Department of Education

GALLAUDET UNIVERSITY

Fiscal Year 2016 Budget Request

CONTENTS

Page

Appropriations Language ....................................................................................................... M-1

Analysis of Language Provisions and Changes...................................................................... M-2

Appropriation, Adjustments and Transfers ............................................................................. M-3

Authorizing Legislation........................................................................................................... M-4

Appropriations History............................................................................................................ M-5

Activity:

Gallaudet University ...................................................................................................... M-6
GALLAUDET UNIVERSITY

Appropriations Language

 For the Kendall Demonstration Elementary School, the Model Secondary School for the 

Deaf, and the partial support of Gallaudet University under titles I and II of the Education of the 

Deaf Act of 1986, $120,275,000: Provided, That from the total amount available, the University 

may at its discretion use funds for the endowment program as authorized under section 207 of 

such Act.

1

 (Department of Education Appropriations Act, 2015.)

NOTE

Each language provision that is followed by a footnote reference is explained in the Analysis of Language 

Provisions and Changes document which follows the appropriation language.

M-1
GALLAUDET UNIVERSITY

Analysis of Language Provisions and Changes

Language Provision Explanation

1

... Provided, That from the total amount 

available, the University may at its 

discretion use funds for the endowment 

program as authorized under section 207 

of such Act.

This language provides authority for the 

University to use funds from the general 

appropriation for the Endowment Grant 

program.

M-2
GALLAUDET UNIVERSITY

Appropriation, Adjustments and Transfers

(dollars in thousands)

Appropriation/Adjustments/Transfers 2014 2015 2016

Discretionary:

Discretionar y budget authority: Appropriation .......................................................... $119,000 $120,275 $120,275

M-3
GALLAUDET UNIVERSITY

M-4

Authorizing Legislation

(dollars in thousands)

Activity

2015 

Authorized

2015 

Estimate

footnote

2016 

Authorized

2016 

Request

footnote

University programs (EDA l-A) Indefinite $120,275 To be determined1 $120,275

Elementary and Secondary Education programs (EDA I-A) Indefinite ---2 To be determined1 ---2

Construction (EDA l-103) Indefinite 0 To be determined1 0

Endowment grant (EDA ll-207) Indefinite ---2 To be determined1 ---2

Monitoring, evaluation, and reporting (EDA II-205) Indefinite 0 To be determined1 0

Total definite authorization 0 0

Total appropriation 120,275 120,275

Portion of the request subject to reauthorization 120,275

1

The The GEPA extension expires September 30, 2015. Reauthorizing legislation is sought for fiscal year 2016.

2

Funding for the Elementary and Secondary Education programs and Endowment Grant program is provided together with funding for operations 

through a single appropriations amount. The University determines the split between the University programs, Elementary and Secondary Education 

programs, and the Endowment Grant program. 
GALLAUDET UNIVERSITY

Appropriations History 

(dollars in thousands)

Year

Budget 

Estimate 

to Congress

House 

Allowance Foot

-

note

Senate 

Allowance Foot

-

note Appropriation Foot

-

note

2007 $107,598 N/A 1 N/A 1 $106,998 1

2008 106,998 $109,952 $111,000 113,384

2009 119,384 119,384 2 124,000 2 124,000

2010 120,000 120,000 126,000 3 123,000

2011 118,000 123,000 4 128,000 3 122,754 5

2012 118,000 122,754 6 125,754 6 125,516

2013 117,541 125,516 7 125,000 7 118,951

2014 117,541 N/A 8

118,541 3119,000

2015 119,000 N/A 8

121,550 9120,275

2016 120,275

1 This account operated under a full-year continuing resolution (P.L. 110-5). House and Senate allowances are 

shown as N/A (Not Available) because neither body passed a separate appropriations bill. 2 The levels for the House and Senate allowances reflect action on the regular 2009 appropriations bill, which 

proceeded in the 110th Congress only through the House Subcommittee and the Senate Committee. 3 The level for the Senate allowance reflects Committee action only.

4 The level for the House allowance reflects the House-passed full-year continuing resolution. 5 The level for the appropriation reflects the Department of Defense and Full-Year Continuing Appropriations Act 

(P.L. 112-10) passed April 15, 2011.

6 The level for the House allowance reflects an introduced bill; the level for the Senate allowance reflects Senate 

Committee action only.

7 The level for the House and Senate allowances reflect action on the regular annual 2013 appropriations bill, 

which proceeded in the 112th Congress only through the House Subcommittee and the Senate Committee.

