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Gallaudet University

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Gallaudet University
800 Florida Ave., NE
Washington, DC 20002
DC Tel. 202-651-5000
Fax 202-651-5295

Type: School
On the web: http://www.gallaudet.edu
 Employees: 1,200

Gallaudet University (GU) gives deaf and hard-of-hearing students the chance to be in the majority. The school, which is designed around its hearing impaired students, offers more than 40 majors, granting bachelor, masters, and doctorate degrees to nearly 2,000 students annually. GU admits a small number, about 5% of total enrollment, of hearing freshmen each year. It also runs an elementary and a secondary school for deaf and hard-of-hearing children as part of its Laurent Clerc National Deaf Education Center. The college was founded in 1864 by an act of congress; its charter was signed by Abraham Lincoln. Gallaudet is named for Thomas Hopkins Gallaudet, who worked to find better methods of teaching the deaf.

Key numbers for fiscal year ending September, 2007:
Sales: $140.5M

Officers:
President: Robert R. Davila
Interim Provost, Academic Affairs: Michael Moore
VP Administration and Finance: Paul Kelly

 
 
Britannica Concise Encyclopedia: Gallaudet University

Private university for deaf and hard-of-hearing students in Washington, D.C., U.S. It has its roots in a school for deaf and blind children founded in 1856 by Amos Kendall and headed (1857 – 1910) by Edward M. Gallaudet, son of Thomas Gallaudet, founder of the first school for the deaf in the U.S. It consists of a college of arts and sciences, a graduate school, and schools of communications, management, education and human services, and continuing education.

For more information on Gallaudet University, visit Britannica.com.

 
US History Encyclopedia: Gallaudet University

Situated in Northeast Washington, D.C., Gallaudet University is "the world's only liberal arts college for the deaf," where students are taught primarily through American Sign Language. Initially called the Columbia Institute for the Instruction of the Deaf, Dumb, and Blind, the school was founded by Amos Kendall (1789–1869)as the city's school for the deaf in 1857. Kendall, who served as postmaster general under Presidents Andrew Jackson and Martin Van Buren, established the school on his Northeast Washington estate, Kendall Green. It was later renamed for the noted nineteenth-century educator and reformer Thomas Hopkins Gallaudet (1787–1851).

Kendall hired Thomas Hopkins Gallaudet's son Edward Miner Gallaudet (1837–1917)as the first superintendent. Kendall and the younger Gallaudet lobbied Congress to permit the school to award college degrees, and the resulting bill was signed by Abraham Lincoln on 8 April 1864. The blind students were transferred to the Maryland School for the Blind, and the institution became the Columbia Institution for the Deaf and Dumb, with the collegiate division named the National Deaf-Mute College. The elementary program remained Kendall School, and in the early twenty-first century it was known as Kendall Demonstration Elementary School. Congressional funding supported the college, which held its first commencement in 1869. In 1887 women gained admittance to the college, which was redesignated Gallaudet College in 1894.

The college's importance stems from its service not only to deaf students and the American deaf community but also as a training ground for hearing graduate students in deaf education. In 1891 Gallaudet College established a teacher training program, which admitted only hearing students. Many graduates subsequently taught in and administered state residential schools for the deaf. By the twenty-first century the School of Education admitted both deaf and hearing students.

In 1986 Gallaudet College was accorded university status and became Gallaudet University. Two years later, in March 1988, a presidential search evolved into a student strike aimed at instituting a deaf president. All of Gallaudet's previous presidents had been hearing. The movement, popularly known as Deaf President Now, proved successful, and I. King Jordan, a Gallaudet professor, dean, and alumnus, was installed as Gallaudet's eighth president. The protest focused international attention on Gallaudet and sparked increased awareness of deaf issues and civil rights.

Gallaudet offers 27 majors for undergraduate students and 20 fields for graduate study. In fall 2001 attendance stood at 1,852 students, of whom 1,243 were undergraduates. The 2001–2002 budget totaled approximately $130 million, roughly 70 percent of which was direct appropriation from Congress. The remaining 30 percent derived from tuition and fees, federal grants, and other miscellaneous sources of income.

Bibliography

Christiansen, John B., and Sharon N. Barnartt. Deaf President Now!: The 1988 Revolution at Gallaudet University. Washington, D.C.: Gallaudet University Press, 1995.

Gallaudet, Edward Miner. History of the College for the Deaf,1857–1907. Washington, D.C.: Gallaudet College Press, 1983.

—David S. Evans

 
Columbia Encyclopedia: Gallaudet University,
at Washington, D.C.; coeducational; with federal support. It was founded (1856) as the Kendall School, a training school for deaf and blind students, by Edward Miner Gallaudet (see under Gallaudet, Thomas Hopkins). Later primarily for the hearing-impaired, the school changed its name to Gallaudet College in 1954 and achieved university status in 1986. Special programs include instruction in the use of telecommunications in the classroom and an associate degree in interpreting for the deaf. Gallaudet's Kendall Demonstration Elementary School provides a tuition-free education, as well as diagnostic, medical, and social services for deaf children. There is also a secondary school for the deaf and a division of public services, which offers continuing education for the deaf, curriculum development, sign language programs, and training in physical disablities for professionals.

