Friday, December 17, 2010

Gallaudet University struggles

With apologies to Cox and Forkum.
With all the latest campus bullying, the continuing abuse of new labels, closed society, Gallaudet University seeing less charities and donations each year, Deaf elitism, and the worsening economy make it all the harder for Gallaudet University to press forward for a more open and accepting university for all hearing, Deaf, deaf and hard of hearing students one would think these things would make it easier for Gallaudet University to contend with?  Hardly. The cartoon on the left aptly describes the weight the university must pull and endure.

I'd like to take this opportunity to raise a few facts and one of them is that Gallaudet University is seeing a serious reduction on gifts and pledges over the last few years now. All pledges or gifts (donations) must be reported in Gallaudet University's annual financial reporting under the Government Performance and Results Act. Pledges and gifts or donations are given by both Gallaudet University's alumni and non-alumni people. In 2007 it saw $9.5 million in gifts and pledges but in 2008 and 2009 saw drastic reductions in givings each year at $6.9 and $3.1 million dollars, respectively.  The report explained that the downturn in the economy was a big factor. Perhaps with the right people on board will help devise ways to help increase donations and monetary gifts. We'll see how that goes over the next 2 to 3 years. But lately there has been some grumblings about the recent hiring and appointments at Gallaudet University. Will a 3rd protest happen?

7 comments:

Anonymous said...

If a 3rd protest happens, what a shame to these young adults who happily persue Gallaudet U as their "educational" choice.

Candy said...

Well, first off, we have not seen students making a big deal about the hiring of Ms Murphy, nor have we seen students making a big deal about the appointments of the BOAs.

Everyone (or everyone should) know that a 3rd protest will destroy Gallaudet. Gallaudet will not have their accreditation intact if they protest for the third time. MSCHE will not stand for it.

If anyone remembers the article in Washington Post back then after the protest ended (UFG),where it was said

"The national academic community and the media declared that Gallaudet's student protesters, though they had the support of most faculty and alumni, had overstepped their bounds."

and

Probation is proof of a fact that the signing community seems to resist: Society has evolved and separatism is no longer viable. Resisting this change, the deaf community will find itself further and further marginalized and powerless.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/07/13/AR2007071301510.html

mervynjames224 said...

Deaf wish becomes death wish.....

Dianrez said...

The cite Candy used was from Josh Swiller in 2007. I wonder if he now feels differently about the culture of Gallaudet after he has since been teaching there.

Gallaudet is such a mosiac of experiences that no two people will see the same things in it, especially people who are outsiders or who have been away from campus the last ten or so years.

Gallaudet is now focused on what it means to be culturally Deaf in an open society and how the language of signs is evolving with today's technology, and less on campus issues such as that kicked off the 2006 protest. Rest assured, there likely will not be another protest.

Candy said...

Most recently this is what Josh Swiller had to say about Gallaudet:

"increasingly among the campus community, the preservation of deaf language and culture is no longer seen as being at odds with advancements in auditory technologies and assimilation into the hearing community."

Read more: http://www.forward.com/articles/127127/#ixzz18VOLRPaP

If that's the case, then it might be safe to say that the views on Gallaudet does not necessarily represent the views of deaf people outside of Gallaudet. Especially those that have been bitchin' and moanin' about the selection of Ms. Murphy and appointment of Sorkin and Cerf.

I wonder what Elena Ruiz, Ryan Commerson, and others like them think of Josh Swiller?

Anonymous said...

Close society is dictatorship. Privilege whatever! It is free land. Check it out the website from "The Great Dictator"

http://www.clown-ministry.com/index_1.php/articles/text_of_charlie_chaplins_speech_from_the_great_dictator_aka_look_up_hannah/

Anonymous said...

Gallaudet Syndrome: http://www.thebuffandblue.net/?p=4681