Davila Chosen as Gallaudet Interim President
By Chris and Allison Kaftan on Sun 10 Dec 2006 |
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Pamela Holmes, acting chair of the Board of Trustees, announced today that Dr. Robert Davila had been named as the interim president of Gallaudet University.
“I am honored to once again serve my alma mater,” Davila said, according to a statement released by the Gallaudet Public Relations office (linked above). “I am fortunate to possess the energy, drive and dedication that will be required to lead our University over the coming months. I will seek to bring support and benefit to all constituent groups on campus and beyond.”
He begins his duties on January 2nd of the coming year. Was he the best choice? How will he handle a campus community still very much feeling the effects of a protest that led to the vacancy he is now filling?
Tell us what you think.
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I am sooo ecstatic that the Board of Trustees have made the right decision in appointing Dr. Robert Davila!
With Davila becoming deaf and learning ASL later, this goes to show that the protest last May have NOTHING to do with deaf politics or not deaf enough that have been spin through the media by Gallaudet’s Public Relations but EVERYTHING to do with valid issues that have been ignored.
Best of luck to Dr. Robert Davila in uniting the community and cleaning up the mess so everyone can heal. It won’t be an easy task, indeed, but I have faith in him.
Me too. I know Gallaudet need it.
Commence Operation Mouthfroth for the Deaf ASL’ers.
Bob Davila is the best choice but that doesn’t mean the other two should go unnoticed for their qualifications as well especially Steve Weiner.
Dr. Davila has a wide array of experience that will help us heal internally and externally. As an alumni and employee of Gallaudet, I am looking forward to the healing process and the positive changes that I know will happen under Dr. Davila’s term. He will make sure the changes in the higher up happen. It has been too long and everyone has been too comfortable where they are. (Paul Kelly, Karen Kimmel, and some others.) He will make sure that Gallaudet is student oriented—- it has not been the case for too long. Onward!
Interesting. I read Dr. Davila’s letter of intent and vitae, and I must say that he seems eminently qualified for this position.
Hopefully he will be able to initiate the healing process that needs to be done. I don’t envy him, and I wish him a ton of good luck in his endeavors at Gallaudet.
Truthfully, I am not all that surprised.
When the words “Interim President” was first mentioned, my gut feeling was that Robert Davila’s name would come up as a potential candidate for such. And my crystal ball told me that the odds were pretty good that he would in fact be selected for such a position, if he did throw his hat in the ring.
I think the Board of Trustees has made a good decision in selecting him for the job. I don’t envy him the challenges that lie ahead, but I do have confidence in his abilities to meet them head-on.
I don’t know Dr. Davila that well, but I do have a memory of him going back to my days as an undergraduate student on the campus…this was back when Dr. Merrill was president, and Dr. Davila was I think Vice-Prez for Pre-College Programs or something of that sort. I was working for the Alumni/Public Relations Office in the Visitors Center, guiding visitors around the campus and providing some facts about Gallaudet. When once asked about a Deaf President for the college, in my youthful stupidity I responded by saying that “when Dr. Merrill retires, we will have Robert Davila as our first Deaf president of Gallaudet.” Wishful thinking, perhaps…but not the smartest thing to say to our visitors.
Well, word got around and Dr. Davila heard about my comment. He sent a note to the Visitors Center asking that I please stop by his office to see him. Needless to say, I was quite nervous about meeting the man.
However, Dr. Davila quickly put me at ease with his warmth and grace, and told me that while he was “flattered by my consideration of him as the first Deaf president of Gallaudet, that was a decision that remained to be made by the Board.” He was kind and gentle in his reprimand, and never showed any anger or disapproval…simply a need to correct my mistake, as unintentional as it might have been.
I left Dr. Davila’s office feeling humbled…and yet impressed. The man could have chosen to give me a good lecture on spreading rumors, etc…but instead he treated with me with sensitivity, dignity, and respect. That to me is the mark of a true leader, and a compassionate human being.
I haven’t forgotten that day and that meeting, and I have tried to act in a similar manner when I’ve had to call people into my own office.
It’s been over 25 years forthcoming…but I am happy to now be able to say that Robert Davila is the Deaf President of Gallaudet.
Congratulations, Dr. Davila.
Hello,
Does anyone know Dr. Davila’s background? I am curious. And who were the other two candidates? Did the students put in survey on those three before the BOT appointed an interim president or it was just the BOT?
