, can still try to empower themselves. they should talk to a union rep.
Ok, the Provost is essentially the right-hand person to the President, right? If that’s so, does the President have any say in who will fill that position? If not, why not?
Might be a good time to ask Fernandes about that.
One may wonder why there have been so many odds stacked against deaf individuals, deaf communities and deaf schools in recent years. More & more deaf schools are seeing declining enrollment among deaf students not to mention other deaf schools already shutting their doors for good. Not only that but there are not as many deaf clubs like before. Is it because the end is due to come?
Adam, you may choose to delete this message posting. But I just want to share something with you along w/ other readers. It is no secret that many deaf people unfortunately don’t possess good moral values these days. One could ask the question if God is getting tired of deafies being so ungrateful for what He has blessed them for generations here in America by providing deaf schools, deaf services & yes, Gallaudet University. Why, there are so many deafies in other countries who suffer in great poverty & would be illiterate. They would be beggars out in the streets. Of course, they would be considered second-class or even third-class citizens in their native countries. Even if deafies here in America still aren’t equal to hearing counterparts in some senses, at least, the deafies are far more privileged because they have greater opportunities for education, jobs, services & free TTYs as well as free VP. The same goes to receiving welfare benefits or other government benefits whether or not if they deserve these! But deafies have far more advantages here in our great land of America!
It apparently appears that many deafies aren’t Christians or attend church regularly. Is it because they prefer to worship the deaf culture as well as Gally? Deaf culture is great where we deafies would feel much more at ease but of course, we should place God as our top priority so He can continue blessing us with many good things! When people stop worshipping or forgetting about God, it would sadden our Heavenly Father greatly that it would have gone to the point where He cannot protect us from bad things. So you see why bad things keep popping up out of the blues toward the deaf community in general. I am certain if a lot more deafies are Christians, Jane would never be in the picture in the first place.
The deaf communities all over the country are already divided at this moment over many issues. Many deafies would feel like outsiders in the deaf communities because they may not be very ASL fluent or have strong contacts w/ other deafies. Would deafies learn the art of discrimination from hearing people when they are rejected or mocked that they would somehow subsciously practice discrimination on themselves & their deaf fellows? A hearing friend once told me about visiting Gally once & was so shocked to see so many educated deafies displaying such bitterness & anger. It really floored me since it was her very first time being exposed to the deaf culture that she was able to look at the deaf culture through a different viewpoint than us deafies. Of course, we may not be able to detect bitterness & anger easily among our deafie fellows. Yet it would tap an alarming subject why many deafies act so angry & ungrateful as if life treats them horribly! Of course, it is nothing different w/ hearing people & other races as they have it hard in many ways but some of them would choose to believe in Christ & let Him burden our troubles! That is why I am praying that this huge Gally mess will help b