Job Announcement For Gallaudet President, Timelines, and PSAC Town Hall Meeting
PRESIDENT
GALLAUDET UNIVERSITY
The new president will be charged with implementing the University’s mission and vision, approved by theBoard of Trustee in 2007
-Leading the Gallaudet community in discussions and taking actions to implement inclusive bilingualism on camp
-Organizing a program of enrollment management that includes outreach, recruitment, and retention of students.
-Building relationship that will sustain and expand goodwill and revenue from both public and private sources
-Branding Gallaudet so that its leadership and mission are understood by the deaf, hard-of-hearing, and hearing communities.
-Exploring current partnerships and developing additional ones with industry and other universities.
-Solidify and implement the upcoming long-term strategic plan for the University and the Clerc Center.
-Ensuring a culture of respect on-campus that fosters a welcoming atmosphere for people from /diverse backgrounds.
-Reviewing the academic component of the University.
PROFESSIONAL AND PERSONAL QUALITIES
• Demonstrated ability to develop and articulate a detailed and compelling vision;
• Broad managerial skills and experience; a proven record of sound fiscal, organizational, and management practice;
• The ability to be successful in fundraising; the capacity to represent Gallaudet compellingly to donors and to lead a substantial increment in the endowment;
• A proven and impressive track record as a leader of a complex organization with the ability to build a team, motivate them, help them develop, and hold them accountable for the achievement of agreed upon organizational objectives;
• A capacity to make decisions in the best interest of the University and its students even if these decisions are not always popular;
• A complete understanding of and support for academic strength and high standards and the skills to be an established intellectual leader;
• The charisma and talent for effectively communicating her/his vision to all of the University’s constituents;
• A confirmed capacity of commanding the respect of the deaf community worldwide;
• A fair, collaborative, and transparent leadership style that will succeed in an environment of shared governance, working closely and effectively with the Board of Trustees and supporting input from faculty, students, administration, and staff;
• Fluency in ASL with the ability to communicate clearly with deaf, hard-of-hearing, and hearing audiences and a deep understanding of deaf culture;
• The ability to develop long-lasting and strong relationships with members of Congress, businesses, corporate foundations, alumni, community, and friends as well as other external stakeholders of Gallaudet University;
• A demonstrated commitment to diversity and inclusiveness through individual action and institutional leadership to advance diversity;
• Support for, and respect of, the various communication choices of the campus community;
• Resilience and stamina for the task at hand, the capacity to work effectively under pressure, personal grace and integrity in dealing with a broad spectrum of personalities, and good humor in leading the day-to-day work of the University; and
• An exhibited excellence far above the norm in a field of endeavor that demonstrates an ability to think outside the box.
EDUCATION
A terminal degree is required.
Compensation
Compensation will be competitive and commensurate with background and experience.
TO APPLY
To learn more about Gallaudet University, please visit: www.gallaudet.edu. Electronic submission
of inquiries, nominations/referrals, and resumes with cover letters is preferred and should be sent
in confidence to:
Gallaudet University
Presidential Search Advisory Committee
P.O. Box 91420
Washington, DC 20002
Tel. 202 448 7737 (voice or relay)
E-mail: PSAC@Gallaudet.edu
Electronic submission of credentials is preferred.
http://aaweb.gallaudet.edu/documents/PSAC/Presidential_Position_Profile_25Feb2009.pdf
.
Presidential Search Advisory Committee Timeline:
Late spring/summer 2009
Publicly announce the names of the finalists
Early fall 2009
The final candidates will be available for extensive campus interviews with all interested constituency groups, and for a public presentation.
October 2009
The Board of Trustees will interview all candidates, review all information provided by the PSAC, and select the next president of Gallaudet University.
January 1, 2010
The new president of Gallaudet University will assume office.
http://psac.gallaudet.edu/PSAC/Timeline_and_Events.html
.
Presidential search Town Hall Meeting This Afternoon
The Presidential Search Advisory Committee (PSAC) invites the campus community to a meeting on Friday, February 27, 3:30-4:30 p.m. in Foster Auditorium.
