Hello and welcome to
On The Green with Alan.
It is the start of a new
academic year at Gallaudet!
Welcome Class of 2016!
Last week I gave my Welcome Back speech
to the campus community.
During that speech I mentioned that over the summer
I spent some time recuperating.
I also used the time to reflect on Gallaudet's future.
I came to the conclusion that enrollment matters
to the future of the university.
The term Enrollment Matters means two things.
Although the word "Matters" is ambiguous in English,
its meaning is conveyed beautifully in ASL.
Enrollment matters... matter.
Enrollment matters is important
because of our fundamental belief in Gallaudet.
We provide our students with the solid foundation
of a quality Liberal Arts education
in a bilingual and fully accessible
learning environment.
Students leave Gallaudet prepared for
successful careers and lives.
We believe that what we do at Gallaudet matters!
And that is why we want to increase enrollment,
to prepare future generations
of deaf and hard of hearing students
to make an impact on the world.
To ensure we make enrollment a top priority,
an Enrollment Management Council
will be established and led by
interim Chief Enrollment Officer Charity Reedy-Hines.
The Council will involve a cross-section of the university.
The Council will develop a university-wide enrollment plan
which reinforces the Gallaudet Strategic Plan.
The Council will establish a timeline and projections
for increasing enrollment.
To support the efforts of the Council,
the Gallaudet University Marketing Committee (GUM)
will transition into a reporting committee.
GUM will be charged with implementing
the Enrollment Management Council's initiatives.
Executive Director of Communications and
Public Relations Cat Murphy
will lead GUM starting this fall.
We are asking the Student Body Government
and the Graduate Student Association
to assist with our enrollment efforts.
Enrollment issues will also be discussed at
University Council meetings.
We ask the entire Gallaudet community
to make enrollment a top priority.
Together, we will accomplish this critical mission.
This year marks the 150th anniversary
of the D.C. Compensated Emancipation Act of 1862
which freed slaves in D.C.
As part of D.C.'s yearlong celebration,
Gallaudet recently hosted D.C. historian and lecturer
Carroll R. Gibbs for a presentation.
Mr. Gibbs discussed how many famous D.C. landmarks
were involved in the city's history of slavery.
He stressed the importance of remembering our city's past
and how the sacrifices of others
led to the freedoms we enjoy today.
On November 13, Gallaudet will host Tim Wise,
a well-known author and lecturer.
That same day, Gallaudet will unveil
an exhibit about Amos Kendall and slavery in D.C.
during the 1830s.
We are also holding an essay, multimedia, and poster contest
for Clerc Center and university students.
An awards ceremony for the contest
will be held on November 13 after Mr. Wise's presentation.
I look forward to all of the upcoming celebratory events
to mark this important time in D.C.'s history.
Election Day, November 6, is coming soon!
Because our students come from all over the country,
Gallaudet is offering
a free service to our community called TurboVote
to register to vote and to request absentee ballots.
You can also sign up for reminders of deadlines,
voting dates, and more.
Thank you for watching On The Green with Alan.
