On August 17, 2023, Dr. Howard Bunsis, an expert in university finances, presented his findings from a forensic audit of Gallaudet using publicly available data. His webinar presentation and report are available on our website and have been downloaded 1,400+ times. The audit showed that Gallaudet is in strong financial shape, contrary to the administration’s false narrative for more than a decade. The audit provided clear evidence that Gallaudet’s investment in academics and faculty salaries have declined while spending on administrative salaries has surged. Concerningly, the audit also revealed that Gallaudet spends $30-40 million every year on unspecified consultants. Altogether, and through multiple lines of evidence, Dr. Bunsis’s audit exposed a misalignment of priorities that neglect education and the student experience. To honor its mission, vision, and The Gallaudet Promise, our AAUP chapter asks the university to trim administration, reinvest in academics, and improve its transparency and accountability to the communities it serves.
During his webinar and in his report, Dr. Bunsis demonstrated Gallaudet University’s robust financial standing, dispelling any notion of financial crisis (Slides 26, 34, and 38). His findings contradict the administration’s narrative of fiscal difficulty, which was used to justify suppressing faculty and staff salaries and closing academic programs. Moreover, the audit revealed that just 9.8% of Gallaudet’s revenue comes from tuition, while 71% comes from federal appropriations, debunking the administration’s claim that salary increases can’t occur because of declining enrollment (Slides 40-41, 94).
The audit showed that the peer institutions used by the administration to justify faculty salaries are inappropriate. These institutions differ meaningfully from Gallaudet in student population, degree-granting status, location, affiliation, and financial status. Crucially, none of these “peers” receive large government appropriations similar to Gallaudet (Slides 93-94, 96-98, 100).
Gallaudet spends proportionately more on administration than any of its fifteen self-identified “peer” institutions (Slide 97). Between 2019 and 2022, Gallaudet’s total administrator salary outlay surged by 107%, or $11.3 million (Slides 66, 82-84), while total instructor salaries decreased by 6%, or $4.8 million (Slides 66, 69).
Also alarming is the non-transparent annual spending of $30-40 million on consultants. As a large chunk of Gallaudet’s budget, this amount is as much as a third of the total portion spent on all salaries and approximately 15% to 20% of all expenses (Slides 61-62).
Through multiple paths of evidence, Dr. Bunsis’ audit showed that Gallaudet’s expenditures do not prioritize direct education and the student experience. As a result, the university has not been fulfilling its mission, vision, and The Gallaudet Promise (see Slides 66-67, 69-70). Dr. Bunsis’ findings also mirror the reports that the Gallaudet AAUP has made over the past year.
We care deeply about Gallaudet and the path it is on. Without equitable and fair compensation and regular cost-of-living increases, Gallaudet will continue to struggle to retain its bilingual and difficult-to-replace faculty, resulting in a decline in the student experience. Students will go elsewhere, and Gallaudet will no longer be the flagship institution that the world looks up to for the premier bilingual educational experience for Deaf and hard-of-hearing students. To honor its mission, vision, and The Gallaudet Promise, our AAUP chapter asks that the university trim administration, reinvest in academics, and improve its transparency and accountability to the communities it serves. By doing so, we will build a stronger, more sustainable Gallaudet.
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We encourage all faculty members to join the Gallaudet AAUP today because a strong, united faculty creates a thriving university where students are best served. As of April 2024, we represent 45% of Gallaudet’s faculty. Follow us on Facebook and subscribe to our public listserv.
The American Association of University Professors (AAUP) champions academic freedom, advances shared governance, and organizes for economic security for all academic professionals. All Gallaudet AAUP members belong to Local 6741 of the American Federation of Teachers (AFT), AFL-CIO.
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