The PSAC will update the community on the presidential search, as well as answer questions from the audience.
Commentary: The preliminary tasks to early Spring 2009 have already been completed by the PSAC. So far, they are meeting the timelines for each task. I wish PSAC the best of luck in conducting this extraordinary difficult job of finding a qualified and appropriate president. As we all know, the last two presidential appointments by Board of Trustees ended with massive protest both time. The pressures of their responsibilities are likey to be very heavy on the shoulders of the PSAC and BoT members, especially with MSCHE’s statement that the third protest will mean an automatic revocation of the university’s accreditation. MZ
Clarification: a third protest that will have dire consequences on the university’s accreditation status, according to MSCHE… meaning a massive protest shutting down the whole campus, preventing students from attending classes. I hope that clears up the confusion. I wasn’t referring to an ordinary protest. MZ
PRESIDENT
GALLAUDET UNIVERSITY
The new president will be charged with implementing the University’s mission and vision, approved by theBoard of Trustee in 2007
-Leading the Gallaudet community in discussions and taking actions to implement inclusive bilingualism on camp
-Organizing a program of enrollment management that includes outreach, recruitment, and retention of students.
-Building relationship that will sustain and expand goodwill and revenue from both public and private sources
-Branding Gallaudet so that its leadership and mission are understood by the deaf, hard-of-hearing, and hearing communities.
-Exploring current partnerships and developing additional ones with industry and other universities.
-Solidify and implement the upcoming long-term strategic plan for the University and the Clerc Center.
-Ensuring a culture of respect on-campus that fosters a welcoming atmosphere for people from /diverse backgrounds.
-Reviewing the academic component of the University.
PROFESSIONAL AND PERSONAL QUALITIES
• Demonstrated ability to develop and articulate a detailed and compelling vision;
• Broad managerial skills and experience; a proven record of sound fiscal, organizational, and management practice;
• The ability to be successful in fundraising; the capacity to represent Gallaudet compellingly to donors and to lead a substantial increment in the endowment;
• A proven and impressive track record as a leader of a complex organization with the ability to build a team, motivate them, help them develop, and hold them accountable for the achievement of agreed upon organizational objectives;
• A capacity to make decisions in the best interest of the University and its students even if these decisions are not always popular;
• A complete understanding of and support for academic strength and high standards and the skills to be an established intellectual leader;
• The charisma and talent for effectively communicating her/his vision to all of the University’s constituents;
• A confirmed capacity of commanding the respect of the deaf community worldwide;
• A fair, collaborative, and transparent leadership style that will succeed in an environment of shared governance, working closely and effectively with the Board of Trustees and supporting input from faculty, students, administration, and staff;
• Fluency in ASL with the ability to communicate clearly with deaf, hard-of-hearing, and hearing audiences and a deep understanding of deaf culture;
• The ability to develop long-lasting and strong relationships with members of Congress, businesses, corporate foundations, alumni, community, and friends as well as other external stakeholders of Gallaudet University;
• A demonstrated commitment to diversity and inclusiveness through individual action and institutional leadership to advance diversity;
• Support for, and respect of, the various communication choices of the campus community;
• Resilience and stamina for the task at hand, the capacity to work effectively under pressure, personal grace and integrity in dealing with a broad spectrum of personalities, and good humor in leading the day-to-day work of the University; and
• An exhibited excellence far above the norm in a field of endeavor that demonstrates an ability to think outside the box.
EDUCATION
A terminal degree is required.
Compensation
Compensation will be competitive and commensurate with background and experience.
TO APPLY
To learn more about Gallaudet University, please visit: www.gallaudet.edu. Electronic submission
of inquiries, nominations/referrals, and resumes with cover letters is preferred and should be sent
in confidence to:
Gallaudet University
Presidential Search Advisory Committee
P.O. Box 91420
Washington, DC 20002
Tel. 202 448 7737 (voice or relay)
E-mail: PSAC@Gallaudet.edu
Electronic submission of credentials is preferred.
http://aaweb.gallaudet.edu/documents/PSAC/Presidential_Position_Profile_25Feb2009.pdf
.
