Faculty Prepare to Take Sides on New President

People in the audience shouted "No!" over and over, waving arms in the air and signing.

The meeting ended with people walking out, just as they had when Fernandes's appointment was announced last Monday.

Many students went home for the summer, but protests and meetings continued over the weekend, and people began sending letters to members of Congress asking for intervention. Three trustees serve in Congress.

Several faculty members said they had been told in meetings by administrators to support Fernandes and to try to calm the dissent, suggestions that offended some as heavy-handed and oppressive.

Some have long-standing concerns about academic and recruitment issues. The math department passed a resolution last week asking the board to choose a president who will enhance academic standards at Gallaudet.

Some faculty are worried about the way Fernandes was initially appointed to the provost position -- which sparked no-confidence resolutions from the faculty in 2000 -- and granted tenure, questioning whether official procedures were followed.

And everyone is hoping for a resolution soon.

"This whole situation is a tragedy," professor Marshall Wick said in an e-mail to The Washington Post, "and will become worse if the Board gives in."