Thrasher proposal could cripple most of FAMU’s engineering degree programs, cost them their ABET accreditation

Under the current FAMU-FSU College of Engineering, FAMU has six bachelor’s, seven master’s, and six Ph.D. programs that all meet the requirements of the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology (ABET). But that could soon change under a proposal that just passed the Florida Senate.

On Thursday, Sen. John Thrasher, R-St. Augustine, blindsided FAMU officials and the Florida Black Legislative Caucus by introducing a surprise budgetary amendment that will provide Florida State University with millions to start its own separate engineering college.

According to the Tallahassee Democrat: “His amendment added $3 million to an existing $10 million in the Senate’s budget to begin planning for a new building at the joint college. Thrasher said FAMU would continue to get the money it has been receiving from the state for the College of Engineering.”

FAMU currently receives about $10M per year to pay for costs such as utilities and maintenance for the two current buildings in Innovation Park. For example, FAMU uses that money to pay the salaries of all the employees in the Building Services Department (e.g.: the custodial supervisor and janitors). That $10M also pays for 50 faculty positions.

The problem is that the current operational money doesn’t include the costs for 36 faculty positions that are paid from a special $5M recurring appropriation that goes to FSU.

If FAMU doesn’t receive the money to replace all 36 of the FSU faculty who leave during the split, then it might not able to meet the ABET accreditation requirements for all of the current degree programs. Thrasher hasn’t proposed one cent to permit FAMU to conduct any replacement hiring for those faculty members.

“We cannot sustain an engineering program at the level we currently have it if we separate the two schools, for a host of reasons that are both academic and financial,” FAMU President Elmira Mangum told university trustees during an emergency conference call.

Thrasher has asked FAMU to trust his intentions. But there are already signs that he is being less than honest.

On Thursday, Thrasher claimed: “I do know the two presidents [of FAMU and FSU] met this morning…They agreed to create a joint memorandum of understanding that would go to development of this particular process. While we will hopefully adopt this today, I will abide by that memorandum of understanding. I believe these two presidents can work in good faith.”

The problem is that Mangum says this isn’t true.

According to the Tampa Bay Times: “Minutes after the Senate approved the budget 38-2, a FAMU spokeswoman told the Times/Herald that Mangum had not agreed to draft a ‘memorandum of understanding’ with FSU.”

The House of Representatives did not approve any money for a separate FSU engineering college in its budget. It and the Florida Senate will begin budget conference negotiations in the coming week.  

Editor's note: This post contains corrections made on April 20, 2014.