 
Wikipedia: Gallaudet University

Gallaudet University

Image:GallaudetSeal.gif
Motto Ephphatha (Aramaic: Be opened)
Established 1864
Type Private
Endowment $146,541,538
President Robert R. Davila
Staff 293
Undergraduates 1,274
Postgraduates 466
Location Washington, District of Columbia, USA
Campus Urban
Colors Buff and Blue
Mascot Bison
Website http://www.gallaudet.edu/
Public transit access New York Ave-Florida Ave-Gallaudet U on the Washington Metro

Gallaudet University is a federally chartered, quasi-governmental[1] university for education of the deaf and hard-of-hearing, located in Washington, D.C.. It was the first school for the advanced education of the deaf and hard-of-hearing, and is still the world's only university in which all programs and services are specifically designed to accommodate deaf and hard of hearing students. The university was named after Thomas Hopkins Gallaudet, a notable figure in the advancement of deaf education.

Gallaudet University is a bilingual community in which American Sign Language and English exist side-by-side. While there are no specific ASL requirements for undergraduates, many graduate programs have sign language proficiency requirements.

History

In 1856, philanthropist and former United States Postmaster General Amos Kendall became aware of several deaf and blind children in Washington, DC who were not receiving proper care. Kendall had the courts declare the children to be his wards, and donated two acres of his land to establish housing and a school for them. [1]

In 1857, the 34th Congress passed HR 806, which chartered Kendall's school as the Columbia Institution for the Instruction of the Deaf and Dumb and the Blind and provided funding for the tuition of indigent deaf, dumb, or blind children belonging to the District. [2]

In 1864, the 38th Congress authorized the Institution to grant and confirm college degrees. [3]

In 1865, the 38th Congress removed the instruction that the Institution was to educate the blind, and renamed it the "Columbia Institution for the instruction of the Deaf and Dumb"

In 1954, Congress amended the charter of the Institution, and renamed it "Gallaudet College". [1]

In 1986, Congress again amended the charter of the Institution, and renamed it "Gallaudet University". [4]

Controversy

Deaf President Now (1988)

Student strikes at Gallaudet University starting March 6, 1988 revolutionized the perception and education of Deaf culture. Deaf students were outraged at the selection of another hearing president, Elisabeth Zinser, after a long line of university presidents who were not deaf. Alumni, faculty, staff, and students demanded that the next president of the university be deaf. After a week of protest and activism, Zinser resigned and was replaced by I. King Jordan. This movement became known as Deaf President Now (DPN).

Unity for Gallaudet Movement (2006)

Unbalanced_scales.svg
 The neutrality of this section is disputed.
Please see the discussion on the talk page.

Dr. Jordan announced his retirement in September 2005. On May 1, 2006, the University's Board of Trustees announced that Dr. Jane K. Fernandes, the University's current provost, would be the University's next president. This was met with protests from the student body, both in person on campus and in internet blogs and forums GallyPost. This also marked what is sometimes referred to as the Deaf Blog Revolution.

Initially, students cited the lack of racial diversity among finalists, Fernandes's lack of warmth,[5] and, as the Washington Post claimed, her lack of fluency in American Sign Language.[6]

Dr. Jordan publicly accused some critics of rejecting Dr. Fernandes because "she is not deaf enough". He described the protest as "identity politics," saying, "We are squabbling about what it means to be deaf." [7]

The Washington Post reported that Fernandes "would like to see the institution become more inclusive of people who might not have grown up using sign language," stating that Gallaudet must embrace "all kinds of deaf people".[8] Those who opposed her, said that they feared a "weakening of American Sign Language at an institution that should be its standard-bearer."[9]

Protesters said Fernandes distorted their arguments, and the protest centered on her inability to lead, an unfair selection process and longstanding problems at the school.[2]

In the spring 2006 protest, students blocked entrances to the Gallaudet campus, held rallies, and set up tents near the University's main entrance. Fernandes, appointed to serve as president-designate until Jordan retired, promised that she would not step down. On May 8, the faculty gave a vote of no confidence for Dr. Fernandes.

When the fall 2006 academic year resumed, some students, faculty, staff, and alumni continued their protest, calling for Fernandes to step down and the for the presidential search to be done again. On October 11th, a group of protesting students shut down the campus. On October 16 at a regularly scheduled meeting, faculty members voted 138-24 to block Dr. Fernandes from becoming president of Gallaudet University.[3]

On October 13th, 133 students were arrested under the orders of then-President I. King Jordan after ignoring university warnings not to block entrances to school buildings.[4]

Jane Fernandes said, "I really don't understand. So I have to believe it's not about me .. I believe it's about evolution and change and growth in the deaf community."[5] On October 29th, the university withdrew the appointment of Jane Fernandes.[6] In an opinion piece in The Washington Post, former President Jordan defended Fernandes' remarks and denounced the board's decision and the actions of the protesters, saying "I am convinced that the board made a serious error in acceding to the demands of the protesters by terminating Fernandes's presidency before it began."[7]

On December 10, 2006, the Board of Trustees announced that Robert Davila would serve as interim president for a period of up to two years. [8]

