Gallaudet Accreditation in Jeopardy?
“The Commission acted further to request a supplemental information report,
due by March 1, 2007, on (1) the effectiveness of shared governance
including presidential search process, (2) nurturance of a climate that
fosters respect among students, faculty, staff, and administration for
a range of backgrounds, ideas, and perspectives” (3) mission review and
implementation of a comprehensive institutional strategic plan, (4)
implementation of a comprehensive enrollment management plan that
addresses student recruitment, retention, graduation, and placement,
(5) evidence of the academic rigor of the degrees offered, and (6)
procedures for ensuring that changes and issues affecting the
institution are disclosed accurately and in a timely manner to the
Commission.  (Middle States Accreditation)
The Middle States Accreditation (MSA)  officials are checking into the actions of Jordan and the BoT. They are concerned over the absence of shared governance and lack of a healthy and respectful atmosphere within Gallaudet University. What Gallaudet Community experienced over the last few years was neither typical nor appropriate for an university but these issues have been disregarded and buried until the protest broke out, revealing to the whole world its ugly secrets.
Then we have the PART review by the Dept of Education, showing poor ratings the last five years, accumulating in a F last year. The academic deficiencies and the poor retention of students have been duly noticed by MSA officials.
The Jordan administration hadn’t done the paperwork mandatory for MSA, either.
Do not blame the protesters for this. The Stakeholders of the Gallaudet University are the victims.  The only culprits to be blamed is the oppressive and poor administration, and also BoT for ignoring the grievances of  its constituents and not addressing the serious academic and educational shortcomings for years. The buck stops with Jordan and BoT.
This is a serious investigation. Hopefully this will help force the top echelon to cleanse itself so Gallaudet will start healing. elizabeth
Public Disclosure Statement
November 27, 2006
By the Middle States Commission on Higher Education and Gallaudet
University
This statement has been developed for use in responding to public
inquiries, consistent with the Commission’s policy on Public
Communication in the Accrediting Process. It should be read in
conjunction with the Statement of Accreditation Status for Gallaudet
University, a copy of which is attached.
Gallaudet University has been accredited by the Middle States
Commission on Higher Education since 1957. Gallaudet University is a private
institution offering Baccalaureate, Master’s, Doctoral, and First
Professional degrees and Certificate/Diploma programs. A full listing
of the institution’s other instructional sites is noted in the Statement
of Accreditation Status. A summary of the most recent Commission
actions relative to the institution’s accreditation follows.
Brief Summary of Recent Commission Actions
At least every ten years, all institutions accredited by the Middle
States Commission on Higher Education engage in an 18-24 month period
of self-study intended to demonstrate institutional compliance with
accreditation standards and to promote institutional improvement.
Gallaudet completed its self-study and hosted an evaluation team visit
in Spring 2001. Following the on-site visit, an evaluation team report
was completed and an institutional response was prepared. These
prepared materials were considered by the Committee on Evaluation Reports and by
the Commission at its June 2001 meeting.
In June 2001, the Middle States Commission on Higher Education acted to
reaffirm the accreditation of Gallaudet University and to request a
follow-up report by April 1, 2003, documenting steps taken to address
the issue of governance. In June 2003, the Commission acted to accept
the follow-up report and to request a progress letter by December 1,
2004, regarding further progress in steps taken to address the issue of
governance. In March 2005, the Commission acted to accept the progress
letter.
Five years after every decennial evaluation visit, all institutions
accredited by the Middle States Commission on Higher Education submit a
Periodic Review Report to demonstrate progress in achieving
recommendations generated during the self study process and evaluation
visit and to update the Commission on recent developments and plans
affecting the institution, including the institution’s status
regarding planning, assessment, and finances. Gallaudet University
submitted its Periodic Review Report by June 1, 2006.
Events subsequent to the submission of the Gallaudet Periodic Review
Report, as reported in institutional statements and by news media,
centered on aspects of institutional operations that included the
presidential search process, governance, institutional climate,
governing board oversight responsibilities, institutional mission and
planning, academic integrity, and student success. On October 16, 2006,
Commission staff requested information from Gallaudet University by
November 9, 2006, on (1) plans to assess and strengthen the
effectiveness of institutional governance and (2) plans to further a
climate that fosters respect among students, faculty, staff, and
administration for a range of backgrounds, ideas, and perspectives.
