Some of the comments recently posted on DeafDC.com have been making me think. Are the protesters misplacing their anger and objectives? There are some days when I think they are. Had they gone forward with a solidified agenda from the very beginning, I think that the rest of the world would be taking FSSA much more seriously. This post is being composed 100% in hindsight- but I think it may have added lead to the bullets FSSA initially began to fire last May.
Listed below are the grievances claimed by protesters, each individually matched by its corresponding duty as set forth in the Gallaudet University Board of Trustee Duties and Powers (Article II, Section 2.1):
Grievance #1: Selected Jane Fernandes as President
- Elect a President and a Treasurer of the University.
Grievance #2: Allegations of possible questionable financial management
- Approve an annual operating budget for the University.
- Provide for the establishment of policies for management of the business affairs of the University, including budget, investment, audit, maintenance, endowment, contracts, leases and all other business matters.
- Appoint independent certified public accountants to perform a yearly audit of the financial accounts, records and resources of the University.
Grievance #3: Dissatisfactory PART report:
- Prepare and submit an annual report to the Secretary of Education and the appropriate committees of Congress not later than 100 days after the end of each fiscal year.
Grievance #4: Removal of a program, degree, department of instruction at Gallaudet:
- Approve the addition or deletion of major academic programs, degrees, departments of instruction and major non-academic programs by the University or any of its departments.
Grievance #5: Jane Fernandes’ appointment to Provost and I. King Jordan’s salary:
- Provide for the establishment of policies regarding conditions of employment, including salary, benefits and schedules for all employees, and policies regarding appointment, promotion, tenure and dismissal of faculty members.
Grievance #6: Denial of tenure to select faculty:
- Make final decisions on granting of tenure to faculty members, giving due consideration to the recommendations of the appropriate committees, the chief academic officer and the President.
Grievance #7: Disputed or questionable campus policies:
- Provide for the establishment of policies related to instruction, extracurricular activities, the campus and the residential life of students.
Grievance #8: Not listening to students, faculty, and staff or addressing forces such as audism, racism, shared governance, etc.:
- Seek out ways and means to become acquainted with all facets of the University and to become familiar with forces, issues, and concerns about education for deaf and hard of hearing persons, and for deaf and hard of hearing persons who have other disabilities.
Grievance #9: FSSA request for independent investigation of Presidential selection process:
- Appoint outside consultants as the Board may deem necessary to review specific areas of the University’s operations, or such other matters related to the University or to the education of deaf and hard of hearing persons as the Board may request, and to report their recommendations to the President and the Board.
I am more than positive that the individuals composing the Board are extremely competent in what they do- otherwise, they obviously wouldn’t have gained access to such prestigious positions. It really bothered me when some of the Board members were- and still are- being unfairly attacked publicly for (what seems to me) trivial reasons.
A die-hard fan of Law & Order and CSI, I can say this with absolute authority: hard evidence needs to be built. The repetitive mantra: “Jane must go!” is not working. The FSSA needs to come up with a list of specific actions that can be used as lead bullets (I also happen to be a fan of Superman).
To view the full Gallaudet University Bylaws, visit this site.
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Reading quickly, I must say… Well done! Presenting the solid evidence with support information is the key… Gallaudet University situations are in my thoughts and prayers…
Mine too. I really hope there is a peaceful resolution to all of this. That’s probably the one outcome that everybody wants as well- no matter which side they’re on.
Lock down HMB was wrong. I do not support it.
Must be open classes.
Exactly. A lockdown of this sort does alienate those who do not support the protest or do not care. I am seeing a ratio of about 70/30 on the campus of those who support the protest. Alienating those 30% are done by saying “No, you can’t go to class” is effectively trying to screw them out of their own monies that they have already paid for their classes. Perhaps not so much an impact on those who get their freebies via through their VRs since it’s not really their money in the first place. Just as long as you go to school.
I wonder, does the type of financial support one gets affects a student’s decision to participate in class or not? Versus those who already paid for their classes with their *own* money (e.g. no VR, no SSI, no money from parents..)?