This explains more about his background.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/.....00242.html
Congratulations, Dr. Davila.
Rose: The letter of intent and full cv/ resume from all three finalists are posted at http://pr.gallaudet.edu/presid.....h/?ID=9913 so you can review Dr Davila’s background there.
A search committee screened 13 applicants, interviewed five of them, then recommended Dr Davila and two other candidates (Marshall and Weiner) to the BOT. The search committee had a mix of faculty, staff, students, one BOT member, and alumni.
I’m not on campus, but I would imagine that there wasn’t really much time for a formal survey of everyone’s opinion. They had to move fast to find someone to fill in because IKJ is stepping down at the end of December. Davila will be interim president for 18 to 24 months, during which time a more comprehensive search will be taken to find a full time president. I imagine there will be more thorough surveys then of students and also of faculty.
While there was no formal survey done, there was plenty of feedback regarding the three finalists on various Deaf blogs and vlogs that could be found all over the web. I’m sure that members of the Search Committee took such feedback, along with other commentary from the Gallaudet Community and the Deaf Community at large, into consideration during their search process.
An informal survey was conducted by Ridor.com which did indicate that Davila was the popular choice for the position, and he clearly did have much support. All three candidates brought their strengths and weaknesses to the table, and I am sure those strengths and weaknesses were carefully considered in the selection process.
Was Dr. Davila the best choice? Remains to be seen. He certainly has much experience under his belt, which should work in his favor. Like I said earlier, I don’t envy him the task, but I do believe he is capable of handling the rigors of the job.
Congratulations are in order for Dr. Robert Davila!
his glasses are too big and he’s too white, I’m going to set up a protest!
=)
/sarcasm off
congrats to Dr. Davila, hopefully the deaf community won’t be in an uproar if they find out he eats oreo’s instead of lemon snaps.
Do u have problem with Davila? U think it will work?
I do love lemon snaps.
I protest. I LIKE lemon snaps!
=) yummy!
Dr. Davila knows what Gallaudet needs and he had success at RIT. I am very optimistic about Gallaudet’s future.
Not only that… he also has a lot of credibility with the current U.S. presidential administration and presumably still has contacts in Congress.
Unfortunate that Sen. McCain left for whatever reasons, but Dr. Davila should be able to help fill in some of the gap left by McCain’s departure from the Gallaudet BoT.
He’s (Davila) someone with a lot of instant credibility and proven track record that anyone of any political party can instantly respect.
He represents various constituent groups well and puts forth a good face to the public. He also knows Gallaudet’s issues and what it’ll take to turn around some of the big ones (e.g. possible MSA decertification).
Definitely the man of the hour and whom we need right now.
Couldn’t have had asked for anyone better. Amazing to still be serving Gallaudet and the Deaf community some 55-ish years after arrival. (Graduated ‘53, so arrived ‘49?)
Yes, especially that Democrats have taken control since the election this past November. Let’s hope for a better President of United States in 2008 along with Gallaudet’s next President after Dr. Davila :-)
With how McCain left the Board of Trustee, I’m afraid to vote for him as a President! He was one of very few Republicans I would consider until what happened and it took me by surprise.
Where’s Zoltan? How come he hasn’t posted his thoughts?
He’s busy kissing ass at Draco Malfoy’s Web site.
I’m sure he IS at draco’s site!
Actually, he’s busy pontificating in his own Web site. As usual, his arguments aren’t very coherent or intelligent.
He doesn’t even give the pretense of pretending to be intelligent.
I’m shocked that someone is actually interested in what Zoltan has to say.
For all we care, he’s in Guam teaching math to high school students.
In reality, no, not all that interested. Just surprised he wasn’t here pontificating as always. He and malfoy DO like to pontificate.
He is celebrating the glorious revolution.
Do not question his love for the sake of the deaf, because you will be pulled under. it is wrong of you to mock or seek out a destructive mode of thinking because he is doing right.
It is sad that you cannot comprehend the greatness of the revolution and the new time that is ahead.
Rejoice or you will be swept aside.
Please tell me you’re kidding. :-)
yes I am kidding.
