In a Tallahassee Democrat opinion piece, this morning, Chairwoman Challis Lowe wrote an opinion piece entitled "Changes are key to FAMU's survial". In it, she lays out the ground work to surport her claim that the FAMU Presidential Search must continue on the slow pace that it has. See:Challis Lowes' Op Ed While we agree that there is nothing wrong with being methodical, however, the long and tedious process that this Board has undertaken to find FAMU's next leader is the functional equivelant of taking Capital Circle to get downtown from Palmetto Street.
We wonder if the shareholders and management of Dollar General Corp. would allow that company to linger for over 18 months without a permanent President/CEO?
Reading that editorial, it's not hard to see what the problem is with FAMU: It has leaders who either can't focus their thoughts and write a simple statement, or who use words to obfuscate and confuse.
ReplyDeleteLowe, like Bryant, has spent too much time around corporate and political double-speak. We need people who can see clearly and speak plainly.
Why take so long to say so little? Why write and speak as if every empty word was golden? Could it be because Lowe, like Bryant, is surrounded by people who agree with anything she says?
They (Lowe & Co.) are trying to maintain control and transform FAMU from a base of liberals to conservatives. In FL, blacks voted against Bush 8 to 1. FAMU, like black churches, have a big influence on black people. If we can control the black church and the black institutions then we can control the black vote. Who would plant an anthrax garden in their backyard? To the republicans, FAMU under Humphries was like anthrax to it's party. So Lowes mission is to get rid of the anthrax and transform FAMU to a more Republican friendly institution. It's all about control. Control over the minds and thoughts of black people, AND control over the $350 million budget.
ReplyDeleteLowe's editorial: "the changes being made under....Bryant...are absolutely vital." A little later, she criticizes those "who believe that everything will be all right if the university stays as it is." Later, these changes are referred to as "the dynamic initiatives already launched."
ReplyDeleteQuestion: What changes, specifically, are you referring to, Ms. Lowe? Typical of your editorial, you leave out the specifics readers need in order to understand you and respond. Please explain. No one has the slightest idea what you are talking about, except to say: "We good guys are making good changes that you don't need to know about. Trust us."
Lowe's editorial complains that "pundits and detractors insist that the university is 'in turmoil," that the board is 'asleep at the wheel' and that the interim president is 'out of control.'"
Ms. Lowe, what evidence do you have that FAMU is not in turmoil? That the board is effective? That the president's actions are well-considered and effective?
The rest of us really need to know, because it looks to us that the university is in turmoil, the board is floundering, and the president takes actions that are capricious.
Thank you for any clarity and specificity you can bring to this discussion.
TDO ZING
ReplyDeleteNow that Ken Lay is gone, thank God we still have Castell Bryant to do the bookkeeping.
What I do have, however, is a profound appreciation of the continuing value of historically black colleges and universities. As the proud mother of a Ph.D. who received her undergraduate education at an HBCU (Fisk University), I understand the foundation for excellence that an HBCU can provide. I also recognize that FAMU is the largest and, certainly, one of the proudest of these institutions. It is an honor to serve.
ReplyDeleteFortune 500 exec... and so profound is her love for FAMU that she has given zilch financially or through corporate connections. She earned at least $1,113,899 as a VP @ Ryder.
Maybe she might be able to contribute $500 now that she is an exec at Dollar General, a Fortune 500 Co., but don't hold your breath.
http://swz.salary.com/execcomp/
layouthtmls/excl_execreport_102928.
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Challis Lowe's "manifesto" about the needed changes at FAMU were utterly asinine and proves that she is completely aloof, out-of-touch, and ineffectual as the Chairperson for the BOT.
ReplyDeleteHer reasoning implies that Castell's gestapo and Machivellian management style serves the University but, she did not consider the perception of outsiders or the repercussions of Bryant's actions in the way of lawsuits and negative PR for Bryant. The fact remains that Bryant's actions have engendered turmoil and that is the most appropriate language to used to describe the current state of affairs at the university. Disarray would be another appropriate word. Ms. Lowe and Ms. Bryant will have to forgive me for the using big words that I was encouraged use in my studies at Stanford and Harvard.
If you were to ask anyone in FAMU community; they more than likely would tell you the same thing or use the same terminology. To say that the school's future is uncertain and that this is a chaotic melodrama would be putting it lightly. Bryant admitted in the BOT meeting that she "did not know" what the outcome of the SBI staff would be and that is completely unacceptable. Her math skills are to be called into question as the press has followed the school's disappearing surplus.