Not to mention possibly alienating those who do support the protest but not the tactic of hijacking HMB.
McConnell:
As surprising as it may come to you, I had an opportunity to visit Gallaudet and the HMB building last evening -the ratio of 70/30 you mentioned is actually more the other way around, 30/70 (30 pct in favor of the protest, 70 pct otherwise). Basically it all boils down to this: a core of “strong” protesters (the anti-JKF) which number a maximum of 15-20 “students leaders” (mostly disgruntled individuals, if you ask me), with the remainder just being followers or in for the excitment the protest offers to them. Approximately 70% of the people I talked with were either “neutral”, “having mixed feelings” or simply “not supporting the protest”. Interesting, don’t you find?
I have been on campus since day one of the Protest and this is exactly what I have been observing as well.
Thanks for pointing it out for others.
Wow, you must have talked to a lot of people yesterday.
Could you tell us the thoughts of those students who support JKF? Why do they support her? What do they think about the protestors’ grievances? It’s difficult to find anything from this group of students, so I’m sure many of us here will appreciate hearing what they have to say.
I suspect that many who do support JKF have since then become afraid to publicly speak- because so many others have been cyber-bullied as a result for voicing unpopular opinions. It’s sad how the actions of such a few can terrify so many. And yes, before you say it, the same also can be said for that June 28th memo.
That is totally hogwash about the JK supporters being alienated and scared by the cyberbullies!
JK supporters have much rights to speak out and defend their choice of next Gallaudet President!
I do not see anyone from the JK camp what accomplishments and qualifications JK have to offer the Gallaudet University. She already blow many opporunities back to last May and the entire summer.
With due respect, 200 students lockdowned the HMB building are not composed of “very few” what you try to pinpoint out the numbers of protestors.
WHY I get slapped with the “PNG” status for my role in Gallaudet protest? I have not done anything extreme or threatening.
Robert L. Mason (RLM)
I beg to differ. People from Galluadet have contacted me to give thanks for my blogging effort. It is real, especially among the staff, ironically, to voice any support for JK or BoT’s decision. This includes students as well. Imagine if they had a poster sign supporting JK and/or BoT’s decision on campus, you can bet your bottom dollar they’ll get verbally attacked. If students have the temerity and idiocy to throw a water bottle or juice bottle at IKJ during his building ceremony, you can bet they’ll go after those who do not support the protest.
RLM It’s NOT hogwash. If you don’t support the protest, and you’re vocal about it you’re attacked on Malfoy’s blog and several others. Open your eyes. It’s true. It’s going to take years for the community to rebuild from this.
Thanks, and that’s why I’m trying to conduct some sort of polling on my blogsite in regards to that ratio.
It’s important that we get these information to get the right “picture.” Speaking of pictures, I’d say some 100 or so students are holed up in HMB? Out of a student population of what? 1600?
I can see your point.
For observers who are on campus can email me at mmcconnell2004@hotmail.com
Your observances and perspective are important.
In grievance #3 - what does PART stands for? And what was dissatisfactory about it? I am familar with the U.S. Dept of Education’s report on Gallaudet’s unsatisfactory performance, but it didn’t specify anything about the reasons for its performance.
Can anyone explain more about grievance #4 - removal of a program, degree, department of instruction? This is the first time I have heard about it.
This thread is off-topic, but…
HMB is just one building, isn’t it? Classes can be held elsewhere. The whole campus isn’t shut down. Surely professors and students who want to continue classes can improvise.
This is a minor inconvenience compared to what’s been happening for years and what might happen. Changing classroom locations is not a big deal compared to Gallaudet’s future. Let’s talk about what’s really important.
Back to Julie’s article.
