A year-end message from President Davila

New Year Letter to Gallaudet Community From President Davila

Dear Gallaudet Community,
The semester officially ended December 18, and the University closes the afternoon of December 24 for winter break. As we stand in the midst of holiday celebrations with the New Year just ahead, I would like to take this moment to look back.

The fall of 2009 will always stand out in my mind as a time of change, and of bittersweet farewells. Over the past months, we have understood the need for change, as well as taken actions to begin that change, through the Gallaudet Strategic Plan; the Board of Trustees selected Dr. Alan Hurwitz as the tenth president of Gallaudet, and we continued to fortify our students with great academic and co-curricular experiences. And, of course, you threw some fantastic tributes marking the end of my tenure as president. Donna and I will miss seeing Kendall Green every day, but we come away with a lifetime of memories to savor.

Really, it is you who deserve the tributes. It was the members of this community that came together over these past three years, and the community that made this University soar-and will continue to do so.

With that, I would like to wish all of Gallaudet’s students, faculty, staff, alumni, and friends a warm and joyous holiday season, and the happiest of New Years. When you begin the new semester on January 19, I will be here with you in spirit.

Be well, and keep up the good work in 2010!
Sincerely,

Robert R. Davila
President