The eighth session of Student Congress was held on February 18, 2026. Nathan Sheppeck was sworn in as Sergeant at Arms, and then Richard Dougherty was invited to the stage to present.
Richard Dougherty is the Executive Director of Architecture and Facilities Management at Gallaudet. His presentation on campus renovations was divided into three sections: long-term, short-term, and now. He first explained that much of his team’s plans are based on a 2023 survey of Gallaudet’s students and what they want to see change on campus. Dougherty repeatedly emphasized his commitment to students and their lived experience of Gallaudet.
One of the biggest and most exciting projects in the long-term section of this presentation centers on the Ely building. The plan was to tear down Ely and replace it with a dorm building. Dougherty explained the inspiration behind this is student complaints about the current setup of campus; specifically, academics and dorm life are very much separated. In the past, Ely and College Hall were dorms. Many alumni from the 1950’s and 1960’s recall staying in that same area of campus for most of their activities. The cafeteria, academic spaces, and dorm spaces were all nearby. As Gallaudet grew, dorms were built farther away from the central hub of campus. Building new dorms closer to SAC would help keep students connected and encourage more gathering and interaction in the central spaces. The goal for this project is to liven up the Gallaudet Mall and introduce new uses to that area of campus. The new dorm building will have 250 to 275 beds, a dining facility, study areas, as well as study and performance spaces. I can imagine future students enjoying this kind of multi-use building and making good use of the multitude of spaces found within.
As far as near-term goals go, Dougherty focused on dorm renovations. After Carlin Hall is reopened in May 2026, the dorms will be renovated in this order: Benson Hall, Clerc Hall, Ballard North, then Ballard West. Benson Hall is expected to be closed for the whole 2026-27 academic year.
Progress pictures of the Carlin Hall renovations were shared, and it looks to be a massive improvement on the old building. Some of you may remember voting for Carlin’s new color scheme in the fall semester. If you voted for the “Chillax” option, congratulations! With 46.8 percent of the vote, the orange and blue theme won. The progress pictures showed Carlin’s transformation from neutrals and grays to bright colors, as well as major changes to the building.
New vents were installed in Carlin Hall, and its interior walls were removed to allow for pipe replacement. Dougherty commented that it’s lucky the pipes were replaced, as it was discovered during renovations that Carlin was close to having a major sewage spill. A photo of a room in Carlin shows that the dorms now have new flooring that has a wood-like appearance. Overall, the progress pictures served to provide clarity on the renovations and the new look at Carlin Hall.
The “now” section focused on improving communication between the facilities team and students here at Gallaudet. Dougherty thanked Trent Mora and Dalina Schwartz for collecting data on students’ experiences with submitting maintenance requests. He noted that it seems many students are unsure of how to use the platform ServiceNow to submit requests, and took the time to briefly explain the process. He did admit that ServiceNow is not user-friendly, and the fact that it was only implemented a few years ago isn’t helping students’ understanding of it. However, he explained that the platform is a boon to his team as it is a good way to collect data on maintenance requests.
The floor was then opened for students to ask questions of Dougherty. Multiple students expressed their concerns about the operations of the facilities team, mold present in dorms, and the ServiceNow platform. The most interesting information Dougherty shared during this Q&A session was that the facilities team is committed to monthly visits to every dorm building, in order to communicate more directly with students and document their maintenance requests in person. Throughout his presentation and interactions with students, Dougherty seemed knowledgeable and passionate about his role, as well as committed to improving students’ experience living on campus. He closed the Q&A by assuring students that his appearance at the SBG meeting was not “the end of the dialogue” between the facilities team and students.
The Student Congress then heard updates from the SBG administration. Strikingly, both SBG President, Trent Mora, and SBG Vice President, Dalina Schwartz, thanked students who attended the demonstration regarding Student Engagement and Leadership (SEL). They both attended a meeting prior to the demonstration with Gallaudet’s President, Faculty Senate Chair, and Chief Student Affairs Officer Travis Imel. Students’ feelings on SEL were brought to the attention of those present, and it seems that Bobbi Cordano encouraged Imel to deal with the issue at hand. It was announced that Gallaudet’s Faculty Senate has written a letter in full support of students that will soon land on Imel’s desk. The SBG administration appears hopeful to see positive changes in SEL’s operations. Students who want to share their personal experiences with student organizations and SEL are encouraged to attend an event held on Thursday, February 26 from 5:30-7:30 on the first floor of SLCC to do so.
Following comments from Mora and Schwartz, various directors of SBG spoke about their current work and goals. It was shared that Tower Clock did meet the deadline set by Sabrina Firl, and the Tower Clock team continues to make progress working on Gallaudet’s yearbook. The Director of Finance, Evan Stromberg, shared that the Finance Committee is still in discussions about Tower Clock’s pay. It is still to be determined if Tower Clock’s pay will be reduced, but it is no longer frozen and those working for Tower Clock will be paid.
The last portion of the session was dedicated to proposing motions. Several passed, including one introduced by 3D & Allies to have a member of SBG meet with Student Accountability and Restorative Practices (SARP) and Residence Life (RL) regarding the safety of DeafPlus people. Guinevere Head-Allen commented that there have been several incidents on campus that reveal a need for new policies that prioritize the safety of DeafPlus people. It will be interesting to see what kinds of policies and changes come out of the upcoming meeting with SARP and RL. If all goes well, this motion will be effective in its goal of improving the experiences of DeafPlus people at Gallaudet.