Although FAMU’s retention rate is better than most of its national peer institutions (HBCU and non-HBCU), President James Ammons is not satisfied. So as part of an effort to help more FAMU students remain in college, he’s appointed a new director of retention in the Office of Academic Affairs.
William E. Hudson, Jr. comes from Florida State University, where he was associate director of the Center for Academic Retention and Enhancement (CARE). He is a FAMU alumnus and adjunct instructor.
In his new position, Hudson will work with the large body of support programs that FAMU’s School of General Studies already offers for retention. They include: The Undergraduate Experience Program, Center for Academic Advisement and Student Support, Office of Accountability Retention and Academic Progression Programs, Evening and Weekend College, College Preparatory Program, Academic Study Skills Center, and Student Support Services Program.
At FAMU, Hudson will take on a challenge that is much different than what he faced at FSU.
The Office of Institutional Research has compared FAMU’s retention rate with peer institutions (which currently include UNF, UWF, Howard, the University of Texas-Arlington, and University of California-Riverside) for years. A recent study found that FAMU’s retention rates are still above the average for its peer group.
Most FAMU students do remain enrolled and finish their degrees.
Graduation rates are a different problem because most FAMU students do not have enough money to take a full course load every semester.
FSU can grant black students much more financial aid because its overall student body is much wealthier than FAMU’s (and because its black freshman numbers are dropping).
The majority of FAMU’s students come from low-income backgrounds and enroll in fewer classes whenever tuition rises due to their lack of funds. That means FAMU has much less money for financial aid.
Two of Hudson’s likely priorities will be increasing the student body’s awareness of its financial aid options and helping students fill out the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) early and annually. In a report to the Board of Governors last month, Ammons pointed out that tens of thousands of Florida college students miss out on millions in financial aid because they don’t apply for it.
Leave "ranking game" rhetoric out discussion on FAMU’s grad rate
Ammons: $24M in student aid unclaimed
William E. Hudson, Jr. comes from Florida State University, where he was associate director of the Center for Academic Retention and Enhancement (CARE). He is a FAMU alumnus and adjunct instructor.
In his new position, Hudson will work with the large body of support programs that FAMU’s School of General Studies already offers for retention. They include: The Undergraduate Experience Program, Center for Academic Advisement and Student Support, Office of Accountability Retention and Academic Progression Programs, Evening and Weekend College, College Preparatory Program, Academic Study Skills Center, and Student Support Services Program.
At FAMU, Hudson will take on a challenge that is much different than what he faced at FSU.
The Office of Institutional Research has compared FAMU’s retention rate with peer institutions (which currently include UNF, UWF, Howard, the University of Texas-Arlington, and University of California-Riverside) for years. A recent study found that FAMU’s retention rates are still above the average for its peer group.
Most FAMU students do remain enrolled and finish their degrees.
Graduation rates are a different problem because most FAMU students do not have enough money to take a full course load every semester.
FSU can grant black students much more financial aid because its overall student body is much wealthier than FAMU’s (and because its black freshman numbers are dropping).
The majority of FAMU’s students come from low-income backgrounds and enroll in fewer classes whenever tuition rises due to their lack of funds. That means FAMU has much less money for financial aid.
Two of Hudson’s likely priorities will be increasing the student body’s awareness of its financial aid options and helping students fill out the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) early and annually. In a report to the Board of Governors last month, Ammons pointed out that tens of thousands of Florida college students miss out on millions in financial aid because they don’t apply for it.
Leave "ranking game" rhetoric out discussion on FAMU’s grad rate
Ammons: $24M in student aid unclaimed
For the University to claim to the University faculty, staff, and students that it has no $$, it continues to hire folks at outrageously high salaries. Something tells me -- and I have been employed at the University for nearly 20 years -- that there were highly qualified professionals in place that could do the job that the new person was hired to do. Also, quite a number of holdovers -- and leftovers -- from the Humphries era are being/have been rehired. But to listen to the powers that be, there's absolutely no $$ to be found anywhere. Now, WOTS -- that's Word on the Street -- says that Sterlin Adams and Lou Murray
ReplyDelete-- strick leftovers from Ammons' and Humphries' days -- are very, very back. And in a really big way, if you know what I mean. And I think you do. RN, how about some some reporting on this?
correction on my ^^ post: "strict..."