The type of classes, not mention faculty and staff offices, held in HMB:
ASL and Deaf Studies
Biology
Chemistry and Physics
CLAST Academic Departments
Client and Multimedia Services
College of Liberal Arts, Sciences and Technologies
English
Family and Child Studies
Foreign Languages, Literatures, and Cultures
Gallaudet Research Institute
Genetics Clinic
Government and History
Graduate Education and Extended Learning
Graduate School and Professional Programs
International Programs and Services
Math and Computer Science
Office of the Provost
Philosophy and Religion
Psychology
Social Work
Sociology
Student Body Government
Summer & Enrichment Programs
There are equipments and computers that are essential in many of the classroom activities when it come to teaching students.
A good majority of classes are held in HMB.
We were talking about classes, not departments or research groups.
See map of campus here: http://pr.gallaudet.edu/visitorscenter/campusmap/
Merrill Learning Center–the library
Field House
Student Academic Center
Student Union Building
Washburn Arts Building
The auditorium
Dining Hall
Available rooms in other buildings, including dorms
And outside if the weather’s nice
Granted, this is a logistics nightmare. Again, improvise. As you claim, 70% of the students are not involved in the protest, so it’ll be not as difficult to find places to hold classes, even some of the protestors still want to have classes. And someone is claiming that some professors are cancelling classes in solidarity with the students and FSSA.
My main concern is all of the professors offices and department offices. Who is to say these student protestors wont go into the offices, look at files, destroy files etc etc. These are important student records, papers and work, research and not all in that building that these protestors now have access to and we have no way to verify if these files and records are not being violated.
Is Gallaudet’s genetic research department also housed in HMB?
that’s an important consideration. We don’t know if those protesters holed up in HMB are in fact trying to sneak into some of the offices to gain access to files or whatever. What’s alarming is that the Office of the Provost is located in HMB. And guess who has control of HMB?
Wow. aren’t we getting a little paranoid here? Most offices and departments are locked tight with separate keys. The only person with all the keys are the campus police.
I seriously doubt protesters would actually go through offices and stuff. It would completely undermine their position if it did.
That said, I hope there isn’t some idiot there who gets some bright idea..
in every protest there are always some of those. sigh.
However, Gallaudet employees do express some concerns regarding vandalism.
A Gallaudet employee express concern for his/her office at HMB.
http://kokonutpundits.blogspot.....ffice.html
Scroll down to UPDATE II.
However, this doesn’t address the potential for protesters to get angry and frustrated as the days wear on to the point where they may actually do the unthinkable out of sheer frustration.
Also, when protesters hijacked HMB, there could been very well some doors still unlocked by staff or faculty members.
Now, tell me, what time was it when HMB was hijacked?
Come on, McConnell! The protestors have the right to stand up for their cause. They are not stupid enough to vandalize the offices. please! Some faculty members in rotating are there with them all the weekend.
^__^: It is not a minor inconvenience when all your equipment and research hardware is sitting pretty at HMB and you cannot do anything at all until either the blockade is lifted, or someone generously springs the $$$ for new hardware and equipment, and it is actually shipped. Oh yeah, don’t even mention the deadline for a conference less than 2 months from now, of the type that can make or break careers.
Let’s not mention the doctoral student either, who is under severe time pressure to complete his dissertation, but has all the important materials locked up at HMB.
Minor inconvenience. Indeed. Why don’t you do us all a favor and have the protesters finally hammer out a clear, and unified, and reasonable message, instead of passing uninformed judgment on how other people may or may not be affected by your actions. That at least would be a productive use of your time.
I think there is a very valid analogy here: Congress has been asleep at the wheel while President Bush has effectively balloned the size of the government, stripped away our civil rights, sent our boys to Iraq for no good reason, and basically eroded our position in the world from a superpower to an international bully.
And obviously, Congress has been asleep at the wheel while the same happens at Gallaudet.
Well said, Neil!
I guess I don’t fully get the analogy. What do you wish congress had done/would do?
My analogy is that both BOT and Congress have failed the American people in performing these these vital oversight functions.
The BOT has failed to appropriate provide oversight on Gallaudet’s fiscal and administrative functions just as Congress has failed to provide adequate oversight of President Bush’s administration.
Likewise, Congress has failed to provide adequate oversight of Gallaudet’s functions.