On November 16, 2006, the Middle States Commission on Higher Education
acted to acknowledge receipt of the Periodic Review Report and the
staff-requested information report on governance and climate due
November 9, 2006, to express serious concern regarding recent
developments at the institution, to postpone a decision on
accreditation, and to direct a small team visit by January 12, 2007.
The Commission acted further to request a supplemental information report,
due by March 1, 2007, on (1) the effectiveness of shared governance
including presidential search process, (2) nurturance of a climate that
fosters respect among students, faculty, staff, and administration for
a range of backgrounds, ideas, and perspectives, (3) mission review and
implementation of a comprehensive institutional strategic plan, (4)
implementation of a comprehensive enrollment management plan that
addresses student recruitment, retention, graduation, and placement,
(5) evidence of the academic rigor of the degrees offered, and (6)
procedures for ensuring that changes and issues affecting the
institution are disclosed accurately and in a timely manner to the
Commission. An additional visit may follow submission of the
supplemental information report. The Commission acted further to
request a monitoring report, due by April 1, 2008, documenting (1) the
institution’s further response to recommendations from the 2001
evaluation team report and (2) implementation of a documented,
organized and sustained process to assess the achievement of institutional and
program-level student learning goals that includes direct evidence of
student learning.
The Commission notes that it is taking these actions because of (1)
institutional statements and press reports that have raised serious
public concerns about Gallaudet University, (2) a 2005 Federal
government report that deemed Gallaudet University “ineffective†in
certain areas, (3) limited institutional attention to some matters
required to be addressed in the Periodic Review Report, (4) limited
institutional responses to information requested in the November 9,
2006, information report, and (5) failure to inform the Commission in a
timely manner of matters affecting the institution such as the Federal
report. For further information on the Federal report, please visit
http://www.whitehouse.gov/omb/expectmore/summary.10003306.2005.html.
The Commission postpones a decision on accreditation and requests a
supplemental information report when it has determined that there is
insufficient information to substantiate institutional compliance with
one or more accreditation standards. The Commission has determined that
it has insufficient information to substantiate Gallaudet
University’s compliance with Standards 1 and 2 (mission and planning), 4 (leadership
and governance), 6 (integrity), 8 (admissions and retention), 11
(educational offerings), and 7 and 14 (assessment). (The Commission’s
standards are available online at http://www.msche.org/publications.asp.) Supplemental information reports are intended only to allow the institution to provide further evidence
of its compliance with Commission standards, not to give the
institution time to formulate plans or initiate remedial actions.
Current Status and Expected Activities
Gallaudet University remains accredited by the Middle States Commission
on Higher Education while a Commission decision on accreditation is
postponed.
A small evaluation team will conduct a visit to Gallaudet University by
January 12, 2007, to follow up on the institution’s November 9
information report on governance and climate and to discuss the
Commission’s expectations. The supplemental information report is due
by March 1, 2007. The Commission may conduct an additional visit after
the report is submitted and prior to its June 2007 meeting if it
determines that an on-site review, in addition to a paper review, is
needed to verify institutional status. The evaluation team report(s)
and the supplemental information report will be considered by the Committee
on Follow-Up Activities and by the Commission in June 2007.
At its June 2007 session, the Commission will take further action, in
accordance with the Commission’s policy, “Range of Commission
Actions on Accreditation†(also available at http://www.msche.org/publications.asp).
 If, based on the supplemental information report and evaluation team report(s), the Commission determines that Gallaudet University has documented compliance with the
Commission’s accreditation standards, the Commission may act to
reaffirm accreditation. If the Commission determines that the
university has not documented compliance with its accreditation standards, it may
take further actions as allowed under the “Range of Actions.â€
“The Commission acted further to request a supplemental information report,
due by March 1, 2007, on (1) the effectiveness of shared governance
including presidential search process, (2) nurturance of a climate that
fosters respect among students, faculty, staff, and administration for
a range of backgrounds, ideas, and perspectives” (3) mission review and
implementation of a comprehensive institutional strategic plan, (4)
implementation of a comprehensive enrollment management plan that
addresses student recruitment, retention, graduation, and placement,
(5) evidence of the academic rigor of the degrees offered, and (6)
procedures for ensuring that changes and issues affecting the
institution are disclosed accurately and in a timely manner to the
Commission.  (Middle States Accreditation)
The Middle States Accreditation (MSA)  officials are checking into the actions of Jordan and the BoT. They are concerned over the absence of shared governance and lack of a healthy and respectful atmosphere within Gallaudet University. What Gallaudet Community experienced over the last few years was neither typical nor appropriate for an university but these issues have been disregarded and buried until the protest broke out, revealing to the whole world its ugly secrets.
