Yesterday the Gallaudet Board of Trustees announced that Jane Fernandes would step down as provost in order to focus on her new role as president-select. Clever move.

The Board was under immense pressure to make a move - any move - as it seemed Fernandes supporters and protesters were at a stalemate. The NAD, the NBDA, and the GUAA issued statements pleading with them to act. Even two past chairs of the board, Phil Bravin and Glenn Anderson, both widely respected, wrote a letter, repeating by now the oft-abused motif - “Do something!”

So, do something, they did. But with not quite the result the community was looking for.

Rather than unite the fractured community or restore faith, the BoT pushed even more support behind their divisive choice of president.

Granted, the fact that Jane Fernandes now has even more time on her hands to address issues can be interpreted as a step toward progress. But it also highlights the fact that the BoT is determined not to back down from their choice, a move that points in a direction away from the FSSA’s request to re-open the presidential search.

That direction, we believe, is also one in which the majority of the community would not like to go.

It is also a move that potentially could put the FSSA in a “damned if you do, damned if you don’t” situation. Embrace the president-select’s pending efforts to address issues, and the FSSA looks like it’s softening its resolve. Refuse to work with the president-select, and the FSSA looks like an uncollaborative bunch of whiners.

But it’s also a move that puts the FSSA in an incredible position of power. Not only did they announce that two searches would begin, one for interim provost, and one for a permanent provost, by making a move that strengthens their commitment to Dr. Fernandes as president, they further demonstrated their refusal to consider the community’s wishes.

It is, after all, still the community’s University.

Sure, we want a University that brings academic prestige and opportunity to deaf and hard of hearing people everywhere. That’s always been our first and foremost reason for being proud Gallaudetians.

But we also want a University that unites us. We also want a University where staffmembers aren’t afraid to be themselves, to contribute in ways of their own choices. We want a University where members are empowered and oppression is a common denominator in our past. We also want a University where the president will look at the university’s members and give them recognition where it’s due. We also want a University where students, alumni, and faculty will hold their own president up high as a respected leader and role model for our youth.

Gallaudet with Jane K. Fernandes as its president, especially with the way she got that position, is not that University.

We certainly are not inspired by a president-select who has failed to show one iota of leadership quality since her selection was announced.

So, with the BoT’s statement that Dr. Fernandes is throwing all her effort into the presidency, the FSSA has even stronger grounds now to say that, once again, the community has been ignored. Their case has now, in fact, been bolstered by the BoT’s actions.

Should the FSSA and its supporters work diplomatically toward helping to identify a suitable provost to lead our scholars forth? Absolutely. But that doesn’t mean the two demands should be abandoned or that our resolve should be softened.

FSSA, the Kaftans are behind you. Unity for Gallaudet.

The next move is yours.

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