I always wonder if mr.telling the myth is crazy or just a troll
Ok, way to act like babies and get what you want. Is he deaf enough for you all? Good luck in the real world Gallaudet students…
CL, you might want to peruse the forum terms and conditions a little more carefully. With that said…
Success doesn’t happen by luck unless it’s the lottery. Success normally happens through hard work and manufacturing one’s own opportunities. To that end, I do believe that Gallaudet graduates are doing well in what you term ‘the real world’.
Congratulations extended to Dr. Davila, whom is most eminently qualified for the job. It’s just a shame that he’s 74 years old so a long-term service was never in the cards.
I agree.
It makes me cringe that he wasn’t considered in 1988 when he applied, I believe. Can anyone help refresh my memory only if I am wrong heh?
When an adult man gets what he wants, he’s called assertive. When women get what they want, they’re called aggressive. When gay people get what they want, they complain about the “gay agenda.” When black people get what they want, they’re uppity.
And when Deaf people get what they want, they’re babies. (And no Deaf person should ever aspire to anything like an education, because babies don’t get educations. Ho hum.)
Gotta love the trolls….
PS That was me. The Gallaudet-loving baby. Sorry to “adopt” your name by accident.
There’s a big difference between a baby crying for a pacifier and an adult deciding that he wants something and planning it in a rational and mature way.
Learn the difference and you’ll get more respect by doing it the mature and adult way.
What annoys me the most is a lot of Deafies insist that the world “owes” them something and that they are owed a Deaf President. The world doesn’t owe anyone jack ****. You want it, you work at it instead of whining about it and attacking anyone who does not sufficiently demonstrate enough enthusiasm as being an audist.
What a load of crap.
I am just wondering what the place is for us hearing folks who have dedicated our professional lives to the success of deaf students. The current climate feels pretty hostile to us. People are willing to use our presence on campus and our degrees and accomplishments to bolster Gallaudet’s reputation and ability to get accreditation. But it seems increasingly clear that they want to get rid of us.
My concern is that we don’t have enough Ph.D.s who are deaf to replace the hearing folks who will be leaving in the next few years. This will create a knowledge gap for Gallaudet students. Who will teach them the wide variety of subjects students should be exposed to in college? In my field, the study of religion, I have been trying for years to get someone on board to take my place when I retire. So far, no-one wants to take those 6-9 years to go to graduate school and come back and teach at Gallaudet. If we eliminate all hearing people from the Gallaudet campus, does this mean that our students will not be able to learn about religion in the future? What about other subjects? We could face a huge hiring crisis if we become a deaf only campus. What hearing person in his/her right mind would want to come teach at Gallaudet right now?
Your concerns are probably what impelled the Board of Trustees to act as it did — a sense of fiduciary duty to ensure the survival of Gallaudet and not merely Deaf Culture.
I don’t have any clear answers for you; Davila is simply going to be a holding action addressing the accreditation crisis. Any long term decisions will have to be made by the new president after Davila, but even then it’s likely that the new president, whether Deaf or not, will have to take steps that will displease many people.
Jane,
Thanks for sharing your thoughts from Gallaudet campus. It is hard to understand what is going on without actually being there or hearing the perspectives of those who are most affected by the events on campus.
From reading DeafDC.com commenters and other Blogs, I get the impression that many are concerned about the signing skills of faculty members. I have not seen much discussion about the ratio of deaf to hearing faculty.
For example, many feel that faculty should be held to ASLPI standards with the expectation that the faculty can be readily understood by their students. It sounds like a reasonable expectation.
In another DeafDC.com Blog, Jill Bradbury brought up your point, that there are not enough deaf students willing to earn a higher degree *and* teach at Gallaudet. She mentioned that the President’s Fellows was set up to address this issue.
I am not sure if the characterization of Gallaudet as a campus that is chasing away hearing faculty is an accurate one. But then again, I am not on campus so I do not know what is going on.
While I don’t know Dr. Davila personally, and I haven’t been on campus for years, Dr. Davila’s reputation certainly precedes him… And by all accounts, he’s a person who’s able to navigate both worlds extremely well. It seems that the job of the interim president right now to conduct diplomacy and to mend fences with everyone involved.
So I don’t think he will kowtow to the radicals who want to eradicate the campus of hearing people. That would anger far too many people and Congress would never stand for that. Not only that, but Dr. Davila’s also smart enough to know you need BOTH deaf and hearing professors to ensure a quality education at Gallaudet.
I think he’ll do just enough to mollify the radicals a bit, and lay the groundwork to restore quality education at Gallaudet so the next president’s job will be a bit easier when the time rolls around.
