Contact Information On All BoT Members, IKJ, & JKF
I’ve received requests for Congressional Members of BoT’s contact information. Here is it:
From a public site:
CONGRESSIONAL BoT MEMBERS:
The Honorable Ray LaHood, Trustee
RayLaHood@RayLaHood.com
The Honorable Lynn Woolsey, Trustee
Email address located at: http://www.woolsey.house.gov/
The Honorable John McCain, Trustee
Email address located at: McCain.senate.gov
REGULAR BoT MEMBERS
Dr. Brenda Jo Brueggemann, Acting Chair
(614) 268-3555
brueggemann.1@osu.edu
Dr. Cynthia Ashby, Trustee
(404) 656-2596, (404) 651-8507 fax
cashby@doe.k12.ga.us
Susan J. Elliott, Trustee
sjsuz@aol.com
Dr. Tom Humphries, Trustee
thumphries@ucsd.edu
Frank H. Wu, Trustee
frankhwu@wayne.edu
Benjamin K. Soukup, Jr., Trustee
(605) 332-0822
bsoukup@c-s-d.org
Dr. Harvey Goodstein, Trustee
hgoodstein@cox.net
(480) 538-8306
Cheryl Heppner, Trustee
(540) 667-9367
cheppner@nvrc.org
Pamela Holmes, Trustee
Pam.holmes@captelmail.com
Nancy Kelly-Jones, Trustee
Nancy.Kelly-jones@illinois.gov
Richard Kinney, Trustee
lrkinney@wi.rr.com
Pamela Lloyd-Ogoke, Trustee
Pamela.Lloyd@ncmail.net
UNIVERSITY ADMINISTRATORS
Jane K. Fernandes (President Designate)
202 651-5085 T
jane.fernandes@gallaudet.edu
Dr. I. King Jordan, President
president@gallaudet.edu
ASSISTANT TO PRESIDENT/BOARD LIAISON
Patricia M. Kunkle,
Patti.kunkle@gallaudet.edu
International Deaf Academics Members’ Letter
Dear members of the Board of Trustees, Dr. Jordan, and Dr. Fernandes:
We, the undersigned, are Deaf academics with diverse research interests
at universities and research institutes in the United States, Europe and
Japan. The signatures below represent those who have signed the letter in the
past two days since the letter was first circulated on the Deaf Academics email
list for discussion. For more information, see http://www.deafacademics.org.
We have come to appreciate that academic integrity – a set of core
values and ethics guiding our research – is essential for building a strong bridge
between the academia and the Deaf communities.
Gallaudet University is an ideal place for building a two-way bridge
between the academia and the Deaf communities, since Gallaudet involves every
shareholder that should participate in building the bridge: students, faculty,
researchers, administrators and members of the Deaf communities. We question whether
it is possible to make such a bridge for the following reasons.
First, we have followed the presidential search process with great
interest and have concluded that the process is flawed. For example, it is difficult
to understand why Dr. Glenn Anderson or Dr. Roz Rosen were not chosen as
finalists. Second, Dr. J. Fernandes has yet to demonstrate strong
leadership qualities in Deaf academics and in Deaf communities.
In addition, Dr. J. Fernandes was selected to serve as provost of
Gallaudet without the proper procedure that is common at other universities and
without any major support from faculty after three votes of no-confidence in the
past six years, the most recent one being on October 16th.
These and other events including the darkest one on October 13, 2006,
have led many people including us to the insight that the Board of Trustees and
Dr. I. K. Jordan, have failed to ensure the academic integrity of Gallaudet.
Since Dr. J. Fernandes is not endorsed by many faculty, students and
members of the Deaf communities and will not be able to lead them, we ask you to
restore the academic integrity of Gallaudet by having Dr. J. Fernandes resign
as president-designate and by taking other steps to lead the university
into the future. The longer these steps are delayed, the more irreparable damage
there will be to Gallaudet’s academic integrity and to its ability to train
and retain future Deaf scholars and leaders.
