Fast Facts

Location
800 Florida Avenue, NE
Washington, DC 20002-3695
www.gallaudet.edu

Founded
Gallaudet University, the world's only university in which all programs and services are specifically designed to accommodate deaf and hard of hearing students, was founded in 1864 by an Act of Congress, and its charter was signed by President Abraham Lincoln.

Administrative Officers

  • President - Dr. Robert R. Davila
  • Provost - Dr. Stephen Weiner
  • Vice President for Administration and Finance - Paul Kelly
  • Vice President for Institutional Advancement - Cathy Sweet-Windham (interim) 

Academic Affairs Deans and Directors

Programs
Deaf and hard of hearing undergraduate students can choose from more than 40 majors leading to a bachelor of arts or a bachelor of science degree. The University also admits a small number of hearing, degree-seeking undergraduate students--up to 5 percent of an entering class. Undergraduate students also have the option of designing their own majors, called "self-directed majors," in which they select classes from a variety of departments at Gallaudet or take courses offered at 13 other institutions of higher learning that are members of the Consortium of Universities of the Washington Metropolitan Area.

Graduate programs, open to deaf, hard of hearing, and hearing students, include a master of arts or a master of science degree, specialist degree, certificates, and doctoral degrees in a variety of fields involving professional service provision to deaf and hard of hearing people.

Gallaudet University offers exemplary educational programs to deaf and hard of hearing students at all learning levels. The Kendall Demonstration Elementary School (KDES) serves infants and their parents and continues service through the eighth grade. The Model Secondary School for the Deaf (MSSD) offers programs for students in grades nine through 12. Both of these schools are part of the Laurent Clerc National Deaf Education Center, which has a federal mandate to develop and disseminate innovative curriculum, materials, and teaching strategies to schools and programs nationwide.

Technology
Gallaudet is a leader in uses of technology in its academic programs and services. Approximately 90 percent of courses at Gallaudet have an online component and virtually all students take at least one course using the Blackboard online learning system. Such technology integration is double the average of universities nationwide. There is extensive use of video in many courses, including video recordings of classes (examples online at presentations.gallaudet.edu) and a video library (videocatalog.gallaudet.edu). Many student and campus organizations conduct business or share information online through the my.Gallaudet portal. Students are encouraged to bring a computer to campus. Free Microsoft Office and anti-virus software is available.

For students interested in technology careers, majors in graphic arts, digital media, computer science, and computer information systems are available. Students have access to two central computer labs, as well as more than 15 departmental computer labs. Most classrooms are outfitted with computers, projectors, DVD/VCRs, and other technologies. All buildings on campus have wireless network access. In addition, Gallaudet Interpreting Service, a unit of Gallaudet University, is in partnership Sorenson Media to provide state-of-the-art VRS (Video Relay Service) to Gallaudet University and the Washington metropolitan area.

Research
The Gallaudet Research Institute (GRI) strives to fulfill the university's legislated obligation to support and conduct research, and disseminate findings, on topics of concern to deaf people and those who live, work with, and educate them. To this end, GRI aspires to stimulate students, faculty, and staff in pursuit of new knowledge of value to their scholarly growth and to their discipline, by supporting on-campus research and lectures. GRI researchers conduct studies of language and learning processes in American Sign Language and English among deaf people from diverse cultural and educational backgrounds. The GRI continues its long tradition as the preeminent source of demographic and educational data about deaf youth throughout the United States.

Public Service
Last year, Gallaudet served more than 56,000 individuals through conferences, sign language classes, the Office of International Programs and Services, World Deaf Leadership Program, and its regional centers (Flagler College, Florida; Johnson County Community College, Kansas; Kapi'olani Community College, Hawaii; Northern Essex Community College, Massachusetts; and Ohlone College, California). Included in this figure are participants in Summer and Enrichment Programs.

In fulfilling its national mission role via training and technical assistance, information dissemination, and exhibits and performances, the Clerc Center served over 41,000 people and disseminated approximately 300,000 educational products in 2007. In addition, the Clerc Center recorded over 3,200,000 visits to its website last year.

Enrollment
In the fall of 2007, 1,633 undergraduate and graduate students were enrolled: 1,080 undergraduate, 414 graduate, and 139 sign language and professional studies students. International students comprise 7 percent of the student body. Fall 2007 enrollment at the demonstration schools was 128 students at KDES and 218 at MSSD.

