Academic Transformation at Gallaudet University

Gallaudet is aligning its academic portfolio and organizational structure with current student enrollment, student needs, workforce opportunities, and long-term financial sustainability.

The goal is to create an academic organization that is more focused, efficient, responsive, and positioned to continue delivering an exceptional educational experience.

This work is part of Gallaudet’s broader institutional transformation and builds on innovation and collaborative work led by faculty and staff over the past several years.

For purposes of the Academic Portfolio Review, an academic credential refers to the degrees, majors, and certificates students can pursue.

The review evaluated these credentials, rather than academic programs, departments, or faculty units more broadly.

Every academic credential was reviewed using institutional and financial data and a common assessment framework.
The review considered multiple measures, including:

• Student enrollment trends
• Student retention and graduation rates
• Student demand
• Credential size
• Employment and career outcomes
• Alignment with Gallaudet’s mission and strategic priorities

Faculty associated with each credential also completed their own assessments and provided qualitative information about their credentials.

No single metric determined a decision or recommendation. Multiple factors were considered together to support thoughtful, evidence-based decision-making.

In addition to the rubric, the University considered the growing impact of artificial intelligence across fields and professions.

Faculty associated with each credential completed assessments using the common review framework and provided information about their credentials.

The Academic Transformation Faculty Workgroup also reviewed the data and assessments, providing an additional faculty perspective on the review.

Faculty will continue to be engaged through established governance processes and implementation planning as the work moves forward.

No.

Decisions have been made about credentials that will be sustained and/or grown with strategic investment and credentials that will undergo transformation.

Credentials identified for closure are recommendations and will proceed through the University’s established review process.

Following completion of the PDRC process, the Board of Trustees is expected to consider recommended degree closures.

The Board does not vote on certificates recommended for closure or on decisions to transform, sustain, or grow other credentials.

The University will communicate final outcomes after Board action and provide additional information about implementation and timelines.

Students currently enrolled in a degree that is ultimately approved for closure will have a pathway to complete their studies through an approved teach-out plan or other appropriate academic arrangements.

Gallaudet is committed to minimizing disruption to students’ academic progress and providing the advising and support they need.

A teach-out plan provides a pathway for students already enrolled in a credential to complete their studies after the credential stops admitting new students.

Teach-out plans will be developed in accordance with applicable accreditation requirements and Faculty Handbook policies.

Yes. Current students will be supported in completing their academic pathways.

Students enrolled in credentials that are ultimately closed will have a pathway to complete their studies through an approved teach-out plan or other appropriate academic arrangements.

There are approximately 66 current students enrolled in degrees recommended for closure. These students should continue with their studies as planned and will have a pathway to complete their degrees through an approved teach-out plan or other appropriate academic arrangements.

No. Credentials recommended for closure will no longer admit new students, including students seeking admission for fall 2027.

Currently enrolled students should continue with their studies as planned.

Prospective students should speak with their Admissions counselor about other Gallaudet credentials and academic pathways that may align with their interests, strengths, and career goals.

Depending on a student’s academic goals, Admissions may also help identify opportunities available through the Consortium of Universities of the Washington Metropolitan Area, which allows eligible Gallaudet students to take courses at participating universities in the Washington, D.C., region.

Transformation will vary by credential and may include:

• Combining with another credential or developing a new credential
• Curriculum redesign, including changes to credits, courses, concentrations, or naming
• Changes in instructional delivery, including online or hybrid options
• Restructuring how related offerings are organized
• Other changes designed to improve student outcomes and long-term sustainability

Specific plans will vary by credential.

Credentials identified to sustain and/or grow have demonstrated strong potential for continued impact or growth.

Strategic investment may include additional support or resources intended to strengthen enrollment, student success, research, partnerships, workforce alignment, innovation, or academic quality.

Yes. Gallaudet will restructure its five academic schools into three.

This restructuring is separate from the decisions and recommendations regarding individual academic credentials.

The current structure reflects a larger and more administratively complex institution than Gallaudet’s present enrollment and staffing require.

The three-school structure is intended to simplify academic administration, encourage collaboration across disciplines, improve operational efficiency, better align leadership with the University’s current size and needs, and direct more resources toward student success.

The names of the three schools have not yet been determined.

The new structure will begin taking shape during fall 2026, and additional information about school names, organization, and transition will be shared as decisions are made.

Faculty in each of the three new schools will elect a School Director through the University Faculty’s regular election process.

As part of the new organizational structure, Program Director and Program Coordinator roles for credentials that are not accredited will be discontinued.

Additional information about responsibilities and transition planning will be shared with affected faculty and staff.

The September 2026 announcement focuses on academic credential decisions and recommendations and the restructuring of the academic schools.

Any personnel decisions that result from implementation planning will follow established University policies and applicable agreements. Individuals affected by future decisions will be informed directly.

Per the Faculty Handbook, faculty associated with a discontinued credential may have opportunities for reassignment. Gallaudet is committed to working with affected individuals through that process.

Student retention depends both on supporting students throughout their Gallaudet experience and on providing a strong academic experience with clear pathways toward degree completion and future opportunities.

Earlier this summer, the Board of Trustees approved a five-point student retention framework focused on measurable indicators of student persistence and success.

The Academic Portfolio Review and school restructuring complement that work by aligning academic credentials, faculty expertise, and University resources to better support students and their pathways toward graduation and future opportunities.

Shared governance is fundamental to Gallaudet’s academic decision-making.

Faculty and staff will continue to engage through established governance processes, school leadership, and ongoing opportunities for dialogue throughout implementation.

Questions may be submitted to academic.transformation@gallaudet.edu.

Additional updates will be posted as implementation plans develop and as credentials recommended for closure move through the applicable review processes.