A Letter from Concerned Parents
Dear President Jordan,
S.O.S!
We need to Save Our Students from this outcome, seeing our students getting arrested. Gallaudet holds a very special place in our hearts. Indeed, it is an emotionally wrenching time for many. We believe their current actions are intended as a peaceful protest against the flawed process that led to the selection of the next president. We are parents of current Gallaudet students who need to share our feelings over the ongoing difficult times at Gallaudet especially with some of our students getting arrested including Tim Rarus of all people who helped you in 1988!
From Day One, Monday May 1, 2006, Better President Now (BPN) Movement began in response to the decision of the University’s Board of Trustees to appoint Jane K. Fernandes to replace you when you retire in December. Although we know she possesses impressive academic credentials, it quickly became clear that she is widely viewed as lacking the diplomatic skills and managerial finesse to provide the leadership those Gallaudet students need as the school moves into its next era.
As parents, we have generally found ourselves comfortable with FSSA’s belief that important parts of the communities that come together to make Gallaudet were not being heard in this discussion. FSSA of course stands for Faculty, Staff, Students and Alumni, but where do Parents fit in? We hear the outcries from the Gallaudet protest: The desire for a Deaf friendly leadership need for high academic expectations but then it is a steep price of what is happening now. We are concerned about the education of our children.
Gallaudet University’s message to the world was that Deaf people, and in particular Deaf students, could do anything. Now, in an extraordinary series of actions, Gallaudet is attempting to remove all these groups, and especially students, from involvement in their university. Students are being punished for demonstrating and in that way discouraged from thinking independently and expressing their opinions!
President Jordan, we fear a giant leap backward for Deaf Americans. We see a move backward toward a time when an elite who said they knew better and took actions and made decisions for Deaf people. This is not the world we want for our children to live in.
We believe a way must be found to guide Gallaudet to a place where they can feel they are part of an university they believe in. Further, we, as parents are frustrated being left out of the loop about what is going on at Gallaudet. The protest has been, and still is, a peaceful way of expressing requests of the students. However, requests, which imply a conversation, have turned into demands, which imply an impasse, when it became obvious that the Board of Trustees are not taking the time to go over their actions with the student, parents, or, as far as we can see, anybody else. Indeed, it seems that every move the students made, their actions were marginalized and set to fail.
We are frustrated being left out of the loop not knowing whether the media, either Deaf or mainstream, is presenting all of the facts. We checked online: http://mews.gallaudet.edu/ID+9552 that enraged many of us. You are attacking the rest of us as well! The numbers of supporters from many cities across the country are growing by the day. Certainly more people than you can imagine are talking about this among themselves and wondering what is really going on.
As parents, we put our children in the hands of Gallaudet University, and, as we say, we believe that we are not the only set of parents with great concern… please listen to us. We do not want the battle that is looming, and we certainly do not want casualties. We send our children to Gallaudet because they want to graduate from the one and only Deaf university in the nation. We want them to get an excellent education, to learn to live in both America and the Deaf World. We know Gallaudet is where Deaf culture is respected and celebrated. Yet, we see an absolutist Board of Trustees and a tone deaf President-elect telling our children that to get a Gallaudet education they must be quiet and do as they are told. This does not possibly seem to be what a Gallaudet education should be.
We need to know what steps are being taken to ensure that a complete communication break down does not occur between the Administration and Deaf individuals on campus. We do not want to see this for the sake of our children and for the sake of Gallaudet University. As you certainly know from your years successfully leading the University it would be unacceptable for it to lose its way in acrimony and discord. Can you please tell us what is being done to ensure that the tradition of involvement of students, faculty, staff, alumni, indeed all the parts of the Deaf Community will still be valued and listened to in the Gallaudet University of the future that our children, the students of Gallaudet University, are able to in a diplomatic way? Gallaudet must continue as an open, active, and creative Mecca for the Deaf community.
Sincerely,
Tina Jo Breindel, ‘81 alumna/future parent
Zibby Bayarsky, parent
Scarlett Bernstein Valencia, alumna/wife
Gena Fischer, GUAA of Riverside President
Teresa Sentelle, alumna
Erin Land, alumna of ug. 03, g. 06
Mary Visco, alumna/aunt
Katherine Gibbins, parent
Jackie Long, parent
Eugene Alright, parent
Ann Foronda, parent
Jess Hossle, parent
Wendy Korn, parent
Mark Bayarsky, parent
Mary Visco, alumna
Holly Bernstein, alumna/parent
Kathy Putvin, parent
Rachel Smith, alumna
Heather Chmaj, future parent
Marcus Chmaj, future parent
Greg Visco, future parent
Georgette Visco, future parent
Tami Hossler, parent
Jeff Hossler, parent
Chelsie Hossler, sister
Teresa Maxwell, supporter
Catherine Davary, alumna
Sandra (Frankel) Fontana, alumna
Hetty Rothenberg, alumna
Sarah Rosen, alumna
Jayne and Ramy Bustamante, alumni
Gally Student M, ‘95 alumna
Joe Dannis, alumnus/future parent
Tomas Garcia, alumnus/uncle
Scott Berdy, Class of 87/future parent
Terrie Berdy, future parent
Russel Gibbins, parent
Kay Francis Rose, alumnus
Joe Rose, alumnus
Larry Obray, alumnus
Alice Obray alumnus
Nathan Bayarsky, alumnus/brother
Kyle Bayarsky, brother
Lisa K Price, supporter
Tim Price, supporter
Morton Bayarsky, alumnus/grandparent
Melinda Coffman, aunt
Anne Girard, parent
Angela K Trahan, Class of 91
Ramy and Jayne Bustamante, alumni
Alice Rash, Class of 88
Carol Bella-Adams, Class of 96/future parent
Brian Strom, alumnus/future parent
Becca Gleicher, alumna and future parent
Mal Grossinger, alumnus/parent of 2
Marilyn Jaech Bayarsky, alumna/grandparent
Nancy Popovich, alumna
David Terrell, supporter
Judy Hossler Fought, grandmother
Charles Katz, alumnus/uncle
Rebecca and Doug Calaman
Daniel and Linda Biskupiak
Jeff and Beth Siebert
CC:
Board of Trustees
FSSA