Sincerely yours,
Members of Deaf Academics (in alphabetical order)
Anne Marie Baer
Jean Boutcher
Deirdre Byrne-Dunne
Karen Christie
Goedele De Clerck
John Bosco Conama
Sharon M. Duchesneau
Stella Egbert
Hilary Franklin
Shane Gilchrist Ó hEorpa
Carmel Grehan
Donald Grushkin
Thierry Haesenne
The Deaf of the Institute of German Sign Language at the University of
Hamburg
Hilde Haualand
Joseph Hill
Heidi MacGlaughlin Holmes
Allison Kaftan
Poorna Kushalnagar
Raja Kushalnagar
Tomato Lichy
Amber Martin
Gaurav Mathur
Candace A. McCullough
Melanie McKay-Cody
Soya Mori
Joan Naturale
Sven Noben
Chrissostomos Papaspyrou
Patricia Raswant
Christian Rathmann
Eugenio Ravelo
Karen L. Sadler
Robin Shay
Marta Vinardell-Maristany
Philip Waters
Sandra Wood
Mark Zaurov
Back Up Candidate Ready To Replace Fernandes
Commentary: This practice violates one of the two FSSA demands. The BoT and Jordan continue to disregard the opinions of Gallaudet Community, not following up their own promises last May that there would be teamwork between all the entities. elizabeth
Press Release – October 19, 2006Filed under: General, Press Releases — gufssa @ 2:18 pm
October 19, 2006
This morning’s front page article in the Washington Post was read with great interest by many protesters. Dr. Fernandes’ emails to the Board members can be viewed as coercive. This management by intimidation style is something students, faculty and staff at Gallaudet University are well accustomed to.
However, the Washington Post article also says according to sources, “her opponents have lined up a candidate they say they hope will take her place.” This comment stuns us. The FSSA Coalition and others on campus have worked diligently to promote our mission of the importance of fairness, equity and transparency in the presidential search process. We continue to hold that belief in high importance. We do not have a candidate in mind to replace Dr. Fernandes as the president of Gallaudet University. We do, however, recognize that there are a number of highly qualified deaf individuals who could lead this university through this current crisis.
The administration has said repeatedly that there are few deaf individuals qualified to lead Gallaudet University and we strongly object to this characterization of our community leaders.
Anarchy And Terrorism On Campus, Fernandes Declares
NOTE: The online version of the Washington Post article first posted
on the Internet at approximately 11:30 pm Eastern Time has been
modified.
This sentence was added to the second version of the article, and did
not appear in the first version:
Gallaudet Trustees Split on Fernandes
Ex-Provost Seeks To Retain Support In Face of Protest
By Susan Kinzie
Washington Post Staff Writer
Thursday, October 19, 2006; A01
Gallaudet University trustees have split in their support for incoming
president Jane K. Fernandes, a shift from their united front endorsing
her as the best person to lead the school for the deaf.
Last night, Fernandes said some members of the board of trustees have
asked her to resign amid growing pressure from a coalition of students,
faculty, alumni and staff who oppose her.
Of the 20 trustees, three of whom are members of Congress, perhaps as
many as seven do not support Fernandes becoming president, according to
three sources close to the board who spoke on condition of anonymity
because board consultations are private. Fernandes, who had been
provost, is to take office in January.
Fernandes said she has begun contacting trustees individually to shore
up, and gauge, support.
“I honestly don’t see how this is going to be resolved,” she said last
night. “I don’t see a clear way for this to be resolved. I’m going to
go home and think hard about that, talk with my husband and family.
Almost any option I think of is not wholly a good one.
” . . . I’m not really thinking of resigning, no. But I’m trying to
think of how . . . to work from now until January to be in a position
to be where I can be effective.”
Some trustees have called for an emergency meeting to discuss the
crisis that has gripped the school in Northeast Washington, and some
have threatened to resign.