It’s not a question of what *I* want these agencies to do. I’m simply drawing a comparison between the actions (or rather, inactions) of the two bodies.
I see what you’re saying…my only question would be… if congress did get more involved, would we be upset and bemoan micromanagement? It seems it’s a fine line.
Neil, do you have inside information of the details on whether or not the BoT appropriately did their fiscal responsibilities? Did you attend the BoT financial meetings? Etc?
I don’t remember seeing this “fiscal mismanagement” charge last spring. Is that another example of the FSSA improvising as it protests?
Deaf people shares resolve this protest on their own. We do not need Congress or any hearing outsiders coming in and telling us what to do.
Chris, last spring there were some accusations that Paul Kelly appropriated university property for his own use. Also, Bernard Holt with DPS said the university received $4M to be used for the security department, and they never got it. I don’t know the truth of these allegations, just that it was said. Haven’t heard anything recently, or whether it was investigated and cleared.
I won’t get into speculation or rumors but I will simply link to the OMB’s review of Gallaudet during the fiscal year 2005: http://www.whitehouse.gov/omb/......2005.html
Interesting analogy. My guess is that you’re not a Republican? :) Kidding- but let’s take a look at this DCist article:
http://www.dcist.com/archives/.....sed_of.php
Basically, the article says that it’s commonplace for young students to rebel against goverance. And yet, when it’s done on a much grander scale, such as protestor Cindy Sheehan going up against Bush, the public reactions can be very comparable.
Who appoints the Board of Trustees? The President?
From what I understand, the BOT has an internal team of sorts that deals with BOT appointments. IKJ does not handpick these individuals - the BOT replaces their own based on criteria they have set for a specific seat. For example - they need someone who is d/Deaf/hard of hearing/hearing, works in a specific field within a profession, lives in a certain area of the United States, etc etc.
The BOT accepts nominations for prospective trustees, including IKJ’s nominations, and it is up to them to follow through with any of these nominations.
That’s how it was explained to me, anyway. I, too, had my suspicions how these trustees were appointed so I asked.
Sounds a lot like affirmative action to me.
Hey, Neil, such a good anaology!
Julie, were you aware that as of last Thursday, the FSSA coalition did present a potential small breakthrough the stalemate?
The FSSA Coalition proposed to hire an independent assessement to investigate the presidential process and report back within a month. The FSSA Coalition requested the BoT to respond by 10:00 PM on Thursday or active protest would be taken. The FSSA Coalition would accept whatever the result from an independent assessement.
The FSSA Coalition waited, waited, and waited way past 10:00 PM before they decided to stage a lockdown at HMB. And by Friday morning, after DPS assaulted some students, the FSSA issued another letter to BoT informing them that the proposal to hire an independent assessment is off the table, demanding JKF to resign.
If the BoT had nothing to hide, they would agree to an independent assessment to investigate, right?
All her six years as provost, JKF did not perform well, the graduation rates were sub-average, she took away the shared governance, and reintroduced English 50. For students in English 50, it would take them THREE long years before they finally begin taking the collegiate courses. JKF definitely can’t lead!
Had she led well, we would never deal with this protest, would we?
How long did FSSA give the BOT to come up with an answer? I know the deadline was “10 pm”- but when exactly did they issue the demand?
also, you have to remember the BoT already had a full agenda before them, including IKJ’s retirement gala, and if FSSA only gave them a day to consider and discuss this investigation, that’s not very much time. There’s no reason why FSSA can’t bring up the investigation again. It’s a reasonable request, yet I feel will be a waste of time in the long run because the BoT did everything by the book and there won’t be anything to find.
PR: Just a clarification, which I find interesting. FSSA coalition is not taking responsability for the lockdown at HMB. Here is a quote from an email sent by Dr. Erting to a group of “concerned students; meaning those who oppose the lockdown.
” Please understand that this is a STUDENT action, not an action by Faculty, Studnet, Staff, Alumni Coaliction (FSSA).” she goes on to say that the students acted on their own acord.
So I guess now not only does the coalition not have a unifiying complaint, they also dont have unifying actions.
again just a clarification
This would make a great book with the title of “Not Deaf Enough.”
