They can’t just remove her, and as you said, there is already a contract in place. That is why she’s being asked to step down by her own volition.

I don’t think the students would object to a new leader, as long as the leader could be trusted.

I have nothing against your ability to speak. And I understand you weren’t ‘forced’. If you were hearing until age 3, then you’ve had a pretty good grasp already on how the English language is spoken. That’s fine. Even an advantage for you, I’m sure. Nothing wrong with that.

Again, go back and read.. I did not question you for my own reasons, I simply listed questions that you may want to consider what makes someone ‘Deaf enough’. Again, we don’t know each other. I am going by what you are saying in print.

I have zero problem with someone who tries and tries but simply can’t grasp this concept or that. Clearly not their fault. If you really read my post you’d see that I have nothing against anyone, Deaf, deaf, hearing, etc etc.. I really don’t.

I won’t even say the cheesy things like, “some of my best friends are HOH, or my spouse is hearing, etc etc” I don’t need to prove myself. I know who I am.

I appreciate varieties in everyone’s background. That keeps everything and everyone interesting. After all, if we were all the same, it’d be quiet a boring world, huh?

When I say I have a plm with people talking about things they don’t know, I don’t mean those who are ignorant by default. I’m speaking of those who TALK BIG, and really try to make it sound like they know what they are talking about - when in reality they only know what they read off the back of a cereal box.

Do you see the difference?

I don’t wish for a militant ASL world. I only wish that it was fairer for Deaf getting their education, etc. And since the native language of American Deaf is ASL, then of course I support it. The same as most people would accept English as the native language of hearing Americans. I don’t expect everyone to learn ASL, nope sure don’t. But I ask those who know nothing about it, or possess a limited knowledge about it, to keep an open mind and really listen to those who DO actually know what they are talking about. (Like WildStarrySkies so clearly and redundantly explained). This statement does not imply YOU, College Student. I’m speaking of misguided people in general. The people who misunderstand Deaf and oppress them intentionally or otherwise.

But I do not wish to divide anyone. I don’t care if you are Deaf or deaf. All I care about is your attitude and if you are willing to see the big picture.

You THOUGHT I didn’t know a tad of ASL. You THOUGHT I didn’t know anything about deaf culture and history. You QUESTIONED me if I know the people and first school for the deaf. My asl is fine or ok. I dont think anyone would give you a medal to say your asl is GREAT!

Interpreters, audiologist…yeah yeah.. they are hearing, trying to contriubute to the community.. ..Bonet and Cardano…the introdution of written symbols and book on manual alphabet…

yea yea.. hearing impaired needs to be fix…thats why i said hearing crippled, same thing..

you can’t control the universe. deaf comes from a variety of background. and if you have a problem with people not grasping the deaf culture or them talking about things they dont know… then RIP for you. some mental health counselor dont know everything themselves…

by the way, i didn’t force myself to speak, let alone my parents. i wouldn’t want you to become my audiologist, cuz you are clearly a cult leader who wants to divide the big d or little d as you say, “But I do have problems with anyone, Deaf, deaf, HOH, or hearing that talk about things that they don’t KNOW or don’t understand.”,

About the library. Bad if true, for the sake of my ignorance at this moment I will claim that as a point against JKF. I will look into it and see what is there.

The other point is that of her use of language, yes she should not have used such language. It is divisive and inflammatory. I am not interested in the security of JKF in the least, if she is innefective then she should be gone BUT I am against the protest for its actions.
IF you are a professor, what did you do while the selection was going on? You have a voice in your department meetings, was nothing said?

What I mean by self-entitled stands, not many private universities recieve 70% of its revenue from the government and the notion that football players of all people cant be brought down a peg is pathetic.

Hon, you are blowing this out of proportion. My post isn’t dumb, it merely speaks the truth. You can speak? Good for you, what do you want, a medal? Audiologists (most of them) know NOTHING about big d or little d. Or did you forget that generally audiologists are HEARING?

I haven’t patronized you nor any other ‘deaf’ in your position. Nor do I have anything to be jealous about. That’s ludicrous.

I also didn’t say that you don’t understand Deaf culture. I can’t make such an assessment, as I don’t know you. I am only going by your words.

You asked me if you would be able to run Gally as ‘Deaf enough’. I was answering your question with a few questions to think about so you can decide that for yourself. But I did in no way mean to imply that you DON’T know about Deaf culture, signs, etc.

“The interpreters tell me my ASL is ok”. Again ‘hearing people’ telling you about your own Deafness and skills. sighhhh

I never said I wanted to bridge the gap, I asked if YOU wanted to. See the difference? I have nothing against hearing people. Paleez. But I do have problems with anyone, Deaf, deaf, HOH, or hearing that talk about things that they don’t KNOW or don’t understand.

Cult is ridiculous. It’s a culture. One you are obviously not part of.

My way is not the right way? I haven’t stated anything about myself being ‘Deaf enough’ to run Gally. I haven’t stated ‘my way’. I state what is fair, and what should be fair.

And really, who cares about driver’s license plates. LOL silly. I doubt a Deaf culturally Deaf person made those plates.

Hearing Impaired implies there is something wrong, something that needs to be FIXED. That is why I asked you if you do consider yourself hearing impaired. Do you see?

