Gallaudet Accreditation Officially On Probation
From: president@gallaudet.edu
To: president@gallaudet.edu
Subject: Open letter to the community
Date: Fri, 29 Jun 2007 16:23:08 -0400
Signature: Gallaudet University
Office of the President
COLLEGE HALL
800 FLORIDA AVE. NE
WASHINGTON, DC 20002-3695
June 29, 2007
Dear Campus Community,
As you know, for the past six months we have been working closely with
the Middle States Commission on Higher Education (MSCHE), our
accrediting body, to address the need for change at the University and
to put it on a path to long-term success. Today, MSCHE formally placed
the University on probation. This action was not unanticipated; and in
many ways we have been operating a self-imposed probation. We embrace
change and are actively developing new processes to meet this challenge.
To be clear: Gallaudet still remains accredited.
MSCHE notified Gallaudet in November 2006 that it was out of compliance
with several accreditation and related reporting standards. Since
January, the Board of Trustees, administration, faculty, staff and
students united to focus on new beginnings and to pursue an aggressive,
five point Transformation Plan to move the University forward.Â
Specifically, six teams of faculty-staff-student work groups, under the
direction of newly appointed Provost Dr. Stephen Weiner, are working to
address MSCHE concerns. We have accomplished much in a short time.Â
But our work together has just begun.
Middle States Commission on Higher Education Recent Action
In practice, probation means MSCHE will request additional monitoring
reports on our progress, and will make team visits to the campus.Â
Again, Gallaudet will remain accredited throughout the probationary
period. We welcome this process and will continue to work closely with
MSCHE – and the entire Gallaudet community – to build upon the work
that has already begun. We are confident the actions we are taking
will put us in compliance with the MSCHE accreditation standards.Â
Working together, we can make a difference and ensure that our students
receive the high quality education that they expect and deserve.
Progress and Potential
Gallaudet is like no other institution in the world, fostering a
welcoming, supportive and accessible learning environment where both
American Sign Language and English thrive. As a result, our students
are better able to focus on what matters most: the academic excellence
necessary to succeed in our rapidly evolving and multicultural global
society. Â
In the coming days, weeks and months, we will carry on with the work
begun last January. Your continued attention to and involvement in our
transformation are critical to its success. Make no mistake: Gallaudet
will be stronger for this effort.
Sincerely,
Robert Davila
President
Stephen Weiner
Provost
Commentary:Â I was taking a much needed break from blogging, but this is too important news to pass. So here I am briefly.Â
This doesn’t look good. I knew Gallaudet was in a bad shape, but not the extent. Oh, boy, the previous administration had left a real mess, didn’t it?
I’ve heard some people, upset with Davila’s interference with GallyNet and his terminating Slemo for his involvement of GallyNet, had fired letters of complaints to MSA the last two weeks. Davila’s two acts remain controversial among Gallaudet Community, but it appears he has the support of the majority. MSA may investigate these complaints and decide if Davila’s actions are appropriate or not.   MZ
Update
From Washington Post:
But probation is a blow to a school already hobbled by recent events.
Davila said he is worried the label could hurt enrollment. The school already struggles to attract and keep students, with more deaf children receiving implants that allow them to hear, and more interpreters and technology making it easier for students to choose mainstream schools. Gallaudet lost students during and after the protests, and there are 15 to 20 fewer incoming freshmen this year than last, Davila said. Accreditors Put Gallaudet on Probation
Commentary: Gallaudet had been losing students steadily since 2000 or 2001.  The protest did make the enrollment status worse, but the decline had started very early during the Jordan/Fernandes Administration. I am going back to my break. MZ
From: president@gallaudet.edu
To: president@gallaudet.edu
Subject: Open letter to the community
Date: Fri, 29 Jun 2007 16:23:08 -0400
Signature: Gallaudet University
Office of the President
COLLEGE HALL
800 FLORIDA AVE. NE
WASHINGTON, DC 20002-3695
June 29, 2007
Dear Campus Community,
As you know, for the past six months we have been working closely with
the Middle States Commission on Higher Education (MSCHE), our
accrediting body, to address the need for change at the University and
to put it on a path to long-term success. Today, MSCHE formally placed
the University on probation. This action was not unanticipated; and in
many ways we have been operating a self-imposed probation. We embrace
change and are actively developing new processes to meet this challenge.
To be clear: Gallaudet still remains accredited.
MSCHE notified Gallaudet in November 2006 that it was out of compliance
with several accreditation and related reporting standards. Since
January, the Board of Trustees, administration, faculty, staff and
students united to focus on new beginnings and to pursue an aggressive,
five point Transformation Plan to move the University forward.Â
Specifically, six teams of faculty-staff-student work groups, under the
direction of newly appointed Provost Dr. Stephen Weiner, are working to
address MSCHE concerns. We have accomplished much in a short time.Â
But our work together has just begun.
Middle States Commission on Higher Education Recent Action
In practice, probation means MSCHE will request additional monitoring
reports on our progress, and will make team visits to the campus.Â
Again, Gallaudet will remain accredited throughout the probationary
period. We welcome this process and will continue to work closely with
MSCHE – and the entire Gallaudet community – to build upon the work
that has already begun. We are confident the actions we are taking
will put us in compliance with the MSCHE accreditation standards.Â
Working together, we can make a difference and ensure that our students
receive the high quality education that they expect and deserve.
Progress and Potential
Gallaudet is like no other institution in the world, fostering a
welcoming, supportive and accessible learning environment where both
American Sign Language and English thrive. As a result, our students
are better able to focus on what matters most: the academic excellence
necessary to succeed in our rapidly evolving and multicultural global
society. Â
In the coming days, weeks and months, we will carry on with the work
begun last January. Your continued attention to and involvement in our
transformation are critical to its success. Make no mistake: Gallaudet
will be stronger for this effort.
Sincerely,
Robert Davila
President
Stephen Weiner
Provost
Commentary:Â I was taking a much needed break from blogging, but this is too important news to pass. So here I am briefly.Â
This doesn’t look good. I knew Gallaudet was in a bad shape, but not the extent. Oh, boy, the previous administration had left a real mess, didn’t it?
I’ve heard some people, upset with Davila’s interference with GallyNet and his terminating Slemo for his involvement of GallyNet, had fired letters of complaints to MSA the last two weeks. Davila’s two acts remain controversial among Gallaudet Community, but it appears he has the support of the majority. MSA may investigate these complaints and decide if Davila’s actions are appropriate or not.   MZ
Update
From Washington Post:
But probation is a blow to a school already hobbled by recent events.
Davila said he is worried the label could hurt enrollment. The school already struggles to attract and keep students, with more deaf children receiving implants that allow them to hear, and more interpreters and technology making it easier for students to choose mainstream schools. Gallaudet lost students during and after the protests, and there are 15 to 20 fewer incoming freshmen this year than last, Davila said. Accreditors Put Gallaudet on Probation
Commentary: Gallaudet had been losing students steadily since 2000 or 2001.  The protest did make the enrollment status worse, but the decline had started very early during the Jordan/Fernandes Administration. I am going back to my break. MZ
June 29th, 2007 at 6:04 pm
I’m not sure if I’d support your opinion on which caused the enrollment decline, blaming on two individuals not there today, as if they have direct influence on whether students enroll or not. Now we’re blaming taxpayers/citizens for writing letters to MSA now? What was gonna help? Gag dissenters again? I thought we were fighting for transparency and social justice? Oops, my bad.
June 29th, 2007 at 6:17 pm
Ouch.
Yes, I am watching those events with nervous anticipation. Of what, I can not say as of yet *sigh*.
June 29th, 2007 at 6:31 pm
The protest is long over, but GallyNet is still angry and bitter about the protest. How can healing happen if GallyNet is always negative?
Give Davila a chance to clean up the mess Jordan and Fernandes left!
June 29th, 2007 at 6:42 pm
Nobody is stopping them from cleaning up. Nobody is protesting. Gally l net is just one list serv exercising free speech, among hundreds of blogs/vlogs. Why sweat over it?
June 29th, 2007 at 6:56 pm
Someone said several Fernandes people doesn’t care if Gallaudet loss accredation and closed for good. Davila fired Slemo, so they complained to MSCHE.