8

The House allowance is shown as N/A because there was no Subcommittee action.

9 The level for the Senate allowance reflects Senate Subcommittee action only.

M-5
GALLAUDET UNIVERSITY

tivity

Gallaudet University

(Education of the Deaf Act, Title I, Part A and Section 207)

(dollars in thousands)

FY 2016 Authorization: To be determined1

Budget Authority:

BA 2015 2016 Change

$120,275 $120,275 0

1 The GEPA extension expires September 30, 2015; reauthorizing legislation is sought for FY 2016.

PROGRAM DESCRIPTION

Gallaudet University, which received its Federal charter in 1864, is a private, nonprofit 

educational institution providing elementary and secondary education programs for students 

who are deaf and undergraduate, graduate, and continuing education programs for persons 

who are deaf and hearing. Gallaudet also conducts a wide variety of basic and applied 

research on deafness and provides public service programs for persons who are deaf and 

professionals who work with persons who are deaf. To increase the effectiveness of its 

instructional programs, the University provides communications training, counseling, and other 

support services for its students. 

Gallaudet also operates the Laurent Clerc National Deaf Education Center (Clerc Center), which 

includes the Kendall Demonstration Elementary School (KDES), an elementary school for 

children who are deaf, the Model Secondary School for the Deaf (MSSD), a high school that 

provides secondary education programs for students who are deaf, and the National Mission

programs. The National Mission programs conduct research and provide training and technical 

assistance around the country. The Clerc Center maintains and operates KDES and MSSD for 

the primary purpose of developing, evaluating, and disseminating innovative curricula, 

instructional techniques and strategies, and materials that can be used in a variety of 

educational environments serving individuals who are deaf or hard of hearing. 

To help ensure that the materials developed by the Clerc Center are relevant to potential users, 

the Education of the Deaf Act (EDA) requires KDES and MSSD to serve students preparing for 

college, other postsecondary opportunities or the workplace; and those with a broad spectrum 

of needs, including students who are lower achieving academically, come from non-English 

speaking homes, have secondary disabilities, are members of minority groups, or are from rural 

areas. The EDA also requires the University to ensure that special education and related 

services provided to children enrolled in these programs by their parents are in accordance with 

Part B of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). For children placed by a local 

educational agency (LEA), that agency is responsible for ensuring that special education and 

related services are provided to those children in accordance with Part B of IDEA. The EDA also 

M-6
GALLAUDET UNIVERSITY

Gallaudet University___________________________________________________________ 

 

makes specific requirements and procedural safeguards from the IDEA applicable to parentally 

placed children at KDES or MSSD that would not otherwise apply because they are not placed 

by their LEAs. The Higher Education Opportunity Act of 2008 (HEOA) amended the EDA to 

require the University, in administering the Clerc Center, to select challenging academic content 

standards, academic achievement standards, and academic assessments of a State and adopt 

them pursuant to specified requirements under the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 

1965. The HEOA further required the Clerc Center to implement these standards and 

assessments no later than the beginning of the 2009-2010 school year. After contacting a wide 

range of States, the Clerc Center selected the State of Ohio as the State it would work with to 

meet the requirements. The Center began the process of implementing the requirements in 

school year 2008-2009 and is continuing this process in school year 2014-2015. In June 2010 

the Ohio State Board of Education adopted the Common Core State Standards in English 

language arts and mathematics, as well as adopting more rigorous versions of Ohio’s academic 

content standards in science and social studies. The four sets of standards underpin teaching 

in Ohio classrooms in the 2014-2015 academic year and students are being prepared for 

corresponding assessments. The Clerc Center has adopted and implemented a curriculum that 

aligns with the Common Core State Standards in English language arts and mathematics and 

the more rigorous versions of Ohio’s academic standards in science and social studies. 

The Federal Endowment Grant program is designed to assist in meeting the future needs of 

Gallaudet University by producing a growing independent source of revenue for the University. 

No portion of the Federal endowment fund corpus may be withdrawn, except with the 

Department's approval and only due to a financial emergency or life-threatening situation. The 

Department makes matching payments to the endowment program equal to sums contributed to 

the fund from non-Federal sources. The EDA permits the University to retain up to 50 percent 

of the income of the fund for expenses necessary to the operation of the University such as 

personnel, construction and renovation, community and student services, technical assistance, 

and research. The other 50 percent of the interest returns to the corpus. The University has the 

discretion to determine the amount of funds to be designated for use under the Federal 

Endowment Grant program, subject to the availability of appropriations. As of September 30, 

2014, the value of the Federal Endowment Grant program corpus, including Federal, private, 

and reinvested funds, was $73.5 million. 

