Gallaudet’s New Communication Policy/ PSD Survey
Here is the old erroneous definition of American Sign Language that used to be included in the University Faculty Guidelines at Gallaudet.
Page 3 of the University Faculty Guidelines (May 2006)
2.2 Policy Concerning Communication
The University Faculty Recognizes that the Gallaudet academic community includes persons who depend on a variety of communication modes and that a major purpose of instruction is the communication of information and ideas. Gallaudet’s mission, as a unique educational institution, is inextricably bound to the need for accessible and direct communication among students, faculty, and staff. Historically, the university has integrated sign language into its educational programs. The University Faculty is now committed to a working model of a bilingual (American Sign Language and English) multi-cultural community where deaf, hard of hearing, and hearing people can learn and work together without communication barriers. The centrality of communication at Gallaudet permeates all programs and services. Accessible communication is the right of all members of the Gallaudet community and the people served. The university faculty encourages the learning and clear use of American Sign Language and English in all aspects of university life to meet the needs of the individuals served. To facilitate meaningful visual communication, the Faculty is expected to use clear sign communication, with or without voice in the classroom, in faculty meetings, and in meetings of like nature, as well as when communicating with individual students. The term American Sign Language is to be used in an all-inclusive sense and includes signs expressed in English word order, with or without voice–in much the same way many deaf and hard-of-hearing people communicate among themselves and with hearing people.
To see Ryan Commerson’s video commentary on this, please go here:
UPDATE, May 12, 2007
This policy was officially revoked by the Gallaudet Faculty Senate and a new policy was officially approved on April 30, 2007. Here is the new policy:
2.2 Policy Concerning Communication
The University Faculty recognizes that our community is comprised of deaf, hard of hearing, and hearing individuals who depend on a variety of communication modalities. Gallaudet’s mission as a unique educational institution is inextricably bound to the need for direct, comprehensible and accessible communication among students and faculty. To that end, all members of the University Faculty are committed to promoting bilingual (American Sign Language and Written English) communication. The University is committed to providing training and resources, as needed, to support all members of the Faculty in developing the necessary language skills.
This policy is not prescriptive, allowing considerable latitude with regard to acceptable communication on campus; the only restrictions are that the communication be direct, comprehensible and accessible.
Commentary: The correction is long overdue. How can anyone, especially an university for the deaf, confuse ASL with SimCom??Â
This is another sign of new changes being implemented by the Davila Administration, showing that Gallaudet is heading in the right direction. Notice this new communication policy isn’t mandatory, still permitting different communication modes to be used. What do you think of the new change? MZ
________________________________________________________Â
Pennsylvania School for the Deaf Survey
Http://208.193.99.4/psdsurvey.htm
The survey is divided into two category: the school itself and the new superintendent.
PSD
Please describe 3 or 4 strengths or aspects of the school which you would not want to see weakened or changed.
These can be qualities which are unique to the school, and/or characteristics providing the distinct capabilities of the school.Â
Please describe 3 or 4 aspects of the school which need review or change. These are issues or practices within the school, which, if not addressed, could change or alter the nature and direction of the school.
Please describe 3 or 4 external challenges facing the school. These are challenges existing outside the school and over which the school does not have direct control, but could affect the well being of the school in the future.
The Next Head of PSD
With the previous responses in mind, please list 3-4 professional career experiences which you think it would be important for candidates to have had.
Please list 3-4 skills necessary to build on the strengths and opportunities listed above. Skills refer to professional capabilities.
What personal qualities will be important to ensure the success of the new Head of PSD?
Commentary: Here is your chance to let the firm hired to search for the new superintendent know what Deaf Community wants from PSD.  If you feel the school doesn’t have enough Deaf teachers and staff, be sure to inform this firm! If you think audism is a problem, with ASL not being utilized sufficiently and the school lacking a solid foundation in bi-bi program, well, go ahead and fill this survey! It takes a village to raise a child. Well, it also takes a village to see that its school flourishes!