Critics give varied reasons for opposing Fernandes, including
long-simmering frustrations with the board’s presidential search. To
some, she is viewed as the wrong leader for Gallaudet, the academic and
cultural heart of the world’s deaf community, in part because she was
born deaf but did not learn sign language until she was an adult.
In a frank e-mail to trustees, a copy of which was provided to The
Washington Post yesterday by someone other than Fernandes, the
president-designate explained why she is determined to stay. She asked
trustees not to resign or call for her to step aside.
{{{”What we are dealing with on campus is anarchy and terrorism,” she
wrote.}}} [This paragraph was added, and was not in the first version
of the article]
If she were asked to leave or be fired, the e-mail also said, “the
University and in particular the Board of Trustees will undergo intense
scrutiny from Congress. I venture to guess Congress will ask why you
did not perform your fiduciary duties to the University. And you will
have to explain.”
The majority of the private university’s funding comes from the federal
government.
Escalating protests on campus have essentially paralyzed the school in
the middle of the fall semester and riveted attention in the deaf
community nationally.
Last week, students shut down the school by blocking all entrances for
three days, a standoff that ended with the arrest of more than 130
protesters. Earlier this week, faculty members voted resoundingly for
Fernandes to resign or be removed. They expressed an overwhelming loss
of confidence in the board and, by a much smaller margin, conveyed a
loss of confidence in outgoing president I. King Jordan.
Jordan, a strong Fernandes supporter, became a hero for the deaf 18
years ago when student protests brought him into office.
In public, the trustees have strongly backed their choice of Fernandes,
whose appointment in May set off the protests that heated up again
earlier this month. Fernandes is to take office when Jordan steps down.
“I believe that Dr. Fernandes needs to be given a chance,” board
Chairman Brenda Jo Brueggemann said yesterday. “She was appointed to a
position, and she was not even given a chance. She was our most
qualified candidate for this position.”
No board meeting had been scheduled as of yesterday afternoon,
Brueggemann said. “As I keep repeating, the board’s role is oversight,
and not to run the daily business of the campus. That’s what we appoint
the president to do.”
Yesterday, Fernandes was trying to contact individual trustees by
e-mail, pager and videophone, and meeting them in person if possible,
to save her promotion. Meanwhile, sources said, her opponents have
lined up a candidate they say they hope will take her place.
Fernandes’s e-mail to trustees was prompted in part by word that some
board members might resign, she said. “It’s important for the board to
stay together. . . . We need all of them together now more than ever.”
The three members of Congress on the board have a full vote: Sen. John
McCain (R-Ariz.), Rep. Ray LaHood (R-Ill.) and Rep. Lynn C. Woolsey
(D-Calif.). McCain has not spoken publicly on the issue. In a
statement, Woolsey did not take a position on Fernandes, saying only
that she hopes for a quick end to the turmoil. LaHood did not return
calls.
Protesters say they plan to march to Capitol Hill this week, just as
students did nearly two decades ago with “Deaf President Now”
demonstrations that swept Jordan into office.
Opposition to Fernandes had been building for a long time. Early in her
11-year career at Gallaudet, she angered teachers in one program by
eliminating tenure. When Jordan named her provost without a full search
six years ago, faculty passed a resolution condemning it. This year, as
the search for Jordan’s successor unfolded, black students in
particular questioned the selection process in part because a strong
African American candidate did not make it to the final round.
Fernandes promotes inclusiveness and is working on a diversity
initiative, but her critics point out that there are few black or
Hispanic professors or administrators at Gallaudet.
Some critics have said that her actions since May have widened the
divide at the school. For example, when Fernandes defined the
controversy as a question of whether she was “deaf enough,” the
protesters — who insisted that was not the reason for their opposition
– compared it to playing “the race card.”
