PAH!

Unity for Gallaudet!

Statements from Jane Fernandes & I.King Jordan

Statement from I. King Jordan

http://news.gallaudet.edu/?id=9636

Statement from Dr. Jane K. Fernandes

http://news.gallaudet.edu/?id=9635

Office of Public Relations - Gallaudet's Board of Trustees votes to terminate Dr. Jane Fernandes' appointment as president

TO: Campus Community

FROM: Board of Trustees

DATE: October 29, 2006

RE: Board of Trustees Meeting

Today, we announce with much regret and pain that after serious
deliberation in a special, all-day Executive Session of the Board of
Trustees, we have voted to terminate Dr. Fernandes' appointment
as President-Designate (currently effective) and President
(effective beginning January 1, 2007) at Gallaudet University.

We understand the impact of this decision and the important issues that
inherently arise when a Board re-examines decisions in the face of an
on-going protest. The Board believes that it is in the best interests
of the University to terminate Dr. Fernandes from the incoming President's
position. Although undoubtedly there will be some members of the
community who have differing views on the meaning of this decision, we
believe that it is a necessity at this point. The Board is continuing
to meet to discuss transitional issues.

It has certainly been a difficult and trying time for our Gallaudet
community. Now is the time for healing. The hope of the Board of
Trustees is for our beloved community to come together to work for a
stronger and better Gallaudet.

On Reprisals
The Board of Trustees respects the right of people to express their views in a peaceful manner. However, individuals who violated the law and Gallaudet University's Code of Conduct will be held accountable. We expect the University to honor its long tradition of respect for each other and property and to return to normal.
Posted: 30 Oct 2006

http://news.gallaudet.edu/?id=9633

Inspirational Speeches at the Press Conference

Courtesy of DawnSignPress

Yerker Andersson
Bobbie Beth Scoggins
Andy Lange
Allen Sussman
Frank Turk
Hank Klopping
Two Parents and Wilton McMillan

http://www.joeybaer.com/

Wisconsin Gallaudet University Alumni Association letter

Dear Pam Holmes and L. Richard Kinney,

The members of the Wisconsin Gallaudet University Alumni Association and concerned members of Wisconsin Deaf community want to send you this letter for you to consider carefully before attending the Board meeting reported to be scheduled on October 29th at Gallaudet University. We are uniquely proud and grateful to have two members of Gallaudet Board of Trustees hail from our beloved state of Wisconsin. We are gratified to have comparably outsized representation from our small state of Wisconsin on Gallaudet Board of Trustees. However, this also present us with a burden of making sure that you represent the interests of all constitutencies of Gallaudet University including a contingent of Gallaudet alumni from Wisconsin.

As you may be aware, the demands of the Wisconsin Gallaudet alumni have been agreed upon during the October 13th tent city meeting at the Southern Lakes Association of the Deaf clubhouse in Delavan and distributed. The demands are as follows:

1. The Board of Trustee must re-open the presidential search process. Should paying off Dr. Jane Fernandes be required as per the contract that the Board of Trustee offered Jane Fernandes upon her selection as the 9th president of Gallaudet University, this option should be exercised for the greater good of the Gallaudet and the Deaf community.

2. The Board of Trustee must ensure that there are no reprisals against any members of the Faculty, Staff, Student, and Alumni (FSSA) coalition by the administration at Gallaudet University. The Board of Trustee must intervene should any reprisals occur against any members of the FSSA coalition.

3. To ensure that the Board of Trustee is responsive to the concerns of the Gallaudet community, 51% of the Board of Trustee must consist of Deaf Gallaudet alumni.

4. Board of Trustee must be actively involved in the affairs of the Gallaudet community with the full intent of learning, understanding and appreciating the complexities of issues that are fanning the flames of this conflict and of acting in a very strong and proactive manner to douse those flames.

The reasonings behind those demands cannot be boiled down to a paragraph or two. It is recommended that you peruse the attached article written by Dr. Robert Johnson, a member of faculty at Gallaudet University. The article lists some reasons that undergird our demands as outlined above. The fact that Gallaudet University has descended ever deeper into crisis with no end in sight is an excellent reason unto itself for the four demands.

We are asking that you keep those demands in mind when representing the Gallaudet alumni from our beloved state of Wisconsin and all other constitutencies of Gallaudet University. The constitutencies that you should consider and listen to are many and varied. Great majority of those constitutencies world-wide has announced their backing of the Faculty, Staff, Students and Alumni (FSSA) coalition's two demands. Some including those from Wisconsin have more demands than those of FSSA's. Those should also be considered as well.

We understand that FSSA is not a sanctioned group at Gallaudet. You should consider FSSA to be an umbrella coalition under which numerous organizations and people have decided to affliate themselves with through the submission of countless resolutions and open letters such as that submitted from the Wisconsin Gallaudet alumni. This should not stop you from considering demands from a multitude of organizations and people within the Deaf community world-wide. Ignoring FSSA and all organizations and people affliated with it will not help you as a member of Gallaudet Board of Trustee resolve the crisis at Gallaudet University at all. It simply is not possible. Ignoring FSSA and their demands simply because it is not a sanctioned group is indefensible and foolhardy.

