Updates on the Living, Well-Being, and Belonging Initiative

Community Hubs

This will be an expansion of the Student Experience Project currently led by Associate Dean Carl Pramuk and will consist of a core committee including Campus Activities Program Manager Eyob Zerayesus, SBG President Jehanne McCullough, and GSA President Jacob Salem. The core committee will develop a transparent process in selecting who will participate in the larger committee; the primary goal is to have a group of students who is representative of Gallaudet’s diverse student body.

The charge for the committee is to develop a definition of what a community hub is, identify locations on campus that are potential community hubs, and develop an ideal plan on how to maximize these community hubs through renovation and other improvements of these spaces including but not limited to space function changes and potential entrepreneurship opportunities. The work by this committee will be done in tandem with and complement the Academic/Learning Community Hub efforts being led by the Office of the Provost.

The initial recommendation from the committee is due on April 30, 2018, and the recommendation will also include relative cost/benefit information. The committee will be asked to present to the Executive Team on their recommendations.

Food Security

There is currently a cross-divisional effort to address the critical issue of food insecurity among our students here at Gallaudet. Food insecurity is an issue facing colleges and universities all over the United States. Food insecurity means unable to consistently access or afford adequate food.

Christine Gannon, Director of Health and Wellness Programs, is leading this effort and is working closely with Dr. Tommy Horejes, Associate Provost of Student Success and Academic Quality, and Dr. Elavie Ndura, Chief Diversity Officer.

The ultimate goal of this effort is to eradicate food insecurity among our students through changes in University policies and procedures, reallocation of resources, and development of partnership with governmental agencies, non-profit organizations, and businesses; a part of this effort is the establishment of a food and clothes bank on campus accessible to students.

The initial recommendations and time line for implementation from the food insecurity group is due on April 30, 2018.

This is a long range planning process and we recognize that a number of students are facing food insecurity challenges right now. If you are a student in need of support or resources, please contact Director Christine Gannon. She and the committee will work with you on an individual basis to ensure that your needs are being met.

Persona Non Grata Panel

This was announced on November 30, and the first steps toward a revamped Persona Non Grata (PNG) policy took place in December 2017, when Dr. Ndura and Chief Ted Baran met to discuss the concerns of the community regarding the current PNG policy and how Gallaudet may improve it to make it more transparent and inclusive. The first task, now underway, is collecting the current data of those on PNG then to create a new PNG Panel Team.

The next update from Dr. Ndura and Chief Baran will be about how the members of the Panel Team, who will represent a cross-section of the campus staff and faculty, will be selected. The Panel Team and will be tasked with reviewing current practices, researching other university practices while taking into consideration the unique context of the deaf community and recommending policies and systems to the Executive Team by September 30, 2018.