My father was one of those unfortunate deaf people who were subjected to low expectations in oral school. However, his math and analytical skills were through the roof. During his time Gallaudet University had a West campus which really helped improve his English skills before he joined the rest of the Gallaudet University students. During I. King Jordan’s presidency, this campus was closed. That also was when Gallaudet University’s education became seriously diluted.

I do not challenge Gallaudet University’s deaf education program, which is one of the best in the area, nor do I challenge its graduate programs, which also have received high marks from U.S. News and other such publications that rank colleges. I just believe that the culture and quality of education for undergraduate students is not anywhere near where it needs to be. The solution is to make the main undergraduate program more selective, but also provide those with academic potential a second chance through a separate program.

Did you edit your article? I distinctly recall the part where you wrote that “being deaf is a small part of you” and other things of that nature. If you did, why did you remove those statements?

In a deaf school I visited (and which I shall not name), has predominantly hearing faculty, and yes, some gallaudet alumni who were themselves graduates of that school.

They have to handle multiply handicapped students and students that lacked the skills necessary for mainstreaming from a very early age, and so on. Their expectations are stuck at low because the reading, math, and English teachers stink. They’re trying to get in better faculty and improve quality.

I liked Gallaudet– I doubt I would have had the opportunity to tutor in a hearing university. For undergraduates interested in Education, Gallaudet DOES make sense.

Dim Sum, most HEARING students don’t make much over 1100, at least under the old system they didn’t. I hear the new system inflates SAT scores.
I got 1415 and I was one of only 12 students out of over 2000 HEARING students to get roughly that high– under the old system. I was one of around 100 students in the whole county that year to get such SAT scores.

Thanks to Gallaudet and their secondary and elementary programs, I’ve met and talked to a lot of successful deaf. I never had a doubt I’d go to college and finish, and that I could study biology as I wanted to.

How can people develop higher expectations when they don’t know there is a place with deaf Ph.D.s in various disciplines?

Or to know there are deaf lawyers, there are deaf doctors, deaf professionals, deaf IT programmers, deaf veterinarians, deaf NASA engineers, deaf chemists and biologists, deaf performers, and so on.

Yes, Gallaudet is NOT the whole deaf community by any means. It still remains a valuable nexus for networking.

Glasses is a disaster - a social experiment gone wrong.

The deaf community cannot tie it’s identity to this school that doesn’t even emphasize education.

I’m neither an alumni of RIT or Gallaudet University. My dad was an alumni of Gallaudet University and my mom did go to Gallaudet University briefly before pursuing her Masters in Education at WMD College. My family is active in the deaf community and proud of who we are. However, that zoo called Gallaudet University is no longer the beacon of light for the deaf community but a thorn in our side.

Gallaudet University’s low expectation of students trickle down to schools for the deaf in America. I had to fight to make SAT available for college bound students at my school for the deaf. Of course, no one except me and maybe one other student made above 1100 on the SAT. Maybe they should call it Gallaudet Community College because their admissions standards are so ridiculously low.

I just don’t see the moral outrage for BoT doing its job. Employment law isn’t rewritten by protests.

Dr. Fernandes had the right to apply for the job and the right to be considered fairly. All this looks like smoke to cover a weak case against her. (I could be wrong, but I don’t care. Unless somebody can explain it to the world, the world doesn’t care. Full stop.)

Nobody has told me any real reason for the furor other than vague accusations about the process.

I want people to remember one thing: Unlike IKJ who stayed on a long time, Dr. Fernandes is not guaranteed to stay 20 years. She can well decide to step down or retire in 5-10 years or much less.

Of course, the average tenure for all Gallaudet presidents HAS verged on 17+ years plus, (other than Zimmer). Maybe it’s time to start changing that tradition.

We don’t need rock stars, we need leadership that changes with the times. 17 years nowadays is a blinding blur of change. Remember technology in 1988?

Remember whether there were computers, internet, and e-mail widely used by the deaf then? Relay services? Video relay? What did Gallaudet look like in 1988 compared to today in 2006?

Anyway, when she resigns, as she will eventually, there will be more highly qualified deaf to take her place with more fresh ideas and experience. Go get those Ph.Ds!