ReplyDeleteHow can Phyllis Watson earn the position of Director of Continuing Education. This is the same individual who has failed at 4 jobs, falsely accused Mr. Sharma of messing up the Controllers, Office, Failed as the Treasurer and Cash Managment. Come on Dr. Ammons who does Phyllis know. Dr. Cynthia Harris, I hope you know that this area is going to sink. Of all the qualified individuals, you all put the most unqualified individual. And in case you don't know Phyllis can't even complete her Ph.D. Build her up is you must, but as we all know she is the Sorority Sister to Rolaind Gaines wife. So there is the connection. Talk about moral and budget cuts, Phyllis should be the first to go.
ReplyDeletesigned
Mad as hell
Congrats to William Hudson,you will be an asset to the University. At least this appointment is justified unlike Phyllis Watson's appointment. Her appointment is a joke. If it is true what anonymous said about how Ms. Watson obtained her positions, when does the favors stop and justice and ethics kick in. Shame on FAMU
ReplyDeleteExcuse me, does anyone remember how Sterling Adams was on the verge of loosing his job because of the criminal accusations, so how in the h..ll is he back. Come on Dr. Ammons, FAMU will never be a University of Excellence if you keep brining back below standard past employees. And Robert Seniors is a nice boy, but he is about clueless as they come. We are so tired of our email going down, I say promote Mr. Henry, at least when the systems fail he isn't away at conferences, inauguarations and at home until 10:00 a.m. I know - lets cut Seniors pay, and fire steriling, now we are on our way to where we can make some real cuts.
ReplyDeleteAdd Bill Hayes to Ammons's brilliant hires.
ReplyDeleteI agree with 7:15 p.m.It's about to get ugly at FAMU. And will people will expose.Including Ammons.
ReplyDeleteAnd people will get expose. Including Dr. Ammons
ReplyDeleteI, too, have heard that Adams and Murray are b-a-a-a-c-c-k-k-k-. Making a very, very decent chunk of $$. This tidbit comes from a very, very reliable source. No job advertising. No interviewing. No competition. No nothing. Just hired. The more things are suppose to change, the more they absolutely do not. But faculty can't even get engage in basic, on-campus/in-office research b/c they don't have computers in their office and must trickle over to the library or use an office mate's pc or whatever. But every time you look around, someone's getting hiring in the six-figure range.
ReplyDeletecome on, RN. get us some scoop.
ReplyDeleterobert seniors doesn't know what he's doing. he depends very heavily on his staff and very knowledgeable underlings to do his job. but he's the one getting the big bucks.
ReplyDeleteCHECK OUT THE 2/10/09 ARTICLE IN U.S. NEWS & WORLD REPORT regarding the great academic bargain that HBCUs provide during this economic downturn.
ReplyDeleteWe just received our first clean financial audit in years and you MFs are complaining about who makes what. Cut out this N-Word mess!! I'm an alumnus, financial supporter, and I'm pleased with the job that Dr. Ammons and his team are doing. Stop complaining so much, do what you're paid to do, then somebody may pay attention to you.
ReplyDelete@ 6:42 PM
ReplyDeleteAnd we have a clean audit that's good and all but that don't take us to the next level. Rattler Nation needs to ask why did they bring back Sterlin Adams and others. Sterlin made EIT a mess when was here all those years ago and he suppose to be here to help Robert. Also something needs to be done about EIT that department spends the most money of any department and I still haven't see any results from it. Email system is still horrible, irattler system is not user friendly or reliable, I still want a explanation for why the class registration was down for so long at the beginning of 09, and now the network been going up and down for a week. You can't have a distant learning program if your network and email system is unreliable. EIT is the one department that can not be ran by a novice or fool it touches to many departments. That one department can make or break FAMU so it MUST be efficient and effective.
We have a right to know why these people are being hired if they was such a problem in the past and FAMU supposedly has no money for no other staff that actually deal with students clean audit or no. I am please with Ammons as well but I'm not going just turn a blind eye to some of the things that are going on. It only takes you looking away for a brief moment for things to go hell quickly. So I going to keep the pressure on Ammons cause I'm loyal to FAMU not to any one person at FAMU.
Chil' it depends on who is doing the asking.
ReplyDeleteFAMU gave several healthy raises to middle and upper management.
Someone else got a $100,000 bonus -- care to take a guess...............