This would lead one to suspect that she and Bryant have a course of action and an agenda that they both intend to carry out regradless of public opininon. The scary part of it is that they (Bryant and Lowe) believe that they can use colorful language to obsfucate the fact that what they are doing is detrimental to the university. This is a supreme insult to anyone that has a normal IQ.
Both Bryant and Lowe are relying on the fact that the school has had a negative reputation (engendered by racism) for years by the broader community in Florida. Both scream gender bias and over misogyny when the actions are called into question and this is completely outrageous to the real victims sexual/gender discrimination.
Their modus opernadi is justifying the termination of dedicated staff and administration to cast a shadow of doubt of the excellence and superioirty of the previous Presidents of the University. To add insult to injury the victims of Bryant sometimes have to be subject to Federal investigations if they make too big a fuss or if she wants to make them look bad in the media via her spontaneous utternaces to the press.
Humprhies and Gainous were far more superior in their performance than the present administration could ever imagine themselves being.
Finally, it will be interesting to see if Lowe's Chairperson status is renewed. Her post expired months ago as Gov. Bush mulls over what to do about the "turmoil" at FAMU.
Bernadette Powell, Ph.d.
Dr. Powell,
ReplyDeleteI hope you will consider putting your thoughts into op-ed form and submitting them to newspapers like the Capital Outlook, Tallahassee Democrat, St. Pete Times, and Orlando Sentinel.
The state and its governing officials need to hear more from individuals like you. We must continue to confront Bryant publicly on her destructive decisions.
Although decisions regarding the University are not made in the court of public opinion, often times, these perceptions do trump the facts at hand. In the position in which Ms. Lowe serves, when it comes to a change in the status quo, public relations are paramount: i. communication of the changes, ii. the consideration those who are/ will be effected by the changes and iii. most imperative, what the changes are.
ReplyDeleteI hope that the column that she has posted does not speak to the grandeur of her public relation skills.
At this point, THE ENTIRE BOARD OF TRUSTEES and Co. have had a sundry of time in order to institute change in the best interest of the Univerisity (ie: permanent leadership). They have also had a myriad of opportunities in order to address the public perception of their administration (ie: combat the percetion of their actions).
In my experience in corporate america, acadamia and even around the way, perception is often construed as reality.
From my perspective it appeared the University was doing fine under Dr. Humphries, and was doing much better than it is now under Gainous. Financial statements under Gainous had losses of $3.9 mill and assets increased by $29 mill. Under TCW $10 mill loss and $2.7 mill increase in net assetts. Maybe Gainous should have boast a $29 mill surplus...based upon proportion of salary raise to surplus amount...the BOT probably would've bumped his salary to $400,000.
ReplyDeleteThe only change that needs to take place is that sorry arse BOT!!
FAMU Alumnus c/o Dallas, TX said.. In my experience in corporate america, acadamia and even around the way, perception is often construed as reality.
ReplyDeleteChallis Lowe's perception of reality is what she sees and believes, damn the rest. Here we have a person that was fired/dismissed from Ryder under a "dark cloud" yet she still can't face the reality that her abrasive behavior at Ryder was her demise.
Now she is sitting on our board, repeating this same behavior. Believe me, you haven't seen the ugly side of Ms. Challis. Sybil from the "Exorcists" has nothing on ole girl.
You don't need a Harvard MBA to fire people. Especially people who was fired without doing a thorough review of the operation of the university. She wasn't there long enough to do an operational analyst. Firing people is not an exceptional skill. And who did she replace these so called incompetent people with...more incompetent people at higher salaries. So where does that leave us...a university with MORE incompetent people and a bigger payroll.
ReplyDeleteSo now the gloves are off...
ReplyDeleteWhile I think it fitting, if not proper to call into question Challis Lowe's actions, or lack thereof, I don't think it appropriate to breed inneundo regarding her tenure with Ryder.
Without question, we stand for a better and improved FAMU but we must remained dignified and resist the finger pointing and name calling to reclaim our focus on what should be our collective sole objective. To find the next leader for our institution as quickly as possible.
Enough of the attacks, the enemy has been exposed and clearly identified.
The one voice that needs to emminate from all of us is to FIND A PRESIDENT FAST.
Another Ph.D. from FAMU
The whole idea that FAMU is resisting change is bogus. As the initial post states, no one has seen or heard any vision for where we are going, why that has become necessary, and who it will benefit.
ReplyDeleteWhen you drive a bus off of a cliff, things change: The bus is destroyed. All the people on the bus get badly hurt and many of them die. Learning that the driver was a novice, or angry and suicidal doesn't relieve the suffering or lessen the loss.