Presidential Search Advisory Committee Timeline:
Late spring/summer 2009
Publicly announce the names of the finalists
Early fall 2009
The final candidates will be available for extensive campus interviews with all interested constituency groups, and for a public presentation.
October 2009
The Board of Trustees will interview all candidates, review all information provided by the PSAC, and select the next president of Gallaudet University.
January 1, 2010
The new president of Gallaudet University will assume office.
http://psac.gallaudet.edu/PSAC/Timeline_and_Events.html
.
Presidential search Town Hall Meeting This Afternoon
The Presidential Search Advisory Committee (PSAC) invites the campus community to a meeting on Friday, February 27, 3:30-4:30 p.m. in Foster Auditorium.
The PSAC will update the community on the presidential search, as well as answer questions from the audience.
Commentary: The preliminary tasks to early Spring 2009 have already been completed by the PSAC. So far, they are meeting the timelines for each task. I wish PSAC the best of luck in conducting this extraordinary difficult job of finding a qualified and appropriate president. As we all know, the last two presidential appointments by Board of Trustees ended with massive protest both time. The pressures of their responsibilities are likey to be very heavy on the shoulders of the PSAC and BoT members, especially with MSCHE’s statement that the third protest will mean an automatic revocation of the university’s accreditation. MZ
Clarification: a third protest that will have dire consequences on the university’s accreditation status, according to MSCHE… meaning a massive protest shutting down the whole campus, preventing students from attending classes. I hope that clears up the confusion. I wasn’t referring to an ordinary protest. MZ
February 27th, 2009 at 5:24 am
Wow, Mishka!
Glad you blogged about this, especially with your commentary at the end.
Right now, after reading the responsibilities and qualifications… I personally feel very overwhelmed. I cannot think of an ideal candidate from the top of my head who can do this job effectively. I rather not to speculate until I see the names of the finalists in late spring or summer. I’ll wait.
I pray that the Board of Trustees are able to select the best candidate that will lead the university in a new millennium. I also pray for the best candidate’s stamina and strength to go through this grueling process too, because it is going to be a very public figure all over the world.
As an alumnus of Gallaudet University, we all need to work TOGETHER to support the Board of Trustee’s selection for the sake of the University’s future. I am sure that the Board of Trustees may have the check and balance systems and the Board will not repeat any mistakes that had happened in 1988 and 2006.
Mishka, did the list of qualifications say anything about the candidate’s fluency with American Sign Language and the hearing status? I am curious and I am going over to the website and check that out…
Thanks again for blogging this!
February 27th, 2009 at 5:32 am
Yes, it is listed under Professional and Personal Qualities:
Fluency in ASL with the ability to communicate clearly with deaf, hard-of-hearing, and hearing audiences and a deep understanding of deaf culture;
However, it didn’t state that the applicant must possess an audiological loss. It would be against the law to do that as this particular requirement would discriminate against hearing people. Nevertheless, as a role model, especially after Deaf President Now Protest, the stakeholders, particularly the Deaf ones, expect to see a president who is D/deaf.
The BoT had repeatedly stated its intentions to be fully open and transparent with the Gallaudet Community. We cannot afford the third protest so it is imperative that we work together and make this process smooth, but BoT needs to avoid making the mistakes it made in both 1988 and 2006, the major one being its failure to be in touch with the Gallaudet Community’s pulse. Time will tell.
February 27th, 2009 at 5:40 am
Thank you Mishka for the follow up! Smiles.
I just watched an awesome video of students of diverse backgrounds explaining about the mission on Gallaudet website. I feel so inspired by watching different people expressing themselves in ASL!
Here’s the link of the mission statement if that is okay with you to put on your blog?
http://aaweb.gallaudet.edu/mission-asl.xml
Thanks!
February 27th, 2009 at 6:08 am
MZ –
I agree with you on the commentary you mentioned. I admit that I am reluctant and apprehensive that it could repeat another scene of the protest.