Maybe I’m totally off base here, but I have faith in Dr. Davila. He’s very competent.
~ Deaf Pundit
It’s not only the hearing folks feeling uncomfortable at/with Gallaudet. I am a graduate of Gallaudet. I admit to using sim com more than ASL. I would never fit into the Deaf model even though I cannot hear anything. Believe me, I am leery of returning to campus. I simply do not feel either welcome or wanted.
Here are a few suggestions made by Erick Ketcham — he posted them as a comment in Ridor’s blog, but I felt it was important to share them… to get an idea of how certain deaf people feel. No wonder Jane Hurst feels at least a bit threatened when we have folks like Erick making these comments. I would daresay that a large number of deaf people feel this way.
QUOTE:
Next move that should take place at Gallaudet in my opinion:
1) Fire Paul Kelly
2) Fire entire BOT and replace them with 100% Deaf ASL signers and ALUMNI of Gallaudet. No more hearing people on the board, please.
3) Remove Jordan’s name from the SAC.
4) Make sure Jordan and Fernandes UNDERSTAND that they ARE NOT WELCOME at Gallaudet OR ANYWHERE in the Deaf community. This is very important. It would discourage any return.
5) Fire any remaining audists and lousy-signing professors.
6) Eliminate Sim-Com at Gallaudet. Sim-Com is NOT a language. ASL is an internationally recognized language… Therefore, the ONLY appropriate language in the Deaf community, period, ., ., … and .
7) Replace entire security force and press charges against security force.
8) Press charges against Jordan, Kelly, JK, and whomever that had engendered the students’ safety and welfare during the protests.
9) Reverse ALL reprisals against students, faculty and staff.
10) Close down the cochlear center, fire all speech therapists. They have NO place at Gallaudet.
11) Contact all media and make it CLEAR: Jordan was a false hero. He did not save anybody.
12) Clean up media perception of Gallaudet, and congress’ perception of Gallaudet as well.
After all the 12 above things have been done, then we can say we are going in the right direction. Otherwise, the rest of Gallaudet’s future will be as painful as shoving a carrot loaded with nails up our arses.
UNQUOTE.
There you go… you can see that we all have a long way to go.
wow, didn’t Hitler and his Nazi’s do something like this?
For a group of people trying to establish a world of their own, they sure seem ignorant and intolerant.
Deaf Culture is an identity, just like Black Culture, Indian culture, blah blah blah, Deaf is not an Island to themselves, the government WILL NOT give you reservations. =)
Ketcham’s recommendations are merely the first step along the way toward Ein Reich, Ein Volk, Ein Fuehrer.
And American taxpayers should foot the bills for fools like him? Please.
While there may certainly be that small but “vocal” group who would indeed support Mr. Ketcham’s recommendations, I would daresay that the majority of deaf people do NOT feel this way.
it doesn’t matter.. and i’m sure people are aware of that. it’s not the simple fact of the matter, it’s that it’s there and people remember things like this. the fanatics in the middle east are a simple 1 or 2% of the population and the middle east consists of several countries, yet in the bulk of the worlds eyes they are all nothing but terrorists and savages. when the other 99 to 98% of the them are just regular people like you and me who are just trying to live our lives and get by.
Ketcham will paint yet another picture of the already painfully tainted image for the Deaf Community.
While you’re removing all non ASL-Deaf influence from Gally… Are you gonna do as Malfoy suggests and rename it Clerc University? In which case, I’ll be removing my support from GU and GUAA, thanks. As for 11…did IKJ claim to be saving the Deaf? What an oddly audist (lol) thing to be criticizing him for…not saving Deaf people.
Well said, Yes, Right #42948!!!! We ought to appoint you to be in charge of the unofficial commission to clean up the Gallaudet University’s audistic leanings!
Robert L. Mason (RLM)
rlmdeaf@hotmail.com
If I understand what you are saying, that means removing all things related to the hearing on Gallaudet Campus? If so, why don’t we appoint YOU to go to mainstream schools and have them wash out all forms of deafness including interpreters and deaf students.
Hmm would that work? (slaps head) d’ah! Get real, that’s Social Isolation, the Deaf students will never get very far by becoming MORE isolated than they already are.
Just to try and understand your comment, are you implying to appoint him to remove all things related to hearing on Gallaudet Campus?