Then we have the PART review by the Dept of Education, showing poor ratings the last five years, accumulating in a F last year. The academic deficiencies and the poor retention of students have been duly noticed by MSA officials.
The Jordan administration hadn’t done the paperwork mandatory for MSA, either.
Do not blame the protesters for this. The Stakeholders of the Gallaudet University are the victims.  The only culprits to be blamed is the oppressive and poor administration, and also BoT for ignoring the grievances of  its constituents and not addressing the serious academic and educational shortcomings for years. The buck stops with Jordan and BoT.
This is a serious investigation. Hopefully this will help force the top echelon to cleanse itself so Gallaudet will start healing. elizabeth
Public Disclosure Statement
November 27, 2006
By the Middle States Commission on Higher Education and Gallaudet
University
This statement has been developed for use in responding to public
inquiries, consistent with the Commission’s policy on Public
Communication in the Accrediting Process. It should be read in
conjunction with the Statement of Accreditation Status for Gallaudet
University, a copy of which is attached.
Gallaudet University has been accredited by the Middle States
Commission on Higher Education since 1957. Gallaudet University is a private
institution offering Baccalaureate, Master’s, Doctoral, and First
Professional degrees and Certificate/Diploma programs. A full listing
of the institution’s other instructional sites is noted in the Statement
of Accreditation Status. A summary of the most recent Commission
actions relative to the institution’s accreditation follows.
Brief Summary of Recent Commission Actions
At least every ten years, all institutions accredited by the Middle
States Commission on Higher Education engage in an 18-24 month period
of self-study intended to demonstrate institutional compliance with
accreditation standards and to promote institutional improvement.
Gallaudet completed its self-study and hosted an evaluation team visit
in Spring 2001. Following the on-site visit, an evaluation team report
was completed and an institutional response was prepared. These
prepared materials were considered by the Committee on Evaluation Reports and by
the Commission at its June 2001 meeting.
In June 2001, the Middle States Commission on Higher Education acted to
reaffirm the accreditation of Gallaudet University and to request a
follow-up report by April 1, 2003, documenting steps taken to address
the issue of governance. In June 2003, the Commission acted to accept
the follow-up report and to request a progress letter by December 1,
2004, regarding further progress in steps taken to address the issue of
governance. In March 2005, the Commission acted to accept the progress
letter.
Five years after every decennial evaluation visit, all institutions
accredited by the Middle States Commission on Higher Education submit a
Periodic Review Report to demonstrate progress in achieving
recommendations generated during the self study process and evaluation
visit and to update the Commission on recent developments and plans
affecting the institution, including the institution’s status
regarding planning, assessment, and finances. Gallaudet University
submitted its Periodic Review Report by June 1, 2006.
Events subsequent to the submission of the Gallaudet Periodic Review
Report, as reported in institutional statements and by news media,
centered on aspects of institutional operations that included the
presidential search process, governance, institutional climate,
governing board oversight responsibilities, institutional mission and
planning, academic integrity, and student success. On October 16, 2006,
Commission staff requested information from Gallaudet University by
November 9, 2006, on (1) plans to assess and strengthen the
effectiveness of institutional governance and (2) plans to further a
climate that fosters respect among students, faculty, staff, and
administration for a range of backgrounds, ideas, and perspectives.
On November 16, 2006, the Middle States Commission on Higher Education
acted to acknowledge receipt of the Periodic Review Report and the
staff-requested information report on governance and climate due
November 9, 2006, to express serious concern regarding recent
developments at the institution, to postpone a decision on
accreditation, and to direct a small team visit by January 12, 2007.