June 29th, 2007 at 7:09 pm
AnneMarie’s metaASL responds in ASL and the truth
June 29th, 2007 at 7:43 pm
Can the alumni get more involved and work to help booster Gallaudet’s image or something like that? Maybe make a historical movie of Gallaudet to show it to the general public to let people know how much we love Gallaudet, this way we can get more support from the public to get Gallaudet going. I’m sure Gallaudet will try to fix things and make sure they are in accordance with the MCSCHE’s expectations.
I wonder about other universities, are they with MSCHE, does Gallaudet have other opportunities to apply for accrediation besides MSCHE or are they stuck with it? I am not very familiar with accrediation business and how it works so I may be asking a silly question.
June 29th, 2007 at 7:47 pm
Gallaudet will prosper, in fact. This is a good way to motivate us all.
Check my blog for further discussion on this subject.
Cheers,
R-
June 29th, 2007 at 7:48 pm
Not silly question. It is sorta weird system but I will try to explain based on what I experienced when I attended my old church’s college. Accreditation is a process that allows a government know that college meet all academic high expectations needed for success in the world, at least goes the theory. Anyway, the story was that my church refused to accredit the college because it was the risk of being conformed to the government’s somewhat wicked teachings like evolution. Well that was what my church said anyway, I am no longer a Christian but an atheist now.
Anyway if I read this right, Gallaudet University failed to meet the government’s expectations for the academic needs for its students in order for them to succeed. Like you, Michele, I may be making mistakes based on old experiences but that is what I understand so far :).
June 29th, 2007 at 7:57 pm
Michele, the cleaning has to start from inside. The image of Gallaudet will naturally improve only after Gallaudet finishes cleaning up all the issues troubling MSCHE. From what my friend told me, the morale at Gallaudet is very high under Davila Administration. This is very encouraging. None of us wants Gallaudet to lose its accreditation!
June 29th, 2007 at 8:58 pm
Yes, I know Gallaudet will get better. It will with administrators who simply go for what is right even it may be a smaller university with less enrollment, I believe for while until we get good numbers.
June 29th, 2007 at 9:28 pm
Anne Marie, the reason Gallaudet keeps the enrollment high is due to Congress. Congress mandates that the enrollment be maintained 2,000 or something like that. I am not exactly sure of the exact figures. Hopefully Congress will be understanding and give Gallaudet some leeway during this trying time.
June 29th, 2007 at 11:21 pm
I am still a student at Gallaudet and I will be out of my sense to hope Gallaudet to lose its accreditation. But obviously Davila administration did some missteps that are now costing the university dearly. Jordan administration might have messed Gallaudet, but the protest made MSCHE to see Gallaudet through the microscope and converging lens.
For fairness, both Jordan and Protest messed Gallaudet’s chance for reaccreditation. Davila’s current administration style is worrisome. I have not seen one protester admitting that their action contributed to our problem with MSCHE, and MSCHE expressed it clearly. Interesting that some of people I know on MSCHE coordination committee are not optimistic about reaccreditation.
I think people should realize that some of us who supported Jane Fernandes volunteered to help Davila team. I was one of them till Slemo’s termination compelled me to lost complete faith in the administration and resigned. Some volunteered but was rejected, yet the administration chose to persuade some people who were not volunteering to join the team. Some thing is wrong in the picture.
I was one of people who believe in healing and that must start inside. But this is not happening at Gallaudet. Favoritism is too strong out there. Not respecting conflicting perspectives and ideas still exist. MBI still there…For those of you who really love Gallaudet should be concerned.
Our past mistake was that we trusted Jordan too much and not put him to check… I am seeing this happening with Davila administration where they only team up with those who support their perspectives. MSCHE is interested in respecting all perspectives.
June 29th, 2007 at 11:41 pm
Anne-Marie, I have just watched your vlog. What you say reinforces mine and a number of
professors’ claim. I, too, agree with your second comment (vid. infra).
Elizabeth, Nothing will fall through as I trust Dr. Davila’s ability and determination in light of his experience with the U.S. Dedpartment of Eudcation as well as vice presidency at the NTID to which the White House awarded an A grade and an F to Gallaudet in November 2005. Disillusioned with Gallaudet’s lowering admission standards in order to expand enrollment popilationm, Dr. Robert Frisina resigned and becamed NTID’s first founding director following Congress’ bill signed in 1965 by President LBJ to open NTID. He said to my friend, Dr. Lloyd Ambrosen that NTID would beat Gallaudet in 20, 30 years. His experience with NTID’s brilliant adminsitrators will glorify Gallaudet down the road. I know Davila because I took a graduate-level course under him in 1976. He is a people person.
June 29th, 2007 at 11:55 pm
David, The White House gave an F to Gallaudet through the U.S. Department of Education in November of 2005 (see Raswant’s http://www.ASLCommunity Journal.com). That was _BEFORE_ the protest.
Furthermore, MSCHE wrote a letter alerting in regard to this matter — that was about the same month when Dr. Glenn Anderson resigned from the BoT in order to prepare his resume for presidential candidacy in the late 2005. Again, that was _BEFORE_ the protest.
Evidence is important.
June 30th, 2007 at 2:13 am
Furthermore, when I quickly read the report, I ascertained that Gallaudet isn’t in as much trouble as some people make it seem to be. I see Gallaudet as STILL an accredidated university; it’s just that the MSCHE’s concerned about some reporting standards that that the University was remiss in complying with.
At any rate, this “scare” just might be a blessing in disguise, tho as the different campus departments are currently slaving away at rising the standards of their curriculae.
Like the phoenix, Gallaudet shall rise ever higher than it ever has in it’s storied past!
June 30th, 2007 at 3:11 am
It’ll be up to the present deaf community to decide whether they should keep the Gallaudet ship afloat or not. So far Gallaudet isnt heading toward the future, theyre going backwards.
This is the beginning of the end to one of the most treasured cabals of the ASL hardliners and I’m just as happy to have jumped ship than beocme one of the school’s fall guys.
Richard
June 30th, 2007 at 6:23 am
David (King),
Your repeated rants are tiresome. Don’t you have a life? You were just a member of one committee. Don’t make yourself bigger than you think. Try for once to do something positive for Gallaudet. If you were President of Gallaudet, or any business, and someone was leaking confidential information you’d have no choice but to fire them too.
David (King) are you going to spend the rest of your life complaining? If you succeed in convincing MSCHE to remove Gallaudet’s accrediation, where will the Deaf community be able to have a place to call their own? Think ahead.
June 30th, 2007 at 6:29 am
I was thrilled to hear that the work groups have been working hard to raise the bar of academic requirements for enrollment. That’s long overdue.
Without any doubt, under Jordan and Fernandes, the morale was extremely low. The positive morale of the Gallaudet workers and students says a lot about the current status of Gallaudet. Even though Davila was in for less than seven months, for sure a lot of changes had occured.
Michele, I didn’t see your accrediation question the first time. MSA is the only one that covers colleges/universities in this area.
June 30th, 2007 at 6:59 am
Response for “For David (King)
Ha ha…if you view me as tiresome, I am cool with it. I worry less about what you think of me. My main goal is to keep on telling truth. You may not like it.
Do I want Gallaudet to lost accreditation – my response is HELL NO! – Based on my position, did that not make you to think that our concerns are valid? Ignoring our concerns will only compel us to go beyond to seek for remedy. Where do we start here? We need to include everyone and respect everyone.
Just like Jean said evidence is important. I agree with her in toto. MSCHE is interested in evidence. While there are several evidences that MSCHE contacted Jordan years back, there is evidence that protest created dire consequences for the University, and I am repeating here that it is what MSCHE themselves explained. Call this ranting if you like but you cannot change what MSCHE stated.
I have vehemently opposed the shut down of campus during the protest. MSCHE said closure of campus was wrong.
As for terminating employee… as much as I know, I was privileged to meet with Paul Kelly along with several university officials where he clearly stated that there was no suggestion that Slemo was leaking confidential information. However, he stated that GallyNet release some confidential information. Slemo is basically being held responsible as the owner. I have the meeting report.
Now you see that some of us know what is going on internal.
