Signs of Discontent
Gallaudet University’s former president-designate, Dr. Jane Fernandes, speaks out about the need for the university to be more inclusive.
By Patricia Valdata

Just days before she was ousted as the incoming president of Gallaudet University, Dr. Jane K. Fernandes talked with Diverse correspondent Patricia Valdata about the double standard imposed on women leaders and the need for Gallaudet to be more inclusive. The premier institution of higher learning for the deaf had been in turmoil since Fernandes was chosen as the incoming president to take office on Jan. 1.  After several demonstrations that closed the university for a few days and lead to the arrests of more than 100 students, the board of trustees rescinded its job offer to Fernandes. The protesting students cheered, some burning a cardboard likeness of Fernandes in effigy. Fernandes had been at Gallaudet since 1995, first as vice president of the Laurent Clerc National Deaf Education Center, which serves deaf children from birth through grade 12, and as provost since 2000. Fernandes, who learned to sign at age 23, chose to sign instead of speak during the interview.
Beth Graham interpreted.

DI: I’ve read what the students are saying about you, and it seems to boil down to the fact that they just don’t like you. How do you feel about being subjected to that kind of feminine stereotyping where a female leader needs to be “warm?”

JF: I don’t think it’s by accident that this has happened to a woman. You know, I would be the first deaf woman president of Gallaudet. That should be a reason to celebrate for deaf people. The other woman president [Elizabeth Zinser], who was a hearing person, lasted five days during the 1988 “Deaf President Now” movement, which ultimately brought King Jordan to his position as the first deaf president of Gallaudet. It seems that there’s a strong campaign just to smear me, although I don’t think the protesters would say that’s the reason. I’m sure that if it were a deaf man, and if he did not say hello to people often or if he was not warm and friendly, then they would say that he’s very businesslike, he’s making important business decisions, and that’s the reason for his behavior. Also I’ve been on our senior leadership team addressing various issues of diversity. For one or two years I’ve been pushing very hard to address racism and audism here at Gallaudet. And I feel that because I have been putting that kind of pressure on and pushing the issue that I’m taking the fallout for it.