Gallaudet Way Forward.
The Bison Spirit Remains Strong!
Gallaudet University has transformed the way we work and learn in order to create a safe environment – one that will benefit all of us now and post-pandemic.
We will continue in Phase 1 of the three-phase reopening plan for the Spring 2021 semester.
The health and safety of our students, faculty, staff, and the Washington, D.C. area community remains our highest priority.
Gallaudet University offers a truly unique experience, found nowhere else in the world. Students learn in an unparalleled bilingual environment. None of this changes.
We Are Bison Ready.
Spring 2021 Semester:
Fully Remote
During Spring 2021, Gallaudet will offer virtual (remote) learning for most of its students, and remote work for many of its employees. We plan to increase the number of students on campus and possibly offer a few hybrid courses for students residing on campus. All classroom instruction will be delivered remotely.
Connected Gallaudet – Free iPads Pro and Other Technology Support
Through a partnership with Apple, to create digital solutions for innovative teaching and learning, Connected Gallaudet will provide every enrolled student with a free iPad Pro, Apple Smart Keyboard and Apple Pencil.
Academic Calendar: Key Dates
November 9 – Course Registration begins for Spring 2021 semester for currently enrolled students
November 23-27 – Fall Break *
December 14 – Classes end
December 15 — Study Day
December 16-18 – Final examination period
December 25-January 1 – Winter Break
January 19 – Classes begin
April 5-9 – Spring Break
May 5-7 – Final examination period
May 14 – Commencement (to be held virtually)
* Students leaving campus for Thanksgiving will not be permitted to return to campus
NOTED – key dates might be different for UGRAD and GRAD and those taking 8-week courses
Our Approach. Our Commitment. The Gallaudet Promise.
Our Eight Guiding Principles
We have identified eight principles to guide Gallaudet’s pandemic response and decision-making. These principles mirror the three imperatives of The Gallaudet Promise: Our 2020-2030 Vision: Bilingual Mission, Belonging and Equity, and Innovation for Impact.
Anti-racist. Anti-audist. Free from Oppression.
Our Guiding Principles also reinforce Gallaudet’s commitment to a campus that is anti-racist, anti-audist and free from oppression.
- Cherish each member of our community.
- Focus on your health, safety and well-being.
- Equitably meet each person’s needs.
- Commit to open communication for all.
- Promote language vibrancy and valuing our bilingual community.
- Value innovation, creativity and adaptability.
- Commit to academic continuity and accessibility.
- We are all in this together.
Our Key Decisions
Gallaudet will largely remain in Phase One, which includes remote Instruction and work during the Spring 2021 semester
Moving to Phase Two, a hybrid approach to remote and on-campus activities, will begin in designated operational areas of the university when it is safe to do so. Any on-campus activities will be limited to only on-campus students and/or employees, will generally include 10 people or less, and will adhere to D.C.’s current reopening plan as well as its guidance for colleges and universities.
All on-campus health and safety procedures and protocols will meet or exceed Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) guidelines for college and universities.
We will reflect other, evolving professional guidance. All individuals allowed on campus will be required to adhere to the following physical distance guidelines:
- Maintain at least a distance of six (6) feet between individuals inside buildings and in all public spaces;
- Avoid close contact with other people;
- Use face coverings or face masks on campus any time a person is in the presence of others in public settings or where physical distancing is difficult to maintain (e.g., meeting rooms, laboratories, common indoor workspaces);
- Remain at home, or in a residence hall room, if they have a fever or other symptoms associated with COVID-19; and
- Operate at a maximum of 25% building capacity in office spaces in accordance with the District of Columbia’s Phase Two guidance.
The university will deliver instruction remotely during the Spring 2021 semester.
This decision was made after careful consideration of all possible models for safely and effectively delivering instruction during the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. Nearly all faculty met during the summer with the Faculty Online Training Team (FOTT) to: (1) become more effective and engaging in their remote instruction (with most becoming certified in online instruction); (2) design sign language-vibrant learning experiences for their students; (3) design learning experiences that are multicultural and trauma-informed; and (4) better use Gallaudet’s learning content platform to optimize connecting with students and monitoring student engagement and success. Students will engage in a similar online training program to prepare them to learn and engage remotely.
All students will receive a 15% tuition discount.
Recognizing both the loss of the on-campus experience for students and the impact the global pandemic may have had on many students and their families, Gallaudet has reduced its spring semester tuition by 15 percent for all full-time and part-time students. This includes both U.S. and international students and students in the English Language Institute.
The university is planning to have up to 200 students reside on campus this spring.
Priority will be given to students who have no or unsafe housing situations and who need campus-based support for learning. This increase is pending approval from the District of Columbia.
International Students
Gallaudet continues to uphold its longstanding commitment to support our international students -- who hail from 35 nations -- so that they may fully engage in our spring 2021 learning experiences. On July 14, 2020 the United States government announced that international students may stay in the U.S. for remote learning. This is a reversal of its July 6 statement that international students enrolled at U.S. colleges and universities offering courses 100 percent online must depart the country. (This decision was strongly opposed by many schools, including Gallaudet.) Gallaudet’s international students are free to take courses remotely, regardless of their place of residence.
Student Health Ambassadors for Health and Anti-racism
Gallaudet plans to invite students to apply to be part of a small group who will serve as ambassadors to support both the university’s health and safety response to COVID-19 and its ongoing multi-faceted anti-racism commitment. These students will first work virtually, and once conditions permit, will continue their work on campus. They will serve a key role in creating a healthy, safe, and equitable campus environment and preparing additional students to return to campus when it is safe to do so in 2021. Students who returned to campus will also be learning remotely.
Clerc Center, Gallaudet’s birth-to-21 program, includes the Kendall Demonstration Elementary School (KDES) and the Model Secondary School for the Deaf (MSSD).
Both schools will announce their plans about November 16, with the most likely scenario being they will remain fully online for the spring semester. The Clerc Center will plan to transition to a hybrid instructional model when sufficient health and safety measures are in place.
Gallaudet will continue to monitor the local and national health context.
The university will submit an amended reopening plan when it determines it can safely expand the number of students and/or employees on campus, shift to a hybrid instruction model that includes campus-based classes at the university, or the Clerc Center is prepared to shift to a hybrid or in-person instruction model, and resume on-campus living for MSSD students.
Your support will help us ensure that all our students have a chance to be safe and healthy, and to continue the pursuit of their education.
Remote Support
Transitioning to remote education is a significant adjustment for everyone in our community.
We are committed to providing support.
If you need instructional design services, please contact the Center for Continuing and Online Education (CCOE).
For Faculty
Teach Remotely
For Students
Learning Remotely
For Staff
Work Remotely
For Supervisors
Manage Remotely