The Commission acted further to request a supplemental information report,
due by March 1, 2007, on (1) the effectiveness of shared governance
including presidential search process, (2) nurturance of a climate that
fosters respect among students, faculty, staff, and administration for
a range of backgrounds, ideas, and perspectives, (3) mission review and
implementation of a comprehensive institutional strategic plan, (4)
implementation of a comprehensive enrollment management plan that
addresses student recruitment, retention, graduation, and placement,
(5) evidence of the academic rigor of the degrees offered, and (6)
procedures for ensuring that changes and issues affecting the
institution are disclosed accurately and in a timely manner to the
Commission. An additional visit may follow submission of the
supplemental information report. The Commission acted further to
request a monitoring report, due by April 1, 2008, documenting (1) the
institution’s further response to recommendations from the 2001
evaluation team report and (2) implementation of a documented,
organized and sustained process to assess the achievement of institutional and
program-level student learning goals that includes direct evidence of
student learning.
The Commission notes that it is taking these actions because of (1)
institutional statements and press reports that have raised serious
public concerns about Gallaudet University, (2) a 2005 Federal
government report that deemed Gallaudet University “ineffective†in
certain areas, (3) limited institutional attention to some matters
required to be addressed in the Periodic Review Report, (4) limited
institutional responses to information requested in the November 9,
2006, information report, and (5) failure to inform the Commission in a
timely manner of matters affecting the institution such as the Federal
report. For further information on the Federal report, please visit
http://www.whitehouse.gov/omb/expectmore/summary.10003306.2005.html.
The Commission postpones a decision on accreditation and requests a
supplemental information report when it has determined that there is
insufficient information to substantiate institutional compliance with
one or more accreditation standards. The Commission has determined that
it has insufficient information to substantiate Gallaudet
University’s compliance with Standards 1 and 2 (mission and planning), 4 (leadership
and governance), 6 (integrity), 8 (admissions and retention), 11
(educational offerings), and 7 and 14 (assessment). (The Commission’s
standards are available online at http://www.msche.org/publications.asp.) Supplemental information reports are intended only to allow the institution to provide further evidence
of its compliance with Commission standards, not to give the
institution time to formulate plans or initiate remedial actions.
Current Status and Expected Activities
Gallaudet University remains accredited by the Middle States Commission
on Higher Education while a Commission decision on accreditation is
postponed.
A small evaluation team will conduct a visit to Gallaudet University by
January 12, 2007, to follow up on the institution’s November 9
information report on governance and climate and to discuss the
Commission’s expectations. The supplemental information report is due
by March 1, 2007. The Commission may conduct an additional visit after
the report is submitted and prior to its June 2007 meeting if it
determines that an on-site review, in addition to a paper review, is
needed to verify institutional status. The evaluation team report(s)
and the supplemental information report will be considered by the Committee
on Follow-Up Activities and by the Commission in June 2007.
At its June 2007 session, the Commission will take further action, in
accordance with the Commission’s policy, “Range of Commission
Actions on Accreditation†(also available at http://www.msche.org/publications.asp).
 If, based on the supplemental information report and evaluation team report(s), the Commission determines that Gallaudet University has documented compliance with the
Commission’s accreditation standards, the Commission may act to
reaffirm accreditation. If the Commission determines that the
university has not documented compliance with its accreditation standards, it may
take further actions as allowed under the “Range of Actions.â€
December 7th, 2006 at 10:11 pm
Not only should the protesting students not be blamed, they should be praised for their commitment to their university.
December 8th, 2006 at 12:59 am
We have here a smoking gun. The Gallaudet administration sabotaged its duty concerning timely and appropriate responses and information sharing to the concerns of the accreditation agency. By their neglect they undermined the trust of the agency in Gallaudet University which may have dire consequences for the future.
December 8th, 2006 at 1:40 pm
Addy, I totally agree with you!
Testing, yes, Gally Adm had been derelict. They didn’t do their paperwork and have been caught red handed trying to bury the PART review. The Interim President will have his hands cleaning up Jordan’s mess and regaining the trust of both the accreditation agency and Congress. Jordan really damaged the university big time
October 8th, 2007 at 11:09 am
As a former Gallaudet student, I’ve been saying for YEARS that things needed to change at Gally. Now, it would seem, Congress and the MSA are finally, mercifully, coming around to the same point of view.
