Presidential Search Prospectus

Presidential Search Prospectus
The Gallaudet University Board of Trustees invites nominations and applications for President.
The new President will succeed Dr. T. Alan Hurwitz, who has led the University since January
2010.
ABOUT
Gallaudet University is a bilingual, diverse, multicultural institution of higher education that
ensures the intellectual and professional advancement of deaf and hard of hearing individuals
through American Sign Language (ASL) and English.
Located in our nation’s capital, the University is a private, federally supported institution of
higher education with a 150-year tradition of providing a superior undergraduate, graduate, and
professional education. Gallaudet is also home to the Laurent Clerc National Deaf Education
Center, which serves deaf and hard of hearing students from birth through high school and
provides resources to families of pre-college students and the professionals who work with them.
HISTORY
In 1856, Amos Kendall, a wealthy businessman who had also served as postmaster general during
two presidential administrations, donated two acres of his estate in northeast Washington, D.C. to
establish housing and a school for 12 deaf and six blind students. The following year Kendall
persuaded Congress to incorporate the new school, which was called the Columbia Institution for
the Instruction of the Deaf and Dumb and Blind.
Edward Miner Gallaudet, the son of Thomas Hopkins Gallaudet, became the new school’s first
superintendent. Thomas was the founder of the first school for deaf students in the United States,
the American School for the Deaf in Hartford, Connecticut. Edward’s deaf mother, Sophia
Fowler Gallaudet, became the Columbia Institution’s matron.
In 1864, Congress authorized the institution to confer college degrees, and President Abraham
Lincoln signed the bill into law. President Gallaudet presided over the first commencement in
Gallaudet University Presidential Search Prospectus
2 June 1869, when three young men received diplomas for having completed the entire four-year
course of studies. Their diplomas were signed by President Ulysses S. Grant and, to this day, the
diplomas of all Gallaudet graduates are signed by the current U.S. President.
Through an act of Congress in 1954, the name of the institution was formally changed to
Gallaudet College in honor of Thomas Hopkins Gallaudet. In October 1986, again by an act of
the U.S. Congress, the 122-year-old College was granted university status and became Gallaudet
University.
Two years later, in March 1988, the Deaf President Now (DPN) movement led to the
appointment of the University's first deaf president, Dr. I. King Jordan, '70 and the Board of
Trustees' first deaf chair, Philip Bravin, '66. Since then, DPN has become synonymous with selfdetermination and empowerment for deaf and hard of hearing people everywhere.
In 2006, following Dr. Jordan’s 19 tenure as president, a new presidential search began. Shortly
after then-provost Dr. Jane Fernandes was announced as president-elect, students, faculty, and
alumni protested against her selection, citing a variety of reasons for their objections. Fernandes
ultimately stepped down. The subsequent two searches for president, one interim and one
permanent, had outcomes that did not result in student protests.
The new millennium has brought events such as the University’s Sesquicentennial, a year-long
celebration and occasion for academic inquiry; the Deaf Way II festival, which attracted 10,000
Gallaudet University Presidential Search Prospectus
3 deaf and hard of hearing people from around the world; and the opening of the I. King Jordan
Student Academic Center, the Sorenson Language and Communication Center, and a mixed-use
residence hall building, all of which advances an inclusive learning and living environment
compatible with the visu-centric “deaf way of being."
Undergraduate students can choose from more than 40 majors leading to bachelor of arts or
bachelor of science degrees. A small number of hearing undergraduate students—up to five
percent of an entering class—are also admitted to the University each year. Graduate programs at
Gallaudet are open to deaf, hard of hearing, and hearing students and offer certificates and master
of arts, master of science, doctoral, and specialist degrees in a variety of fields involving
professional service to deaf and hard of hearing people.
Today, Gallaudet is viewed by deaf and hearing people alike as a primary resource for all things
related to deaf people, including educational and career opportunities; open communication and
visual learning; deaf history and culture; American Sign Language; and the impact of technology
on the deaf community.