This survey is embedded in the PSD website. If you want 100% anonymity, here is the direct link to the firm’s website, bypassing PSD computer completely. Http://208.193.99.4/psdsurvey.htm MZ
Email contact: mishkazena@aol.com
Mishkazena (TM) 2007
Here is the old erroneous definition of American Sign Language that used to be included in the University Faculty Guidelines at Gallaudet.
Page 3 of the University Faculty Guidelines (May 2006)
2.2 Policy Concerning Communication
The University Faculty Recognizes that the Gallaudet academic community includes persons who depend on a variety of communication modes and that a major purpose of instruction is the communication of information and ideas. Gallaudet’s mission, as a unique educational institution, is inextricably bound to the need for accessible and direct communication among students, faculty, and staff. Historically, the university has integrated sign language into its educational programs. The University Faculty is now committed to a working model of a bilingual (American Sign Language and English) multi-cultural community where deaf, hard of hearing, and hearing people can learn and work together without communication barriers. The centrality of communication at Gallaudet permeates all programs and services. Accessible communication is the right of all members of the Gallaudet community and the people served. The university faculty encourages the learning and clear use of American Sign Language and English in all aspects of university life to meet the needs of the individuals served. To facilitate meaningful visual communication, the Faculty is expected to use clear sign communication, with or without voice in the classroom, in faculty meetings, and in meetings of like nature, as well as when communicating with individual students. The term American Sign Language is to be used in an all-inclusive sense and includes signs expressed in English word order, with or without voice–in much the same way many deaf and hard-of-hearing people communicate among themselves and with hearing people.
To see Ryan Commerson’s video commentary on this, please go here:
UPDATE, May 12, 2007
This policy was officially revoked by the Gallaudet Faculty Senate and a new policy was officially approved on April 30, 2007. Here is the new policy:
2.2 Policy Concerning Communication
The University Faculty recognizes that our community is comprised of deaf, hard of hearing, and hearing individuals who depend on a variety of communication modalities. Gallaudet’s mission as a unique educational institution is inextricably bound to the need for direct, comprehensible and accessible communication among students and faculty. To that end, all members of the University Faculty are committed to promoting bilingual (American Sign Language and Written English) communication. The University is committed to providing training and resources, as needed, to support all members of the Faculty in developing the necessary language skills.
This policy is not prescriptive, allowing considerable latitude with regard to acceptable communication on campus; the only restrictions are that the communication be direct, comprehensible and accessible.
Commentary: The correction is long overdue. How can anyone, especially an university for the deaf, confuse ASL with SimCom??Â
This is another sign of new changes being implemented by the Davila Administration, showing that Gallaudet is heading in the right direction. Notice this new communication policy isn’t mandatory, still permitting different communication modes to be used. What do you think of the new change? MZ
________________________________________________________Â
Pennsylvania School for the Deaf Survey
Http://208.193.99.4/psdsurvey.htm
The survey is divided into two category: the school itself and the new superintendent.
PSD
Please describe 3 or 4 strengths or aspects of the school which you would not want to see weakened or changed.
These can be qualities which are unique to the school, and/or characteristics providing the distinct capabilities of the school.Â
Please describe 3 or 4 aspects of the school which need review or change. These are issues or practices within the school, which, if not addressed, could change or alter the nature and direction of the school.
Please describe 3 or 4 external challenges facing the school. These are challenges existing outside the school and over which the school does not have direct control, but could affect the well being of the school in the future.
The Next Head of PSD
With the previous responses in mind, please list 3-4 professional career experiences which you think it would be important for candidates to have had.
Please list 3-4 skills necessary to build on the strengths and opportunities listed above. Skills refer to professional capabilities.
What personal qualities will be important to ensure the success of the new Head of PSD?
Commentary: Here is your chance to let the firm hired to search for the new superintendent know what Deaf Community wants from PSD.  If you feel the school doesn’t have enough Deaf teachers and staff, be sure to inform this firm! If you think audism is a problem, with ASL not being utilized sufficiently and the school lacking a solid foundation in bi-bi program, well, go ahead and fill this survey! It takes a village to raise a child. Well, it also takes a village to see that its school flourishes!