Till Davila start being silence and being inclusive, I did not see any chance in the horizon for Gallaudet’s reaccreditation. I hope to be wrong at the end of day.
June 30th, 2007 at 6:59 am
David, your recent actions this week show Galluadet’s best interests not in your heart. You urged many people to write letters of complaints to many agencies, willfully jeopardizing the accreditation status of Gallaudet.
June 30th, 2007 at 7:05 am
David King…you can talk all you want and defend youself all you want but your actions sign louder than your words. You arent fooling anyone. Everyone knows your goal is to shut down Gallaudet.
June 30th, 2007 at 7:10 am
David King said..(We need to include everyone and respect everyone.)
You don’t respect anyone when you and your cronies call wonderful people like Bob Davila names and many other people names on Gally-Net. What’s with all the name calling? Then you want respect back. Bob Davila is a wonderful leader who has support all over campus, unlike what the Gally_net crybabies want to think.
Alumni love Bob, studts love him, faculty love him, staff love him, and he’s the greatest thing to happen to Gallaudet in 20 years. Unfortunately he has to clean up your dad King Jordan’s mess, and you clearly do not want him to do so.
June 30th, 2007 at 7:11 am
To you, “David is Dangerous” and “For David (King)” I rest my case. But I will not be shut down by the like of you who do not want to see truth. Thanks
June 30th, 2007 at 7:17 am
“Unfortunately he has to clean up your dad King Jordan’s mess,”
Honestly that joke is good one and make me laughing… I appreciate your sense of humorous.
Have a nice Saturday.
June 30th, 2007 at 11:29 am
The current events are symptoms that were ignored for years. Gallaudet was a sick institution WAY before IKJ, a product of its paternalistic beginnings that never grew up while other higher education institutions did.
We needed the wakeup call of MSCHE to start on a reformation of Gallaudet on the scale of the Protestant Reformation that took down the power of the Catholic Church. It took two protests and a great deal of discontent to attract the attention of MSCHE and it was about time!
I wondered: how much of this delay was due to our being deaf? Not knowing other universities and having a limited outlook on campus, we went along blindly with the way things were. Deaf people were carefully groomed by past administrations not to rock the boat and only these select people advanced, not those who had wider experiences and loftier goals. None were advanced to the higher administrative levels until IKJ, and that situation did not change even under him.
I also wondered: is the success of NTID due to its being nurtured under RIT, a hearing university of worldwide repute? Although most of its earliest teachers and administrators were Gallaudet people, they established a freer and academically rigorous institution that quickly established a presence that Gallaudet will have to work hard to compete with.
I have the highest hopes in Dr. Davila and am cheered by MZ’s observation that faculty morale is up greatly at Gallaudet.
However, Davila’s recent handling of the admittedly critical Gally-L listserv and the firing of ONE of its moderators (others are still unnamed) disappointed me. It recalls the actions of past Gallaudet administrations that kept a foot on the neck of those who would make changes. I dearly hope I am wrong, however, and that developments will show a different light.
You go, Gally faculty and staffers! The university is depending on you to chart the future and Dr. Davilia has the background to guide you. Do your job well, for the future of my grandchildren depends on you.
July 1st, 2007 at 6:36 am
Gallaudet’s enrollment is down in part to the discrimination aspect. Cuturally deaf not accepting others. It’s enrollment is down because there are to many great universities out there where a deaf student can go and feel part of the community.
As time passes Gallaudet’s enrollment will dwindle until the club of deaf culturalists are the only one’s left. These numbers will not sustain’s Gallaudet’s enrollment requirements.
BYE, BYE… and you all should be proud to be a part of it’s fall!
July 1st, 2007 at 12:13 pm
HEY! I’M STILL A STUDENT AT GALLAUDET AND WILL CONTINUE TO BE STUDENT TILL I GRADUATE.
I UNDERSTAND HOW PROBATION MAY LOOK TO MANY PEOPLE HOWEVER FOR ME I FEEL MOST FORTUNATE TO BE STUDENT AT THIS TIME RIGHT NOW BECAUSE I BELIEVE THAT THE EVENTS STIMULATES ADMINISTRATORS, PROFESSORS AND THE DEAF COMMUNITY TO BRING THE BEST OUT THE UNIVERSITY.
KEEP ON COMMUNICATING, IT’S THE BEST THING FOR CHANGE.
July 2nd, 2007 at 9:59 am
David King
I hope you come to realize that there are many good things out of you. I can see you have a bright future ahead of you. Make an appointment with President Davila. Ask him what you can do for Gallaudet. I believe he will invite you to open many more doors than you will ever think and/or believe.
I will not believe what you say until you have met with President Davila first.
July 2nd, 2007 at 11:40 am
PEGGY, thanks. Your writing just made a point. Now I am seriously worried about the future of Gallaudet university.
July 2nd, 2007 at 3:53 pm
I am currently a student of Gallaudet University. You know what the problem is? Everyone is too emotional here. People are more concerned identity politics rather than focussing on academics. This is probably because the majority of the students lack the knowledge and motivation to do well in school. To compensate for their deficit, they choose to party and start drama for nothing.
Why is that in English class, we have open book tests? And mind you, the exam questions are exactly the questions from the homework notes that were already corrected by the teacher. Secondly, why is it that in Chemistry class, we can use one cue card to write down any information for a test. And then for the final exam, we can use up to four cue cards? Why is it okay for the teachers to keep postponing a test when students don’t feel ready? Why is that everytime I tutor a student’s essay, I can’t make sense of what they are trying to say? Even a third grader writes better. Gallaudet is not a university. Its an institution approved by the government to keep all the ‘disabled chickens’ in one place without having to place them on the streets and cause havoc among their ‘hearing’ neighbors.
The main reason why many deaf people have weak English skills stems from the fact that most lack their sense of hearing to be able to ‘hear’ the appropriate sounds and grammar context. In addition, the deaf education and their families failed them. This harsh reality is a bit too much for deaf people to accept and a result, “Deaf culture”, is a way for them to protect their self-esteem, yet they collect SSI (Disability money) and VR to support their “culture.” They further isolate themselves by shunning any new form of technology and change. In addition, they demonize those who choose to wear implants or hearing aids. They are scared that those who do benefit from technology will further make their ‘disability’ stand out since they are now becoming the minority. Pro deaf needs grow up and realize the world is changing whether they like it or not. Gallaudet talks about how hearing people discriminate them. What about how we discriminate hearing people? Why don’t we have more hearing people at our university? Why can’t it be a shared environment so that they may learn from us as well?
Its about time, we start accepting that deafness does limit us and that IJK’s words, “Deaf people can do anything but hear” is bullshit. We need to work with it rather than shunning out those who feel that they are hurting our precious self esteem by calling us “disabled” or “hearing impaired” because at the end of the day, that’s what we are period. If a deaf or hearing person has bad English skills or cannot think on a critical level required for most university levels, then they don’t deserve a degree period. As harsh as it sounds, being deaf can affect us educationally. It also time that parents and the educational system beginning from babyhood step up to the plate and help us succeed academically whether we make it to university or not. They should also come up with hands on training programs or expand the art and theatre program to help many deaf people who are talented in these areas to cultivate on those skills.
Gallaudet is not completely at fault here. Gallaudet is simply a representation of how deafness can impact each and everyone of us in all aspects of our lives. And mind you, I am completely deaf myself and use ASL as my main mode of communication.
July 2nd, 2007 at 4:14 pm
I had never read the worse reasoning typewritten out here than this! Excuse me, Get Real. I am an example of Deaf individual who defy all your stereotypes and blast them to splinters. The fact that d/Deaf can not hear have NO bearing on our ability to succeed except for actions that demand hearing. As for our English fluency, it does not require hearing to be successful. Yes, English is an oral language with different sounds that necessarily mesh together to make for a good writing or speaking. However those things are only a part of English language. Oftentimes if teachers took time and explain few things in-depth, these stuff will be remedied in no time at all. My fluency with English had more to do with me understanding fundamental grammar rules for English, just the same as if one knows the fundamental grammar rules for ASL, then that one can be very fluent signer. As for Gally itself, I do not know enough to refute but I am strongly sure that other Deaf people can easily crush your reasoning about why it is in the position it is in now.