We are also concerned that you might not receive all information from the world-wide Deaf community expressing their displeasure at the crisis at Gallaudet University and their almost universal agreement with FSSA's two demands as a way to resolve the crisis at Gallaudet University. We strongly recommend that you read all letters of resolutions and open letters from all over the world at www.gufssa.com We have some serious concerns on whether the President's office is sieving the information that you are receiving about the crisis leading us to believe that the information that you are getting downplay the magnitude of the crisis.

Please understand that the Wisconsin Gallaudet alumni and concerned Deaf community members are supportive of you and your efforts to best serve Gallaudet University. We are watching you with anticipation of successful resolution of the stalemate at Gallaudet University. We believe the successful resolution is best achieved by meeting our four demands. Any other ways short of this may not result in any resolution and may actually worsen the situation further. People have been harmed physically, mentally and emotionally by the whole situation. It is best that you resolve the situation post haste at this emergency meeting in order to begin the healing process sorely needed within the Gallaudet community. Failure to resolve the stalemate at this meeting may result serious and unexpected consequences that may hurt all of us.

We also understand that not every one may be at the meeting due to travels and other prior commitments. Do not let this stop you from doing your fiduciary job to Gallaudet University and resolve this at once. Do not sit back and wait for certain members of Board of Trustees to be present to advocate for the right solution to this serious stalemate.

Many thanks for carefully considering the messages within this letter and acting on those.

Submitted by Wisconsin Gallaudet Alumni and concerned Deaf community members.

The Fate of Future Gallaudet Is In Your Hands

October 27, 2006

Gallaudet University Board of Trustees,

Never in the history of Deaf America in the eyes of the American deaf
community and national organizations as well international deaf community
are deeply disturbed, dismayed and even petrified by the ongoing and
escalating crisis at Gallaudet. Dr Jane Fernandes has clearly exhibited
her case repeatedly on her embarrassing incompetence in handling Gallaudet
University crisis by using “intimidating” management style and has
continued to damage the public image of Gallaudet University further.

This must stop NOW. I strongly support the demands of the Faculty
Student Staff and Alumni (FSSA) that Jane K. Fernandes must resign or be
removed from the office immediately. Obviously Jane will not resign on
her own. Therefore you are our only hope. It is you who can make vital
decision by FORCING her to resign in order to preserve the finest and
prestigious Gallaudet University. The outcome of damages including legal
recourse will be much greater if we keep Dr. Jane Fernandes as the
President of Gallaudet.

I can not stress this enough and beg you to scrutinize your integrity
further and wisdom deeper in order to protect the education and the future
of Gallaudet University. By doing so, please take appropriate and
necessary action by forcing Dr. Jane Fernandes to resign immediately.

Jack R. Cassell, ’75 Madison Wisconsin

An open letter from Robert E. Johnson, Ph.D.

http://www.deafbison.net/BPN/Dr%20Johnson%20Note%20to%20Colleagues.pdf

WAD Board Position Letter: Gallaudet Crisis

http://www.wi-deaf.org/images/documents/wad_letter_to_gallaudet.pdf

A letter from Pam Holmes

Pam Holmes wrote:
Dear concerned Wisconsin deaf community member,

The Board is already coordinating a special meeting to take place in the time frame you have noted. We will discuss the serious matters at hand.
Please be aware that pressures and protests against Board members will not help matters in any way. These type of actions will only alienate and disrupt the good efforts of those of us who are trying to think clearly and wisely in bringing about a positive resolution. We clearly recognize the seriousness of the circumstances. Surely you will agree the current circumstance is very complex.
Thank you for sharing our mutual concern in the matters Gallaudet now faces. Those who know me well, know that I am finding the circumstances as troubling as you do.
Sincerely,
Pam Holmes
'74

Videos made by a Wis Gally student, Frank Germinaro Jr.

Hello! Do you want to see videos of the Gallaudet protest march to the Capitol? This video is made by a Wisconsin Gallaudet student, Frank Germinaro Jr.

http://www.xanga.com/Frank_Sandra

Enjoy!

A message from Ms. Garcia

FYI- you may share this news to Wisconsin ppl or I can add comments on Wisc's blog-

today at noon, I will meet a Senator from Wisconsin, Davey Obey to discuss issues about Gallaudet for
15-30 mins along with 5 other students who will speak with a senator
from their state.. I will respectfully request that he give a public
letter or statement to strongly urge our BOT to resolve this crisis and
we deeply hope he will continue to support Gallaudtet Univ regardless of
the outcome of this current crisis.

Currently, BOT are divided. This is the second time that BOT urged Jane
to consider rather she should remain as the 9th president with her
family.

Ms. Garcia

Gallaudet Trustees Split on Fernandes

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/10/18/AR2006101802035.html