That's the kind of change we are experiencing at FAMU. Castell & Co. are the drivers, and the students, staff, and faculty are passengers on that bus.
The correct word isn't "change." It is "tragedy!"
And they have the audacity to scold us for not embracing the wreck as good! I hope everyone who beat the drum for Dr. Gainous to be fired realizes that they were duped, and redoubles their effort to dump Bryant, et al.
AMEN Anonymous 7/11/2006 5:17 PM
ReplyDeleteNow that needs to be sent to the Democrat, FL Times, Palm Beach, and all the other newspaper as a rebuttle to such a stupid Op Ed piece.
Children! Children!
ReplyDeleteLet's keep the verbal jabs above the waist.
Hey da Rattler...it's like what Big Momma always use to tell me...
ReplyDeleteIt's one thing to be dumb arse hell...it's another thing to open your mouth and let the er' mf'er know you dumb arse hell
Well maybe not those exact words but you get the point. Lowe Op Ed piece is dumb arse hell!!
I think this travesty needs a Broadway musical version. It should be based on the song "Springtime for Hitler" from Mel Brooks' "The Producers."
ReplyDelete============================
FAMU was having trouble, what a sad, sad story
Needed a new leader to restore its former glory
Where, Oh where was she? Where could that woman be?
We looked around and then we found
The one for you and me.
And now it's..
Springtime for Bryant and Corbin
FAMU is happy and gay
We're searching at a slower pace
Look out, there goes the accreditation race
Springtime for Bryant and Corbin
Winter for Research and Recruitment
Springtime for Bryant and Corbin
Come on, Rattlers, go into your dance
What about a LoweMustGo.blogspot.com? Who's up for blogging for BOT change?
ReplyDeleteLet's not lose focus here. Lowe is not FAM's best friend, but she's not our worst enemy, either. It's Castell we need to dump. Her cabal needs to be dealt with, too, but you kill a snake by cutting off the head.
ReplyDeleteLet's not lose focus here. Lowe is not FAM's best friend, but she's not our worst enemy, either. It's Castell we need to dump. Her cabal needs to be dealt with, too, but you kill a snake by cutting off the head.
ReplyDeleteLowe is our worst enemy as well as all the other BOT members because they allow this BS to continue. You must understand...Lowe and Castell is a two-headed fire breathing dragon who breathe is gonna burn FAMU to the ground.
That Miami-Dade Alumni Chapter initiated the petition against Gainous, and NAA President Bryant delivered the deathblow.
ReplyDeleteWe got an IP from Miami-Dade, and now NAA President Bryant realizes he made a mistake.
I wonder if there is any honor at all among the people who signed that damnable petition. I wonder if any of them will step to the mike and admit it was a mistake not to give Gainous more time.
If Gainous was an illness that made the patient sick (which I don't personally believe), the cure is actually killing the patient.
The problem with Gainous' tenure was BOT Chairman Corbin and AD Lee with that ill-fated football move. For Gainous, a rookie mistake, and a bunch of impatient fools cut his head off. But at least Gainous thought highly enough of students, faculty and alumni to engage. This IP seems to have a disdain for all quarters, under the pretext that she is operating in FAMU's best interest.
So where are you now, all you clever petitioners?
Look at all these Browns shaking things up at FAMU: Michael Brown, Hubert Brown, and now BrotherBrown.
ReplyDeleteAll we're missing is Leroy...
And it's bad, bad Leroy Brown
The baddest man in the whole damned town
Badder than a-old King Kong
And meaner than a junkyard dog
brotherbrown said...
ReplyDeleteThat Miami-Dade Alumni Chapter initiated the petition against Gainous, and NAA President Bryant delivered the deathblow.
Brotherbrown check your email. Vanessa Byers probably has sent you a message about the "World is Flat" or "There can be no enemy from the outsider if there is no enemy within." Consider yourself an enemy from within because of your on point comments.
Either way, she'll wish you a "Happy Orange and Green Day" from the FAMily.
What a bunch of crap?
I actually exchanged emails with Ms. Byers at the time after some discussions in a Yahoogroup.
ReplyDeleteI think we agreed to disagree. I wonder what her take is now. I don't know how anyone could feel Bryant is preferred to Gainous.
I noticed though that the Rattlers Den finally permitted one ANMRattler's posts to go through. The post about Challis Lowe's seat being in doubt was allowed on the message board.
ReplyDeleteHowever, I haven't seen any RN posts in the Den since that time. Has the Den changed its policy on RN posts, or was that just a one-time thing?