M-7
GALLAUDET UNIVERSITY

Gallaudet University___________________________________________________________ 

 

In 2014, the Federal Government provided $119 million to Gallaudet for the operation of the 

University, the Kendall Demonstration Elementary School, and the Model Secondary School for 

the Deaf. The Federal appropriation for operations represented approximately 69 percent of 

total revenue for the University. Gallaudet used $89.8 million of the federal appropriation for 

university-level instructional, research, and outreach programs and $29.2 million for Clerc 

Center activities. The university-level allocation of the federal appropriation constituted 

approximately 62 percent of total estimated funding for university-level activities while the Clerc 

Center allocation represented nearly 100 percent of total estimated funding for KDES and 

MSSD. These figures understate the true percentage of funding that comes from the Federal 

Government, not only because they exclude any funds from the appropriation related to 

construction but because the figure the University uses for non-Federal revenue includes 

interest from the Federal Endowment Grant program, approximately $88,000 in fiscal year 2014;

and $4.2 million in revenue that the University received from Federal grants and contracts. 

Additionally, in fiscal year 2014, Gallaudet students received $10.6 million from Federal student 

aid programs and $9.3 million from Federal vocational rehabilitation programs. 

The following chart indicates the relative proportions that funding from various sources

comprises of Gallaudet’s total budget.

Federal 

Appropriation 

(68.7%)

Federal Grants & 

Contracts (2.4%)

Other (.9%)

Tuition and Fees 

(10.2%)

Contributions 

(1.7%)

Auxiliary 

Enterprises 

(12.0%)

Investment & 

Other Interest 

Income (4.0%)

FY 2014 Operating Budget 

($173.1 million)

M-8
GALLAUDET UNIVERSITY

Gallaudet University___________________________________________________________ 

 

Funding levels for the past 5 fiscal years were:

(dollars in thousands)

2011.....................................................................................122,754 1

2012.....................................................................................125,516 2

2013.....................................................................................118,951 3

2014.....................................................................................119,000

2015.....................................................................................120,275

___________________

1 Includes $4.99 million for construction. 2 Includes $7.98 million for construction. 3 Includes $7.56 million for construction.

FY 2016 BUDGET REQUEST

The Administration requests $120.275 million for Gallaudet University operations for fiscal year 

2016 to support University level programs and the Clerc Center, which includes national mission 

activities related to research, training, and technical assistance, the Model Secondary School for 

the Deaf (MSSD), and the Kendall Demonstration Elementary School (KDES). The request for 

operations is the same as the fiscal year 2015 level. The Administration is not requesting 

additional funds for construction. 

These funds will be used to serve the approximately 1,831 undergraduate and graduate 

students estimated to be enrolled at the University and 275 elementary and secondary 

education students estimated for the Clerc Center programs during fiscal year 2016 and to 

maintain other operations and programs. The Administration requests funding for Gallaudet in 

order to help promote educational and employment opportunities for persons who are deaf. 

Program Operations. Between fiscal year 2006 and 2015, the appropriation for Gallaudet’s 

program operations increased by approximately 12 percent. During the same period, total 

postsecondary enrollment declined by 13.7 percent, from 1,960 to 1,691 while the combined 

enrollment at KDES and MSSD declined 31 percent, from 367 to 252. Gallaudet announced a 

plan in fiscal year 2008 to begin a long-term reduction in the total number of employees at the 

University. Gallaudet set an initial goal of 990 employees for 2009 and ended the year with 991. 

Gallaudet now employs approximately 935 full-time employees and expects to maintain that 

level through 2016. Given these factors, we believe that the request would provide sufficient 

funds to maintain all operations and programs. 

Construction. Between fiscal year 2008 and fiscal year 2013, Congress appropriated $35.5 

million in construction funds for Gallaudet. The University used $6.8 million to stabilize the soil 

beneath the MSSD dormitories and to demolish the dormitories that had been rendered 

uninhabitable. The University is using the remaining $28.7 million to support the construction of 

a new 200-bed dormitory to house all MSSD residential students. The University began 

construction on this facility in the fall of 2014 with a target occupancy date in the fall semester of 

2016. No additional funds are needed for this project.

M-9
GALLAUDET UNIVERSITY

Gallaudet University___________________________________________________________ 

 

Endowment Grant Program. Gallaudet currently has the discretion to determine if and how much of 

the appropriation it will match. The University has not indicated that it intends to use any of its 

appropriation to match Endowment Grant funds in fiscal year 2016. 