Threat to continued accreditation

On June 29, 2007, in the aftermath of the controversy over the university's presidency, Gallaudet was placed on probation by its accreditation organization, the Commission on Higher Education of the Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools.[9] In January 2007, former president Jordan had warned that "A visiting team from the Middle States Association's Commission on Higher Education made clear in its exit report to the campus community this month that closing a university and denying the free exchange of ideas is not an acceptable expression of disagreement."[7]

The Washington Post reported that the Middle States Commission cited concerns about deficiencies in standards for leadership, academic rigor, student retention and integrity that must be resolved for the school to maintain accreditation. The newspaper noted that in 2006 the Office of Management and Budget had reported that "Gallaudet failed to meet its goals or showed declining performance in key areas, including the number of students who stay in school, graduate and either pursue graduate degrees or find jobs upon graduation." According to the article, if the school should become unaccredited, students would become ineligible to receive federal loans and could be unable to transfer credits to other schools, while the school might lose its federal government funding of $108 million per year.[10]

Federal involvement

The university acknowledges that it "is a congressionally created corporation that serves governmental objectives." [10] The university and the Department of Education explain that Gallaudet has been structured by the Federal Government to take the form of a "federally chartered, private, non-profit educational institution." The federal government plays various roles within the institution[11]:

  • Congress incorporated the Columbia institution in 1857, significantly amended its charter in 1954 and authorizing permanent congressional appropriations. In 1986, Congress passed the Education of the Deaf Act and amended it in 1992. These Congressional acts are part of "the supreme law of Gallaudet University."[12]
  • Gallaudet must obtain authorization from the Secretary of the US Department of Education in order to sell or transfer title of any of its real property[13]
  • The diplomas of all Gallaudet graduates are signed by the current U.S. President. [14]
  • Three members of Congress are appointed to the university's Board of Trustees as "Public Members."[15]
  • Gallaudet must provide annual reports to the Secretary of Education.[16]
  • "Gallaudet receives the bulk of its income in the form of an annual appropriation from Congress, and the Department of Education oversees the University's appropriation hello for the Federal government."[17]

Athletics

Gallaudet is a member of NCAA Division III and the Capital Athletic Conference. The Bison compete in baseball, basketball, cross country running, football, indoor and outdoor track and field, soccer, softball, swimming, tennis, volleyball, and wrestling. Their colors are buff and blue.

Football

The football huddle originated at Gallaudet when the team noticed that their opponents were trying to see and read their signs in order to try and guess their plays.

After an undefeated season in 2005, which was achieved after 122 years, head coach Ed Hottle began his campaign to return to the NCAA ranks. With support from the Gallaudet administration, the Bison played their last season of club football in 2006 and will play a full NCAA slate of eight games in 2007.

Volleyball

In 2006, the Gallaudet women's volleyball team ended their season 30-10 after a history-making run to the Sweet Sixteen in the NCAA Division III tournament. Tamijo Foronda, a senior outside hitter, was named to the AVCA All-American Team.

Research

The Gallaudet Research Institute (GRI) is internationally recognized for its leadership in deafness-related research. GRI researchers gather and analyze data concerning the social, academic, and perceptual characteristics of deaf and hard of hearing populations, primarily to provide information needed by educators in the field. Staff are skilled in various research methodologies including surveys, test norming and assessment, ethnographic studies, clinical studies, and information management.

See also

References

  1. ^ a b http://www.gallyprotest.org/gallaudet_is_not_private.pdf
  2. ^ http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/10/22/AR2006102201086.html
  3. ^ http://www.washtimes.com/metro/20061017-010219-1715r.htm
  4. ^ http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/G/GALLAUDET_PROTEST?SITE=UTSAC&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT
  5. ^ http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/10/14/AR2006101400375_2.html?nav=hcmodule
  6. ^ http://news.gallaudet.edu/?id=9633
  7. ^ a b
  8. ^ Gallaudet Chooses Interim President, Washington Post, December 11, 2006
  9. ^ http://news.gallaudet.edu/?id=11298
  10. ^ On Probation, Washington Post, July 14, 2007.
  11. ^ U.S. General Accounting Office for the Committee on Government Operations, Profiles of Existing Government Corporations--A Study, December 1988, p. 125-130.
  12. ^ http://www.gallaudet.edu/x2019.xml
  13. ^ http://uscode.house.gov/download/pls/20C55.txt
  14. ^ http://www.gallaudet.edu/x228.xml
  15. ^ http://www.gallaudet.edu/x245.xml
  16. ^ http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/bdquery/z?d102:HR05483:@@@D&summ2=m&
  17. ^ http://af.gallaudet.edu/budget.asp

External links

General

Alumni

Presidential search controversy-related

Coordinates: 38°54′26″N, 76°59′35″W

Colleges and Universities in the District of Columbia
American • Catholic • Corcoran • Gallaudet • George Washington • Georgetown • Howard • National Defense • SAIS • Southeastern • Strayer • Trinity • UDC

This entry is from Wikipedia, the leading user-contributed encyclopedia. It may not have been reviewed by professional editors (see full disclaimer)

 
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