February 27th, 2009 at 9:26 am
Thanks for sharing the news.
My personal opinion is that it is a big mistake to require the candidates to be fluent in ASL. But then, it does not matter for the committee has already made its decision on the qualifications.
I am wondering about this. How will the committee determine each candidate’s fluency in ASL? The announcement is silent on this. This does not look good because it can become Achilles’ heel. It can lead to the repetition of “Not Deaf enough”. It is better to define the fluency in ASL clearly before it becomes a serious problem.
In any way, this is going to be exciting time for the deaf and hard-of-hearing community.
Joseph Pietro Riolo
josephpietrojeungriolo@gmail.com
Public domain notice: I put all of my expressions in this post in the public domain.
February 27th, 2009 at 9:34 am
Wow, “a third protest will mean an automatic revocation of the university’s accreditation”…
If that happens, the university could also lose its funding support, and in these times, it can’t afford that either. The BoT is certainly walking a tightrope.
Ann_C
February 27th, 2009 at 9:45 am
I have to correct myself.
The paragraph preceding the list of qualifications and attributes made it clear that it is not absolutely required for the candidates to possess all of the qualifications and attributes. So, a candidate that satisfies all qualifications and attributes except fluency in ASL will not be barred from becoming a finalist, at least in theory.
But then, the letter (called as the advertisement of the position) used the strong word “expected” in respect to fluency in ASL. So, there is a kind of conflict between the announcement and letter. Or, it could mean that the letter supersedes the announcement.
Joseph Pietro Riolo
josephpietrojeungriolo@gmail.com
Public domain notice: I put all of my expressions in this post in the public domain.
February 27th, 2009 at 10:18 am
Here are some possible LIONS for the throne of Gallaudet:
Dr. Stephen Weiner
Dr. Roslyn Rosen
Dr. T. Alan Hurwitz
The board needs to go with a “safe” choice such as one of these three. We cannot risk the ignominy of a third protest.
February 27th, 2009 at 10:37 am
“….that the third protest will mean an automatic revocation of the university’s accreditation.”
Will? More like “can”.
Harvard had its share of protests in many years yet the university is never in any danger of losing its accreditation.
February 27th, 2009 at 10:49 am
I found it interesting: MSCHE warned that a third protest would result in automatic revocation of the University’s accreditation.
It made me curious why: was it because the previous two protests illuminated a problem in the eyes of MSCHE–the University has long ignored the input of its constituents? That it had deviated so far from its mandate of education that it was essentially a hotbed of self-interest of the few? My mind rarely, but does leap to such unworthy thoughts.
The University would be best served to explore these whys and to face the truths squarely.
Then it can better choose a president that is more in line with the ideals of education and the interests of the deaf community.
February 27th, 2009 at 11:35 am
I am looking for information about the MSCHE’s statements.
I do remember something like dire consequences for Gallaudet University should there be another protest regarding the presidential selection and that it will not be tolerated by MSCHE and its accreditation status will be affected accordingly.
Why the strong warnings? Because the school was shut down twice, interfering with the education of the students. The hostile atmosphere among the Gallaudet stakeholders from the last protest was partly responsible for the decision of MSCHE to put the Gallaudet accreditation on probation.
February 27th, 2009 at 2:01 pm
Other than what was actually 18-year ongoing spat at Gallaudet (Like it or not Gallaudet, on the overall, was in 18-year coma from 1988 to 2006) I can’t help but objectively wonder what precedents the MSCHE referred to justifying automatic revocation if another spat takes place?
February 27th, 2009 at 9:11 pm
There had been no precedent of an university community engaging a protest, twice in a row, rejecting the presidential appointments by the BoT. In other words, Gallaudet is the first university to do that.