Forgive me, MZ, but that last comment irritated me with ‘look-down’ on Deaf people.
Bless you for having a great blog and being an awesome human editor :D.
July 3rd, 2007 at 6:21 am
Get Real,
What a great comment. The best I’ve read yet in over a year.
Nobody wants to take responsibilty of their own actions, they are good at blaming others.
Bravo!
July 3rd, 2007 at 9:37 am
Hi Mishka,
I know you’re taking a break from blogging, but I’m hoping you’d have time to be a resource for me.
I’m a children’s writer, and I’m writing a general information book for 6th-graders about Gallaudet University. I am under contract to write this book for Zaner-Bloser, a publisher of children’s educational books.
I am looking for a few Gallaudet students to answer some questions for me about daily life as a student there. I saw your blog and thought you might be willing to answer my questions by email.
My deadline for the book is in about 3 weeks (we don’t get much time to write these books!), so I would need to hear from you pretty quickly! I need to talk to several students by Monday, July 9. Would this fit into your schedule?
You can check out my writing credentials at http://www.laurasalas.com. You can also check out the publisher at http://www.zaner-bloser.com.
A couple of last things.
1) I am not deaf. I have heard of Gallaudet over the years and thought it was an interesting topic and was happy to take the assignment. But I have no particular expertise or knowledge in this subject area. This is how educational publishing works all the time. I have written more than 30 kids’ books for educational publishers, none on topics I’m an expert on. Publishers hire professional writers to write the books, and then they hire experts in the field to consult/fact-check the manuscript.
2) This is a general interest book, part of a set of books on the theme Social Awareness: What kind of world do we want to live in? Though I will briefly touch on DPN and last year’s protests, this is not a political book. There will not be enough room (the whole book will be 48 pages) to go into great depth on those topics. The book will cover the history of Gallaudet, alumni, teaching methods, and daily life of students.
3) Most students reading this book will be hearing kids. The book is not specifically aimed at deaf children. Its purpose is to educate all kids about the value and role of Gallaudet, and to encourage kids to think about and question that role and how society does or does not make accommodations for people who learn and communicate in various ways.
If you would be willing to participate, could you email me? You can reach me at gallaudet_book@yahoo.com or you can visit my website (www.laurasalas.com) and email my standard email address through there. I didn’t want to post my standard email publicly where spambots could pick it up.
Thanks so much for your time!
Best,
Laura Purdie Salas
July 3rd, 2007 at 8:22 pm
Dear Oscar the Observer,
You’ve proven yourself to be offended by my opinions by accusing me of looking down at deaf people. What I said was the truth, it was not meant to insult people. You took as an insult because it was a blow to the self esteem of others and perhaps yourself.
Its people like you that has silenced me and others for months from coming out and saying how we really feel. I am certainly not alone on this. Thanks to MZ and many other bloggers, the blog gives us an opportunity to come out and speak out the truth without revealing our identities. Why is it that everytime a person says something that is remotely against “Deaf culture” beliefs, they are suddenly labelled as “ignorant” or an “AUDIST?” Not only that, we are shunned by the deaf community for daring to think otherwise. This is not a culture where open ideas are encouraged, this is a deaf cult.
Believe me I was also big “D” at one point in my life. However, over time I realized what my deafness really was. It was a limitation for me in many ways. Ie. I could never be an emergency doctor because you really do need ‘hearing’ in that line of work. So IKJ’s line, “Deaf people can do anything but hear” is contradictory to the reality of how we actually live our lives as deaf individuals. Its not that I’m ashamed to be deaf, no, but I am not exactly “proud” of it. It is a hardship in many ways.
I never said that no deaf peoople cannot write English at all. I said almost the majority of them cannot. Again, this is not true for those who may have gotten the right kind of support and assistance from an early age. Like you, I also write and read English well and I am completely deaf myself. Like I said in my previous blog, it also depends on your background and the kind of support you receive. Even then, there are not guarantees that a deaf person will grasp a good command of the English language. It is that much more difficult for a deaf person to learn English than it is for a hearing person. I have yet to see at least more than 20% of students at Gallaudet write a decent paper. Its that bad and truly very sad. Their parents and the deaf institutions may have truly failed them. Then again, even with all the support they might have received, there are no guarantees that a deaf person will pick up English as effectively due to their lack of hearing ability.
And MSA knows this. That’s why Gallaudet is under hot water. Employers who have hired Gallaudet graduates were also shocked to find out the truth when it came to their writing and reading abilities. The administration and the professors at school have also admitted to me and others that they are passing their students in attempt to keep their jobs even though they know that they should not be passing them. When I say keep their jobs, I mean they face the threat by the administration who are expected to keep up with the enrollment in order to continue to receive Federal funding from the U.S government. Sadly, these professors also have families that they need to support at the expense of their integrity. Gallaudet is a “university” by name that lacks integrity.
You mentioned that, “As for our English fluency, it does not require hearing to be successful. Yes, English is an oral language with different sounds that necessarily mesh together to make for a good writing or speaking. However those things are only a part of English language. Oftentimes if teachers took time and explain few things in-depth, these stuff will be remedied in no time at all. My fluency with English had more to do with me understanding fundamental grammar rules for English…” If you were able to benefit from this particular method, then why is it that so many deaf people are struggling with English even with all the assistance they receive? Why is that as an English tutor, I constantly explain to them the basic grammar rules, they still come back with the same mistakes over and over again. They are not using the English dialect, they are using the ASL grammar context. Sorry but the ‘real’ world out there are hearing people who do not know ASL. It would be nice if they did, but they don’t. The truth is, deaf people cannot handle the truth because its a real blow to their self esteem. Again, I did not say ALL deaf people have bad English but the majority do and I stand by my word until proven otherwise.
I sit in a classroom feeling so unchallenged because the people in my class are so easy to compete with. I get straight As no problem. Yet, when I attended a hearing university, I was an average B to C student and I felt challenged. But at Gallaudet, I am suddenly a shining star. This is because I am competing with students who lack the skills to make a university competetive! The poor teachers who feel so stuck have no choice but to bring down the standards in order to meet up with “deaf” needs so that they can keep their paychecks coming in. That’s the kind of corruption going on at Gallaudet. IKJ and JFK were simply puppets who toyed along with this knowledge for years. They were just playing politics.
Don’t forget, I’m deaf myself. So if it appears that I am putting them down, I must be putting myself down. That’s not what I’m doing. I’m simply letting the cat out of the bag. The deaf education must change if we want to produce more effective leaders and avoid further protests. The hearing parents of deaf children must stop expecting the “deaf leaders” to take care of their babies because they don’t know how to handle them. The deaf parents of deaf children must expect nothing but greater things for their children. And deaf people themselves should stop throwing tantrums everytime they don’t get their way and focus on what’s really important - academics, honesty, and intregrity.
After this comment, I’m not going to respond anymore because frankly I’m tired of explaining myself and telling the truth to those who wish to call me names and accuse me of putting deaf people down. My goal is to get people thinking. That’s all.
Take care,
Get Real.
July 4th, 2007 at 11:17 am
To Laura Salas,
I am curious to look at your websites… but I could not open those two link of your websites… I dont know why… Just want to let you know that I did try to open your two websites but I could not get in…
July 4th, 2007 at 11:29 am
My response by vlog post to Get Real.
Happy 4th July :).
July 4th, 2007 at 11:41 am
Here’s what I posted in Oscar the Observer’s comment section to Get Real…
Get Real,
I’d like to point out two things… “Gallaudet is under hot water”. I disagree totally. First of all, that saying is grammatically incorrect *gasp* (Could it be that your English isn’t perfect? Well, neither is mine). It’s “Gallaudet is IN hot water”
And I have to disagree with that, too. Gallaudet is now facing a challenge to ante up its academic standards and I have strong faith that we will make it through unscathed. I feel that because Gallaudet is a DEAF University we are more under (not in) the microscope than other hearing universities so any mistake we make is totally zeroed in (not under) on.
Okay, enough wisecracks. Gallaudet shall prosper, believe you me. I know it!
