When the Middle States Commission on Higher Education (MSCHE) reviewed the academic pulse of Deaf people last year, Gallaudet University didn't score so well.
Among other things, the past university administration's vision of higher education was among the lowest in the nation. Struggling academic programs mean fewer accomplishments; fewer accomplishments mean less believability to maintain academic respect and prestige. This is a sad chapter in history of Gallaudet University, and it doesn't sit well with the university's past administration whose diversity ambitions suggested that this university has for itself--as a thriving institution in its own diverse population and communication. This was a poor vision.
We can compare the past administration of Gallaudet University with King Solomon in The Bible who married the Egyptian princess to preserve influences of the Egyptians. He then married many other women and built their temples to respect religious diversity. King Solomon soon lost his own religious credibility. By pursuing diversities in population and communication, Gallaudet University may lose accreditation. Gallaudet University needs to focus on what attributes to the Deaf, namely, American Sign Language (ASL).
At Gallaudet University students ought to find plenty of interesting things to pursue and study. This fall, as the new administration tries to rekindle academic prestige, that's something to consider. Through the Board of Trustees, Gallaudet University acquired a new mission statement that focuses on ASL-English bilingualism. By committing to support Gallaudet University, we can help ensure that ASL-English bilingualism will survive and, I hope, eventually thrive. The more we support Gallaudet University, the truer the ASL-English biligualism will be.
American Sign Language (ASL), storytelling, theater, books and DVDs, art galleries and films are far more than leisure pursuits. They energize economy in many ways. They make Gallaudet University more attractive to new students considering enrolling in it. ASL is just a sampling of the cultural events that contribute to the university's academic vitality. Gallaudet University has plenty of room to grow. If it can do so, this will become a more interesting institution and a more prosperous one.
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Thursday, September 06, 2007
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4 comments:
I do agree with your comments regarding the growth of Gallaudet University. However, I need to point out that Gallaudet has somewhat became very loose with the admission requirements over the years to the point that we had been inviting those deaf students with no ability to perform on the college level over the years.
If we want to be a respectful university, we need to consider the kind of the student we want to attract. After all, the university itself is meant to be geared toward preparing the upcoming generation for the future. That in itself should be a major component of what an goal-oriented college should do.
I do like your King Solomon comparison. However, I like to use the history of Ancient Romans as the basis of comparison. You see, the "mission statement" of early Republic and the one during the days of Emperor Nero were different. It may be not quite same as Gallaudetian experiences but imagine this: in early days of Ancient Romans, it was about the Romans. These were somewhat the glorious days of the Ancient Rome as opposite to the ending times of Cesasars, it was not about the Romans..it was about the foreigners and Ceasars.
Now change above with the terms that we are all familiar with as of lately: in early days of Gallaudet establishment, it was about the deaf people. Deaf Heritage, a book by Jack Gannon, has listed endlessly the contributions of the deaf people made over the generations. As far as I know, Gallaudet historically has attempted to expand into other states via the centers established in order to provide deaf people the means of improving themselves. We even have TV shows (i.e. Deaf Moasic) that were run by Gallaudet University. I felt that in these times we were making great proress.
Now in the present times, no TV shows being transmitted nationally by Gallaudet University, far fewer centers, and such in the post-Deaf President Now world. Why?
Because of the Gallaudet version of power-hungry Nero, Trajan, or Claudius in form of Jane F and King Jordan. In these days, it was not about the deaf people..it was about the so-called diversity which instead had created tensions among the Gallaudet campus. Like Nero with the Roman population, Jane and Jordan has divided the deaf population. In addition to this, we had invited in the students that have no ability to perform thus sending the messege that Gallaudet has become very weaker. We had seen that via the issues with MSCHE because the powers that be were not serious about our education, our ability to represent Gallaudet, and to contribute to the future.
We need to admit that Gallaudet almost went the way of Ancient Rome. For that we need to give thanks to Devila and his staff for his hard work.
I am not dimissing these that cannot perform on the college level very lightly. I know that there are many issues with the deaf education..many of which are out of our control. Keeping this in mind..I would like to ask Gallaudet University to consider bringing back the preparatory program as the primary purpose to provide the deaf students the opportunity to improve themselves. In my time, they were closed down.
A former Gallaudet student.
Carl,
Thanks for your report! I will think about how to write a letter over this out of town weekend before I will email to my US Congressman. I am glad that you did explained to us all.
Have a very good weekend. I need to go start my engine now.. bye with my smile, Shawn
Gallaudet status
As the MSCHE evaluations and reports continue to surface, and continue to cause concern to all of us in the Gallaudet community, I think its important to reflect on some serious realities that no one wants to admit.
Back in the 1980’s and 1990’s it was said that a Bachelors degree from Gallaudet was equivalent to a High School diploma from a hearing high school. When I first heard that I was shocked, and began to pay more attention to the academic abilities and critical thinking skills of Gallaudet graduates. I hired many Deaf college grads, from Gallaudet and other universities and colleges. I was appalled to learn that in many cases, this accusation was TRUE. I am not considering English reading and writing skills here, but focusing on the critical thinking abilities of these young people. When I say “critical thinking skills” I mean, for the most part, displaying common sense.
Let me give an example. At one time I worked for a state agency, and the policy of that agency was that no alcohol was allowed in a state vehicle. These vehicles were used to transport Deaf clients from place to place, and simply, no alcohol was allowed. Period. Sure enough, one employee was stopped for speeding in a state car (that was stupid enough), but when the cop asked if he could look in the trunk, he found a couple of cases of beer and bottles of liquor. The cop knew the policy and reported finding the alcohol to me. The employee’s explanation was, “I thought it didn’t matter that the alcohol was in the trunk. I was late and I was on my way to a Deaf Picnic and it was my responsibility to bring the drinks.” Several concerns here: 1) Speeding is OK if you are late. 2) Carrying alcohol in the trunk is OK since you can’t drink it while driving. 3) Using a state car for personal business is OK. 4) Bringing a client to a party where alcohol is served is OK too, even if the client is recovering from alcohol addiction. When confronted with these problems, the Deaf person became angry and blamed the police and the state for having stupid rules, rather than recognizing that it was his own stupidity that caused the problem. A little Common Sense is needed when acting without someone telling you every step of the way what to do.
I could go on and on, but I must quit. There are countless examples of people who see only the immediate goal, and don’t look at the possible future consequences of their actions. The older I get, the more I realize how important it is to THINK before we act.
Anon,
There are plenty of hearing graduates of mainstream colleges who do stupid things like that.
There are also many hearing graduates of mainstream colleges who have the level of intelligence of a high schooler.
On the flip side, there are many, many very bright, genius-level students of Gallaudet and alumni. They are the ones who were able to carefully lead a meaningful protest which was so necessary, and are currently engaged in the reform process.
Each student and each professor is different. They are unique human beings.
Raising standards and achievement levels is not like turning on a tap and filling up a bathtub with water. It doesn't work that way, and it doesn't make sense to compare the worth of college degrees along a single dimension. It's a multi-dimensional phenomenon that involves individuals of diverse backgrounds and capabilities.
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