Other Revenue. Besides the Federal appropriation, the primary source of funding for the University is 

the funds it receives from tuition and other fees. These funds are primarily derived from payments 

provided by Federal vocational rehabilitation and Federal student financial aid programs. In fiscal 

year 2014, Gallaudet received approximately $17.6 million from net tuition and fees. During

academic year 2013-2014, Gallaudet students received approximately $9.3 million in vocational 

rehabilitation payments and $10.6 million in federal student financial aid, including $2.6 million in Pell 

Grants, $43,250 from Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grants, and $154,624 in 

Federal Work-Study Grants. 

The average student aid package for eligible students requesting aid came to $20,790 per student in 

fiscal year 2014. By way of comparison, the total cost of attending Gallaudet in fiscal year 2014 was 

$13,800 ($13,424 for tuition and $376 in fees) for commuter students and $25,380 for residential 

students ($13,424 for tuition, $376 in fees, $6,500 for room and $5,080 for board). In addition to 

financial aid, a majority of Gallaudet students receive Supplemental Security Income and Social 

Security Disability Income payments. 

The University received approximately $4.2 million in grants and contracts in fiscal year 2014 and 

anticipates receiving approximately $4 million for fiscal year 2015 and 2016. The Gallaudet Board of 

Trustees decided in May 2011 to set room fees at $6,500 in fiscal year 2014 and $7,080 in fiscal year 

2015. 

Enrollment trends. Full-time degree-seeking undergraduate enrollment at Gallaudet declined slightly 

from the fall of 2013 (1,006) to the fall of 2014 (951), a 5.5 percent decrease. This level represents a 

2.6 percent increase over the fall of 2008 (fiscal year 2009) but a 17.2 percent decrease from the fall 

of 2000 (fiscal year 2001). Total degree-seeking graduate enrollment (full and part time) decreased 

from 469 to 443 in fiscal year 2015, a 5.5 percent decrease from the prior year.

In fiscal year 2015 (fall of 2014), the Model Secondary School for the Deaf and Kendall 

Demonstration Elementary School enrolled a combined total of 252 students, which represents a 4.6

percent increase from the fiscal year 2014 enrollment of 241 students but an 8 percent decrease from 

the fiscal year 2012 enrollment of 262. Since 2001, combined enrollment at the Clerc Center has 

decreased 29 percent. 

Finally, total postsecondary enrollment at the institution, including full and part time undergraduate 

and graduate students, decreased between fiscal years 2014 and 2015, from 1,753 to 1,691 

Hearing Undergraduate Students (HUGS). Gallaudet implemented a pilot program in 2000 to 

enroll a limited number of hearing students into its undergraduate program. The Department 

conducted a review of the program in fiscal year 2006 and formally approved a policy of 

allowing the use of Federal funds to support students who are hearing, but stipulated that 

incoming hearing students may not exceed 5 percent of each year’s total number of newly 

enrolled undergraduate students at Gallaudet. The Department also established annual 

reporting requirements for the program related to the number of hearing students admitted and 

M-10
GALLAUDET UNIVERSITY

Gallaudet University___________________________________________________________ 

 

enrolled, and the persistence and graduation rates, majors, and post-school outcomes for these 

students. In January 2013, the Department approved a request from the University to increase 

the cap to 8 percent and to exempt the University’s online programs from the cap for a 5-year 

period. The approval was contingent on the University seeking input from the student and 

alumni community; the University satisfied this contingency. In the fall of 2014 (fiscal year 

2015), a total of 84 hearing students were enrolled in the undergraduate program. 