July 4th, 2007 at 12:34 pm
Get Real: It was obvious that the tone of your opinions reveals your youth and lack of insight. Get more experience in the world and with various people, and you will realize that the intelligence of your classmates is not dependent on their English skills, but is expressed in ability to use their knowledge and their creativity in solving life problems. You will also realize that HEARING college graduates often do not have adequate English skills either, and depend on secretaries, spouses, spellcheckers, etc. to get around it.
Blaming such things on being deaf, their SSI, their motivation, their schooling, whatever, is shortsighted and misinformed. Also, Gallaudet is involved in bettering this situation and admittedly has not been totally effective at it. We need people like you to keep hammering on it, even in a shortsighted way, so that we keep a focus on it.
Raising academic standards does not solve this problem of underchallenging you as a more fortunately equipped student. Raising the expectations of students and offering them more tools to grow and become skilled at will do this. I believe a more pragmatic approach to education will have your classmates trouncing you in just about every field. Don’t worry, they probably won’t be trouncing you in your English, though.
We all need to keep sleeves rolled up and working to solve the problems that Gallaudet has right now, so keep on hammering, Get Real. Just don’t underestimate your deaf fellows.
July 5th, 2007 at 9:22 pm
Dear Carrie,
Thanks to Oscar the Observer’s Vblog, I’ve had a change of heart to end all discussions on here. I agree with him when he says its important to keep the lines of communication open. Therefore, I will continue to respond to people’s comments.
Thank you for pointing out my grammatical error. I also noticed that I spelled the word, “competetive” wrong as well. The correct spelling is “competitive.” At least I can admit my mistakes and next time I’ll be sure to say, “Gallaudet is IN hot water.” You’ve taught me this once and I will not repeat this mistake again. Please do let me know if you see further mistakes so that I don’t repeat them again. There was no need to mock me by emphasizing on this error I made. If you felt that I was mocking other deaf people by my previous comments, you are truly wrong. I was simply pointing how I felt about what is really happening. No need to *gasp* or be dramatic about it.
Most of the students at Gallaudet continue to repeat the same mistakes over and over again. This what concerns me. I’ve explained a concept time and time again only to see their paper later on with the exact same mistakes. Many of them fail to see how one error also applies to other types of sentences. I don’t know if its because they are not “really” learning or because its difficult for them to grasp the concept or if they just don’t make the effort to change it. I’m sure everyone has their own reasons. But whatever they are, the numbers are very high. I must have seen at least over 500 papers during my tutoring sessions. I’ve noticed that in almost every single paper, students were not using the correct English grammar context, and instead, relied on ASL format. I’ve seen maybe about two out of five hundred papers at Gallaudet that made some sense because they were using the correct English grammar. Fortunately, I know ASL and was able to understand what they were trying to say. However, do you honestly believe that a person outside of Gallaudet is going to accept an “ASL” paper?
Like you, I really do hope Gallaudet pulls itself together too. Because it is people like me and you that will suffer in the end if it does lose its title. This is unfair to the deaf students who really do deserve to attend a university. You don’t think I sit there and worry about the future of the Gallaudet? However, Gallaudet has to seriously start being honest about their integrity if anything is going to be done.
But I guess we will have to wait and see what MSA decides. These are the people that will make the final decision based on the evidence that Daavila and the administration provides. Why in the world would MSA pick on Gallaudet University simply because Gallaudet is a deaf university? Oh please. If anything, MSA and the rest of the U.S nation should be proud that there is even a deaf University that provides accessible communication to the deaf. By saying that they are place Gallaudet under a microscope simply because they are deaf is basically calling them an audist. Here we go again with the blame game once again. Could it just be possible that Gallaudet has some serious deficiences that made them question of whether Gallaudet should even be called a “University?” If anything, economically speaking, MSA would benefit by keeping Gallaudet accredited since other universities would not need to pay for interpreting and/or captioning services. Think about it.
I guess we’ll both find out in November 2008.
Take care,
Get Real
July 5th, 2007 at 10:11 pm
Dear Dianrez,
Thanks for pointing out how inexperienced I am based on my previous messages. Although you’ve never met or seen me in person, I could easily defend myself but there is no point in doing so. Like I mentioned to Oscar the Observer, I was expecting be labelled and criticized for my comments. Now I’m being called immature by you solely based on the tone of my comments. That’s perfectly fine if you don’t agree with my opinion, but please don’t assume I’m inexperienced for expressing my views. I won’t call judge you either. It goes to show you the real meaning of “Freedom of Speech” and respect for diverse views doesn’t it? That’s another one of MSA’s problems with Gallaudet by the way. Many pro Deaf at Gallaudet University have shunned and ostracized those who choose to wear hearing aids, cochlear implants and other means of technology to help people hear better. If they want to hear better, that’s their decision. Why judge them for it? So as long as they communicate in ASL visually, why are we so upset at their personal choices to wear such aids? Do we feel threatened? Name calling and judging my opinion is not going to help Gallaudet get better nor is it going to promote open discussions.
I’ve met many bright deaf individuals who communicate through ASL even if they have weak English skills. You are absolutely right when you say that the intelligence of individuals does not only depend on their English skills. Other characteristics such as creativity, the ability to express oneself, and knowledge is also important. Nevertheless, many people in the working world except for labor jobs and hands on the job do require you to write reports, e-mails, proposals, articles and many others. Even labor jobs do require you to have some form of written English. Other characteristics are secondary.
And yes, I have met hearing graduates with weak English skills. In fact, I currently work with one. In addition, my mother has weak English skills and works for a well known company. However, note that many of them including my mother work under a supervisor that do have strong English skills. Many of them, as educated as they might be, will hardly make it to the top of the game. They will always remain on the bottom end of the chain working to survive the best that they can. In addition, many of them do not leave their current employment because they are grateful that they even have a job with their limited English skills. Ask any non-English immigrant about this. Having said that, can you imagine what its like for a deaf person to have weak English skills? Their future is bleak. If deaf people want to make it to the top, they need to be able to write well. And yes, unfortunately deaf people do have to prove themselves more because of their disability because “hearing” people do not get what is is like to be “deaf.” However, if we have deaf people who can write English well, perhaps they would listen to us more and perhaps deaf people would have much more power in the working world. At this point, many hearing people look down at us and see us as a bunch of militants based on the recent protests and their experiences with deaf individuals.
The truth is, the world is changing. More and more babies are being implanted and the idea of deaf “culture” is evolving. As for SSI, I was saying that if “Deaf” people see themselves as “equal” to hearing people, why are they collecting SSI (Disability income)? First they are saying, “we are not disabled, treat us equally”, yet they turn around and say, “Oh by the way, when do I get my next SSI check?” Hello? Is your deafness a culture or a disability? Make your pick. If you’re not “disabled”, then don’t collect SSI or VR.
Again, don’t blame it on Gallaudet alone. These problems arise from the time a deaf child enters the world when he/she is born. These problems related to a deaf child’s success is a combination of many issues. The basic tools such as knowing how to determine the difference between the words, “then” and “than” is not something that should be learned at a college level such as Gallaudet University. That’s a concept that is taught at junior/elementary school. Universities are designed to help enhance a student’s current skills providing them with the tools to succeed in the working world. It is not meant to teach what should have already been taught to us in grade one. When a student does not know how what “cm or mm” means in mathematics, that concerns me. I can remember learning this basic concept in grade four. Gallaudet and other universities are NOT responsible to teach you everything from scratch. They are responsible to challenge us and help us reach our highest potential.
And thank you for mocking me further by saying this line, ” Don’t worry, they probably won’t be trouncing you in your English, though.” If anything, nothing makes me more happier than to see some deaf and hearing students who can write well and challenge my ideas. I look forward to the day that I am challenged at Gallaudet University. So far, nothing. I have two options; help Gallaudet raise their standards or transfer to another university. The latter seems to be appealing at this point.
Take Care,
Get Real
July 5th, 2007 at 10:15 pm
Dear Oscar the Observer,
I saw your Vblog and thank you for sharing your comments. I appreciate you taking the time to speak with me. I will respond soon. I hope you had a nice fourth of July as well.
Take care,
Get Real
July 6th, 2007 at 2:09 am
Get Real,
Hi, thanks for your honesty. I am glad you pointed out your concerns and I wasn’t mocking your English… I guess I misunderstood and figured you were one of those “I am better than most deaf people because I have good English” so I decided to point out the grammatical errors.
