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Gallaudet University

Undergraduate School

Mailing Address
800 Florida Ave NE
Washington, District of Columbia 20002
Phone
(202) 651-5000
School Information
Gallaudet is the only university in the world where students live and learn in American Sign Language (ASL) and English. Here being deaf is not something to overcome, but the place to embrace oneself, build connections within and beyond the signing and deaf community. At Gallaudet our students find affirmative and positive acceptance of who they are and all they have to offer our world. The freedom to communicate easily with everyone around you without barriers will change your life. Learn more about the Bilingual Advantage. Gallaudet University is a world-class institution with a rich history of transformation and impact. For more than 150 years, Gallaudet has been the political, social, and economic engine of the signing community.
General Information
The Division of Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion is currently working to reimagine every aspect of the university as anti-racist and will promote social justice. Gallaudet University appears to have embraced critical theory, critical race theory, and other such philosophies going back several years. See below.

Actions Taken

Admissions Policies
  • In response to the Supreme Court's ruling (6/29/23) on affirmative action, GU states the following: "As stated in the Admissions website, their process for evaluating the admission of students is holistic. The admissions office considers multiple factors, including: academic achievement, test scores, community service, extracurricular activities, personal essays, and letters of recommendation with each application. As you can see from the charts below, the diversity of Gallaudet’s study body continues to grow and the ability to retain students of color is improving. The university remains committed to this work."
  • As part of GU's "First Ever Anti-Racism Commitment," the university would "increase the diversity of our student body, staff, faculty and teachers."
Anti-Racism, Bias, and Diversity Training
  • Gallaudet has announced that it will create bias training for students, faculty, staff, alumni, and administrators by May 2021.
  • Gallaudet offers “Unpacking Bias and Anti-Oppression Training” as part of a certificate program for both undergraduate and graduate students.
  • The Division of Equity, Diversity, and Inclusive Excellence states that it provides "resources, training, EDI coaching and advising that allows our stakeholders to develop stronger intercultural and anti-oppression competency and a sense of shared accountability."
  • GU's Deaf-Centric Institute "aims to produce qualified and credentialed DEI professionals to collaboratively sustain a culture of diversity, equity, and inclusion, belonging, and social justice in deaf diverse communities."
Disciplinary Measures
  • GU outlines its bias incident reporting protocol and states, "If you witnessed or were a target of a bias incident, you can use the reporting form here to make the University aware of the incident(s)."
Faculty/Staff Requirements
  • As part of GU's "First Ever Anti-Racism Commitment," the university would "provide and require additional anti-racism training for staff and faculty."
Political Actions and Support for Anti-Racism
  • GU created an "Anti-Racism Pledge" and asks that community members sign in acknowledgement of the pledge. The pledge reads in part: "I will not participate, encourage, tolerate, or ignore direct or indirect, blatant or inferred, intentional or unintentional acts of discrimination, bias, antagonism, hate or harassment of any sort, under any circumstances."
  • As part of GU's "First Ever Anti-Racism Commitment," the university would "continue to support Black Lives Matter and its 13 Guiding Principles."
Re-Imagining Policing
  • Gallaudet has added the position of Chief Diversity Officer, which will collaborate on a program to reimagine the university's Department of Public Safety.
  • As part of GU's "First Ever Anti-Racism Commitment," the university would "require additional training for the officers at the Department of Public Safety, including training on implicit and explicit bias...." Additionally GU would "ensure that student engagement, especially from student organizations of color, be part of the hiring process for the Department of Public Safety."
Resources
  • The primary and secondary education center is creating an anti-racist Equity Plan.
  • Gallaudet University offers several courses and programs in critical theory, critical race theory, marxism, etc. For instance, the course "Introduction to Cultural Studies" investigates how culture shapes the way people see the world. Students will engage with critical theories, including marxism, feminism, postcolonialism and critical race theory as a means of understanding the intersectionalities of deaf lives.
  • An update was provided regarding "Anti-Racism Progress" in Aprill 2021.
  • In December 2022, Gallaudet will be starting a program to hire "BIPOC DDBDDHH vendors, contractors, and suppliers."
  • Gallaudet’s Division of Equity, Diversity, and Inclusive Excellence offers “resources, training, EDI coaching and advising that allows our stakeholders to develop stronger intercultural and anti-oppression competency and a sense of shared accountability.”
  • Gallaudet’s Department of Communications and Community Engagement is home to “Inclusive Excellence Ambassadors and Inclusive Excellence Student Ambassador programs” and other similar initiatives.
  • Gallaudet’s Intercultural Alliances program “is committed to supporting people in their journey of discovery of their participation (passive and active) in systems of oppression with the aim of creating a more equitable, accessible, and welcoming environment for members of marginalized communities.”
  • Gallaudet’s Turn-a-Page-Together program allows students, faculty, staff, and alumni to collectively “engage in courageous, sustained and transformational intergroup dialogues about books pertaining to culture and diversity.”
  • Gallaudet set a goal to “establish the University-wide Social Justice & Racial Equity Collaborative (SJREC) by fall 2021” and “have the University-wide Social Justice & Racial Equity Collaborative (SJREC) charter in place by winter 2022.”
  • Gallaudet made a goal to “construct and make public a University-wide Anti-Racism policy with calls to action and sanctions by the end of FY 2021.”
  • Gallaudet’s Student Affairs hosts the Multicultural Student Programs which “provides resources and spaces for students of color, LGBTQ+ students, first generation students, and other students from marginalized and underserved backgrounds.”
  • Gallaudet is home to the Student of Color Safe Space, which functions to “provide targeted and direct support for students of color; provide a safe space for students of color to chill, study and decompress; and form collaborative relationships with two critical campus departments and units– Student Success and Academic Quality, and Campus Activities — to provide direct support to students of color.”
Symbolic Actions
  • As part of GU's "First Ever Anti-Racism Commitment," the university would "conduct a thorough review of all campus structures, names, and signs."
Last updated April 13th, 2024
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