PROGRAM OUTPUT MEASURES

Measures: 2014 2015 1 20161

Estimated total revenues (dollars 

in thousands):

University programs $143,545 $144,670 $146,350

Clerc Center programs 29,565 30,163 29,970

Total 173,110 174,833 176,320

Annual tuition and fees:

Base Tuition $13,424 $14,498 $15,076

Room 6,500 7,080 7,080

Board 5,080 5,280 5,550

Fees 376 526 526

Total 25,380 27,384 28,232

International student surcharge, 

non-developing country $13,424 $14,498 $15,076

International student surcharge, 

developing country $6,712 $7,249 $7,539

Graduate student surcharge $1,342 $1,450 $1,508

Additional surcharge for graduate 

students, non-developing 

country $2,685 $2,900 $3,016

Additional surcharge for graduate 

students, developing country $1,342 $1,450 $1,508

Federal appropriation as a percent 

of total revenues 69% 2 69%2 68%2

Estimated average cost per 

student $56,845 3 $58,0963 $59,3743

M-11
GALLAUDET UNIVERSITY

Gallaudet University___________________________________________________________ 

 

Measures: 2014 2015 1 20161

Program enrollment (includes 

HUGS and international students):

Degree-seeking 

undergraduates 1,006 951 1,050

Non-degree & part-time 

undergrads 278 4 297 4 403 4

Graduate students (full and 

part-time)

 469 443 378

Total 1,753 1,691 1,831

International students (in degree 

and non-degree programs) 163 164 165

International student percentage 9.3% 9.7% 9.0%

Hearing undergraduate students 91 84 95

Model Secondary School for the 

Deaf (MSSD) students 149 165 170

Kendall Demonstration 

Elementary School (KDES) 

students 92 87 105

Sponsored Programs:

Proposals 30 30 30

Awards 30 5 30 5 30 5

Funding (dollars in thousands) $4,200 $4,000 $4,000

Research:

Sponsored research funding 

(dollars in thousands) $4,200 $4,000 $4,000

Appropriated research (dollars in 

thousands) $2,500 $2,500 $2,500

Gallaudet research publications 75 75 75

Student/faculty ratios:

University 9.6:1 9.9:1 10:1

MSSD 5.7:1 6.2:1 6.5:1

KDES 3.7:1 4.0:1 4.2:1

Number of employees:

Permanent positions 886 886 886

Temporary 5 5 5

Grant or revenue supported 44 44 44

___________________________________

M-12
GALLAUDET UNIVERSITY

Gallaudet University___________________________________________________________ 

 1 Estimates based on data provided by the University.

2 The revenue base includes unrestricted income from all sources, including research grants and indirect payments 

such as Federal student financial aid and vocational rehabilitation payments. Amounts from the appropriation that Gallaudet 

sets aside for the Federal Endowment Grant program are excluded from the revenue calculation. Appropriations for 

construction are also excluded. 3 These amounts are based on total estimated expenditures, excluding the categories of sponsored and other research,

public services, and auxiliary enterprises. The net amounts are divided by the total estimated enrollment for fiscal years 

2014, 2015, and 2016. The University does not differentiate between full and part-time students in calculating these figures, 

so part-time students are treated as full-time for the purpose of this calculation. 4 This category includes all students not counted in IPEDS, including full-and part-time students enrolled in continuing 

education, the English Language Institute, and on-line courses, and non-degree seeking students. 5 Awards are not necessarily made in the same year as the proposals. 

PROGRAM PERFORMANCE INFORMATION

Performance Measures

This section presents selected program performance information, including, for example, GPRA 

goals, objectives, measures, and performance targets and data; and an assessment of the 

progress made toward achieving program results. Achievement of program results is based on 

the cumulative effect of the resources provided in previous years and those requested in fiscal 

year 2016 and future years, and the resources and efforts invested by those served by this 

program.

Goal: To challenge students who are deaf, graduate students who are deaf, and graduate 

students who are hearing, to achieve their academic goals and obtain productive 

employment, provide leadership in setting the national standard for best practices in 

education of the deaf and hard of hearing, and establish a sustainable resource base. 

Objective: The University Programs and the Model Secondary School for the Deaf and the 

Kendall Demonstration Elementary School will optimize the number of students completing

programs of study.

Measure: The percentage of first-time, full-time degree-seeking undergraduate students who 

were in their first year of postsecondary enrollment in the previous year and are enrolled in the 

current year; and the percentage of all graduate students eligible to return for the following 

academic year who are enrolled in that year.

Year Undergraduate 

Target

Undergraduate 

Actual Graduate Target Graduate Actual

2011 70% 70% 73%

2012 72 77 77% 81

2013 73 69 77 83

2014 74 67 77 79

2015 75 80

2016 75 80

Additional information: Data from NCES’ Digest of Education Statistics for 2013 indicate that 

the average retention rate between 2011 and 2012 was 63.0 percent for 4-year private nonprofit 

colleges with open enrollment. 

