2006: The FAMU Year that Was

January
2006 began with the FAMU College of Law moving into its new $31 million, 161,000-square-foot, permanent home at 201 Beggs Ave. in downtown Orlando. See: COL new home

SBI began the year with a new Dean Patrick Liverpool who was later replaced, in August, by Lydia McKinley-Floyd. Mrs. Floyd became the 3rd SBI Dean since founding Dean Sybil Mobley retired in June 2002, despite giving FAMU two year's notice.

February
In February, the NCAA handed down their decision in the multiple rules violation case against the Florida A&M athletic department. FAMU dodges a bullet, the NCAA decided to place FAMU on four years of probation and scholarship restrictions. The NCAA also cleared former FAMU football coach Billy Joe of any wrong doing. Coach Joe would later sue FAMU and win for breach of contract. Later in the year, Interim Athletic Director E. Newton Jackson is replaced by Nelson Townsend. Mr. Townsend became FAMU's third Athletic Director in the span of one year, following Joe Ramsey III, and E. Newton Jackson.

Also in February, FAMU student Darius Graham, a 21 year-old, political science major, was named to the USAToday All Academic Team. And members of the Marching 100 represented FAMU at the Grammy Awards, without band director Julian White. And, the University began its cozy relationship with the Hollins Group executive search firm and forks over $600,000 in expesnes and fees to them during the course of the year. The Hollins Group has yet to find permanent deans for the College of Pharmacy and the College of Law which they were contractually obligated to find by July 1, 2006.

March
The FAMU BOT saw fit to reward interim president Castell Bryant with a $50,000 raise retroactive to December, increasing her salary to over $300,000. The board also saw fit to award Mrs. Bryant a $35,000 bonus based on a reported $8 million surplus. Which state auditors would later determine was overstated by $6 million and showed a $10.4 million deficit.

And, allegations of hazing involving five members of Kappa Alpha Psi fraternity surface. It would take two trials to find two of the five guilty, and lawyers for the two are appealing.

April

FAMU professor Todd Bertolaet won a prestigious grant from the Guggenheim Fellowship Foundation. And, FAMU professors partnered with Intel to perform IT research.

FAMU also took steps to address its sagging enrollment by hiring a enrollment manager from Alabama State University.

May
Gov. Bush signed into law a state budget that included $31 million in special projects funding for FAMU, compliments of State Sen. Al Lawson

June
Eight of the eleven faculty members in SBI's Professional Development Division have received "pink slips" from the University. The eight would later sue the University and receive one year's pay.

State auditors, trying to complete the long delayed FAMU financial audit, questioned more than $620 million in FAMU journal transfers/entries.

Also, FAMU Inspector General Michael Brown was placed on leave. Mr. Brown wrote to the FAMU BOT to clear his name. He is among a growning number of former FAMU employees with a lawsuit against the University.

Meanwhile, a FAMU researcher identifies potential drug candidates for Parkinson’s disease.

August

FAMU graduates continue to establish themselves beyond the Hill. Two FAMU graduates names among Capital Hill's 50 most beautiful. Graduate, Janell Carter named speechwriter to Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, and FAMUAN Marci Stringer made her television debut in the Fantasia Barrino Story.

Meanwhile, in the wake of the financial audit fiasco and inspector general firing, CFO Gerald Dunn abruptly quit.

And, Black Enterprise magazine announced that FAMU was named the best U.S. college/university for Black students.

September

Castell's strong hold over the FAMU BOT continued, when she purposed to the Executive Committee of the Board a measure that would change the Audit Committee Charter and allow her the opportunity to disallow further investigations when she succeeds power to the next president.

The Marching 100 hit a sour note, when it became public that some band members attempted to steal from the Detroit Marriott Hotel on a trip to a classic game. We later came to understand that the band self reported the missing items which were turned up on a routine pre-departure room check by FAMU drum majors and band staff. The hotel appreciated the band's assistance in helping them recover the items.

For the first time since its inception, the Marching 100 voluntarily withdrew itself from consideration for the Honda Battle of the Bands competition.

Enrollment dipped to a 9-year low.

October
All 18 of the school's sports had exceeded the passing score on the NCAA's Academic Progress Rate for the 2005-2006 academic year. Last year only 13 FAMU sports received passing scores.

Castell challenges FAMU Credit Union over use of FAMU name.

November
A survey of FAMU faculty revealed that overall faculty are not pleased with interim president Bryant and her stewardship of the University.

December
The search for a new FAMU President kicked into high gear as the nomination and application deadline came and went and the first round of interviewsyieldedd three finalist.

And the Marching 100 rebounded by earning an invitation to perfom during halftime at the 2007 Super Bowl with Prince.