After a two-year search for a new president , Florida A&M University trustees decided Thursday to go with a familiar face.
In a tight vote, the board named former FAMU provost James H. Ammons to the top position.
Ammons was backed by seven trustees, one more than University of Maryland Eastern Shore president Thelma B. Thompson. University of North Texas provost Howard C. Johnson was the other finalist.
"I know firsthand the power of this university, and no one has a deeper commitment to its growth and prosperity," Ammons said after the vote.
Ammons, who has led North Carolina Central University in Durham, N.C., since he left FAMU in 2001, does not have a start date. But the board that oversees Florida's universities is expected to confirm him soon.
"It does encourage me," said Carolyn Roberts, chairwoman of the Board of Governors, which oversees Florida's 11 public universities. "I know the alumni are excited. They have a vision for their school, and they believe he shares it."
We can only hope that this Board supports our new President. Without their support Dr. Ammons may have many sleepless nights.
ReplyDeleteAgain, welcome back.
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ReplyDeleteDr. Ammons has the support of the NAA, the faculty and students. We must be vigilant about our wishes and continue to make this known to the BOT.
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BTW, there are at least 6 BOT members that we need to come together on and (lobby like we did to get Dr. Ammons) get them either to resign or be removed from our board.
Laura Branker
George Allen
Leerie Jenkins
Challis Lowe
Jesse Tyson
Regina Benjamin
RN you got us to this point, we need you (Jack Bauer) to help us finish this job.
Can someone tell us why Liz McBride was cursing like a sailor when the chair announced that Dr. Ammons is the next president?
ReplyDeleteSomeone needs to wash her filthy mouth out with some bleach.
"They wanted him, now they got him and I hope they ass get everything they asked for. I don't care who hears me, they can all kiss my ass."
Now Liz who are they? How about we'll just leave the ass kissing to you, Castell and Lowe.
but what if he decides to stay in NC where he has the full support of his admnistration? then what?
ReplyDeleteI can guarantee Ammons will not stay in North Carolina. B/c if Ammons stays in NC, we're screwed
ReplyDeleteAmmons is coming. He doesn't care about the 7-6 split. And there are already some efforts in place to usher in real change on the BOT.
ReplyDeleteJesse Tyson is gone. Gov. Crist will replace him within the upcoming weeks.
Challis Lowe is also in the crosshairs. Her confirmation hearing is coming up before the Senate and FAMUans are organizing to get a "NO" vote on her (just like she voted "NO" on Dr. Ammons).
It's time for chapter two of this fight to begin!
I congratulate Dr. Ammons as being named FAMU's next president. And kudos to RN for keeping us abreast of the entire process.
ReplyDeleteBlogger (2/2 @7:42am) brings up a valid point about those trustees who voted against Ammons. When three of the most important constituencies of the university (the students, faculty, and alumni) endorse a candidate yet these trustees would go against the wishes/concerns of those groups it really says a lot about those trustees. It raises questions as to whether they have the best interest of those constituencies in mind. And Trustee Tyson....where did they find this guy? He does not seem too bright. I also agree with blogger (8:32am) let the lobbying begin to get rid of Lowe.
Re:
ReplyDelete"but what if he decides to stay in NC where he has the full support of his admnistration? then what?"
Some folks may want to "think" this deal is "guaranteed" ... But until the name is on the contract, the folks in NC still have a chance at him.
Some folks claim he has the support of the NAA. Well - It's NOW time for the NAA to "PROVE IT", and start raising some money to ensure that there is no doubt in his mind that they are indeed serious.
It's not like NCCU is going to let him just walk away this easily - and also don't think their neighbors over at Duke aren't also greatly appreciative of all the heat he took off of them a little while ago, and may help financially to keep him there too - so instead of beating our chests like we've actually done something already, it's NOW time for all of you to take heed to what the "Cursin' Attorney" just said to us all of us ...
"They wanted him, now they got him and I hope they ass get everything they asked for."
I just hope NOW that we have him THIS close, that we indeed "Close This Deal" ... And if/when that involves YOU having to put your money where your mouths are, that you won't show yourselves to be nothing more than the "Hot Air" some of us have shown yourselves to be!!
Liz McBride knows her ass is out.
ReplyDeleteStart packing Liz. Your vacation is about to begin. You don't have to stop practicing law in FL, but get the hell up out of FAMU! Y
ou could open up a taxi service since you like picking up people at the airport (LOL).
It's the Year of the Rattler! Congrats Dr. Ammons!
ReplyDeleteThis is only the beginning, albeit a good one. Ammons still has a long bumpy road ahead, but with a strong/supportive alumni, student, and faculty base, Dr. Ammons success, I believe, will be inevitable.
ReplyDeleteWelcome Back!
The Corbin Era...the worse in FAMU's history...is all but over.