M-13
GALLAUDET UNIVERSITY

Gallaudet University___________________________________________________________ 

 

The methodology for the graduate measure uses a cohort formula and limits the calculation to 

Master’s level students because the expected period of enrollment for Master’s level students is 

consistent across programs whereas the expected period of enrollment for students in other 

graduate programs can vary significantly. The Department has increased the graduate targets 

for 2015 and 2016 to make them more ambitious. 

Measure: The percentage of first-time, full-time degree-seeking baccalaureate students who 

graduate within 6 years of enrollment.

Year Target Actual

2011 32% 41%

2012 32 33

2013 35 47

2014 39 46

2015 40

2016 42

Additional information: Data from NCES’ Digest of Education Statistics for 2013 indicate that 

private 4-year not-for-profit colleges with open enrollment achieve an average 6-year graduation 

rate of 38.1 percent. 

Measure: The graduation rate for Master’s students.

Year Target Actual

2011 72%

2012 74% 72

2013 74 75

2014 74 81

2015 74

2016 74

Additional information: IPEDS does not collect graduation rate data for graduate students so 

we cannot make comparisons to other institutions. The University calculates this measure using

a cohort approach that counts students as graduates if they successfully complete a Master’s 

program within 3 years of enrolling. Doctoral candidates and part-time students are excluded 

from the calculation. 

M-14
GALLAUDET UNIVERSITY

Gallaudet University___________________________________________________________ 

 

Measure: The graduation rate for MSSD students. 

Year Annual Graduation 

Rate Target

4th Year Seniors 

Actual

5th Year Seniors 

Actual

Annual Graduation 

Rate Actual

2011 90% 75% 19% 94%

2012 90 82 11 93

2013 90 83 5 88

2014 90

2015 90

2016 90

Additional information: In 2001, the University began offering a second senior year for 

students who needed more time to complete graduation requirements, individualized education 

program (IEP) goals, and/or required coursework. For example, the numbers shown for fiscal 

year 2013 indicate that 83 percent of the students within the 2007-08 freshmen cohort 

graduated in their 4th year and 5 percent of the students from the same cohort returned for a fifth 

year of high school, graduating in 2012. Taken together, the graduation rate for students is 

88 percent for fiscal year 2013. These figures exclude students who transfer or are dismissed 

from MSSD. In order to graduate from MSSD, students must complete required coursework 

and successfully meet their IEP goals. 

The Center, with the Department’s approval, has recently decided to replace the 2-year 

cumulative senior graduation rate with a 4-year adjusted cohort graduation rate, based on firsttime 9th grade cohorts, including students who transfer in and subtracting students who transfer 

out, consistent with the Department’s changes to the requirements outlined in the regulations 

governing programs administered under Part A of Title I of the Elementary and Secondary 

Education Act of 1965 (ESEA) on October 29, 2008 (34 CFR 200.19). Using this methodology, 

the graduation rate for MSSD was 72 percent in 2014. The Department will examine the 

historical data using this new methodology and set new targets accordingly in March 2015. 

Objective: Curriculum and extracurricular activities prepare students to meet the skill 

requirements of the workplace or to continue their studies.

Measure: The percentage of graduates with baccalaureate degrees who are employed, in 

advanced education or training, or are neither employed or enrolled in advanced education or 

training during their first year after graduation.

Year Students 

Employed 

Target

Students 

Employed 

Actual

Students in 

Advanced 

Education or 

Training 

Target

Students in 

Advanced 

Education or 

Training 

Actual

Not Engaged 

in Either 

Activity 

Target

Not Engaged 

in Either 

Activity 

Actual

2011 75% 50% 15% 45% 10% 5%

2012 50 63 45 35 5 2

2013 50 59 45 38 5 3

2014 50 45 5

2015 53 45 2

2016 53 45 2

M-15
GALLAUDET UNIVERSITY

Gallaudet University___________________________________________________________ 

 

Additional information: The “Students Employed” category includes both full- and part-time 

employment. Advanced education or training includes students enrolled full- or part-time in a 

master's or Ph.D. program, a vocational or technical program, or another type of program, e.g., 

law school or medical school and includes both full and part-time students. In fiscal year 2011, 

the University and the Department agreed to count each alumnus only once in his or her 

primary category, with employment given the highest ranking. Thus, those graduates who were 

employed and in advanced education or training one year after graduation are categorized only 

once—in the “Students employed” category. The graduates who are in advanced education or 

training one year after graduation and who are not employed, are counted in the “advanced 

education or training” category. The targets have been adjusted to reflect the new 

methodology. 

