NOTE: This is part two of RN's special series on "Growing more STEM degree recipients at FAMU."If you ever ask President James Ammons to list his proudest accomplishments from his days as FAMU’s provost from 1995 to 2001, he’s sure to name “COESMET” as one of his top choices.
As part of the State University System’s 1999-2003 Strategic Plan, Florida’s Board of Regents approved a Center of Excellence in Science, Mathematics, Engineering and Technology (or COESMET) at FAMU. The program’s purpose: increase black Ph.D. recipients in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM).
The center was to add ten Ph.D. programs in two phases from 2001 to 2010. Phase I consisted of: Physics, 2001; Computer Science, 2002; Chemistry, 2003; Biology, 2004; and Computer Engineering, 2005. Phase II included Ph.Ds in Mathematics, Agricultural Sciences, Environmental Engineering and Biological and Agricultural Systems Engineering between 2006 and 2010.
COESMET was a legacy of FAMU’s fight against the BOR’s Three Tier proposal, which attempted to limit FAMU’s mission to baccalaureate and masters degree-level education. Following protests led by FAMU students, faculty, and alumni, the BOR agreed to a compromise. FAMU would receive a special “Comprehensive/Doctoral” category and Ph.D. programs in STEM fields in which blacks were severely underrepresented.
Former President Frederick S. Humphries and Ammons had set the foundation for a Ph.D. in Physics even before COESMET received formal authorization. Years earlier, they had begun scraping and saving money from FAMU’s general budget to hire as many physics professors as possible. This enabled the Physics Ph.D. program to begin shortly after 2001.
The Florida Legislature’s decision to abolish the BOR and replace it with individual Boards of Trustees in 2001 placed COESMET in flux. FAMU received a board with poor leadership that, until recently, failed to make doctoral education a top priority.
But now that Ammons has reached the president’s chair and has the backing of a supportive BOT, he's pushing forward with COESMET.
There are several significant threats against FAMU’s ability to implement all the STEM Ph.D. programs it was promised. First, Florida’s Board of Governors has endangered COESMET by starting a public discussion about the Pappas Plan, which calls for FAMU to lose all its graduate degrees. Second, the BOG refuses to make COESMET a priority in its annual legislative funding requests. Third, Florida’s deep cuts have stifled FAMU’s efforts to hire more research faculty.
If COESMET is to become a reality, then it will take (1) vigorous legislative lobbying, (2) a tough push-back against the Pappas Plan's anti-graduate program agenda for FAMU, (3) a larger undergraduate student population to bring in more enrollment dollars, (4) a larger graduate student population to occupy the Ph.D. programs, conduct lab work, and serve as teaching assists, (5) increased grant-raising to help hire additional faculty, (6) increased fundraising, and (7) historic levels of alumni financial-giving.
Source note: Information about COESMET came from retired professor Leedell W. Neyland’s book entitled “Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University: Sixteen Years of Excellence with Caring (1985-2001)," available in Samuel H. Coleman Memorial Library.
RN, your posts are becoming better. And, people, let us continue to keep our commentary clean. The university is in a different phase of development now, and this should be reflected in all aspects of all things associated with the university. In other words: let us refrain from our days of frustration when CVB was at the helm. I know, I know. When she was here we couldn't help but vent our frustrations. But girlF is gone with the wind, and let us be forever forgetful of her presence.
ReplyDeleteThis is great news and we need to push forward making OUR university GREATER!!!
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