Gallaudet Students Continue Protests Against New President

When Fernandes's name was announced at a campus conference center, some students cheered and waggled their fingers in the air to applaud, but a few booed, and a steady stream left as she spoke.

She continued on, stressing that she would work to improve relations with students over the next eight months -- the transition period before Jordan steps down -- and that they would get to know a new Jane Fernandes. The role of provost is very different from the role of president, she said afterward.

She said it will be hard to follow Jordan. "I'm more of a quiet leader," she said. "Quiet but effective -- I have a different style."

She said a priority will be forging unity. "Because we have so many different aspects of the deaf community," different ways of communicating, different backgrounds and different priorities, "we need Gallaudet to pull all of these together. I think I can help to do that."

And, she added, "it's important for me to clearly say that I see ASL as the fabric that holds together Gallaudet's diverse community. So Gallaudet will always be a signing university. We will always use visual communication. We will always use that."

Jordan wrote in an e-mail after the announcement that the board had considered a tremendous amount of feedback and would not revisit the decision. He added his own strong endorsement of Fernandes, praising her experience as an administrator and scholar.

At the front gate, students were chanting with their hands and banging on drums. Some held banners that read, "Know Thy Enemy," a slogan that for weeks has been on T-shirts with a picture of Fernandes. A student leader stood high above the crowd, asking them what they wanted to tell the board.

"We want to be heard," he signed. They yelled and jumped as he signed again, forcefully, "We want to be heard!"