In 1988, members of the American deaf community protested the appointment of a hearing person as the president of Gallaudet University, the world's only university for deaf and hard of hearing students. After a week of protest, the university's board of trustees capitulated and bowed to all the protester's demands. As the protesters engaged in a…

A hallmark and first of its kind, The Journal of Negro Education (JNE) was conceived to be a haven for scholars and researchers producing scholarship related to the education of Black people. The following article illuminates a deeper historical context of the founding of The Journal, focusing on the institutional context of Howard University in…

International branch campuses (IBCs) are ventures in higher education that continue to make a global footprint in the delivery of higher education transnationally. However, there is limited knowledge on the intentionality of key leaders about whether to replicate the campus culture of home institutions at their respective IBCs. The purpose of this…

Former Gallaudet presidents: I. King Jordan and Robert Davila join current president T. Alan Hurwitz on a panel moderated by Brian H. Greenwald as they share their experience leading this institution of higher education and offer insight into the transformative changes brought about by the "Deaf President Now" movement.

"Deaf President Now," or DPN, should be viewed as a process, not as a single event. The forces that led to the installation of the first deaf president at Gallaudet were set in motion long before 1988, and they continued to be significant through the protests of 2006. Among the many changes wrought by the 1988 DPN movement is a…

This article traces the development of the "Deaf President Now" (DPN) movement and its similarities to the black civil rights movement. Movements typically begin with a concrete, precipitating event but are usually the result of known or shared incidents on the part of the participants, and the "Deaf President Now" movement…

In a time of transformation in higher education, "Leading Change: How Boards and Presidents Build Exceptional Institutions" fills a significant void in leadership literature and focuses on the changing level of board engagement. This book examines 18 institutions, across the spectrum of higher education, at which the board played a…

Well in advance of its official release, the education film "Waiting For Superman" has attracted a level of attention that could make it one of the year's most-watched documentaries--and one of the most controversial among educators, some of whom question its depictions of the American school system and how to improve it. Made by…

Events leading to the selection of Jane Fernandes as Gallaudet University's ninth president in May 2006 are described, as are protest-related activities that occurred subsequent to her selection. An explanation of these activities is offered, and some comparisons with the Deaf President Now protest of 1988 are made. (Contains 10 notes.)

In times of economic uncertainty, community colleges have consistently turned to the experience of past generations as an avenue toward innovation and the modernization of their programs and services. Community colleges have been able to continuously reinvent themselves to serve the ever-changing needs of society. With President Obama's increased…

The University of the District of Columbia's problems are so deep and longstanding that some people thought it would take a rocket scientist to figure them out. So a year ago, its board of trustees appointed as president Dr. Allen Sessoms, the former Delaware State University president and Yale University-trained physicist who spent years sniffing…

The study examined the use of computer-mediated communication (CMC) among individuals involved in a conflict sparked by the appointment of an administrator as president-designate of Gallaudet University in 2006. CMC was defined to comprise forms of communication used for transmitting (sharing) information through networks with digital devices.…

Recent catastrophes have brought about numerous critiques and changes to campus communications. In this article, the author shares the lessons she has learned from the crises she experienced during her 18 years of being the president of Trinity (Washington) University. Furthermore, Joan Hinde Stewart, president of Hamilton College, adds her…

Financial misdeeds, athletics scandals, and votes of "no confidence." How does a president escape all of these and hold office for the long haul? And "why" does one serve for an extensive term? In this article, the author explores these questions as he looks back on his long tenure at The George Washington University. He…

In this article, the author explains that the distinction between leaders and managers is a false one: leaders must manage their personnel and resources, and managers need to lead the people who work for them. He describes the ways in which this is true for a university president, sharing his personal experiences as the president of George…