Alumni
Gallaudet University has more than 15,000 alumni around the world. The Gallaudet University Alumni Association, organized in 1889, has 53 chapters. According to a survey conducted by the University, 85 percent of the Gallaudet undergraduate students respondents who graduated between September 2004 and August 2005 are either employed or furthering their education; 100 percent of the survey respondents of alumni who graduated with graduate degrees during the same time frame are employed or furthering their education.

Employees
The University and its Clerc Center have 1,077 employees, 44 percent of whom are deaf or hard of hearing. A total of 257 employees are faculty members or teachers.

Communication
Since its inception, Gallaudet University has endorsed direct visual communication among all members of the campus community. Gallaudet promotes an atmosphere in which American Sign Language and English coexist. The University's Sign Communication Statement holds three principles as its guide:

  1. Effective sign communication supports education.
  2. Sign communication will be inclusive, recognizing the individual's communication needs; respectful of each person's sign language style; and flexible so that public discourse is fully accessible to everyone.
  3. Direct sign communication is central to Gallaudet's vision; therefore, training and assessment programs provide the opportunity for everyone on campus to become fluent signers.

Annual *University Tuition and Fees (2008-2009)

UndergraduateGraduate
U.S. Students$ 10,850$ 11,930
International Students**$ 21,700$ 23,860
Room and Board$ 9,340$ 9,340
*No tuition is charged for students at KDES or MSSD.
**Students from developing nations may apply for a reduction in the percent of tuition surcharge.

Funding
Total revenues and other support for FY 2006 were $157,494,866.

Endowment
As of the end of FY 06, the University's endowment was $175,241,415.

Fundraising
Gallaudet welcomes tax-deductible contributions from individuals, businesses, foundations, and organizations in support of University initiatives and priorities, including scholarships, program enhancements and development, and renovation projects. The University embarked on the Campaign for Gallaudet's Future in January 2004 and recently surpassed its $28 million goal by raising $31 million to build the James Lee Sorenson Language and Communication Center and to endow the I. King Jordan Chair in Leadership. For more information about philanthropic support for Gallaudet, including opportunities to make a gift in memory or in honor of a loved one, please visit support.gallaudet.edu.

Community Impact
Gallaudet is one of the area's largest businesses, with direct salaries, wages, and benefits totaling more than $107.1 million in the 2007 fiscal year. The University spent another $51.4 million directly on goods and services. Since 1992, Gallaudet has constructed four buildings, renovated 21 others, and is in the process of building the James Lee Sorenson Language and Communication Center. During FY 2007, Gallaudet spent $12.5 million on campus improvements, including the historic Alumni House renovation, construction of the Language and Communication Center, and various deferred maintenance projects. In 2003, the District of Columbia's Zoning Commission approved Gallaudet's Facilities Master Plan, the University's vision for campus development for 2002 to 2012.

Accreditation
Gallaudet University, MSSD, and KDES are accredited by the Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools. The University's professional preparation programs are accredited by their respective nationally recognized professional associations.

Publications
Gallaudet produces and distributes a broad range of print and audiovisual materials related to the education of deaf people for use inside and outside the classroom, and other issues. The Gallaudet University Press is the world's largest publisher of books related to deaf and hard of hearing people. The campus is kept up-to-date on information about Gallaudet through the student newsletter, The Buff and Blue, and the Office of Public Relations' faculty and staff newsletter, On the Green. Information is also regularly available to the campus community through the Inside Gallaudet and Daily Digest online news services from the Office of Public Relations. All members of the campus, life members of the Gallaudet University Alumni Association, and subscribers receive Gallaudet Today, which the Office of Public Relations publishes. The Clerc Center publishes World Around You, for deaf and hard of hearing teens, and Odyssey magazine, featuring articles related to literacy, family involvement and transition, and the center's collaborative efforts with schools and programs across the country. The University's Office of Enrollment Services publishes the triannual newsletter, Gallaudet University Link, for prospective students; the Gallaudet Research Institute publishes a newsletter entitled Research at Gallaudet; American Annals of the Deaf, the official publication of the Conference of Educational Administrators of Schools and Programs for the Deaf and the Convention of American Instructors of the Deaf, is housed within the Gallaudet University Press.