I NEVER said you were this or weren’t that. I simply gave you a few questions (like any good mental health counselor would) to give you to think about, so you could answer your own question.

I really feel badly though because I don’t want this blown out of proportion. There is a proper way to disagree and discuss things, you know?

But calling my words dumb and telling me to check into a mental place doesn’t help us, the Deaf, or Gally at all.

Your posting is the dumbest Ive seen. Please check yourself in to the nearest Mental Institution. I dont rule myself out as hearing impaired because its for the hearing crippled. Deaf is more appropriate word to use. Since you are not a certified audiologist, dont patronize people if they are Big D or little d. Just because I can speak doesn’t mean I call myself hearing impaired. It a term hearing people use when they see a deaf person speaks. Dont be so jealous either. The oldest school is in CT.

I know there are others signs from around the world. I taught PSE at college and ASL at high school in the past. We discussed deaf schools, deaf history etc. I learned the history because I didn’t learn it in school. We learned from each other.

So dont tell me that i dont understand the deaf culture. As I read your posting, its obvious shows that you are not bridging the gap between the hearing and deaf. Stop making a fool out of yourself. Have you notice the DMV license plate for the deaf? Its in HI (i think or HOH) to let the driver, the cops be aware of a hearing impaired person. Why not make a license plate that say “deaf”??

think before you speak, find out how a deaf learn ASL. dont blame them blame the person who taught it wrong. My interpreters say my ASL is just fine. Deaf comes from all kind of background. I am happy that Im not a member of your cult. I do want to see changes but your way is NOT the right way.

My second example comes from last spring semester. A group of faculty (myself included) was asked to review the university’s response to the 2005 MSA report on Gallaudet and to report our recommendations to JKF. One of the harshest criticisms in the MSA report was the lack of funding for the library (this had been an issue in the 2001 MSA report as well). MSA strongly recommended a substantial increase to the library budget, and the faculty committee pushed very hard for JKF to accept the MSA recommendation. Our library resources are terrible and the building itself has holes in the roof. When it rains, the archives are damaged. The library needs a huge infusion of money, but JKF refused to authorize despite the strong recommendation of the faculty. This is just one of MANY examples of how JKF ignores faculty input. Universities are structured on the principle of shared governance, which means faculty and administrators should make key decisions together. To ignore faculty recommendations produces resentment on the part of the faculty.

Another JKF’s weak leadership skills comes from a faculty forum a few weeks ago. At some point, JKF was asked to talk about what she has done since last May to build a better relationship with the student community. She began be explaining how SBG refused to work with her and, according to her, threatened to fire any SBG representative who agreed to serve on her advisory committee. She spent about 5 minutes on that. Now, it was common knowledge that SBG refused to recognize her selection as president by sending a representative, and it was simply bad politics to start responding to the question that way. It made her look as if she was blaming SBG for the fact that she has not accomplished anything. Why be negative and divisive? We wanted to hear what she had done, so why not say something positive.

Lest you think that this is a small and insignificant thing, let me again emphasize that we are talking about leadership qualities. And with JKF, we are talking about a pattern of small incidents that add up to an intense feeling on the part of students AND faculty that she is patronizing and dismissive. A leader knows how to bring people together, not push them away and apart.

My third and final example. Since last May, JKF has not made any effort to reach out to faculty and ask for support. She has never called a faculty or student forum on her own initiative. In the past three weeks, she has spoken exclusively to the press. She has called the protestors terrorists and anarchists. Her choice of inflammatory rhetoric and her lack of effort to speak to the university community through anything but hostile memos is what convinced me that she cannot lead this university. I stayed out of the protest and kept an open mind about JKF for a long time. Though I saw problems, I felt that it was my responsibility to support the university by accepting the BOT’s decision. But after the past two weeks, my mind is made up. We need a leader who is proactive and can calm this situation down, not one who escalates it. And if you’re not convinced, Johan, well, you don’t work at Gallaudet. Walk a mile in our shoes before you call us self-entitled.

I understand you were hearing until age 3. Sorry to hear. I understand that you are deaf and not Deaf. (big D, little d).

That still has nothing to do with how you govern a group of people who have their own specific culture. It has nothing to do with your signs or when you learned it.

What is important is your ATTITUDE. Do you identify yourself as Deaf? Or do you tell people you are ‘hearing-impaired’? Do you attempt to learn ASL at all, or are you simply satisfied with learning ’signs’? Do you know what Deaf history consists of? Where American sign language came from in the first place? Do you know who Laurent Clerc was? Alice Cogswell? Dummy Hoy? S. Fowler? Do you know what the name of the first Deaf school is? Etc. Do you want good things for the Deaf? How do you want to see things change for the Deaf? Are your motivations totally focussed on making changes and bridging the gap between the Deaf and hearing? ETC

It doesn’t have so much to do with how much you can hear, as much as it has to do with what you choose to do with that ‘hearing’ (or lack of).

Or geez, why not have the students choose teachers by sign style? Same as hearing people hear that a foreign teacher has a thick accent, they can choose to attend this class or not.

That would at least be some sort of compromise, but it’s not fair to be in a class (or classes) at a major school that professes to be there for your specific abilities, yet not meet your specific needs.