To the Gallaudet Community,
I am very pleased to
present the second edition of the International
E-Newsletter. Many exciting events have taken place during
the past semester and many more are anticipated, and the
International E-Newsletter serves as an entertaining
avenue to keep the community apprised of these
developments.
The Spring 2007 semester
brought with it the annual International Awareness Week (IAW)
celebration, which culminated this year with a special affair,
the 135th anniversary celebration of Gallaudet’s
service to the international Deaf community. The gala dinner
commemorating the anniversary featured live entertainment,
prominent speakers, and an auction to raise funds to enable
more students from around the globe to come and benefit from
the excellent education that Gallaudet has to offer. It was
attended by many members of the international and Deaf
communities, including current students, alumni, distinguished
leaders in the Deaf community, and representatives from
various embassies.
Another important and
exciting development of the semester was the appointment of a
new Provost, Dr. Steve Weiner. We are excited about the
possibilities and opportunities for strengthening Gallaudet’s
international work which Dr. Weiner’s appointment offers.
I am also very excited to
announce the increasing enrollment of students admitted to the
English Language Institute (ELI) program this coming fall. Not
only does this greatly expand the international presence and
representation on campus, but as these students eventually
satisfy the undergraduate admission requirements and advance
to the undergraduate program, this will lead to an overall
enlargement of the number of international students in the
general undergraduate population at Gallaudet.
Lastly, I would like to
thank the OIPS employees and international students who make
this E-Newsletter a reality, with special appreciation to
Brett Best, a remarkably talented writer. Their commitment has
created a wonderful vehicle to enlighten readers about
relevant happenings in the international Deaf community.
Sincerely,
‘Bunmi Aina
Director, OIPS
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