University for the Deaf Makes a Comeback

Posted on June 30, 2008
Filed Under News, The Daily Prereq | By Jessica Gross

Last week, the Middle States Commission on Higher Education reaffirmed Gallaudet University’s accreditation, The Chronicle of Higher Education News Blog reports. Gallaudet, located in Washington, D.C. and the country’s only liberal arts university for the deaf, was placed on probation almost a year ago and on warning status in November. After revamping its mission and curriculum, Gallaudet is back.

In January 2007, Gallaudet students protesting a presidential hire shut down the school. The Middle States Commission stepped in soon after and found Gallaudet noncompliant with eight of the commission’s 14 standards - including “leadership” and “integrity,” the Washington Post reported. Fixing your integrity seems like a pretty big deal, so Gallaudet’s self-reformation is impressive, especially since it’s been just a year since the multiple-day shutdown and the ensuing probation.

What’s striking, too, is that there aren’t any other liberal arts schools for the deaf in the country. (The other U.S.-based school for the deaf, RIT’s National Technical Institute for the Deaf, or NTID, is a technical college.) Gallaudet offers deaf-specific services - like speech-language therapy, hearing aid evaluations, and speech reading classes - that liberal arts schools don’t typically provide. Good thing Gallaudet reformed in line with the Middle States Commission’s stipulations, or deaf students would have trouble finding higher education that caters to their needs. Maybe it’s time to open another liberal arts school for the deaf. Just a thought.

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One Response to “University for the Deaf Makes a Comeback”

  1. Lucien on August 25th, 2009 12:08 pm

    Hello

    I am deaf from DRCongo., I need to, contact with you about the studies of university for the deaf.
    it is important true I neeed it.

    I am deaf full from RDcongo.

    The Best
    Lucien BULABULA

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