1. King Jordan was forced to retire by the government?
2. King needs to cover his tracks and found a perfect scapegoat which he personally appointed Jane Fernandes. Will Jane assume all the blame?
3. Paul Kelly makes a deal with the federal government with immunity?
4. Board of Trustees rubber stamping Gallaudet budget reports to the government?
5. GUAA funds were misused?
6. Kickbacks for contracts on campus?
7. Middle States Association Accrediation issues?
8. Annual rat eating wires insurance claims?
9. Funds for travel not approved by the BOT?
10. Using Gallaudet staff for personal use?
11. Taking things from Gallaudet for personal use?
12. Accountability issues?
13. Falsifying government reports?
The list goes on and on.
I’d be first in line to buy that book!
Julie Feldman,
I think there is a sufficient amount of hard evidence since May suggesting that the BOT has failed the Gallaudet community. You of course have checked out GUFSSA.COM and Elisa Abenchuchan’s blogs describing the BOT’s actions, demeanor, etc. I’d be interested in your comments on these descriptions and anything else that you feel might be hard enough evidence.
Also: “There is no crisis at Gallaudet.” IJK at NAD (google it if you need to) Did the board agree then?
Actually, I was wondering why the FSSA doesn’t have a clear-cut mission statement on their website. When we visit their site, we’re instead bombarded with numerous letters and announcements; nowhere do I know where to start looking for something that clearly asserts what the FSSA has in mind. As I am not a member of FSSA (never been a student, faculty, or staff), I am rather hard-pressed to come up with a list of “hard evidence”. But that’s not to say a such list doesn’t exist; it is just not up to me to do the detective work and pull in all the commentary from various spots all over the blogsphere.
And I did disagree with what IKJ said, there is indeed a crisis at Gallaudet. But if I had been in his shoes, who knows, I might’ve said the same thing.
Q: Is there a crisis at Gallaudet?
IKJ: Crisis is a strong word. I’ve said before that people can disagree and have their opinions known. I support the right to express views. The opinions expressed in the month of May were strong, spontaneous and drew a lot of attention. Some of the opinions were negative which has hurt Gallaudet and the deaf and hard of hearing community.
I watched the Deafhood presentation at the NAD Conference, it was good and informative. One thing that was said which had an impact on me was a slide that described deaf against deaf. That is our biggest challenge; the deaf community is small so we need to work together. If the community is split, it will hurt us.
http://www.nad.org/site/apps/n.....amp;page=5
something to keep in mind (julie’s original post echoes my perspective–not exact but similar)–comparative graduation rates:
NTID - 53% (and a relatively successful post-graduation job placement rate)
Morehouse College, a black college in Georgia - in the 42%-46% range
Gallaudet - 12% (it would be interesting to compare graduation rates annually pre-DPN and post-DPN)
I support the rationale behind the protest, but this “unity for Gallaudet” rings hollow as long as those organizing the protest aren’t consciously trying to reach out to other d/Deaf students of mainstreamed backgrounds (their numbers are, I believe, comparable to those students from Deaf families/schools). and I have to say I disagree with the wisdom behind the HMB lockdown through the weekend and indefinitely–lockdown on friday was a strong statement and one which grabbed attention, the administration was caught with its pants down and reacted badly. an indefinite lockdown affords them the luxury of more time to figure out how to shut down the protest, and those inside HMB aren’t going anywhere–their safety is not guaranteed–how in the hell is that a viable long-term strategy? there are certain people in the protest who mean well and have noble intentions, but their emotions–as understandable as they may be–threaten to do them, and the protest, in. all it takes is an act of violence triggered by frustration, enabling DPS to call in DC police, and the protest’s credibility is shot to pieces. anybody heard of “cabin fever”?
the other aspect of all this I’ve been wondering about is the alumni–I’m curious as to their average income (as opposed to alumni of any-tier hearing colleges). even if they made the choice to stop donating to Gallaudet, cumulatively, how effective would that be? how much do they normally donate and how often?
and Neil nailed it with the BOT in the Bush Administration’s climate–attitudes toward oversight start at the top and filter down, especially if the attitude is NO oversight at all. the odds of Congressional intervention might improve if Congress goes Democratic this fall, but does the protest have the legs to keep going until January 19, 2007?
this is going to be very, very messy no matter what.