We’ve all known for years that academic standards at Gallaudet are an absolute joke, and a sad one at that. And although people can talk about the reasons–because the deaf schools and programs don’t prepare students effectively for college or ensure appropriate levels of literacy, because students have been let slide for so long that they have a hard time changing once they get to college, because the university lets so many behavioral issues go unpunished that academics are sure to suffer consequently–I think the real issue is that Gallaudet has an unspoken, inherently flawed mission statement. It would seem that the Gallaudet mindset is this: “Every deaf person should have a college education.” And this is just patently false. Not every HEARING person should have a college education, because quite frankly, not every hearing person is college material. Some aren’t smart enough, literate enough, motivated enough or dedicated enough to make a college education a worthwhile pursuit. If it’s not a good fit for all hearing people, then why would it be a good fit for all deaf people? It isn’t, plain and simple. Yet Gallaudet, every year, continues to admit subliterates without the ability to write a simple coherent sentence, much less read a college textbook, knowing that by the end of homecoming festivities, nearly half of them will have dropped out. Even more of them will have been academically suspended by the end of their first year because they didn’t have what it took to make it in college. I suspect strongly that if academic rigors at Gallaudet were anything like they are at most universities, only about a tenth of the freshman class would be around after their first year. Unfortunately, they aren’t, and so many of those who do stick around for the long haul end up in the same classrooms with the truly bright, the truly gifted and competent. It’s a recipe for disaster, and those who actually do have what it takes to study on a true university level find their progress slowed to a painfully, frustratingly grinding pace by professors who have to dumb down materials and discussions to the speed of classmates who really should never have been admitted to Gallaudet (or any other university) in the first place.
But the worst thing is the atmosphere of intolerance that permeates Gallaudet at every level. When I chose to transfer to Gallaudet, I thought that in doing so, I would find a more tolerant environment, an environment where I would have the opportunity to stand out for what I COULD do, rather than what I COULDN’T do. That had been the issue at the university I had been attending, and quite frankly, I was getting tired of being known as “that deaf girl”. So I transferred.
What I found, over time, was that the social and academic environment at Gallaudet was more oppressive than anything I had ever experienced in my life. At Gallaudet, instead of being “that deaf girl”, I was “that deaf girl who betrays the community by dating hearing guys”, (never mind that it was my right to date whomever I pleased on the basis of personality and shared interests) “that deaf girl who’s so arrogant because she speaks and reads lips”, (regardless of the fact that I communicate fluently not just in speaking, but also in ASL and Signed English, and would gladly change my communication strategies to accommodate the needs of whomever I was speaking with at any given moment) “that deaf girl who thinks English is so important” (said derisively, until the end of the semester, anyway, at which point the very same people would be sucking up to me to get help on their final papers) and “that deaf girl who hates her fellow deaf” (even though I had truckloads of friends at Gallaudet–others who felt, as I did, that the ASL/Deaf Culture Nazis were just beyond the pale in terms of their oppressiveness).
Things weren’t much better among professors. While most recognized me as being bright and hard-working, I’m also fairly religious, and decidedly politically conservative. I found again and again that when I asserted any point of view that didn’t fit in with a professor’s left-leaning, PC beliefs, even when I could produce PROOF of a completely non-religious, non-political nature showing that their viewpoint was not the only potentially valid one, I was shot down mercilessly.
It would seem that the overriding theme (in my experience, at least, your mileage may vary) is that at Gallaudet, diversity of thought and feeling will not be tolerated in or out of the classroom. Failure to throw oneself and everything that makes one a unique individual aside to embrace the party line will result in misery.
Gallaudet, get the paperwork done, change staff/student ratios, get rid of professors and students who are incompetent to study or work in a university environment, stop admitting students who don’t have the foundational skills necessary to succeed at the university level and make Gallaudet a place of learning so esteemed that hearing people almost wish they were deaf so they could attend. And if that proves to be too much of a challenge, then close your doors. Better to have no deaf university at all than a poor one that brings the abilities and attitudes of all deaf people into question for the world at large.