]]]For some, Fernandes symbolizes a threat to deaf culture, which has a
tradition based around sign language. She has said that she has deep
respect for sign language and wants to preserve it but that the
school’s future depends on welcoming students with all types of
deafness and means of communicating.[[[ [This paragraph was removed
from the second version]
Technology, such as cochlear implants, has made it increasingly easy
for deaf students to communicate with hearing people, rather than
immersing themselves in the deaf community.
{{{Fernandes has said that she has deep respect for sign language and
wants to preserve it but that the school’s future depends on welcoming
students with all types of deafness and means of communicating.}}}
[This paragraph was added to the second version]
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/10/18/AR2006101802035_2.html?nav=rss_metro
>”What we are dealing with on campus is anarchy and terrorism,” she wrote.
This sentence was deleted and does not appear in the second version:
>For some, Fernandes symbolizes a threat to deaf culture, which has a
>tradition based around sign language.
FSDB’s Restrictions of Free Speech Objected
Dear Mr. Dillingham,I was greatly disturbed after I was informed that you have decided to prohibit students and faculty at your school to discuss the current crisis at Gallaudet University. I feel your decision is an act of oppression and audism. I was informed that your decision was based on the rationale of not offending Heidi Jordan’s feelings because she works at your school. However, students and faculty have a right to speak about this sensitive topic as allowed by the First Amendment of the US Constitution.
Your decision hampers free speech and open dialogue in regards to a crucial aspect of Deafness, self-identity.
Sincerely,
Denny Voreck
Council of American Instructors of the Deaf (CAID) Board member
CC:Christopher Wagner, President of Florida Association of the Deaf/ FSDB Board member
Nancy Bloch, NAD Executive Director
Bobbie Scoggins, NAD President
St. Augustine Record
GALLYNET-L@gallynet.org
reprinted with permission of listserv moderator
Jamie Clark Responds To Jane Norman’s Letter
> My colleagues,
>
> In an effort to clear up any possible misunderstanding, I want to say I
> am recovering from a serious injury to my leg which took place during
> the Oct. 5th Washburn naming of the Linda K. Jordan Art Gallery.
I am sorry to hear that you gotten hurt. Hope you are recovering nicely
and get back on two feet like before.
> I am a strong supporter of Gallaudet University and Jane Fernandes. Make
> no mistake about that.
>
> Being laid up for two weeks has given me the opportunity to think about
> everything thoroughly and clearly. If anything, my support for Dr. Jane
> Fernandes, President-Designate, is stronger than ever.
I respect your opinion. However did you read what Jane has said in the
public? In my (as well many of sane person’s) opinion, I see Jane’s
public comments being “anti-leadership” which is worse than no leadership.
Too much disinformation, too much “Me, Me, Me”.
Bottom line, if I am in JK’s shoes, I would said lot differently in the
public that is more on “leadership” qualities. If I still don’t get
support despite my best effort, then I will resign in grace and respect of
my followers. Which shoes do you personally would honestly prefer to use?
JK’s or mine?
> Dissenters have said over and over that they were not heard. Believe me,
> you’ve been heard. The fact is that the BoT did not agree with you. My
> belief is that you have been heard. It’s just that you don’t agree with
> the response you get, and then you come back with “we haven’t been
> heard.”
Since all outside communications must go through President’s Office, it is
obviously that IKJ’s office is controlling the information flow to the BOT
making BOT out of touch with the reality. Then BOT make decision that
would be out of touch with reality as well. Their vote on JK is great
example of BOT being out of touch with reality.
If BOT have full access to the outside communication that President’s
office cannot control, then BOT would be more in touch with realities on
the campus and I bet my farm that BOT would not pick JK in the first place
by a country mile.
That is because I can imagine if I am BOT member, I would have talked with
people on campus, feeling their pulse. Talk with Gally’s stakeholders and
so forth. Then I knew I would not pick/vote JK for sure. I believe I am
sane person and I know that if I am BOT member, my job is to represent the
Gally community the best I can so I have to serve the best interest of
Gally community and deaf community at large. Other sane BOT members would
do the same thing as mine (as long each member’s agenda is best interest
of Gally’s stakeholders)
In short, in perfect world, I would not vote JK by a country mile.