UNIVERSITY VISION
Gallaudet University will build upon its rich history as the world's premier higher education
institution serving deaf and hard of hearing people to become the university of first choice for the
most qualified, diverse group of deaf and hard of hearing students in the world, as well as hearing
students pursuing careers related to deaf and hard of hearing people. Gallaudet will empower its
graduates with the knowledge and practical skills vital to achieving personal and professional
success in the changing local and global communities in which they live and work. Gallaudet will
Gallaudet University Presidential Search Prospectus
4 also strive to become the leading international resource for research, innovation, and outreach
related to deaf and hard of hearing people.
In 2009, Gallaudet University completed a Strategic Plan for 2010-2015. The goals identified in
that plan are: Grow Gallaudet’s enrollment of full-time undergraduate students, full and part-time
graduate students, and continuing education students to 3,000; increase Gallaudet’s six-year
undergraduate graduation rate to 50%; secure a sustainable resource base through expanded and
diversified funding partnerships and increased efficiency of operations; refine a core set of
undergraduate and graduate programs that, aligned with the institutional mission and vision,
leverage Gallaudet’s many strengths and best position students for career success; and establish
Gallaudet as the epicenter of research, development and outreach leading to advancements in
knowledge and practice for deaf and hard of hearing people and all of humanity.
Further information about the strategic plan can be found at:
http://www.gallaudet.edu/office_of_the_president/strategic_plan/goals_and_strategies.html
ACADEMICS
As a private liberal arts university Gallaudet enrolls 1,031 undergraduates and 457 graduate
students from 49 states and 28 countries. The Gallaudet campus is home to a vibrant, close-knit,
bilingual community of learning that promotes academic engagement, intellectual and artistic
exploration, professional development and community dialogue.
Gallaudet University is accredited by the Middle States Commission on Higher Education. Many
of the University’s professional preparation programs are also accredited by their respective
nationally recognized, specialized professional association organizations.
Gallaudet University Presidential Search Prospectus
5 Deaf and hard of hearing undergraduate students can choose from a wide variety of majors
leading to a bachelor of arts or bachelor of science degree. The University also admits a small
number of hearing, degree-seeking undergraduate students—up to five percent of an entering
class. Undergraduate students have the option of designing their own majors, called “self-directed
majors,” in which they select classes from a variety of departments at Gallaudet. All students may
take courses offered at 13 other institutions of higher learning that are members of the
Consortium of Universities of the Washington Metropolitan Area.
Graduate programs, open to deaf, hard of hearing, and hearing students, include master of arts or
master of science degrees, specialist degrees, certificates, and doctoral degrees in a variety of
fields involving professional services to deaf and hard of hearing people.
Gallaudet University offers exemplary educational programs to deaf and hard of hearing students
at all learning levels. The Kendall Demonstration Elementary School (KDES) serves infants and
their parents and continues service through the eighth grade. The Model Secondary School for the
Deaf (MSSD) offers programs for students in grades nine through 12. Both of these schools are
part of the Laurent Clerc National Deaf Education Center (Clerc Center), which has a federal
mandate to develop and disseminate innovative curriculum, materials, and teaching strategies to
schools and programs nationwide.
RESEARCH
The Gallaudet Research Institute (GRI) has a long tradition as the preeminent source of
demographic and educational data about deaf youth throughout the United States. Additionally,
GRI’s research scientists and associates contribute to studies conducted by other campus research
centers and to institutional research conducted by the Office of Academic Quality.
Gallaudet University Presidential Search Prospectus
6 Gallaudet faculty is known nationally for research related to understanding deaf and hard of
hearing people for the purpose of enhancing education and quality of life issues. In FY 2012
Gallaudet received $6.2 million in research funding.
The Technology Access Program (TAP) conducts research related to communication
technologies and services, with the goal of producing knowledge useful to industry, government,
and deaf and hard of hearing consumers in the quest for equality in communications. The
program provides education to Gallaudet students through coursework and mentored research
projects related to TAP's research mission.
