Thelma Thompson, who was one of three finalist for the FAMU presidency before losing out to NCCU Chancellor James Ammons earlier this month, has finally begun to take action on a two year old state audit which was critical of her handling of criminal investigations of campus thefts.This week four former UMES students were arrested in connection with stealing an estimated $20,000 in computer equipment from the University.
UMES police are just now investigating campus thefts that date as far back as 2004. The UMES investigation coincides with a seperate investigation being conducted by the Maryland Department of Legislative Services in connection with UMES' 2005 Legislative Audit.
Among the audit's finding was that, "UMES did not adequately investigate procurement fraud involving two employees, nor was evidence of possible criminal conduct by other UMES employees always referred to the Maryland Attorney General's Office." The audit also turned up procedural and internal control deficiencies in other critical areas such as financial aid, federal grants, information systems, cash receipts and equipment.
Additionally, in a span of two years the then 3,900 student campus had more than 3,800 grade changes.
Interestingly enough, the Hollins Group investigation of candidates did not raise any concerns about the UMES audit, which was readily available on the web.
UMES theft inquiry expands
UMES audit has 18 findings
Link to UMES Audit
Are you saying every student at UMES got a grade change except for 100 students? DAMN, this sounds like a factory mill for diplomas. Didn't Southern University just come from under a similar cloud. This makes SU grade buying scandal look like a walk in the park.
ReplyDeleteWhere are the 6 BOT members that voted for this person? Someone needs to send them this article, because this is the expertise they wanted to bring to our campus.
ReplyDelete...so the BOT was actually considering this lady with all of THIS hanging over her head? We definitely wouldn't want anything like this following a presidential candidate to FAMU. This is confirmation that we made the right decision with Ammons.
ReplyDeleteGood point 2/15/2007 12:37 PM. UMES seems to be as bad a diploma mill as Nova Southeastern. There is something rotten about the Lowe-Hollins Group-Thompson connection.
ReplyDeleteHow can you issue 3,800 grade changes? This is ridiculous!
ReplyDeleteWhat is really going to be sad and embarassing is when the state of Maryland forces UMES to recall degrees issued with questionable grade changes.
ReplyDeleteEven worst, if these students are currently employed. I still can't get over how the Hollins Group did not find this during their forensic background checks.
ReplyDeleteI would think the Hollins Group knew about this, but Lowe told them to bury it. That has to be it.
ReplyDeletedid they bring up the UMES audit in the interviews?
ReplyDeleteIf so, how did Thompson handle it?
3800 grades...are these people serious...oh I just know they have another regisitrar from the previous one by now!
ReplyDeletedid they bring up the UMES audit in the interviews?
ReplyDeleteIf so, how did Thompson handle it?
Thompson said she had nothing but clean audits, until one of the Trustees handed a copy of the 2005 Audit to her with the 18 audit exceptions!
its kind of scary that 6 BOTs looked over that and felt she was qualified to be president of FAMU.
ReplyDeletevery scary. we were one vote away from this being FAMU's future. They may force Thompson to resign with all this mess going on.
ReplyDeleteAnd to think Jesse Tyson thought she was the answer to FAMU's needs. The one to take us to a higher level.
ReplyDeleteThe highest level he said, higher than SACS.
ReplyDeleteIt's not that six board members thought Thompson was the better person; it's just that those six people didn't want James Ammons to be the president. It wasn't so much a for for Thompson as much as it was a vote against Ammons.
ReplyDeleteThelma Thompson was trying to get out of Dodge before all of this stuff surfaced and impacted her standing for the presidency. But those six board members didn't care about any such audit findings. They simply didn't want James Ammons to be FAMU's 10th president. Plain and simple.
ReplyDeleteIs Thelma single?
ReplyDeleteThose six members wanted to keep Castell because they knew Thelma would not be approved by the Board of Governors when they forwarded her name. They are all full of themselves. The days of Tyson and Lowe are numbered on the BOT. It is Branker, Allen, Benjamin and Jenkins we need to send packing. Of course we know why Jenkins voted for Thompson.
ReplyDeleteThelma Thompson (TT) was going to make Cast-Hell her executive assistant to the president and keep all of Bryant's hires on board continuing to take FAMU back to the 50's.
ReplyDeleteGAME CHANGE
TT is exposed; Cast-Hell GOTTA GO; all her hires PACKING; Challis is Low, Branker and Tyson all but gone; and AMMONS riding in as their worse nightmare! He's got the badge and he's gonna use it!
Watch out there now, Liz!
Good point 2/15/2007 12:37 PM. UMES seems to be as bad a diploma mill as Nova Southeastern.
ReplyDeleteOh, shi...LOL! You gon' hurt some peoples' feelings here in south florida...
Perhaps FAMU would change it's name back to FAMCEE, given another few years of this Castell/Thompson rule.
ReplyDeleteAmmons came in with the huge save by just applying.
One vote, one vote away.
y'all know Castell got that EdD degree from Nova, when the school was in the experimental stage of advanced degrees/higher ed/online/distance learning. So girlF ain' no rocket scientist by a long shot--or a short shot, either.
ReplyDelete