Yesterday, the FAMU Board of Trustees approved a $1M Marketing
and Communications Plan despite a long, rambling rant from Rufus Montgomery.
Chief Communications Officer Sharon Saunders said the additional
money was needed because her staff has been forced to spend most of its time
responding to the large volume of public records requests that have poured in
since the Nov. 19 hazing death of drum major Robert Champion.
"The demand for filling the public records requests
takes all of our time" Saunders told trustees. "We don't have the
time to get the positive FAMU message out."
Montgomery jumped to make contradictory criticisms against
the Office of Communications. He first bashed the office for struggling to
answer all the public records requests. And after that, he discouraged board
members from approving more funds to help them.
"Now is not the time to pour more money into something
that doesn't seem as if it is being handled properly," Rufus said.
The board voted in favor of the plan in spite of Rufus'
ranting. Some trustees wanted follow-up details about specific expenditures
related to plan. University officials will provide this information on July 11.
Trustees also gave a thumbs-up to another big adjustment in
the 2012-2013 budget. The Florida Board of Governors chose to only approve a 12
percent of the 15 percent tuition differential increase FAMU requested during
its “cattle auction” meeting on June 21. The administration had to reduce the
budget to reflect the decrease in anticipated revenue.
The administration says the tuition differential money will
help FAMU hire 20 new professors, six new staffers to assist with the student
debt problem, and provide more need-based financial aid packages.
Trustees also learned that the Athletic Department is
expected to add about $1.1M in red ink to its deficit during the next academic
year.