TO: Collegiate Faculty
From: U. Sung Chung, Special Assistant to President
RE: Deaf President Now Rally
The idea of a deaf person being named president of this University is exceptionally important to us and to the entire community of people concerned with deafness and education, and in our view, now demands our action. Accordingly, as you may already know, a rally has been planned on Tuesday, March 1 from 12:30 p.m. to 3:00 p.m. to enable Gallaudet's students, faculty and staff to register their belief that the Board can best act in the interests of Gallaudet University by naming a deaf president.
The specific objectives of this rally are to make known our contention that it is high time a deaf individual be designated to lead this institution and to increase public awareness of this view.
We realize that any timing of this event has the potential to disrupt some classes and other preplanned activities and we apologize for any problems that this may cause you. Tuesday afternoon was selected because fewer classes are scheduled at that time than on other days.
It is certainly not our intention to encourage students to cut their classes nor to ask faculty members to excuse those who do. We do hope, however, that as the teachers of the future leaders of the American deaf community, you will understand how significant this event is to all of us. We also hope you will accept the importance of deaf students learning to exercise their duties of citizenship and social responsibility. Thus, we hope you will recognize the rally as a legitimate and necessary activity and will, if you can, join us on Tuesday.