No, RLM is saying that he is in favor of Eric Ketcham’s list. Apparently he missed the caveats made by “Yeah Right.”
wow, deaf fanatics….. someone wanna come with me and help me pull their heads out of their rear? it won’t hurt em… much, just a few tongs and some pig grease.
Kind of hard to do that because life itself apparently has audistic leanings. In other words, everything that goes wrong in their lives is due to audism.
Can’t argue with folks with a reality distortion field around them.
what about personal responsibility? doesn’t accountability have a part in what people do? your argument is moot…. adapt or die.
Personal responsibility is an abstract issue, one that is best addressed on an individual basis. Setting aside questions in metaphysics like that, I think most Deafies want to address audism first which, to a lot of folks like Mr. Ketcham, is a very real and tangible issue.
But then again, Mr. Ketcham has to define what is and what is not audism.
Personally speaking, I believe audism is a question of perceptions.
Can you find audism in a third grade reading level at a university? Can you find audism in being required to take exams while preferring to concentrate on Gallaudet’s social aspects? Can you find audism in the fact that Gallaudet degrees aren’t worth very much outside in the “real world”? Can you find audism in the fact that many intelligent Deafies choose not to go to Gallaudet but instead to hearing universities and get advanced degrees and choose not to go to Gallaudet to be role model professors? Can you find audism in the singular lack of respect and or support that the Deaf protesters found recently in the real world over the Gallaudet protests? Can you find audism in the fact that you’re born Deaf in a hearing world?
Maybe I have a different understanding of what “audism” is. But all the questions you’ve set above, seem to be nothing more than flights of fantasy. forgive me for being the direct verbal assault but I don’t think a deaf child will function well in a fanatical or “Zionist” culture as Ketcham is chasing.
We have to teach our kids to survive in the world, not survive in 99 acres of land. again, adapt or die. the world does not owe you a goddamn thing, the only thing you have to depend on is YOURSELF. you think this “Deafness” culture fantasy Ketcham and a few other fanatics are pursuing won’t abandon and betray them along the way? Get a grip, there are other things to live for, if it were up to me I’d have your lovely mecca closed down and remain nothing more than a place in history. With the technology and teach advancements today, I’m quite positive the deaf children can strive just as well, if not, better than what is being offered today.
So, from one end of the extreme, you’d rather go the other end? As in closing Gallaudet down? Yeah, I’m sure that’ll be real popular with the Deafies.
My point was that audism is a philosophical construct, apparently designed to make Deafies feel good about themselves about the vicissitudes of life. Yes, it’s tough being Deaf but it’s no use whining about it. But some people feel differently and think that ascribing everything that goes wrong with their lives with audism will, somehow, make their lives easier.
I’m fully aware that Gallaudet will never be closed down, but I’m not going to pursue such a thing. as I personally have other things to put my efforts into.
All, I’m trying to argue is that instead of rejecting “audism” (still no definitive answer to it’s meaning, I’m assuming it means all things mainstream *hearing*) is like rejecting old age, you can slow it down, make it look pretty, but you can’t avoid it.
btw is your name Bo?
To answer your question, no.
okay good, next question…. Define this “Audism” to me.
punkybrewster: i really like you, whoever you are :)
anyway, erick ketcham wrote an essay on audism and the link is:
http://www.raa-deaf.org/sandbox1.html
hope it answers your questions. a caveat here, I agree that audism exists and it *can* oppress deaf people, but I do also believe that most of the audism complaints said by many people like Erick are due to their own personal failings above anything else.
Just to clarify, I believe audism is something that has been thrown around willy-nilly to excuse the personal failings and shortcomings of many Deaf individuals.
I was asking *you* and others what the definition of audism was. The link for Ketcham’s essay is interesting.
On second thought, looking at Ketcham’s essay, and looking at that picture of “Audism Unmasked,” I just can’t help but keep on thinking “Idiocy Unmasked” with respect to his essay.
Thank you “yeah, right” for the link… but I’m not entirely convinced that Ketchup defines “Audism,” he does but in a very negative and skeptical way, which shows merely the rantings of an angry propagandist.
I’ll stick with “all things mainstream,” until I understand otherwise.
Regarding Ketchum’s insane list…
I am a deaf person and graduated from Gallaudet. I do nto agree with his silly list one bit. Oh wait..I grew up oral so I’m automatically already on the bad side even though I do know ASL!
