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Governance at Gallaudet
As protestors continue to oppose the appointment of Jane K. Fernandes to the post of president of Gallaudet University, Gallaudet's Board of Trustees will convene a special meeting today to assess the fractious and rapidly deteriorating situation at the school. There is disagreement about whether opposition to Fernandes centers on her perceived "lack of leadership skills" (which appears to be a euphemistic way of criticizing her for not being as warm and fuzzy as some would like; one critic complained that Fernandes does not smile enough), or on her vexed position vis a vis deaf identity politics (Fernandes did not learn to sign until her twenties, and she is perceived by separatists as too accepting of "assimilationist" approaches to deafness such as cochlear implants, better hearing aids, and genetic research).
Whatever the reasons behind the anger that has led to over 100 arrests on the Gallaudet campus, has caused the campus to be shut down for several days, and has issued in a faculty vote in which professors overwhelmingly called for Fernandes' resignation or removal, the bottom line is that it is up to the Board to appoint the president. While students and faculty surely have the right to express their views regarding Fernandes' appointment, they do not have the right to make or unmake the appointment themselves, nor do they have the right to interfere so severely with the daily operations of the university that the place is compelled to shut down out of concern for people's safety.
On Friday, ACTA weighed in on the governance fiasco that is unfolding at Gallaudet:
GALLAUDET BOARD SHOULD STAND FIRM
WASHINGTON, DC (October 27, 2006)--As the Gallaudet University Board of Trustees prepares to meet this Sunday, the American Council of Trustees and Alumni urged the trustees to stand firmly behind their selection of Jane K. Fernandes as the next president. For months, Gallaudet has been engulfed in controversy over the selection of Fernandes, currently the provost, who is due to assume the position in January.
"Gallaudet's trustees engaged in an inclusive and thoughtful selection process and concluded Dr. Fernandes was the best candidate to lead Gallaudet into the future," said ACTA president Anne D. Neal. "They should not give in to unlawful protesters who have their own agendas--rather than the school's--in mind."
Fernandes' appointment was announced on May 1; protests began then and resumed this month. Earlier this week, protesters seized two buildings and blocked access to the campus. The faculty has also issued votes of no confidence in Fernandes, the current president, and the board. According to numerous media accounts, the protests began amid complaints that Fernandes is not "deaf enough" because she learned American Sign Language only in her twenties.
"Not everyone always agrees with the result of a presidential search," Neal noted. "But disagreement does not mean the board was wrong."
"At a time when higher education is facing many challenges, it is the board's obligation to identify a leader who can address the long-term goals of the school," she concluded. "The Gallaudet board has made its choice and is accountable for the results. The trustees should affirm their choice--and the protesters should allow Fernandes do her job."
The American Council of Trustees and Alumni is a nonpartisan, nonprofit, national organization dedicated to academic freedom, academic quality, and accountability. ACTA has a network of trustees and alumni around the country and has issued numerous reports on higher education, including How Many Ward Churchills?, Intellectual Diversity: Time for Action, The Hollow Core, and Losing America's Memory: Historical Illiteracy in the 21st Century. For further information, contact ACTA at (202) 467-6787.
Here's to the Gallaudet Board standing firm.
Posted by acta online on October 29, 2006 at October 29, 2006 04:09 AM
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