Additional Services

  • Information and referrals related to children and youth up to age 21 are provided by the Clerc Center's Office of Public Relations and Publications, (202) 651-5051 (Voice/TTY). Other requests for information about issues related to deaf and hard of hearing people will be responded to by the Gallaudet University Office of Public Relations, (202) 651-5050 (Voice/TTY).
  • The Hearing and Speech Center provides comprehensive speech, language, and audiology services to Gallaudet students, faculty, and staff, and to clients in the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area. These services include hearing and hearing aid evaluations, hearing aid dispensing, assistive devices evaluations, speech-language evaluations and therapy, communication therapy, and speech reading classes.
  • The Cochlear Implant Education Center (CIEC), a unit of the Clerc Center, investigates and evaluates effective practices related to cochlear implant technology and its role in the education and lives of deaf children from birth through high school, especially the role of sign language for children with cochlear implants. The CIEC serves students and families enrolled at KDES and MSSD and provides resource support at the national level. For further information, contact Debra Nussbaum, coordinator, at debra.nussbaum@gallaudet.edu, or (202) 651-5638 (TTY/Voice).
  • The Center for ASL/English Bilingual Education and Research (CAEBER) provides American Sign Language (ASL) Proficiency Interview evaluation, diagnostic assessment, and instruction in ASL to the Gallaudet University community and the general public. CAEBER offers a variety of learning opportunities in addition to the regular ASL course sequence, including special topics courses and tutoring services. Special classes are designed to meet the needs of a specific professional discipline, department, or unit. CAEBER is contracted by agencies, businesses, and other entities at sites throughout the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area for ASL classes, presentations about deaf and hard of hearing people, consultation regarding ASL, and related training workshops. Additionally, CAEBER provides training for professionals in diagnostic assessment of ASL, ASL Proficiency Interview evaluation, and mentoring for non-degree seeking ASL teachers who wish to improve or update their knowledge and skills.
  • The Career Center's mission is to help students reach their career goals by integrating a liberal education with professional experience in the marketplace. The centerpiece of this effort is the internship experience, which provides students with access to a wide range of experiential learning opportunities. Recent internship sites include: Seattle Lighthouse for the Blind, Smithsonian Institution,
    Washington, D.C. Metropolitan Police Department, Toronto Deaf Culture Centre, Washington Capitals, Merrill Lynch, Deaf Reach, National Institutes of Health, and SunTrust Banks. Career Center services include individual career and job search advising, on-campus recruiting, job fairs, and a career resource library. The Career Center educates and empowers students to practice lifelong career management skills and achieve success in the professional world.
  • Gallaudet offers a wide variety of academic and student services designed to meet the needs of students and deaf and hard of hearing youth. Examples include: the First Year Experience program, which prepares students for the responsibilities of college life; the Honors Program, which offers an innovative curriculum for the most academically talented students; and Mentoring and Minority Academic Support Programs. Multicultural Student Programs and frequent campus initiatives provide extensive cultural events and educational activities for all students. Youth programs for middle school and high school students offer academic and recreational programs, some year-round, but mostly during the summer. They include the Academic Bowl, sports camps, and enrichment classes.
  • The Office of International Programs and Services is the hub of Gallaudet's international focus. It is composed of: the Center for Global Education, the English Language Institute, and International Services. The Center for Global Education assists Gallaudet students, faculty, and professionals by offering them programs to gain new skills or apply their knowledge internationally. Additionally, opportunities abound for visiting students, scholars, researchers, and professionals for short- and long-term programs at Gallaudet. The English Language Institute provides immersion programs in English as a Second Language to international students as well as a few American students. American Sign Language (ASL) and cultural studies courses are also offered, enabling students to gain proficiency in English and ASL in order to qualify for admission to Gallaudet or other U.S. universities, or to enhance their conversational skills. International Services assists international applicants to Gallaudet through the immigration process.
  • The Gallaudet Leadership Institute (GLI) is an entity uniquely qualified to provide deaf and hard of hearing individuals with leadership development programming specifically tailored to their personal and professional needs, and through the University's consortium of regional programs to extend those programs across the nation. The GLI also addresses acute leadership shortages in education and social service professions, including deaf-centric for-profit and non-profit agencies and corporations.
  • The Office of Extended Learning provides professional development courses and training opportunities online, on campus, and on site.

Key Contacts