As for Ms Hurst’s points…I have to agree with her. I know of a instructor who recently started there. She told me that her interactions with the students were FINE…they were more than willing to help her learn ASL and enjoyed her classes. It was the FACULTY (I believe the deaf faculty tho…not sure…) that made her feel unwelcome and LOOKED down on her for not knowing ASL well enough yet.
Erick Ketchum is doing a GREAT disservice to the Deaf Community in trying to “Box In” Gallaudet…a closed cloistered entity. That was done at one time… stick all the deaf in a insitution. How is that going to help us get along in the big world out there…when we travel? When we interact with family? (remember 90% of the deaf come from hearing families)…Forsake them? Um…no thanks. I know that the deaf community is small and I’m grateful for that and don’t mind it but please don’t tell me who I can and can’t be friends with.
Mr Ketchum you don’t speak for me.
hmm.. i’d say at least half of the deaf faculty members are not native ASL users, so it’d be a small minority indeed.
agreed, mr ketchum speaks only for himself.
Mr. Ketchum’s list for revamping Gallaudet University for the long-term interests of higher education of the deaf intellectuals is very realistic and logical. I second his proposal for the purpose of healing the Kendall Green campus. Or I would not bother to embrace Ketchum’s “To Do” list if he engage in exclusivity of other deaf people beside native ASL signers or culturally deaf. Ketchum’s proposal is very rational!!
Gallaudet Univeristy is an unique institution to serve and educate the future deaf leaders and educators and intellectuals.
Other higher education institutions across America ALREADY provide accesible services for deaf students, who wish not to attend Gallaudet University.
For past forty years, Gallaudet University (College) have been compromised with the aflux of various communication modes from Signed English to Language Contact (PSE) to Cued Speech which destroy the social and educational fabric of deaf educational community. The concept of various communication modes end up dividing the deaf community into factions or social/ideological cocoons due to their communication upbringings.
Firing Paul Kelly is a top priority because he audistically rule Gallaudet University as some kind of his own roost. Kelly could get another job anywhere. He is a lawyer! Why the lawyer end up doing as the head accountant at the university?? That is all about the power over linguistic minority like all of us.
Why Gallaudet University ought to keep hiring hearing people, who do not RESPECT us, deaf individuals as people of unique culture upbringings and norms and beliefs???
Why should Gallaudet students or deaf youngsters bother to spend their valuable time to teach faculty member(s) or educators of the deaf (teacher/instructor)the sign language?? The deaf students end up teaching the individual (teacher, professor, instructor) their own language and deprieve their education. The incomptent signer via faculty member or teacher get paid to teach students, not having their students to teach them our existing language. Deaf students suppose to receive instructional education from hired faculty member or teacher or instructor. Any qualified individual teach hir own students ought to be very fluent in their subjects’ language.
Would the German instructor be hired for teaching Chinese students if he or she isn’t fluent in their own language? Same thing apply to the deaf education in general.
Not many deaf individuals be given any opporunity to be hired at other higher education facilities?
Too many hearing people leech off deaf people for very long time to support their salaries. Ugh!
Cochlear implant and hearing aid accomodations could be done outside Gallaudet like the physician’s office. What business Gallaudet have to cover the cost of hearing aid or cochlear implant needs, especially costly salary base for audiologists and assistants. We would save a lot of money for other real needs within the Kendall Green.
Many hearing individuals were also offended when they stepped on the campus and see the arrogance of other hearing faculty member or staffer use voices and not use any kind of visual communication, ex. sign language. What kind of message the Gallaudet University occassionaly send to the society at large. This kind of practice among hearing faculty member or staffer breed “audism” or “self-negated/self-loathing” attitudes toward deaf people, who have been systematically deprived of their social and intellectual development.
From years of interacting with several generations of deaf students. Many students from mainstream or oral schools tend to have emotional problems (lack of social intelligence) or commit physical assaults because they never grow up in social and learning environment how to engage in problem-solving communication. Those students usually take out their anger on other deaf people, who are very well-versed in social and intellectual development.
We must keep emphasizing on the lingustic issue which deprive the millions of deaf youngsters from leading productive and meaningful lives.
We could be real political and cultural powerhouses if we are successfully unifed within the same lingustic use.
Too many deaf youngsters and adults waste off their potentials and natural intelligences for all nothing.