February 27th, 2009 at 9:25 pm
I am really not sure that MSCHE actually said Gallaudet would lose its accreditation if there was another protest. Accreditation focuses on the quality of the educational programming, etc. It was partly a coincidence that MCSHE was in the process of reviewing Gallaudet’s accreditation when the UFG protest happened, and that brought their attention to the problems with educational programming, etc that led them to put the University on probation. I suspect that the story that MSCHE would revoke Gallaudet’s accreditation if there was another protest is just a threat that some people invented or thought would happen, but is not necessarily true.
That being said, I do hope that there is not another protest. It will not look good for Gallaudet, no matter what. But I hope the Board really has figured out how to “get it right” this time so that there will not be a protest.
February 28th, 2009 at 2:26 am
Perhaps I could’ve phrased my question better.
What if the overall Harvard community had a row protesting a whooping three consecutive presidential selections would they even be threatened with loss of accreditation? I don’t think so. This was a basis of my question here in regards to precedent.
Don’t forget that Gallaudet’s first deaf president referred to Gallaudet as the Harvard and Prince George’s (Community College) of post-secondary deaf education. I’m not sure of the word-for-word accuracy of his remark but you get the picture.
February 28th, 2009 at 7:13 am
Robert, I don’t know. Why is Gallaudet being treated this way? A good question.
Don G, MSCHE had made very strong words to BoT and I remember the tone from MSCHE indicating serious business. I will need to find the statement made by MSCHE. The accreditation process not only involved the educational programming, but also the poor social climate on campus, which MSCHE also addressed during the probation.
February 28th, 2009 at 12:37 pm
I’d hate to bring up her name here ….but what if Jane Fernandes decides to appear on the radar again?
March 19th, 2009 at 6:07 pm
Below is what I submitted to GallyNet-L recently waiting for the moderator’s approval. As stated below, I am posting the below here as well.
Date: Thu, 19 Mar 2009 21:52:05 -0400
Subject: My inquiry on ASL and PSAC’s response
From: Joseph Pietro Riolo
To: gallynet-l@gallynet.org
Below are two email that I want to release to the forum GallyNet-L (waiting for the moderator’s approval) and to the comment section of the blog entry at http://www.mishkazena.com/2009/02/27/job-announcement-for-gallaudet-president-timelines-and-psac-town-hall-meeting/ (waiting for the blogger’s approval). I want to convey my apology to the blogger for misspelling the name of the blog Mishka Zena in my inquiry.
My motivation for doing this is to disseminate the information rather than keeping it to myself so that people can become informed as I am. I naturally have my own opinion but do not want to inject it here.
The first email came from me. It starts with “start of my inquiry” and ends with “end of my inquiry” in the single square brackets. The second email came from PSAC (Presidential Search Advisory Committee). It starts with “start of PSAC’s response” and ends with “end of PSAC’s response” in the single square brackets. It came with an attached Microsoft Word document. I copied the entirety of the document to here. The document starts with “start of PSAC’s document” and ends with “end of PSAC’s document” in the double square brackets. Some formatting is lost or changed due the difference between Microsoft Word document and plain ASCII.
To maintain the courtesy, I strongly recommend that anyone who wants to distribute PSAC’s response outside of GallyNet-L and Mishka Zena should ask Chairperson James Macfadden for permission. Or, they can wait until the question and answer are posted at PSAC’s website. Anyone is free to distribute my inquiry, if they are ever interested in it.
As requested by Chairperson Macfadden, the URL address of PSAC’s website is:
http://psac.gallaudet.edu/
and PSAC’s email address is:
psac@gallaudet.edu
Joseph Pietro Riolo
josephpietrojeungriolo@gmail.com
[start of my inquiry]
Date: Sun, 1 Mar 2009 10:30:25 -0500
Subject: Inconsistency between two documents in respect to fluency in ASL
From: Joseph Pietro Riolo
To: psac@gallaudet.edu
Dear Chairperson Macfadden,
After reading the documents titled “PSAC Advertisement of the position” and “Profile of the position of President” that became available on PSAC=92s website recently, I have two sets of questions relating to American Sign Language (ASL).