In Draconian_Devil’s post,
NTID - 53% (and a relatively successful post-graduation job placement rate)
Morehouse College, a black college in Georgia - in the 42%-46% range
Gallaudet - 12% (it would be interesting to compare graduation rates annually pre-DPN and post-DPN.
Do you have any evidence? Where did you get this information? 12% is way too low. I saw somewhere other than Gallaudet posting that the graduate rate was about 27% for undergraduates in 2005. JKF said the last year’s graduation rate was between 25% and 30%. That’s about the right rate. However, undergraduates’ graduation rate has been the same for six years even during her service as provost. Isn’t something trying to tell you? Per contra, the graduation rate for graduates was 86%. That makes sense to me. Check it out and decide for yourself. http://www.gallaudet.edu/x2045.xml
In addition, there is an interesting article on http://www.blackcore.com/blog/.....2004580000
I have a very credible source, one who does not prefer to be named. I know how this must seem to a cynic but this is a legitimate statistic–when one gets down to it, it really doesn’t matter if it’s 12% or 27% in the end, either is abominable and endangers federal funding for Gallaudet if Congress somehow decided that it was not worth appropriating all that money to the University as long as the graduation rates don’t reward/justify the investment.
the graduation rates pertain to undergraduates–I apologize for any fuzziness.
thanks for the links, too.
A Gallaudet employee express concern for his/her office at HMB.
http://kokonutpundits.blogspot.....ffice.html
Scroll down to UPDATE II.
Personally, here’s what I think the BOT should do regardless of the outcome.
1. Borrow a couple of paddles from the Kappa Gamma fraternity and start spanking some of these seriously undisciplined students.
2. Show no mercy to the faculty and staff who acted unprofessionally and fire their incompetent as*es. And provide reprisals for those who acted professionally.
And when they’ve done that, they should seriously restore order and start talking openly to all of Gallaudet’s stakeholders including us!
*laughs* Amen, Deaf Lawyer!
As for the students, spanking wouldn’t do it… Tear gas would. :P And I would NOT be surprised if it did come down to that!
Also, HMB house many graduates who are doing their thesis or dissertation papers who are time constraints to complete the study so they can graduate. Yes, there is this educational hypocrisy among some of the faculty members who teach at HMB transfer their classrooms elsewhere but graduates or doctoral students cannot since their materials and works are inside of HMB.
More on this story:
http://kokonutpundits.blogspot.....dents.html
Are JFK and IKJ lovers?
That is one thing that came to my mind. JKF blackmailing IKJ and IKJ is fighting for his life and doing everything to get her installed as president. That would make a juicy book!
IN response to Julie Feldman’s post (#21987) | 2006-10-08 14:27:21 Is Gallaudet’s genetic research department also housed in HMB?
YES, unfortunately it’s housed in HMB. I hate that department!!
I realized that I put my comment in the wrong area in this blog. I really would like to know the answers to these questions:
In grievance #3 - what does PART stands for? And what was dissatisfactory about it? I am familar with the U.S. Dept of Education’s report on Gallaudet’s unsatisfactory performance, but it didn’t specify anything about the reasons for its performance.
Can anyone explain more about grievance #4 - removal of a program, degree, department of instruction? This is the first time I have heard about it.
In response to your question about grievance #4, I would prefer to have somebody else answer, as I’ve only heard rumors and don’t want to post speculations without verifying beforehand.
Explanation of PART:
http://www.whitehouse.gov/omb/part/
And the Gally PART report summary:
http://www.whitehouse.gov/omb/......2005.html
Detailed report:
http://www.whitehouse.gov/omb/......2005.html
And finally, a previous DeafDC.com post on this same topic: http://www.deafdc.com/blog/jul...../#comments
Since the Board is involved in this preparation and submission, they are FULLY aware of their underperforming institution.