ReplyDeleteTo God be the Glory! Hate is a terrible thing. This is a victory for Fred Humphries also!
HELL, HUMPHRIES IS THE ONE WHO SCREWED UP THE SCHOOL IN THE FIRST PLACE. OH SURE IT LOOKED GOOD. BUT, IT WAS ROTTING FROM THE INSIDE.
ReplyDeleteAND SO HIS CLONE IS BACK!
All, be mindful, as was mentioned earlier that this is only half of the battle. FAMU must now move quickly and deliberately to lobby the legislature and the Governor to appoint new board members with the capabilities to support this strong new president as he picks up where he left off in 2000, which is to move FAMU to the highest levels of academia. FAMU has been under the influential thumb of "tyrants", i.e. Corbin for 5 years now. We musr purge the system of these tyranical persons and create a unified and focused academic community. This will not happen without 100% unity on behalf of the supporters of Dr. Ammons. The veil of misdirection, counter-intelligence and propaganda has been pierced. Do not settle for this propaganda anymore...We have a new Governor and a new President. It's a new day, it's now time for Corbin to retire to his ranch in chattahoochee, Castell to pack those bags and head for 75 south to Miami and Challis Lowe to go wherever it is that she goes when she is not in Tallahassee. As they said, when Ceasar was killed by the Senate....Thus ever for Tyrants...Be Gone! FAMU UNITE AND BRING THE GLORY AND THE VISION BACK TO THIS GREAT INSTITUTION! DO NOT ACCEPT ANYTHING OTHER THAN UNANINAMOUS SUPPORT FOR THIS NEW PRESIDENT. In other words, BOT, if you are not our friend, then you are our enemy, we will not stop until we annihilate you.
ReplyDeleteFAMU was not rotting from the inside during the Humphries era. FAMU was at the best during those years. And now with Ammons, we're going to be better than ever before.
ReplyDeleteThe students, faculty, and alumni all understand that. The only people working against the university's return to greatness are a small, Corbin-led anti-FAMU crowd.
FAMU was not rotting from the inside during the Humphries era. FAMU was at the best during those years. And now with Ammons, we're going to be better than ever before.
ReplyDeleteThe students, faculty, and alumni all understand that. The only people working against the university's return to greatness are a small, Corbin-led anti-FAMU crowd.
Blogger (2/2 @7:42am) brings up a valid point about those trustees who voted against Ammons. When three of the most important constituencies of the university (the students, faculty, and alumni) endorse a candidate yet these trustees would go against the wishes/concerns of those groups it really says a lot about those trustees.
ReplyDeleteYOU PEOPLE CAN BE SO SHORTSIGHTED AT TIMES. WHILE I AM AN AMMONS SUPPORTER AND VERY HAPPY THAT HE IS THE NEW PRESIDENT, IT IS CRAZY TO THINK THAT THE BOARD EXISTS TO RUBBER STAMP THE WILL OF THE STUDENTS OR ALUMNI MEMBERS. TRUSTEES HAVE A RIGHT TO DISAGREE ON CANDIDATES AS WELL AS OTHER ISSUES. GET A GRIP, I DONT THINK DR. AMMONS WOULD WANT A "YES" BOARD EITHER.
No, the 6 BOT's need to go. Ammons needs full support, not haters.
ReplyDeleteI am curious that it took two years after 17 years of Humphries tenure to see problems. Why did the problems crop up after he left. Why was isn't from people who didn't let Gainous do his job by being on campus everyday and calling meetings all of the time. Why couldn't be from someone who literally shut down all operations to sign everything from travel authorization requests to hiring to equipment requisitions. Humphries ran an efficient shop. Since him leaving, it has been a nightmare. Why should the dream team, pay for Cruger (I mean Corbin) et. al.
ReplyDeleteIf you were hired by Cast-Hell, please render your resignation. Whether you stay or go will be decided. More than likely you're OUTTA HERE!
ReplyDeleteOh Happy Day, Oh Happy Day! Pack your bags Cast-Hell and get to ridin' dirty down 10 to 75. Or better yet, pick up your broom and ride out. This is such a Happy Day!!!!!!
ReplyDeleteThink goodness for the level headed 7 that knew a good thing when they saw it and they listened to the people. As for the 6 retards that never put Famu in front of how they felt about Humphries, shame on you! To think you call yourselves professionals, professional idiots is more like it. All this time we were made to think that the white man was the only one trying to bring us down. Who knew that we had 6 morons to trying to keep us there . Thanks for the smart 7th voter who is intelligent without a shadow of a doubt! Now, that is a real rattler!
