Gallaudet was never meant to be all things to all people. But it was founded to be one thing: a university where Deaf people can pursue a full education, in our own language and culture. This mission is not aspirational. It is federally mandated.1
Last week, the Gallaudet administration announced it would suspend admissions to several majors, including Mathematics, History, Spanish, and Art & Media Design. We, the Gallaudet chapter of the American Association of University Professors (AAUP), are deeply concerned about both the decision and how it was unilaterally carried out by the administration.
1. Gallaudet’s mission is not to narrow Deaf futures.
Our federal mandate is to serve as “a national demonstration and dissemination center for education of persons who are deaf and hard of hearing.”1 This means preparing Deaf students for full lives and leadership—not just chasing market trends. A strong education includes not only high-demand fields but also subjects that are the foundation of liberal arts, like math, history, languages, and the arts. These are the building blocks for careers in teaching, research, leadership, and policy.
2. If student enrollment is a crisis, why shrink student opportunity?
The administration calls declining enrollment an urgent challenge—yet suspending core programs sends the wrong message. It signals retreat and creates uncertainty. It gives prospective students one more reason to look elsewhere, at a time when we should be showcasing the range and richness of a Gallaudet education.
The result? Confusion, concern, and a loss of confidence across the Deaf community. If prospective Deaf students can’t declare majors in math, history, language, and the arts here, where are they supposed to go?
3. Process and integrity matter.
There is no policy in the Faculty Handbook that allows for suspending academic majors. The Handbook outlines a clear process for discontinuing a program—but not for suspensions.2 Yet when a major is suspended, the result is the same: prospective students can no longer enroll.
The Faculty Handbook gives faculty – not administration – primary responsibility over curriculum, which is expected in a shared governance system at an accredited institution.3,4,5,6 Ending a major requires faculty approval, strong evidence, and a formal recommendation to the Board. The administration has bypassed all of this—violating not just shared governance, but arguably also our binding employment contract.7,8,9
In addition, our AAUP chapter has received reports that some faculty members were reassigned to new duties without negotiation- with the ultimatum of either accepting the reassignment within two weeks or resigning. That’s a violation of both contract and due process.7,10
What’s next?
We don’t oppose change—we’re educators; we embrace it. What we oppose is change made in secret, without fairness or community input.
If Gallaudet’s mission still matters to you, speak up. Share what a full, broad education means—through a message, conversation, video, or social media post. Contact the university directly: Office of the President.
Now is the time to be visible, connect with others, and reaffirm what Gallaudet must stand for.
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The American Association of University Professors (AAUP) defends academic freedom, promotes shared governance, and advances the economic security of faculty. The Gallaudet AAUP chapter is a member of Local 6741 of the American Federation of Teachers (AFT), AFL-CIO.
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- Education of the Deaf Act, 20 U.S.C. § 4301(b)(3).
This section states that Gallaudet must provide a bilingual (English and ASL) learning environment to support the intellectual and professional advancement of deaf and hard of hearing individuals. ↩︎ - Gallaudet University Faculty Handbook, § 6.6, “Program Discontinuance Review Committee (PDRC).”
This section outlines the evidence-based, faculty-led steps required for academic program discontinuance. At other universities we’ve researched, a PDRC process is also used for program suspensions, since the impact is largely the same. ↩︎ - Gallaudet University Faculty Handbook, § 2.1, “Role of the Faculty.”
This section emphasizes that faculty have the primary responsibility for establishing the curriculum. ↩︎ - Middle States Commission on Higher Education. Standards for Accreditation and Requirements of Affiliation, 14th ed., 2023. Standard VII: Governance, Leadership, and Administration. https://www.msche.org/standards/.
This standard affirms that institutions must have a governance structure that includes the participation of faculty, staff, and students in decision-making processes, supporting shared governance. ↩︎ - Middle States Commission on Higher Education. Standards for Accreditation and Requirements of Affiliation, 14th ed., 2023. Standard III: Design and Delivery of the Student Learning Experience. https://www.msche.org/standards/.
This standard makes clear that faculty are responsible for overseeing the quality of curriculum, instruction, and student learning assessment, affirming their central role in academic oversight. ↩︎ - American Association of University Professors, American Council on Education, and Association of Governing Boards of Universities and Colleges. Statement on Government of Colleges and Universities, 1966. Washington, DC. https://www.aaup.org/report/statement-government-colleges-and-universities
This joint statement outlines principles of shared governance, affirming the faculty’s primary role in academic decisions and the collaborative role of administrators and boards. ↩︎ - Dantley v. Howard University, 801 A.2d 962 (D.C. 2002).
In this case, the D.C. Court of Appeals ruled that university policies cannot be ignored or bypassed by administrators at will, reinforcing the contractual nature of faculty handbooks. ↩︎ - American Association of University Professors. Recommended Institutional Regulations on Academic Freedom and Tenure. Washington, DC: AAUP, 2022. https://www.aaup.org/report/recommended-institutional-regulations-academic-freedom-and-tenure, Regulation 4c.
Regulation 4c states that even in cases of financial stress, decisions impacting faculty roles—such as program suspensions or reassignments—must be made with meaningful faculty participation. While no faculty were terminated, the administration’s bypass of established shared governance channels violated the spirit and letter of this regulation. ↩︎ - American Association of University Professors. Recommended Institutional Regulations on Academic Freedom and Tenure. Washington, DC: AAUP, 2022. https://www.aaup.org/report/recommended-institutional-regulations-academic-freedom-and-tenure, Regulation 4d.
Regulation 4d specifies that program discontinuance for educational reasons must result from formal planning processes in which the faculty play a primary role. The administration’s unilateral suspension of majors and reassignment of faculty—without formal faculty consultation—contradicts this standard and undermines due process. ↩︎ - Gallaudet University Faculty Handbook, § 6.6.2, “Reassignment of Faculty Members.”
This section prescribes collaborative planning, instructional appropriateness, and advance notice when reassigning faculty members. These requirements were not followed in the current situation. ↩︎
Gallaudet AAUP 