Leadership is JK’s biggest gripes.
> Management by intimidationÿÿ is a term used loosely and widely by the
> dissenters. More accurately, this is a ÿÿprotest by intimidation.ÿÿ I
> see in the media gates being blocked, access to education denied, people
> being bashed, careers and life work threatened, children crying,
> international students worried about immigration regulations that
> restrict their time in the United States to complete their studies, and
> more.
I started working in Gally as staff since last June working in ITS’s
Networking Group.
I had chance to talk with many staff on the campus for past 4 months.
Especially the deaf staff (Hearing staff do have similar concerns).
I heard their concerns and opinion. I asked them why did they go ahead
speak out in the public of their honest opinion and concerns and they said
to me that they are afraid of getting fired, de-promoted and other
negative consequences. Most of them said to me that they really love
Gally very much, their heart is very much in Gally. Gally is their world
and they dearly love their world. They love their jobs. But they said to
me that they prefer to keep their mouth shut (and their hands tied up) and
just collect paycheck and move on as they are really scared of losing
their jobs when they decide to try to speak out their honest
opinion/concerns.
What do you call this?
Is this a climate of employment that Gally wants the staff to have?
Who put the climate of FEAR/OPPRESSION in Gallaudet’s staff employment?
It starts at top which is IKJ’s admin. I talked with staff and fac who
have first hand experience working with JK and JK is same thing as IKJ.
That is, they like to put climate of fear in their employment to control
them as they are control freaks.
It is easy for me to say my honest opinion/concerns in public because I
believe it is right thing to do. Everyone has full freedom of expression
and it really helps make the world much better place to live. For me, I
much prefer to be able to express my honest/non-baised opinion in public
and getting fired THAN being oppressed and not getting fired. That is me
as if I got fired for exercise my freedom of expression, I can always live
in a tent in Gally’s Tent City and get foods from wonderful FSSA
supporters allover the world. But seriously, everyone has mortgage to pay
and putting food on the dinner table and bills to pay.
We all know that we don’t want FEAR/OPPRESSION in our working climate as
we want to enjoy our work/life and same time we want to be able to use
freedom of expression to the fullest. We all know that working
environment that is free of fear/oppression is far much more productive
and rewarding than working environment that is full of fear/oppression.
We all know a really wonderful person and businessman named Jim Macfadden.
I look up to him big time as he was my mentor while I was running my
company ClarkNet. I have not meet Jim’s employees but I am sure Jim
encourage freedom of expression to the fullest in his company and I am
sure he has open door policy where any employee can walk in his office and
express his/her concerns etc… I bet if you go into Jim’s company, you
don’t see any fear and oppression at all, yes there is pressure of
competition which is normal in this dog-eat-dog world of business but it
is very important that all employees have full freedom of expression for
positive working climate of happy and productive employees. Great and
positive working conditions is how company having a competitive advantage
over their competitors. That is key difference between the companies.
So finding a person like Jim Macfadden to lead the Gally and getting rid
of oppressive conditions in workplace will be the greatest thing ever
happened to the Gally and it’s stakeholders. By having a workplace that
is free of fear and oppression will generate much greater productivity and
much more enjoyment which is greater benefit to our #1 stakeholders, the
students. Wonderful working conditions breeds more productivity and
enjoyment which benefits everyone on the campus, especially our students.
In short, what I have seen with my own eyes is that both IKJ and JK do
practice MBI quite heavily. We need new leader the likes of Jim Macfadden
who can remove MBI practices completely in Gally and make Gally the best
place to work and that feeds positively to our #1 stakeholders the
students!
18 years of suffering under IKJ is way too long and we do not want another
IKJ in form of JK (JK’s public comments ruined her anyway). JK is like
Mini Me of IKJ.