ReplyDeleteYou 6 should get your rattler card taken away from you and find another group to join because you ain't wanted here. Your sell-outs! Your most likely to tell on Harriet Tubman if you had the chance. Your feeble-minded butt kissing jerks that can't think for yourselves.( We know who would have been still sitting in the back of the bus) You 6 should never ever wear orange and green and never call yourself a rattler because you aren't! Give up your seats, you digust me and all of those who bleed orange and green.Your bonified, certified, fortified jerks, poof, be gone!
A change is gonna come and Famu will strike, strike again!
"We shall over come some day" The day is here. Welcome back Dr. Ammons. It is refreshing to wake up from the nightmare that we rattlers have endured for the past two years. The nightmare of low enrollment,a football losing team (you don't get rid of the coach right before the season is to be kicked off, vacant dean postions, telling people they don't have a job by le-mail address not working,and countless hardships we have had to burden ourselves with. For a moment it was hard being a rattler. The worst part was 6 so-called rattlers not supporting our wants and needs. We were not heard, we were ignored and meaningless, kind of like how Bush treats black people. It is my hope that you'll make the same moves here like you did in Carolina. I read about your wonderful stides in Ebony. You know they used to write about us too, when Fred was around. Oh the good ole days when we were ones to reckon with. Everybody knew about the mighty rattlers.
ReplyDeleteI should not question your loyalty, but the loyalty of the 6 backstabbers that smiled in our face but all the time tried to ruin our space 6 backstabbers, backstabbers! A note to the 6, something we use to say at the High,Baby rattlers say it with me, "take your hat, your coat and leave!!!!!!!!!
Our native son is coming home. The front porch light will soon be turned to it's off position.
ReplyDeleteWelcome home Dr. Ammons !!!
A note to the 6, something we use to say at the High,Baby rattlers say it with me, "take your hat, your coat and leave!!!!!!!!!
ReplyDelete2/02/2007 4:49 PM
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That certainly brings back many memories of FAMU High's gym being off the chain. And the Baby Rattlers taking no prisoners.
I am feeling that ole famu spirit rising from the ashes again. Damn it feels good again. It takes me to the times a the High and getting that taste of orange and green(We had the basketball team)and watching the baby rattlers play football friday night and the Rattlers with a game Saturday. All Ammons got to do is get the saying about the thunder and the strike strike again saying down pat. When Hump would say it there was nothing we could not do! The crowd was pumped and we had our foot ready! I would shake knowing in academics and athletics we were going to kick ass. You don't have to be big to be mighty. The marching green machines taught me that. Shout out to Mr. Moore! We are king.... of Seven hills at that! and we will rule again. Tell yo momma no TSU,Howard,Spelmen, the house, non of that all little children want to go the best and baby the best is back! We Back Baby! Hands up and wave, and wave, and wave and wave! Tell me what you got........Ammons, welcome my brother, welcome home!
ReplyDeletehhuphries did not leave the university in any kind of wonderful financial shape. he left the university in a financial mess. now, i loved humphries and i love ammons and am glad that he's coming home, but we all know, and we must all acknowledge that there were all problems. it shouldn't be a problem for us to acknowledge that such things existed. why is it that we are unable to do this, this acknowledging of our faults? it certainly doesn't detract from our stregths, but what it does is allow us to move forward in learing to rectify our weaknesses. Ammons is great fit for the university, and I'm glad to have him aboard, but we certainly need to acknowledge that such thins exist. Doing so doesn't take anything awayfrom any of us. What it does is give us reason to know that we really do understand that everything is not as it appears on the surface.
ReplyDeleteFAMU was making more money than ever during the Humphries-Ammons years. We had constant increases in enrollment (tuition, fees, and FTE dollars), research grant funds, and private gifts. We also had a surplus in athletics.
ReplyDeleteSince Corbin and Castell took over, most of those areas turned into deficits. Enrollment plummeted, research grants dried up, private gifts disappeared, and the athletics went into a stiff operating loss.
Corbin and Castell do not know how to make money. That's the root cause behind all the financial and budget problems FAMU is experiencing.
Ammons, a man who knows how to make revenue at the university level, has returned. We're going to be back on sound financial ground again just like we were during 1980s and 1990s.
when dr. ammons comes aboard, i will, one again, be proud to be a rattler. with castell at the helm, it has been sort of toug, what with all of madness going on. dr. ammons ill give us all hope and reason to believe that the nstitution will regain its illustrious past. castell brayant did enough damage to a lot of people, and i'm eternally gratefu to see her get down the road. and while she's getting, if she'll take that ol' cussing liz mcbride with her. let's all start a "CHALLIS LOWE MUST GET UP & GO!" campaign.and while she and castell are packing, they can take that ol' awful debra austin right along with them.
ReplyDeleteYou can say that again! Clean house and get some people who actually feel excellence with caring not the ones who still have to say it looking on a cue card. Hate to say it but Deb needs to roll out too. I hope they will get a police escort like they did for innocent people who were treated like criminals when notified their department was closed(thanks e-mail). I want them to feel their type of excellence with caring when they pack their bags and ship the hell off.
