From: Office of Public Relations <public.relations@gallaudet.edu>
To: public.relations@gallaudet.edu
Subject: Office of Public Relations - Myths and Facts about the
Selection of Dr. Jane K. Fernandes as Ninth President of Gallaudet
Date: Fri, 5 May 2006 16:34:54 -0400

Signature: Gallaudet University - Public Relations/Visitors Center

Myths and Facts about the Selection of Dr. Jane K. Fernandes as Ninth
President of Gallaudet University

Myth: The Board of Trustees and the Presidential Search Committee did
not consider or include the wishes and advice of the students, faculty,
staff, and alumni in making their decision to choose Dr. Jane K.
Fernandes as the next president of Gallaudet University.
> Fact: The Presidential Search Committee carefully considered and
> weighed all of the wishes and advice of the many constituent groups of
> the University. Each of the three finalists had a two-day schedule of
> meetings with representatives of the constituent groups at which
> members of the community were encouraged to interact with the
> candidates. There were also open forums and receptions for each of the
> finalist candidates so that everyone who was interested could ask
> questions of the candidates, and then file their views about the
> candidates with response forms. The Presidential Search Committee and
> the Board of Trustees were exhaustive in their review of these
> responses, as well as other comments, advice, and suggestions from the
> many people in the Gallaudet community who wished to participate in the
> process. In the end, however, it was the Presidential Search Committee
> and then the Board of Trustees who had the responsibility to select the
> best person to lead Gallaudet into the future. After considering the
> strengths and weakness of each of the finalists, and after also
> carefully considering the comments, advice, and suggestions of many
> people from across the spectrum of the Gallaudet community, the Board
> of Trustees, as the executive governing body of the University, voted
> unanimously to name Dr. Jane K. Fernandes as the ninth president and
> the first deaf woman president of Gallaudet University.  
Myth: The process by which the Board of Trustees and the Presidential
Search Committee evaluated applications and selected semi-finalists and
finalists, and then named Dr. Jane K. Fernandes as president did not
include diverse candidates, and violated equal opportunity rules and
“ best practices.”
> Fact: The Presidential Search Committee, under the leadership of Board
> Member Pamela Holmes, represented the spectrum that constitutes
> Gallaudet. The 17 Committee members included five people of color as
> well as 13 deaf and hard of hearing individuals and four hearing
> individuals, representing a variety of family and educational
> backgrounds. 
>
> Fact: The Presidential Search Committee, after reviewing 24
> applications for the presidency, selected six candidates to be
> interviewed. All of these candidates were deaf, and three were either
> women or people of color. The three finalists were one white woman and
> two white men. As the ninth president of Gallaudet, Dr. Jane K.
> Fernandes will be the first deaf woman president of Gallaudet
> University.
>
> Fact: The Presidential Search Committee ensured that strict equal
> opportunity best practices and guidelines were followed throughout the
> process by utilizing and following the counsel of one of the nation’s
> leading search firms specializing in higher education, Academic Search
> Consultation Service, whose services and expertise included guidance on
> equal opportunity and diversity rules, guidelines, and best practices.
>
> Fact: The process respected diversity and was free of bias, with the
> priority being to identify and select the very best person to lead
> Gallaudet in the future. The Board of Trustees was unanimous in its
> approval of Dr. Jane K. Fernandes as that very best person to be the
> ninth president of Gallaudet University.
Myth: President I. King Jordan intervened in the selection process and
unduly influenced the decision by the Board of Trustees in selecting Dr.
Jane K. Fernandes as the ninth president of Gallaudet.
> Fact: Dr. Jordan was purposely and directly told by the Board of
> Trustees that he could not participate in the selection of the ninth
> president of Gallaudet University. As is the standard practice of a
> search process, however, he was asked to talk to all three of the
> finalist candidates. He was not allowed, however, to communicate or
> otherwise file any information about his position on any of the
> candidates. When he was finally asked to come to meet with the Board of
> Trustees late Sunday afternoon, April 30, the Board told him their
> decision.
>
> Fact: Dr. Jordan was one of five references for Dr. Jane K. Fernandes
> in her application for the presidency. As Dr. Fernandes’ direct
> supervisor for the last 11 years, it would have been very negative and
> conspicuous for him not to be one of her references. He did not write a
> letter of recommendation. He never had a chance to speak to the Board
> of Trustees about Dr. Fernandes or any other candidate and offer his
> views and advice on who should be selected.
>
> Dr. Fernandes’ other references included a sitting college president
> (and former president of another college), a sitting vice president of
> a major university, a Gallaudet faculty member, and a member of the
> Academic Affairs Management Team (AAUA).
Myth: Patricia Kunkle, who is liaison to the Gallaudet Board of Trustees
and who is the executive assistant to President I. King Jordan, had an
undue influence in the selection process, representing Dr. Jordan’s
preference that Dr. Jane K. Fernandes would be selected the next
president.
> Fact: Patricia Kunkle was asked by the Board to serve as assistant to
> the Presidential Search Committee. As a member of the Committee she was
> bound by the same rules of confidentiality that applied to all members
> of the Committee.  She did not talk to Dr. Jordan about the details of
> the search, nor did she convey any of Dr. Jordan’s wishes or
> preferences to the Committee. She has served as the President’s
> executive assistant since 1999 and board liaison since 2003. She has
> demonstrated herself to be a person of integrity and high confidence.