This survey is embedded in the PSD website. If you want 100% anonymity, here is the direct link to the firm’s website, bypassing PSD computer completely. Http://208.193.99.4/psdsurvey.htm MZ
Email contact: mishkazena@aol.com
Mishkazena (TM) 2007
May 14th, 2007 at 7:55 am
Gallaudet’s New Communication Policy -
I am curious - is there a language policy? I feel the policy needs to expand more what is meant by prescriptivism - is it talking about sign language variation (people from diff parts of North American using regional signs) or is it about how some Deaf are fluent and highly skilled while other Deaf are not smooth signers but can sign fine in ASL? That’s what im wondering. thanks for including the clip of Ryan Commerson. I would love to use it in my class that discuss language and power. Any way i can contact him to let me save it for future reference? i don’t know how long the shelf life of this clip is?
thanks for posting it! Noni
May 14th, 2007 at 9:57 am
Which school of the deaf in Pennsylvania you refer to?
People ought to remmy that Pennsylvania have three school of the deaf due to geographical spatituality. One is outside the Philadephia. Other two are in Scranton and Pittsburgh (Western Pennsylvania School of the Deaf = WPSD).
Pennsylvania School of the Deaf is in Philadephia area. It is not located in an original location of PSD, real beautiful campus.
Robert L. Mason (RLM)
May 14th, 2007 at 10:14 am
I’m glad it seems things are finally on an upswing. I may be new around here, but I’ve heard about the great history of this school, and the deep regret of it’s recent problems.
Congratulations,
Dennis
May 14th, 2007 at 1:21 pm
Air talk. Certain professors will *commit* to ignorance and stupidity instead. Can’t teach old dogs new tricks if they’re not willing the first time around. Mandatory testing needs to be put into place to censor such tenure.
May 14th, 2007 at 2:06 pm
I am thrilled about the new communication policy. I remember doing a presentation about it in my public speaking class (under Dr. Weiner, no less!) my freshman year. I pointed out a lot of the problems with the old communication policy, especially the vagueness of it. The old policy was a lot more vague and had no mention of ASL- that was in 2002. It’s good to know that things are changing
ASL shouldn’t be a “dirty” word, especially at Gallaudet.
May 14th, 2007 at 3:12 pm
I’m thrilled about this news.
R-
May 14th, 2007 at 4:41 pm
I was on Language and Communication policy committee in 1998 to 1999 trying to nail down this misconception about ASL used in all inclusive sense because I was one of full time SCPI raters at that time. It was impossible to have reliable evaluation of person’s signing skills with the target being too broad.
The current definition makes sense, there is no need to explain what English or French is. Everyone simply knows what ASL is, like what English is with its own regional, gender, style variation and essentially it shares the same corpus of grammar rules, just like any language anywhere.
I am glad to see the change and like to remind that we still have a lot of work to strengthen learning language environment for both ASL and English in overall deaf education system.
Anne Marie
May 14th, 2007 at 4:52 pm
It certainly looks nice on print, but I’m wary to take things at face value. In reality, will they step up to the new policy? That remains to be seen considering its history hence the delayed policy revision. I’m just going by how many stories I’ve read from students who cannot understand their professors and staff to be truly accommodated as expected at Gallaudet. Also, as Carl argued endlessly, why ASL is in SLCC rather in conjunction in English department? Where is the actual Bi-Bi model in place at Gallaudet?
May 14th, 2007 at 6:24 pm
Anne-Marie in #7,
I seem to recall having read somewhere that the name has been changed from “SCPI” to “ASLPI”.
Correct? Does it also mean that raters will evaluaten teachers’s ASL?
May 15th, 2007 at 10:13 am
RLM, it is PSD, just like I said in the blog
Mike, very true. There isn’t much teeth due to a generous amount of latitude in this policy. Will they be raising the bar higher with ASLPI? It’s a start, though. Time will tell if this policy makes a difference or not.
May 15th, 2007 at 2:18 pm
See what happens. It’s good they addressed this policy at last. JKF Admin? No chance in hell.
June 5th, 2007 at 12:30 am
Yup, you got that right, Mike