Interesting fodder here.

Hmmm…interesting. This does raise a couple of new questions in my mind -

1) On what grounds does Dr. Marshall intend to argue for the increase in endowment drawing? You can’t just simply say “we need the money.” You’ve got to justify that it’s going to be money well spent, and right now - judging from what I’ve seen and been reading - people are questioning the value of a Gallaudet diploma, and the investment their time, energy, AND money into the university.

2) What happens if that increase is refused? What will be the impact on the campus?

3) “Until Federal funding picks up.” What exactly does this mean? Are we losing federal funding? Are the Feds considering cutting back on funding? Are they concerned (and perhaps rightly so) about investing dollars into a campus that appears to be undergoing some serious creditability issues?

I’m not trying to be antagonistic here, but I am trying to get at some hard-hitting facts, and wondering if we’re all looking at the bigger picture here. As a former Executive Director myself, when I put together a plan of action (call it a Strategic Plan, if you wish) on how I intend to administer the organization, I’ve got to convince not only my constituents, but my funders as well. After all, it’s their money that is going to allow me to carry out those action plans.

Granted, the university President is the individual who really has to bear this responsibility, but if I am understanding correctly, the Provost plays an important role in assuring that the campus is living up to its academic potential, and that students are indeed getting the greatest bang for their buck… a buck that for the most part is being supplied by other sources.

I believe Gallaudet receives in excess of $100mil/year in federal funding. (Someone correct me if I’m wrong.) You can do the math from there. According to Dr. Marshall, they are allowed to draw about 4.5% from the endowment annually, which stands at $165mil. He also has said he’s going to request a 1.25-percentage point-increase in endowment drawing, at least until Federal funding picks up.

Hope that helps.

I suspect the actual cost of an education at Gallaudet would be significently higher than what the students themselves are paying, correct? After all, Gallaudet IS a federally funded university, and I’m sure those funds are subsidizing a considerable portion of the actual tuition fee.

Yes, I am sure that tuition alone does not subsidize the full cost of a student’s education at other campuses either…but I would assume that a student attending George Washington University is paying for a much higher percentage of his education out of her/his own pockets (say…maybe 60% - 70%?)

You can’t tell me that the actual cost of a Gallaudet Education (for US students) is only between 5-6 thousand per semester. I’d expect it to be at least twice that, if not three times as much. Someone’s picking up that tab, folks.

The point I am trying to make (and which does bother me, even though I am a Gallaudet graduate myself and do hold the campus in high esteem) is this - at a time when we are concerned about accreditation and students are talking about possibly transferring to other campuses in order to assure that their degree is actually worth something…

What are these provost candidates saying in their speeches that can convince not only us, but those funders subsidizing a considerable portion of that education (who are just as important stakeholders as the faculty, staff, students, alumini, etc.) that continuing to do so is in their best interests, just as it is ours?

Let’s leave it at that.

Perhaps you meant to say what he thought of Steve Weiner, the third and final candidate?