Thanks. And the crucial question is what will the BoT do about this?
Good question. The BOT did not publicly state. However last year, Jordan said he would work with the government to re-evaluate Gallaudet’s programs because he said no input was sought from the University while the report was being drafted. I wonder how effective the report will state Gallaudet is after getting input from the University.
“I am more than positive that the individuals composing the Board are extremely competent in what they do- otherwise, they obviously wouldn’t have gained access to such prestigious positions.”
Are they? There are a few completely incomptent board members sitting right now as we speak. The standards of the BOT are being jeopardized because of certain expectations to guarantee a diverse board.
Try go to one of the BOT meetings in the future before making that judgment. Perhaps it might be too late now since the next one is not til Feb and by then, perhaps new standards might be in place. I highly doubt it though.
Actually, I was going by the list published on Gallaudet’s website; I would like to place faith in these individuals and in the board as a whole before assuming that they’re incompetent unless proved otherwise. Very few comments herein have really provided good examples of how the board has deviated from their bylaws. You are correct, though, in assuming that I’ve never attended a BOT meeting. If I had a deaf child, perhaps I would feel more emotionally vested in this whole saga.
Still, you certainly raise a valid point; positive discrimination should be banned everywhere in the United States- and the underrepresented communities should set a model for doing just that.
The list looks great on paper. The’s the PR’s job-to give the information in its most favorable light. In reality, it isn’t so. Those are the very people that did not get the pulse of the community, talk with alumni, and gather as much information as possible before selecting the next president of Gallaudet. Presidential Search Committee is not their only source of information.
Look at the RIT Board of Trustees. Members of RIT Board have already contacted alumni in cities across the country to get a sense of what the alumni want in the next president of RIT. This is just one of the many things the RIT BOT is doing. One minor fact, the chair of the board wears big bright orange and brown stripe tie. Shows great pride in the University. It makes me understand more what’s happening with Gallaudet’s BOT. How that board doesn’t exude pride, excellence, and integrity to the Gallaudet community. Let me emphasize the Board as the entire unit. Individual members may have demonstrated that in lesser or greater degree. But as a whole, nope.
Transparency, accountability, and leadership are the few of many attributes that the board of higher education must have. It applies to Gallaudet too. Transparency isn’t happening. Accountability is skewed at best. Leadership is at question. No wonder, people are pissed off.
Another comment here regarding the BOT. The naming of the Student Academic Center and Washburn Art Gallery after the Jordans were decided by the BOT. No regard for the community, students, or alumni input. It didn’t matter if the Jordans changed the world, the key issue here is there was no community inclusion in the process. The BOT has already given President Jordan the President Emeritus title once he steps down. In the world of higher education, that’s highly commendable. Plus, there’s an endowed fund, “I. King Jordan Chair in Leadership” that was approved by the BOT. Naming the building/gallery, the honor title, and the endowed fund were all decided last May, WITHOUT any dialogue with the Gallaudet community, GUAA, and its stakeholders.
I don’t want to prattle on too long but BOT’s leadership is also at crisis. Someone has to take a look at the BOT’s standards of governance and to ensure that in order to communicate with Gallaudet community, they need to adopt the attitude that whatever they thought was working is not and make changes to understand just what the “deaf way” is of handling things. One example is detailed information. Deaf people, no matter how deaf, need detailed information per se. Information is already a scarce thing in our community. The BOT needs to acknowledge the pain, define what steps will be taken to make changes, and offer visible presence throughout the community, may it be their home or here in DC. Talk with alumni. Get the dialogue out. Staying at home or hiding is more damaging. That is the deaf way. Face to face contact, spending time to explain this or that. Use vLogs if that’d work. The Board needs to establish a visible relationship with the Gallaudet community. It is still unknown what steps the board will be taking to rectify the situation. Understandably, the current protest is not helping the matters at all.