Data for these measures are reported to the Department one year following graduation. The source 

of the data is an annual survey sent to students who have graduated from the University within the 

previous year. 

Measure: The percentage of MSSD graduates who are employed or in postsecondary education 

or training, or are neither employed nor enrolled in postsecondary education or training during their 

first year after graduation. 

Year

Students in 

Postsecondary 

Education or 

Training or 

Employed Target

Students in 

Postsecondary 

Education or 

Training or 

Employed Actual

Not Engaged in 

Either Activity 

Target

Not Engaged in 

Either Activity 

Actual

2011 100% 93% 0 7%

2012 100 93 0 7

2013 100 76 0 24

2014 100 0

2015 100 0

2016 100 0

Additional information: Gallaudet previously provided data to the Department on the 

percentage of MSSD graduates who are (1) employed, (2) in postsecondary education or 

training, and (3) not engaged in either activity. With the Department’s approval, Gallaudet has 

decided to report on the percentage of students who are either (1) employed or enrolled in 

postsecondary education or (2) not engaged in either activity. For 2013, the data indicate that, 

within one year of graduation, 76 percent of MSSD graduates were either employed, enrolled in 

postsecondary education, or both, while 24 percent of MSSD graduates were not engaged in 

either activity. 

The data on employment and postsecondary education or training is derived from an annual 

survey of students who graduated from MSSD during the previous year. Unfortunately, the 

small number of MSSD graduates annually and the small response rate limit the usefulness of 

this data. 

M-16
GALLAUDET UNIVERSITY

Gallaudet University___________________________________________________________ 

 

Objective: Gallaudet works in partnership with others to develop and disseminate educational 

programs and materials for deaf and hard-of-hearing students.

Measure: The number of programs and/or institutions adopting Model/Kendall innovative 

strategies/curricula or modifying their strategies as a result of Model and Kendall’s leadership.

Year Target Actual

2011 55 31

2012 55 181

2013 55 113

2014 55 187

2015 120

2016 120

Additional information: Gallaudet has noted that the number of programs adopting 

innovations from year to year will vary based on the number and type of strategies and curricula 

being disseminated by the Clerc Center at a given point in time, the changing needs of 

programs serving students who are deaf, and the financial and personnel resources available 

within these programs for training and implementation activities. The Department is working 

with Gallaudet on developing more valid, reliable and meaningful measures related to the 

national mission activities of the Clerc Center as alternatives to this measure. We are looking at 

alternatives that would assess the impact of evidence-based research projects, other scholarly 

activities, and demonstration and program development activities on improving educational 

outcomes for individuals who are deaf and hard of hearing. The timeframe for developing a new 

measure is uncertain; consequently, the Department has increased the 2015 and 2016 targets 

for the existing measure to make them more ambitious. 

Efficiency Measures 

Objective: To improve the efficiency of operations at Gallaudet, as defined by the cost per 

successful student outcome, where the successful outcome is defined as graduation. 

Measure: Federal cost per Gallaudet graduate.

Year Target Actual

2011 $243,204 $252,501

2012 248,554 241,894

2013 253,277 232,117

2014 258,343

2015 263,768

2016 269,307

Additional information: This measure provides information on the average Federal cost per 

successful outcome. This measure looks at how the ultimate outcome of the Federal 

investment relates to the appropriation for Gallaudet. The Federal cost is calculated by 

averaging the appropriation amounts, excluding funds allocated to the Clerc Center, for the year 

the students graduated and for the prior 5 years, and dividing this average by the number of 

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GALLAUDET UNIVERSITY

Gallaudet University___________________________________________________________ 

 

graduates in the graduation year. This approximates the IPEDS indicator length of 6 years to 

graduation. Graduates include students receiving bachelor’s degrees, graduate certificates, 

master’s degrees, and doctoral degrees. Federal student financial aid, vocational rehabilitation 

payments, other Federal support for students, Federal grants and contracts, appropriations for 

construction, and the Federal Endowment Grant program are not included in this calculation. 

The fiscal year 2013 data on the Federal cost per graduate, as reported by Gallaudet University, 

is based on an average of the cost per graduate from fiscal year 2008 to 2013. 

