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Alpha Stage
A College for the Deaf
October 30, 2006



In an article entitled, “At College for Deaf, Trustees Drop New Leader,”
the New York Times reports that Gallaudet University’s board has
reversed its decision to hire Dr. Jane K. Fernandes as its next president.

Gallaudet University, considered the nation’s premiere university for the
deaf, has attracted national attention over the last month over the board‘s
appointment decision. Students strongly protested Fernandes’
appointment and even took over the college’s administration building at
one point. While protesters claimed that Fernandes lacked sufficient
administrative experience to head the college, her supporters said that
protesters simply did not consider her “deaf enough.”
Read the Article!!


Discussion Starters

  • Ask your students what the following words mean: “deaf,”
    “dumb” and “blind.” After discussing the meanings of these
    words, ask how the world might be different if nobody could
    hear. What if nobody could see?

  • Ask your students if they think it’s important for a deaf child to
    have a deaf teacher? Encourage them to explain their opinions.
    Ask if it’s important for African-American children to have
    African-American teachers, what about Jewish children Jewish
    teachers? What do you think? Why?

  • Though the board at Gallaudet University officially appointed Dr.
    Fernandes to be the institution’s next president they rescinded the
    appointment after a month of protests. Ask your students if they
    think that the board should have rescinded the appointment.
    Encourage them to explain their opinions. What do you think?
    Should the protesters have protested the board’s initial decision?
    Why/why not? What would have given the protesters the right to
    protest? Should the protesters have taken over the college’s
    administration building? Would they ever have the right to take
    over a building on campus?
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