I, too, try not to make the same mistake twice. However, it’s ok to make mistakes. It’s how we learn, right?
July 6th, 2007 at 1:38 pm
Carrie says: “I guess I misunderstood and figured you were one of those “I am better than most deaf people because I have good English†so I decided to point out the grammatical errors.”
Why do people automatically assume that? That’s one thing that bothers me about the deaf community…if one show proficiency in English and is critical of some aspect of the deaf community, it’s assumed they have a superiority complex and are looking down on the deaf because they have good English. I’ve seen that kind of attack often and I just wonder why people go that route right off the bat. Interesting…
July 6th, 2007 at 1:46 pm
Get Real,
I LOVE YOU! Thank you. It’s nice to know there’s a kindred spirit out there. Everything you’ve said, I couldn’t have said better myself. Kudos!
Jennifer
July 8th, 2007 at 8:39 am
Perhaps the protest was a waste of time. The arguments continue as to who is deaf enough or who isn’t.
Gallaudet will suffer a very long time because of the selfishness portrayed by some of you so-called deaf culture leaders. Claiming to fight for deaf rights yet ultimately adding to our demise.
Dr. Fernandes was an English major. Did this have an effect that she is “better than most because of her English skills”.
If you look back this is what the protesters originally claimed.
July 8th, 2007 at 11:17 am
Dear Justin,
I think the protest was a symbolism of the deep rooted hatred, jealousy, and bitterness on-campus. I think a certain group of people felt threatened by JFK because she wanted Gallaudet University to include all kinds of deaf people, such as those with cochlear implants, hearing-aids etc. If she had became the president, that’s exactly what might have happened and many pro Deaf leaders knew this. They claimed that she was an “ineffective leader” but I believe this was a total cover up to the media as to what was really going on. Not only that, the provost is a difficult job! Sometimes you have to make difficult decisions for the sake of the school. Not everyone can keep their jobs and not everyone can be happy. And I also agree the fact that JFK primary language was not ASL also had something to do with it as well. In other words, you better have been raised in an ASL environment from a tradition of Deaf families or you are doomed for life in the deaf community. The hell with those who learn ASL later in life. And deaf people claim that’s not true because why would they have rooted for IKJ back in 1988 since his second language was also ASL. First of all, they had no choice at the time, because IKJ was the only deaf person running at the time so deaf people took whatever they could. Now their demands have changed. They say it wasn’t about her not being deaf enough but as a student of Gallaudet University myself, I don’t believe this was true. It was about fear. Fear of change. People felt threatened by her because I believe she would not have put up with nonsense from people. One more thing, what’s the big deal if we had a hearing president who has experience working with deaf people? I mean, why are we discriminating whether a president is deaf or hearing? For me, I don’t care if the president is deaf or hearing so as long as they can do their jobs and improve the conditions for the deaf education. Yet we bitch about how other people discriminate us?
In addition, I believe that if JFK did become president, she would have raised the academic standards to keep up with the changing world. This means that the majority of current students would not have been able to keep up with the standards and fail. I’ve actually had some students admit to me that they don’t know how they were failing at NTID/RIT or not doing well at other hearing universities and yet passing at Gallaudet with flying colors.
Maybe she would have done a terrible job who knows, but why didn’t we at least give her a chance? Eventually the board would have let her go if she wasn’t doing her job properly. People have claimed that she became IKJ’s favorite pet and got a free ride to being a provost to begin with. Why didn’t people start protesting right there and then? The day IKJ violated the policy by not including faculty member votes is when students should have jumped at him and demanded that he abide by the rules and give the faculty a voice. Not several years later.
I’ve also had a good friend who worked at Mental Health department at the Kellogg Conference Hotel on Gallaudet Campus. This person has revealed that many of the students (this person did not mention any names by the way) go there because they are depressed, anxious and are hoping to get diagnosed with a “Learning Disability” and/or “Attention Deficit Disorder” (ADD) so that they may be waived from not taking required math courses. I often wonder how many deaf students have been misdiagnosed with this “learning disability” and other conditions on-campus. By the way, this is not uncommon among Student Health Services on Gallaudet campus as well. Many students go there trying to get an “excuse” note from the doctor/nurse in hopes of not taking the test or math course.
The day I knew that something was terribly wrong on campus was when I witnessed total lack of respect for JFK, IKJ and others who supported them. Don’t get me wrong, I personally am not crazy about JFK myself because there were times I waved hello to her and she completely ignored me. Over time I stopped saying hello because I figured if she wants to be like that, fine with me. I’m here to get a degree, not to seek approval from anyone nor do I expect her to be nice to me. Frankly, I don’t care what she thinks of me. My goal was to get my degree and to make sure the school was running with integrity. This should have been the goals of others as well. Instead, many deaf people were mad because she doesn’t say “hello” to them. Give me a break. This is what I mean when I say they are so emotional and almost dependent on deaf leaders to make them feel good and proud. They don’t need role models, they can get their own sense of power and pride through working hard and doing well at school.
The main concern should have been that she does her job well and continue to improve the conditions at Gallaudet. IKJ as far as I’m concerned was just a puppet who was there to collect his big fat pay check and to support his wife’s tea room at the art building. Yet, the way they were treated by people was despicable and uncalled for. How would you feel if many people starting calling you names to the media, displaying posters of you with blood coming out of your mouth, following you to you house, marching to the Capitol Hill because they didn’t like you, and burning effigies of you. How would you feel if people started mocking you in front of your family members. It was a total lack of respect for a particular group of human beings and we should be ashamed of ourselves for the way these people were treated. There was no respect for different views and definitely not for those who challenged “Deaf culture” ideas.
In fact, I remember when the school was shut down, I wanted to talk to someone who was part of SBG to find out what was going on and before I was allowed to enter in the HMB building, I was asked if I wanted JFK to be president or not. First I said that I was neutral and would appreciate it if they would let me into the building to talk to the person. They said I must answer, “Yes” or “No”. I answered “No” and immediately they let me in. What if I had answered “Yes?” They probably would have not permitted me to go inside the building. That was not respect for diverse views. This was blackmail and students controlling the school. I also believe this was deaf people’s way of getting their fifteen minutes of fame and trying to revive the 1988 protest in attempt to feel “good” and start up drama for nothing. Also, people got sucked into group conformity in attempt to be “united in one.” Oh please. Now where are these very same people during Gallaudet’s crises? Suddenly they have vanished. Ironically, many of the people involved in the protest were in my English and other classes and do not know how to write one single clear sentence without making any grammatical mistakes. Yet they had the nerve to shut down and control my education for three days? Did they not think about how this would affect the International students? Did they not think how this would affect the people who have jobs there and families to support? This was not a school that carried out peaceful protests, this was a violent and a manipulative protest. And because of this useless protest, the school is now in hot water. I understand that there were problems long before the protest, but they had no right to shut down my education or the education of others. They might as well have took money from my wallet and then blackmail me into accepting their views. I pay thousands of dollars for my education and they robbed three days of of my learning all in the name of making a “point.” Now my very own school is in jeopardy. They say they did it for a good cause. If anything I am so embarassed of Gallaudet University and I feel violated and screwed over. The people on hunger strikes further blackmailed the administration by demanding that we cave in to their demands. How immature is that? This is not a “culture” once again, this is a total cult.
Take Care,
Get Real
July 8th, 2007 at 11:24 am
One more thing, this is not OUR university. This property belongs to the U.S government. This property is being supported by tax payers money. The same tax payers whom paychecks get dedected in order to support programs such as SSI and VR. This property is federally funded. What gave us the right to control the property and take over the buildings? I’m surprised that the Bush adminstration didn’t even get his military power to come and take these people out on the first day.
Get Real.
July 8th, 2007 at 12:19 pm
If Fernandes had done a wonderful job as a provost, Dept of Education’s PART wouldn’t have given Gallaudet a failing grade nor MSA warning Gallaudet in 2001. Gallaudet won’t be frantically trying to pull up its academic standards through the summer.