Gallaudet’s Federal cost per graduate decreased 12.3 percent between 2009 and 2013. The 

improvement on this measure is a function of the increasing number of graduates each year 

during this period. Specifically, between 2009 and 2013, the number of Gallaudet students 

earning a BA increased 17.7 percent while the number of students earning a graduate degree or 

a certificate has increased 41.4 percent. 

Gallaudet proposed to establish targets that account for future inflation by using the Consumer 

Price Index (CPI), with the goal of limiting increases on the Federal cost per graduate to less 

than those of the CPI. Gallaudet and the Department determined that the Consumer Price 

Index for All Urban Consumers (CPIU) represents the most reasonable basis for calculating 

inflation. The Department set an initial target for fiscal year 2010, which was increased by the 

estimated rate of inflation for fiscal years 2011 through 2016. As updated information becomes 

available regarding the projected inflation rate for the next fiscal year and outlying years, the 

targets will be adjusted accordingly. 2014 data will be available in March 2015.

Measure: Total educational cost per Gallaudet graduate.

Year Target Actual

2011 $290,315 $291,548

2012 296,702 276,785

2013 302,339 263,927

2014 308,386

2015 314,862

2016 321,474

Additional information: Total educational cost per Gallaudet graduate is calculated by 

dividing the average of the current year’s and the previous 5 years’ total student expenditures 

by the number of undergraduate and graduate students awarded degrees during a given fiscal 

year. The cost is composed of the total program budget excluding IPEDS expenditure 

categories associated with research, public services, auxiliary enterprises, and construction, 

plus the Endowment Grant program. This approximates the IPEDS indicator length of 6 years 

to graduation. This figure is then divided by the number of graduates in that school year. The 

measure looks at the total cost of educating a student at Gallaudet as an indication of how 

efficiently the University operates. The measure uses existing cost data reported to the 

Department as part of the University’s budget submission. The fiscal year 2013 data on the 

Federal cost per graduate, as reported by Gallaudet University, is based on an average of the 

cost per graduate from fiscal year 2008 to 2013. As noted above, Gallaudet has steadily 

improved its performance on this measure since 2009 by graduating an increasing number of 

students each year.

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GALLAUDET UNIVERSITY

Gallaudet University___________________________________________________________ 

 

Gallaudet proposed to establish targets that account for future inflation by using the Consumer 

Price Index (CPI), with the goal of limiting increases on the total cost per graduate

to less than those of the CPI. Gallaudet and the Department determined that the Consumer 

Price Index for All Urban Consumers (CPIU) represents the most reasonable basis for 

calculating inflation. The Department set an initial target for the total educational cost measure 

for fiscal year 2010, which was increased by the estimated rate of inflation for fiscal years 2011 

through 2016. As updated information becomes available regarding the projected inflation rate 

for the next fiscal year and outlying years, the targets will be adjusted accordingly. 2014 data 

will be available in March 2015.

Other Performance Information

The Department conducted a monitoring visit of the Gallaudet University programs in June 

2014. The visit focused on Gallaudet’s implementation of its Strategic Plan 2010-2015, the 

institution’s efforts to increase undergraduate enrollment, the impact of the University’s 

Voluntary Retirement Incentive Program, and also included an update to the University’s 

Campus Master Plan. The Department transmitted a letter to the University in October 2014, 

summarizing the results of the monitoring visit.

Beginning in fiscal year 2013 and continuing into fiscal year 2014, the U.S. Department of 

Education conducted a review of Gallaudet University’s implementation of applicable provisions 

of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) in its elementary and secondary 

programs, as defined by the Education for the Deaf Act (EDA). The Department met with 

representatives from KDES and MSSD on January 14-15, 2013 and February 28, 2013 to 

examine how the Clerc Center is implementing key provisions of IDEA requirements that ensure 

compliance and positive outcomes for its students. The primary focus areas of the on-site 

review included: (1) addressing the language and communication needs of its students on an 

individualized basis; (2) development and implementation of annual goals that are based on the 

student’s individualized present level of performance and unique needs; (3) development and 

implementation of appropriate measureable postsecondary transition goals; and (4) addressing 

the behavioral and emotional needs and issues of students on an individualized basis. As a 

result of those monitoring visits, the Department decided to expand the monitoring beyond 

procedural compliance to incorporate an outcome-based accountability approach. 

Consequently, the Department continued to provide technical assistance to assist the Center in 

improving its compliance and student outcomes throughout fiscal year 2014, culminating in an 

additional monitoring visit on March 25, 2014. The Department will transmit to the Center a final 

letter summarizing the results of the review.

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