Supporting over 30 interdisciplinary research projects, the Visual Language and Visual Learning
Center (VL2) is one of six Science Learning Centers funded by the National Science Foundation
(NSF). The Center was established to gain a greater understanding of the biological, cognitive,
linguistic, socio-cultural, and pedagogical conditions that influence the acquisition of language
and knowledge through the visual modality. A member of the VL2 Center, the Brain and
Language Laboratory (BL2) features one of the world’s most advanced brain imaging systems.
The BL2 is the site of neuroimaging and behavioral studies that will provide knowledge about the
biological mechanisms and environmental factors which together make possible the human
capacity to learn and convey language, achieve reading mastery, and become a skilled bilingual.
Gallaudet is also a partner in two research centers/projects sponsored by The Rehabilitation
Engineering Research Center (RERC), a national project funded by the U.S. Department of
Education, National Institute on Disability and Rehabilitation Research (NIDRR) in the Office of
Special Education and Rehabilitation Services (OSERS). RERC on Telecommunication Access
conducts research and development projects focused on new telecollaboration systems and
technologies.
Gallaudet University Presidential Search Prospectus
7 In addition, Gallaudet’s faculty serve as principal investigators for other significant grant funded
projects and related training programs in varied departments, including Linguistics, Biology,
Communication Studies, Psychology, and Education, to name a few. Examples of current projects
include “Development of Biomodal Bilingualism”; “S-STEM Scholars: Overcoming Barriers to
STEM Success for Deaf Undergraduates”; “The 2013-14 Eisenhower Transportation Fellowship
Program”; “Widening the Bottleneck: Preparing Highly Qualified Diverse Dean Minority
Teachers for Deaf/Hard of Hearing School Age Children”; and “EXP: Collaborative Research:
Accommodations for Dean Children in Planetariums with Full-dome Capability.”
A searchable database of research and scholarly projects, with funding sources, is available at
http://research.gallaudet.edu/ara.
BUDGET
Gallaudet University has an annual operating budget of $160 million with approximately 70%
from federal government appropriations under the authority of the Education for the Deaf Act.
Gallaudet’s current endowment is valued at $201 million, with university-owned assets valued at
$85 million.
U.S. News and World Report named Gallaudet the No. 1 Best Value School among North Region
universities in the 2014 “Best Colleges” rankings for its commitment to providing students with
the best deal for a high quality education. The annual tuition and fees for full-time U.S. students
in FY14 is $13,424 for undergraduates and $14,744 for graduate students. International students
from developing and non-developing countries are subject to different rates. Room and board are
additional.
Gallaudet University Presidential Search Prospectus
8 Gallaudet has an “A” credit rating, affirming the solid conservative approach taken by the current
and previous administrations.
COMMUNICATION
Gallaudet University was founded with the unique purpose of providing visually accessible
higher education for deaf and hard of hearing students. As such, Gallaudet has always been a
bilingual institution with instruction taking place through American Sign Language and English.
In 2007, the Board of Trustees affirmed Gallaudet's commitment to ASL/English bilingual
education through the University's mission statement. Bilingual communication at Gallaudet is
based on four principles: access, inclusion, academic discourse, and as a valued social and
cultural resource. Undergraduate classroom communication takes place in ASL and written
English; the Graduate School encourages clear and accessible communication for all through the
refinement of academic discourse in ASL and English.
DIVERSITY
Gallaudet University is committed to providing ongoing opportunities for increasing awareness,
facilitating open sharing of thoughts and ideas, and to provide a supportive and enriching
environment for students, faculty and staff.