ReplyDeleteNelson Townsend ought to be ashamed to show his face on campus. That little skunk has no ethical judgement, whatsoever. All his desperate efforts to malign Dr. Ammons were a failure.
ReplyDeleteNelson, you are one pitiful excuse for a man. You have no backbone, no integrity, and soon -- no job. Your lasting legacy at FAMU will be your vicious attempts to keep this university and it's athletic department from moving upward. Go back with YOUR President, Thelma Thompson. You stole enough from the Rattlers: two years as a consultant to Cast-hell and now one year as $200,000 AD. P.S. Take your hound Corretta and your buddy Liz with.
ok, this might sound silly in light of everything that's been posted, but can someone please tell me what nelson townsend did? I know he is athletic director, but did he do something terribly awful, and also, other than his "appointment" by castell, what were his other connections to cast-Hell?
ReplyDelete11:45, humphries didn't run an "efficient shop." So much was wrong when he left. Yes, we all know about his great strength in recruiting top scholars, fundraising, research grants awarded, yada yada yada. But when Humphries was president, there weren't individual governing boards at the university; there was one state governing board: the board of regents. So much of what was done was as not as noticeable and public. When, basically, we started handling our own financial affairs and having to make puboic reports/audits to the state, so many things that had not been public began to surface. But the problems were there beforehand and had, in fact, been there. I'm no fan of Castell Bryant, that's for sure, and I'm certainly no fan of the current administration. I'm giddy with excitement that Dr. Ammons is coming back home to us. But the school was in a financial quagmire long before Castell and her crew came aboard. Yes, she's done a boatload of damage since she's been in Lee Hall and has treated people nastier than you would the worst criminal in the street, but much had to be done to half-way get things back in some kind of order. Yes, I know about the deficits, the low enrollment figures, the lost scholarship opportunities, the vanishing research $$, the every conceivable thing that could go wrong that has, in fact, gone wrong. But when the govenor assigned individual boards to the universities, all those hidden financial irregularities that had once been hidden from public view became known, and someone--it just so happened that it was the meanest snake oil saleslady in the land--had to try and do something. She went about "doing things" in the most hateful, cruel and "evilish" way imagineable, and for that god-awful behavior and mis-treatment of other grown people, she will pay a price one day. Hopefully Dr. Ammons will have less to clean up. His task as the new president will be more than a notion, but hopefully, with the 7 members of the board who voted for him (and hoepfully, but not likely the others who wouldn't), we can get this school back on the right track.
ReplyDeleteAnonymous said, "Can someone tell us why Liz McBride was cursing like a sailor when the chair announced that Dr. Ammons is the next president? They wanted him, now they got him and I hope they ass get everything they asked for. I don't care who hears me, they can all kiss my ass."
ReplyDeleteNOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!! Tell me that ain't so. (laughing). Mrs. McBride, our General Counsel, is NOT a CURSOR, is she?
By the way, she's not the only one cursing all over campus. Our wonderful SACs director, "VIV" was invited to a College of Education meeting, and NOT ONLY talked really ugly to the PROFESSIONALS there, but she and the union rep got into a disagreement. It's my understanding that Ms. Viv started cursing, and wanted to "take it outside with the rep." The DEAN wanted both of them to "take it outside." YA'LL DIDN'T TALK ABOUT THAT, DID YOU?
Now, please, please, please, Dr. Ammons... get rid of these nasty mouthed women, including the men who want to be women... They're cursing all over campus too!
Anonymous said...
ReplyDeleteWhen, basically, we started handling our own financial affairs and having to make puboic reports/audits to the state, so many things that had not been public began to surface. But the problems were there beforehand and had, in fact, been there. I'm no fan of Castell Bryant, that's for sure, and I'm certainly no fan of the current administration. I'm giddy with excitement that Dr. Ammons is coming back home to us. But the school was in a financial quagmire long before Castell and her crew came aboard. 2/04/2007 1:11 AM
Please check your facts before posting. This is almost as bad as Trustee Tyson's question to Dr. Ammons about getting the highest level of accreditation, the one higher than SACS. (lol)
For over 40 years the audits have been public records. But then you may not live in Florida.
Yeah, this is a smokin mirror. Never in the history of the state of florida has state government withheld checks as a motivation for FAMU to turn in financial statements. Also, never has FAMU had problems providing the requisite information to the Auditor Generals Office and I have lived in Florida for over 40 years.
ReplyDeleteThese audits are Legislative Audits and they are done yearly. Nothing but a smoke screen to smear Humphries name. Look at the ditch diggers now.
I find it strange, that doing Humphries admin. finicial statements was done right and on time. Humphries had comptent people in the right postion. That should tell all you narrow minded people something.
ReplyDelete