> You say you are committed to social justice. I challenge you to prove
> it. Let us be mature individuals and reasonable in working with
> everyone, including Dr. Jane Fernandes, toward making Gallaudet for all.
>
> I look forward to regaining my full strength so I can stand by Dr. Jane
> Fernandes’ side.
>
> Thank you for reading this letter and allowing me to express my views.
>
> God bless Gallaudet and peace to all,
I don’t know what kind of agenda do you have?
How can we work with JF after all what she has done to us over many years?
Some things never change and JK is one of them.
To me JK stands fully opposite of everything what Gally stands for.
We will continue to protest until JK is out of picture because majority of
stakeholders believe it is right thing to do.
> Jane Norman, PhD
> Professor, Communication Studies
> Gallaudet University
Jamie Clark
Network Manager
ITS Networking Group
Gallaudet University
GALLYNET-L@gallynet.org
Reprinted with permission by the listserv moderator
11:45 AM Breaking News
Go to Capitol Building now!!! (Noon on Thursday, Oct 19, 2006)
Protesters have an assembly at noon on the steps of the US Capitol
Building (on the side that faces the Washington Memorial)
Please go NOW!!!!
Then visit Congressmen’s offices afterwards.
Recap of DPS Brutality At HMB
Many readers who came in late asked me information on this infamous DPS raid fiasco. I decided it would be better if I just provide the links here and the readers can check them out. Since I was covering this live somewhat, there are many links and follow ups afterwards. There has been a long history of DPS’s inability to communicate with the students and also its misconduct with the students, This has been one of my primary focuses since I was informed of the security harassment and illegal restraint of Ryan Commerson at the scene where the presidential appointee was announced. elizabeth
Video Showing Security Guards?s Handling of Gally Students? Human Shield
Videoclips Of Students & DPS by Melissa Malzkuhn
Warning about DPS from a Gally Professor
Security Guards Rough-Handled Protesters
Gallaudet Has Made It Violent”
More Description on DPS Brutality. Call your Congress People!
Please Contact the Media. Tell Them The Truth
A Message From Ryan Commerson, A Student Leader
Stop Hurting Gallaudet Students!
| Lesson Not Learned by DPS, Formerly DOSS? |
| Authorized Use of Force? |
AP Report: Gallaudet students allege campus police brutalityBoT Firm: Fernandes Stays
Boycott of Gallaudet Conference Center
Two nights ago someone passed this interesting tidbit to me, so I checked this leftist website The readers there are discussing the Gallaudet protest.
“The reason I know about it is because the conference I’m going to in the US is happening at Galluadet. So, at Carol’s suggestion, we are trying to organise to support the students by getting the conference moved or something” RevolutionaryLeft.com -> gallaudet student occupation.
Then, yesterday another friend mentioned my blog mishkazena got mentioned in an article:
“This condescending view reflects complete incomprehension of the situation at Gallaudet. Responding to a near-identical editorial in the Times’ “liberal” counterpart, the Washington Post, blogger Mishka Zena wrote that “[the protest] was never about Fernandes not being deaf enough,” but rather the unbalanced candidate selection procedure.” “Revolution” at Gallaudet “
Even though I don’t agree with the philosophy of this leftist magazine, I appreciate their support very much. This illustrates the impact of deaf bloggers on educating the hearing people the real issues facing Gallaudet University. Now people are discussing about boycotting Gallaudet as an economic sanctions in a symbol of support.
Many alumni have rescinded their financial donations to Gallaudet. The loss of revenue by the boycott of Gallaudet facilities, including the conference center, may be a powerful tactic in pressuring Gallaudet to work with its stakeholders.
elizabeth
10:30 Update from Ryan Commerson
Jordan is livid abt the big tent being set up in the front. Its a gift
froma dn for the alumni… Jordan threatened to have the hired crew
workers arrested. Lange is trying to work this out. ryan
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