The University has steadily built capacity to recognize and celebrate the full spectrum of diversity
and the inherent ways in which they strengthen the Gallaudet experience. The past decade has
seen the establishment of the Office of Diversity and Equity for Students and the Office of the
Ombuds, the expansion of Equal Opportunity Programs, and the curation of a wide continuum of
programs and services for students and employees. They include Multicultural Student Programs,
Gallaudet University Presidential Search Prospectus
9 the LGBTQA Resource Center, the Office for Students with Disabilities, the Office of Campus
Ministries; and through these resources, a year-round calendar of events and learning
opportunities are offered to the campus community.
Since 2007 Gallaudet University has promoted learning and understanding about diversity
through a yearly series of facilitated dialogues focused on different aspects of diversity.
LOCATION
Situated in the nation’s capital, the 99-acre Gallaudet University campus includes more than 25
academic, business, and residential buildings, including an alumni house, a hotel and conference
center, an 800-seat theatre, and an athletics complex. The campus is also home to the Laurent
Clerc National Deaf Education Center with two demonstration schools for elementary and
secondary students.
More than a hub for world politics, Washington DC is also a college town. Gallaudet is a member
of the Consortium of Universities of the Washington Metropolitan Area, which provides
Gallaudet students and employees with access to resources and opportunities provided by the
Capital region’s best academic institutions. Comprised of thirteen universities, other member
institutions range across public, private, federal, historically black, religious, secular, and focused
on women’s education.
In February 2012, Gallaudet was one of nine universities in Washington, DC to sign the District
of Columbia Mayor’s College and University Sustainability Pledge, a compact between the
higher education sector and the local government to advance sustainability. This pledge is an
agreement to pursue a range of sustainability measures related to energy use and buildings, green
education, transportation, waste reduction, grounds maintenance, purchasing, and the monitoring
and reporting of progress. The most recently completed residence hall on campus successfully
Gallaudet University Presidential Search Prospectus 10 obtained LEED Silver certification. Additionally, the 2022 Campus Plan is guided by principles
of sustainability, as Gallaudet strives to be a “green” campus.
In 2013, Gallaudet was instrumental in the establishment of the Congressional Deaf Caucus, a
workgroup of U.S. legislators that is focused on issues of relevance to the Deaf Community. The
current co-chairs are Rep. Mark Takano and Rep. Kevin Yoder, both whom serve on the
University’s Board of Trustees.
Opportunities for faculty, student, and staff partnership and engagement are growing as the
neighborhood continues to evolve. The Gallaudet Real Estate Foundation is actively involved in
exciting and innovative redevelopment of the Sixth Street market area adjacent to the campus.
IMPACT
Gallaudet University has more than 19,000 alumni around the world whose vocations range from
artists to advocates to educators to entrepreneurs. The Gallaudet University Alumni Association,
organized in 1889, has 53 chapters.
Gallaudet is one of the area’s largest businesses, with direct salaries, wages, and benefits totaling
more than $107.2 million in FY 2013. The University spent another $58.9 million on goods and
services and $12.8 million on capital improvements.
Last year, Gallaudet served tens of thousands of individuals through conferences, leadership
institutes, professional studies and extension courses, sign language classes, American Sign
Language/English bilingual education, enrichment and youth programs, international programs,
and its regional centers:
Gallaudet University Presidential Search Prospectus 11 •
Midwest—John A. Logan College, Cartervile, Illinois
•
Northeast—Northern Essex Community College, Haverhill, Massachusetts
•
Southeast—Gallaudet University, Washington, D.C.
•
Southwest—Austin Community College, Riverside Campus, Austin, Texas
•
West—Ohlone College, Fremont, California
•
Hawai'i and Pacific Initiatives—Dr. Judy Coryell
In fulfilling its national mission role via training and technical assistance, information
dissemination, and exhibits and performances, the Clerc Center served approximately 37,500
individuals and disseminated more than 31,000 products and publications last year.
TO INQUIRE OR APPLY
To apply, and or more information on this opportunity, please contact:
Tory Clarke – Partner, Bridge Partners
Gallaudet@bridgepartnersllc.com
Gallaudet University Presidential Search Prospectus 12