Gallaudet troubles continue

The campus uproar over the appointment of Jane K. Fernandes as the president-elect of Gallaudet University, the historic Washington, DC, college for the deaf, lasted for months and finally ended recently with the decision by the Board of Trustees to dismiss Fernandes and seek someone else for the post.

For many outside the deaf community, the news of student protests over Fernandes -- who apparently favored pushing the school toward a greater emphasis on integration with the hearing community, made possible through the technological miracle of cochlear implants -- may unfortunately be about the only thing they know of the school.

What's worse, the school continues to attract bad news, first with the resignation of John McCain from the board, and then a recent Washington Post article identifying declining academic standards at the school. Point Blank Public Affairs has reportedly been hired to help Gallaudet with its media and public outreach. Interesting to see what might be done to reverse negative perceptions of the school.