I’ll stop here. But, it is also important to dispel the idea that Gallaudet’s BOT is invincible, untouchable, and competent. It isn’t, not by the standards of a University board. That’s just my opinion. Gallaudet deserves a strong, tangible, and respectable board to ensure that the University is steered to the right direction.
The biggest mistake the BOT made was being out of touch with the community.
Well said, Competence?.
That is very clear evidence that the highers ups have not been in touch with the community otherwise they would not have misread the mood when JKF was chosen. I especially like your contrast of RIT and Gally. The fact that they’ve been out of touch with the Gally community can not be disputed. This is a lot more important in the Deaf Community than in the hearing community. I’ve been looking for facts - not rumors or unfounded accusions.
I say this as an outsider. I did attend Gally years ago. I’m starting to think this isn’t about ID politics even though that’s the impression a lot of people have.
Exactly. Identity politics, selection process politics, audism politics—all of that are representatives of the bigger problem. And the bigger problem is the lack of oversight of the University’s mission and goals, especially with the changing of times. It is cool that the new building is now in the process of being built on campus. It is cool that new programs are being added to ensure that Gallaudet continues to attract prospective students, scholars, and research fellows. It is cool that Gallaudet has a very powerful presence in the deaf education around the world.
It still does not address the remarkable changes deaf people have made in different disciplines and the contributions they have given to the community locally, nationally, and internationally. The number of deaf people employed in higher positions is growing. Technology has helped tremendously with the success rate of employment. And quite many of them are alumni of Gallaudet. And yet, they are not recognized by Gallaudet, invited to teach students for one session, meet students, and so on. That’s pride. That’s the advantage of a small community.
Gallaudet doesn’t employ a clear communication policy on campus where every one is respected and valued. It is still very hearing-dominated university. The higher a person goes in the administration, the more hearing he/she becomes. And the less ASL it becomes. Look at the majority of deans, chairs, and professors (not associate professors or assistant professors, but full professors). Hearing. There is this culture on campus where it allows half the faculty to teach students even though they can’t sign fluently. This is the culture where sim-com is used in meetings or classrooms. For years, suggestiosn and recommendations have been made for deaf awareness training, better information acquistion in classrooms (i.e. provide interpreters with faculty who are literally ASL-impaired), and admissions standards to keep drawing bright deaf students. Changes have been slow, almost non-existent, and painful.
The biggest irony is that Gallaudet is a deaf home, but it is not deaf-friendly. And this has been going on for years and years. It’s now ENOUGH.
The protest is an outcry of not being heard over the years. The BOT’s distance with the community during the selection process was the straw that broke the camel’s back. If the BOT had listened to the faculty’s no-vote of confidence on JK during her time as Provost and investigated it further (note: in higher education field, faculty’s no vote of confidence is a big big big deal. Somehow, that fact isn’t a big deal at Gallaudet) had talked with the alumni, and had an inkling of what the campus climate was like. If they took the time to assess the situation, met a few more times during this critical time in Gallaudet’s history of selecting the next president, and still selected JK, there would have been a very different outcome.
How can a community who has tried to speak up, has tried to work with the administration many times over, and did their best to put on a smile and say, “I love Gallaudet anyway”, celebrate the new president when the selection process, flawed or not, was not transparent and only limited inclusion was practiced?
The protest is often a product of years of festering and oppression. The administration has gotten arrogant, The BOT too. I completely wish Dr. Jordan will leave the way he came in—with glory, with pride, and with total respect for those that put him in the first place. Unfortunately, he came in as a giant icon and will leave as a tarnished hero. If he had only listened. If he had only stayed close with the community. Only if…
It is with sadness that the community has been divided. But, Gallaudet is morphing into a place that has to be a home for Deaf America. The protest will continue until peaceful resolution has been met. I don’t think reopening the search process is the answer. But, I think that “continued arrogance” is what JK symbolizes and the community is afraid, no, try petrified of another 18 years of same issues. JK needs to communicate with the community how her administration will be different. What kind of strategies will be in place to ensure that Gallaudet will be a better place. Strategic goals