There is a bit of inconsistency between two documents. The advertisement emphasized on the expectation that candidates have fluency in ASL. However, the last statement of the second paragraph on page 11 of the profile gave the impression that it is possible for a candidate to possess many qualifications and attributes but lacks fluency in ASL. In other words, is it permissible that a candidate is not required to have the fluency in ASL as long as he or she possesses many of the other qualifications and attributes? Or, is the profile supposed to imply that each candidate must have fluency in ASL at the minimum, to be consistent with the rest of the document of the profile and the advertisement? Will the committee reject the candidates outright who do not have fluency in ASL?
Other set of questions relates to the fluency in ASL. How does your committee measure the fluency that a candidate has in ASL? Is there minimal level of fluency that each candidate must meet or exceed? If so, what is the minimal level of fluency? Will the candidates with high fluency in ASL be favored over the candidates with less fluency in ASL even though all of them satisfy or exceed the minimal level of fluency?
I would like to make your response available on blogs such as Misha Zena and forums such as GallyNet-L. May I have your permission to post the entirety of your response on these places? If it is declined, I will post only a summary of your response on these places.
Sincerely,
Joseph Pietro Riolo
josephpietrojeungriolo@gmail.com
[end of my inquiry]
[start of PSAC's response]
Date: Thu, 19 Mar 2009 10:39:22 -0400
Subject: Response to your inquiry
From: Presidential Search psac
To: josephpietrojeungriolo@gmail.com
Hello: Thanks so much for your patience. Attached is the response to your inquiry about ASL fluency. Your question and our response will be added to the FAQ section of the PSAC web page, psac.gallaudet.edu. *Please publish our response in its entirety* and our *URL address and email
address*also. Comments are welcome and should be sent to psac@gallaudet.edu.
Sincerely,
Jim Macfadden
[[start of PSAC's document]]
We respond to all inquiries received on our PSAC email account. Appropriate inquiries and the responses are summarized on our web page under FAQ (frequently asked questions.) On our web page we also try to address some common questions and misconceptions by providing clarification on our vlogs. Your question and our response will be placed on the web page. We encourage everyone to visit the site, psac.gallaudet.edu, often to get accurate information on the presidential search.
My response to your questions is in two parts, intended to address the two basic tenets of your questions:
1. The inconsistency between the position advertisement and the position profile regarding ASL fluency, and
2. How ASL fluency will be measured and graded.
First -
The advertisement is a summary of the profile. It identifies only six of the fifteen position profile qualities. All of the qualities in the advertisement are requirements of our next President. The position profile includes some other qualities and attributes that will be beneficial, but not all would be required. You will also note that some of the qualities in the advertisement impact several qualities in the position profile. ASL fluency is one of those. Without ASL fluency a president would be unable to effectively perform several of the other qualities required/desired.
ASL fluency will be required. Candidates will be rejected who do not have fluency in ASL.
Second -
How will ASL fluency be measured and graded?
The whole issue of defining the level of ASL fluency is clearly an interesting and debatable subject. My understanding is that there is no common standard for measuring ASL fluency. The PSAC has discussed the issue electronically and the topic will be on the agenda at their March meeting. Since there are varying standards for measuring the level of ASL fluency, the PSAC will be looking for a new president who can sign ASL clearly, without needing to use a sign language interpreter. The candidate’s receptive and expressive skills are just as important as their ability to sign. The PSAC will expect the applicant’s signing to be understood by the majority of the Gallaudet community. The campus community will be asked to evaluate all of the finalists’ communication skills when they visit the campus in the fall. The results of these campus evaluations, including the assessment of the candidates’ fluency in ASL, will be given to the Board of Trustees for their consideration in selecting the next president.
We want to thank you again for the opportunity to respond to your questions, your interest in Gallaudet’s future, and in the importance of this process. We feel that this was an important area to discuss in our endeavor to find the best possible person to lead Gallaudet. It is also important for the PSAC to be fully aware of any concerns that others have as the search moves forward.
Thanks again,
Jim Macfadden, PSAC chair
[[end of PSAC's document]]
[end of PSAC's response]