The protest happened because the majority of Gallaudet stakeholders, both hearing, hard of hearing, and deaf, didn’t want Fernandes for a myraid of reasons. The debate about the protest being justified or not will continue for a long time. Everybody is entitled to their opinions. History will decide if the protest was necessary or not.
Deaf identity politics did existed, but they played an insignificant role in the protest. There will always be deaf identity issues as long as divisions in the Deaf Community persist.
The intolerances mentioned here show the need for Gallaudet to have Deaf Diversity workshops because MSA requests that there be better tolerance among the diverse stakeholders. I would be very surprised if mandatory workshops aren’t given yet. Gallaudet should make official statements stating that intolerance for Deaf Diversity on campus will not be acceptable.
I spoke with a friend who is in Honors Program at Gallaudet yesterday. She indicates that she feels challenged as she does extra work in addition to the Honors courses. I don’t know if other honors students feel the same way or not. Were you in honors program?
Hopefully the work performed by the academic teams through the summer will show a dramatic improvement in academic rigors.
July 8th, 2007 at 6:46 pm
Dear Mishka,
Are you saying that Fernandes is the one person to be blamed for most of Gallaudet’s flaws? How and why is it that its all Fernandes fault? How can one person correct over one thousand students’ problems? Don’t you think that’s a bit daunting for her? She’s not there to correct people’s mistakes; she’s there to help the school run effectively based on the needs of the students. Obviously, for her to continue to accept low academic standards was meant to accommodate people’s low educational levels. She had to keep up with the student enrollment in order to continue to receive funding from the Congress in order to support Gallaudet University. If she failed to do so, Gallaudet cannot run as a university. What did you expect her to do? It was the protest that made MSA wake up to the fact that this university has some serious problems such as the fact that students were blackmailing the administration and using control tactics.
The issues in the deaf community existed long before Fernandes became a provost. The academic standards were always low for deaf education for as long as Gallaudet existed. Even if Gallaudet does pull up the standards with complete honesty, I can guarantee you many people will not pass. This means no more cheat cards, no open book tests for the exam with the exact same questions from the notes, this means the practice questions should not be exactly the same as on the test, this means not accepting less from a deaf person’s written paper and being lenient on plagiarism, and this also means no more extending tests and no more giving out easy tests. Should we all sit around the campfire and start blaming Fernandes for this too?
The provost job is to assist the president and ensure that the school is running effectively.
You can’t take one person and blame it all on her. If I don’t do well on a test, is this Fernandes fault? That’s my fault. Either I don’t understand the material and/or something is wrong with my studying habits. Why should I point the finger at her? I’m responsible for my own actions period. Other students are responsible for making sure they are doing their own work and graduating on time. This means no more partying and studying. Don’t go blaming one person for ALL of Gallaudet’s flaws.
It is the students that make up a university, not Fernandes alone. Gallaudet is simply a representation of what’s been going on for decades, long before she came into the picture. She was only good at hiding things just like the other past administration did for the sake of keeping the University intact. It is not right what they did, but don’t go shaming her about it. There were a lot of people on this as well including professors. I could give you their names but I will not expose them.
As for the Honors Program, yes, my friends and I have taken courses in that program. My friend feels so unchallenged and is transferring to another university this year. She’s also sick of the identity politics taking place. Of course the Honors Program is slightly more challenging than the regular courses at Gallaudet. But nevertheless, the regular courses at Gallaudet are BABY “ABC” courses! Give me a break. If anything, Gallaudet University should make the entire University into an Honors program. I believe that’s what Fernandes wanted to do by the way. Expand the Honors program. Ask the Honors director, Dr. Shirley Myers, about this yourself.
Deaf identity politics have always existed. The big “D” shuts people out. Why is it when the article came out about a man not liking JFK because she’s married to a “hearing” man came out, suddenly the deaf Pro leaders sent us an e-mail out pleading for us to not talk to the media anymore as people were getting mixed messages? You know why? Because they knew what they were judging her based on her deafness and wanted to cover it up! They wanted to twist their words around and say “Oh its not about her not being deaf enough.” The truth is, several people have come out and told me, “What does JKF know about deaf people? She grew up orally deaf and she’s mean.” And you’re telling me it is not about her being deaf enough. Oh please. Stop with the lies and denials. No one liked her because she was not friendly and she wasn’t “deaf enough†in our eyes. People have called her past actions unfair. As a provost, what did you expect her to do? Sugarcoat, kiss and hug people all day? I already have a grandmother at home to do this for me.
In my opinion, the protest was a joke because at the end of the day, they killed themselves. The people involved in the protest were not thinking about how it would impact them and others. Thanks to their temper tantrums, Gallaudet is in trouble. The very same people that brought down this university can be suspended due to higher academic expectations and allow the brighter deaf students to pick up the pieces and make Gallaudet shine. The reputation of this university is stained. Everyone up in Canada and England know about Gallaudet. How embarrassing. But you’re right; everyone is entitled to their own opinions. We’ll find out on November 2008 whether this protest was even worth it. If Gallaudet does lose its accreditation, I cannot wait to see how the reactions of people. I wouldn’t be surprised if another protest erupted. Didn’t they threaten to have another protest earlier because students did not want to face reprisals? Once again, they demanded that you cave into their beliefs. Thank god they had some sense to put an end to this farce of a violent protest. If they wish to protest, do it peacefully.
I totally agree with you about the workshops and I think that’s a great idea. If we want to move forward, we must have respect for diverse views. However, isn’t it kind of ridiculous that we have to TEACH people about respecting diverse views and how to be a better human being? And these people are studying at Gallaudet to become social workers and psychologists? Yet, these same people shamed one woman by dragging her name to the mud and ripped her apart? Why did we treat her the way we wouldn’t want people to treat us? People have a brain of their own and should own up to their own responsibilities when it comes to graduation rates and doing well in school. Again, stop pointing fingers at someone. Stop with the blame game. It is not going to do this University or people any good.
I hope you’re right that they will raise the academic standards because at this point Gallaudet is starting to look like a “Mickey Mouse†college. If MSA does take away Gallaudet accreditation, believe me, I won’t be shocked. In fact, it might teach people a lesson that throwing tantrums is not going to work in our civil society.
Take care,
Get Real
July 9th, 2007 at 6:42 am
“A statement released by the Middle States Commission on Higher Education dated July 5, 2007 explains clearly that the improvements needed at Gallaudet will “require extensive time and effort. Therefore, the transition last week to probation status was not unexpected or unusual, given the previous circumstances. ”
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MSCHE notified Gallaudet in November 2006 that it was out of compliance with eight out of 14 standards and related reporting updates by the University to MSCHE that are required for continued accreditation status.” http://www.gallaudet.edu/x4092.xml
A leader can build up an institution or destroy it.
It’s obvious you feel angry and bitter over what happened at Gallaudet and you feel that deaf identity politics played a significant role. However, PART, MSA, CAC and grade fixing reports reflect serious problems within Gallaudet system, affirming the statements made by the majority of faculty, staff, students, alumni and parents (both hearing and deaf) opposed to Fernandes’s presidential appointment. They felt a better leader was needed to revitalize Gallaudet. From all appearances, it did look to me that Gallaudet was already in a very bad shape prior to the protest.
Contrary to what you think, Gallaudet was in good standing in the past, having received excellent reviews from MSA and PART. In fact, not too long ago Gallaudet was rated among the top universities in its category for a good number of years by US News and World Report. Its graduate school is still highly rated, according to US News and World Report.
I am sorry the Gallaudet experience wasn’t satisfactory for you. Just like any other universities, Gallaudet has its pluses and minuses. I’ve spoken with many students who still love Gallaudet.
Gallaudet is being rebuilt now. The morale on the campus appears to be very high, from what I have heard from friends who went there. For the first time in a long time, people feel Gallaudet is finally on the right track again. I hope this will result in healing for everybody, including you. Time will tell if this happens or not.
I interrupted my break twice to answer some of the concerns here. Since I am still on my break, the blog will be closed temporarily.
July 9th, 2007 at 10:20 am
There you go again Elisabeth. When someone begins making absolute rational and you can’t defend you close the blog down “temporarily”. You know what, you are and will be held responsible for the fall of Gallaudet. I will bet money on it.