Gandhi always said “I will not speak your language if you do not speak our language. I will respect your language when you if you speak my language”
Robert L. Mason (RLM)
It’s official. You’re nuts!
Been sniffing that airplane glue much Mason?
Ghandi had a hell of a lot more tolerance and patience than you are showing. How dare you quote one of the most peaceful and innovative minds in history. you make him sound like a punchline.
What right do you have to tell another what to do? If I choose to have a cochlear implant, wear hearing aid, use my speech skills, use my signing skills all when need be…. I will do it. who the **** gives you the right to tell me otherwise. Gallaudet was created for one reason and one reason only, to fill the gaps in the between the hearing and the deaf in terms of communication, it was NOT intended to become a refuge for deaf people to whine cry and bicker about making it an island where only a certain identity is allowed.
what you are spewing here is called SEGREGATION.. it was outlawed last mid-century. you are saying we should go to the gates of gallaudet and post signs… “deaf walk this way, hearing-aid users walk in this way but take off the contraptions, hearing pay toll!”
EAT ME old man.. EAT ME. who the hell are you to force anyone into an ideology?! If gallaudet provides the access I need because I am deaf AND wear a hearing aid… then so be it.. I hope my application is accepted. you call yourself intelligent…….
While I can appreciate the anger and frustration which might have led to your feelings, I cannot in good faith endorse the manner by which you chose to express them. I think there are better ways to get your point across - but with such vocabulary as you have chosen, I cannot help but wonder if you are only serving to contribute to that “already painfully tainted image of the Deaf Community” of which you spoke previously.
This is one of the reasons for my admiration of the person for whom this blog was originally written to comment - Dr. Robert Davila is known as a man who picked his battles carefully, and chose his words constructively.
It is a leader of such skills that Gallaudet needs at this time.
as much as I appreciate your criticism, I do not stand for what RLM is talking about.
I am extremely angry with how Gallaudet has turned out since I left it. I’m also extremely confused and angry with how people like RLM are able to actually think the way they do when the facts and reality are absolutely there. so, instead of picking on me for my choice in words, why don’t you put some efforts into speaking FOR me in the “proper way” cuz I have absolutely no desire to lead the Deaf people or any other person anywhere, the only thing I want to lead is my family.
so uhh, go hug a tree or something for me.
RLM-
I can hardly believe what I am reading here. I believe you are wayyyyy off base here.
You missed many points that your critics have made above. For one, not many deaf people want to go back and do the time to get a Ph.D. in their majors. It takes SERIOUS time and MONEY to do it. I have plenty of hearing friends who are working on their Ph.D.s because their spouses earn enough $$$ to support them and their families. We need to figure out why not many deaf academians want to go on to pursue their Ph.D.s….maybe its the lack of funds that they need to continue or the mounting debtload that they have that makes them ineligible for any additional educational loans??!? Has anyone done any research? I, for one, would love to go back to get a Ph.D. but I have a family to support and I make WAY more in the private industry than I would as a tenured professor at Gallaudet or NTID/RIT.
By kicking out hearing professors, Gallaudet would be doing a huge disservice to the deaf by DENYING them the right to get a quality education. Where would you find QUALIFIED replacement professors who happen to be deaf? There isn’t a plethora of deaf Ph.D.s that are ready to step up to the plate to take up the positions that have been vacated.
Furthermore, “Too many hearing people leech off deaf people for very long time to support their salaries. Ugh!” is a statement that has NO validity here. In fact, its a huge affront that you have made against hearing people here. Where is the evidence? Where is the data? How do you know? Do you realize that many hearing professors want to help the deaf by teaching them their subject matter? Government pays their salaries, not the deaf — if you haven’t realized that already. Secondly, professorial salaries at Gallaudet aren’t up to par when you compare their salaries to other universities in the area, say at University of Maryland, Georgetown University, American University, and the like. Many aren’t in academics just for the money anyway.
Most academians now realize that to make a good income these days to survive in the DC area, one must either work solely in the private industry OR work as a professor part time and work as a consultant full-time (or vice versa) OR be a full time professor and PUBLISH! In some universities, if you don’t publish your research/work, you don’t get tenure and that is a fact!
I could go on criticizing your statements you made, but I don’t have the time nor desire to do so because it is so OBVIOUS that you haven’t done any serious research to base your comments on.
In short, Regina and PunkyBrewster’s comments say it all.