MSA didn’t step up there case until the Board terminated JKF’s position. It say’s it in the report.
Gallaudet is a school now for people who want to skate by the system. I personally know JKF was going to raise the standards whether you or your fellow “deaf Culturalists want to admit it. That scared the you know what out of you!
Your led protest is what damaged Gallaudet. Your false accusations, claims, and slander wrecklessly injured people and the institution of Gallaudet.
You are probably proud of this which makes it all the worse.
July 9th, 2007 at 1:58 pm
Get Real,
I think MZ and you are both reaching the same conclusions, but only after traveling slightly different roads. You expressed virtually every single thought and discussion I’ve had since May 1, 2006 in your comments. However, I agree with MZ that the protest/deaf identity politics did not cause the problems Gallaudet has today. All they did was serve to highlight the troubled waters around Kendall Green. Gallaudet had issues with standards long before 2006, and I actually wonder whether this was allowed to go on undetected for so long because of the nature of the student body Gallaudet serves: deaf and hard of hearing students. My cynical side says the MSA and PART evaluation did not detect issues earlier out of misplaced “pity” for lack of a better word. Pity for the deafies, let them alone, don’t be so hard nosed about standards there because they’re just “different”. Combine that with some wicked good cover up and politicking by Dr. Jordan and the administration, and the system was allowed to stay the same, mostly because the options for changing it were liable to be much worse than accepting the status quo.
I don’t know who to “blame” for all of this; indeed, no one may be entirely at fault…or we may all be at fault. But I hold a special grudge against the students themselves. It was my classmates who cheated on tests, who whined when given anything more than a page to read for homework, who didn’t show up for test review class, forcing the professor to postpone the test yet again, who waited until the day before a paper was due to start writing it and then claimed the assignment/grading system.professor was unfair. The professors told me over and over they had to teach to the middle, which was pathetically low, leaving talented, university-ready students like myself to create our own work/challenges. Like MZ’s honors friend, if I wanted more of a challenge, I had to seek out more work or discussion one on one with professors; I chose to supplement sheer academic work with leadership opportunities and challenges to round out my painfully shy social side. I, too, was in honors, and it was great…for my freshman year. I chose to pursue a tough major and minor just to keep myself awake in class and motivated. In some ways, Gallaudet served me well by letting me spend less energy on academics than I would have had to at a hearing university, and more on personal development skills.
Back to my point: I blame the students for the majority of the academic problems. I do not understand how you can spend the money/time to attend a college and not have any motivation or ability to benefit from it! If VR dried up, I know many of those who are wasting space at Gallaudet would not be there…after all, you don’t spend your own money to get out of Gallaudet what you can get for free staring at the TV half baked at home. Why apply when you know you are not ready? Why come to campus just to do drugs and drink and pull the rest of the student body down with you? Can’t you do that for free at home? Why come to a place where you have to read at the 10th grade level or above when you only have a 3rd grade capability?
I agree with Get Real about the emotional undertones of the deaf community. I deal with it all the time in my job, being insulted, belittled, and ridiculed because the deaf people I am trying to serve cannot understand the requirements of the contracts they WILLINGLY and voluntarily sign. Their English problem is somehow mine and the rest of society’s? The rules should change because they are deaf and therefore special? *I* am an audist because YOU don’t have a videophone where I can explain stuff to you in ASL and only have the option of using written English to communicate with you? No, no, and no. Sadly, Gallaudet is but a small part of the greater problem of the bigger deaf-meets-hearing world.
July 9th, 2007 at 3:27 pm
Dear Get real,
Because of the protest last fall, my desire to return to Gallaudet grew after 22 years of raising 2 children and complete my BA. Now 3 of us are in college. Even though it was very difficult regaining my educational mode, I was successful. At my age, I realized several things about me: I love learning new things my 2 professors offered in their classrooms. During my years of raising 2 kids, working full time, etc., I have maintained my self-education by reading constantly and research. When I was in my 20’s I hated having my papers “criticized†and now I 100% welcome any challenges (to my surprise).
I am writing in defense of your criticism of Gallaudet’s quality education. I want to remind you that, many, many other colleges’ students (mind you, hearing students) are often from another countries and struggle with their English; yet, they keep trying to improve themselves. There are countless students who are dyslexic and struggle with their English as well. Don’t you think that these students are proud to be college students? Don’t you think Gallaudet students are proud to be at Gallaudet? Why does that bother you so much? Why not you concentrate on your own education outside of Gallaudet University? Why not challenge yourself by asking the professors to give you more challenge? My theory is: even though I learn in my classes; education continues outside of my classes. When I wrote papers in my Honor English class; I researched the history behind every subject I wrote. In other words, I challenged myself and my 2 professors noticed my ambitious and they, in turn, challenged me. When I attend classes: it is about me and my education, not about others.
There are ways to challenge you. Are you in an Honor’s program? If not, I suggest you to try it. I met a student in my class and he/she told me that he/she is going to another university to get what she/he really wanted. She/he will stay at Gallaudet. Perhaps you can do the same. How about transferring to another college you are comfortable with?
Again, my advice is to ignore other students and concentrate on your own education. This message is not to put you down but this is what I have learned over time; what other people do is not my business unless it affects me. If other students struggle with their English; why would that affect you? Take action for your own benefit! You are an adult now and are responsible for your own happiness; don’t let others pull you down.
July 9th, 2007 at 4:23 pm
Justin,
I suggest you reread my post when I said I interrupted my break to make this announcement, followed up by a PS announcing that I am resuming my break.
Obviously you aren’t familiar with me. For your information, I have the same upbringing as Fernandes. I grew up 100% oralist and didn’t learn sign language until I went to college. What’s more, I am all for academic rigors.
You will be pleased to hear that the current Davila administration are working very hard in increasing academic rigors.
From my experience, people will continue to debate about Fernandes and the protest for a long time. I have no desire to continue the debate. If you wish to, feel free to continue the debate elsewhere. Time will decide for us if the protest is justified or not. 80% of Gallaudet Community feel it was. Obviously you don’t. We all are entitled to our opinions, so let’s agree to disagree.
Jennifer and Tory, thank you for sharing your opinions.
The post is now closed so I can continue to enjoy my break. I suggest you all enjoy your break, too
July 9th, 2007 at 5:29 pm
I will bet my last dollar you are either involved with or married to a “deaf Culturalist”.
July 12th, 2007 at 9:38 am
To Justin:
That last comment was totally uncalled for- and I think it DOES show your anger and perhaps your immaturity.
The Truth One
July 14th, 2007 at 1:56 pm
I find it amusing that some commentators have suggested that the recent round of protests ‘damaged’ Gallaudet. IMO, Gallaudet was already damaged after years of continuing academic neglect, human capital flight, declining enrollment, etc. The risk of ‘damaging’ Gallaudet by protesting was very negligble, indeed.
And the reward Gallaudet now gets in recognition of the latest protest? Heightened scrutiny, aggressive changes, and boosted morale. Wow, such a win-win situation to be envied by many.
Thanks to the protest, we have a strong leader in Davilia transforming Gallaudet into a better academic institution with geniune academic rigor. We have the MSA now holding the university accountable, which has been long accustomed to unaccountability. As for enrollment, retention, and graduation figures, give it time. I’m sure the numbers will come out positive over time.
Even if Gallaudet loses the MSA accreditation battle (highly unlikely), then that’s the ultimate price we all pay in losing such a truly historic and unique institution. I will take small comfort in the fact that nothing lasts forever, not even Gallaudet, and accept whatever the winds of change bring forth, and hold no regrets.
July 16th, 2007 at 2:40 pm
Justin, this is Mishka Zena’s hubby. I’m by no stretch of the imagination a “deaf Culturalist”. Be sure to send us your dough, I hope it’s a sizable amount!
July 17th, 2007 at 11:34 am
Well Dave,
In case you weren’t aware of it you are married to one!
July 17th, 2007 at 11:51 am
Well MM, I believe I know my wife better than you do!
MZ grew up oral and didn’t even learn to sign until she went to Gally. She’d been out of the deaf community for some time and resurfaced only last year. She’s comfortable in both the hearing world and the Deaf community, and that’s a very good thing to be, indeed.