Mark Rosenberg, the chancellor of the State University System, consulted with FAMU Interim President Castell Bryant, incoming President James Ammons and Board of Trustees Chairman Challis Lowe before deciding to appoint a SUS Task Force to help FAMU with its financial problems. The creation of a financial task force, which BOG Chair Carolyn Roberts is naming immediately, is a necessary step by the BOG if it takes seriously its constitutional responsibilities to make sure all 11 universities are operating with peak efficiency and effectiveness, something the FAMU BOT certainly hasn't done.
"The Chancellor decided this kind of like when a hurricane wiped out the University of West Florida," said BOG Communications Director Bill Edmonds. "We didn't just say, 'Good luck over there'; we sent a task force to help them with recovery, even sending people with hammers and nails to help out."
Continue reading: Help for FAMU
Good. Now lets praise their efforts to work with us. This could be good news.
ReplyDeleteAlong with a task force I hope they don't forget that a criminal investigation needs to be conducted on Castell & Company.
ReplyDeletePeople are so simple....The chairperson of this "help" is none other than a one Ms. Pappas? As in Pappas report, the one that wants to turn FAMU into a great big high school. This is like sending a rapist to help the rape victim and the victim saying thank you. People get a clue! Please feel free to read the Pappas report it is online and so is the Pappas company information.( of course they say there is no relation,but come on Pappas how common is that?)
ReplyDeleteThat shot of the Exxon Valdez reminds me of the law school. Y'all need to stop sleeping and focus on what's going down in Orlando. I'm telling you it's not good. The ABA is coming in October and things are not looking good. I hope Ammons brings in a dean who can fix this joint quickly or UCF will get it's wishes fulfilled! Too many people have worked too hard to allow this school to fail. Please help!
ReplyDeleteUnless the intention all along was to separate the Law School from FAMU, this Law School will not receive full accreditation and could lose provisional status IF the problems at main campus is not resolved YESTERDAY. The ABA Annual Meeting is August each year. The committee that handles accreditation issues each meet several times each year prior to August regarding schools awaiting decisions. What ever has to be done regarding the Law School had to have been done YESTERDAY.
ReplyDeleteWell then it may be too late. How can we be in this position? What is wrong down at the law school. I hear people saying that there are problems. Isn't there any leadership down there? What about faculty governance? Is there a plan? What is going on?
ReplyDeleteFAMU needs to seek community support, and not just the black community. Too many people view famu as something separate. That needs to change, and instead of being a place for blacks it needs to be a place for all!
ReplyDeleteThat really doesn't answer the question of what is going on at the law school
ReplyDeleteMost folks assume that the Law School was set because they saw a spanking new building. The failed to look further, but the ABA always looks further. Without focused leadership in Tallahassee and no permanent dean to aggressively advocate for the needs and functionality of the Law School, the pot is boiling over and many people will be burned, mainly the students.
ReplyDeleteWhy aren't the faculty taking control down there like some have up at the main campus. I can't believe that lawyers would allow the ship to sink. Don't tell me they are scared of Castell and her BC/AC silliness.
ReplyDeleteWhassssssssssuuuuuuuuuuup?
Remember, you do not have to be a member of a Bar Association and held to higher ethical standards to be a law professor. Most people tend to go with the flow as long as they keep getting that $100,000.00 plus annual salary and can maintain their chosen standard of living. This lack of ethics and morals has happened in government and in many of our greatest institutions, AND always at the expense of the most vulnerable in our society. In this case, the most vulnerable are the students who were given a chance to get an education...a chance that they will not likely get anywhere else (whether because of race, class or finances).
ReplyDeleteI can't believe that the faculty haven't handled this situation.
ReplyDelete3/21/2007 10:48 AM says
ReplyDelete"FAMU needs to seek community support, and not just the black community. Too many people view famu as something separate. That needs to change, and instead of being a place for blacks it needs to be a place for all!"
What does HBCU mean? This is a school FOR blacks that do not want to integrate into the "mainstream" (white) university. Segregation in education is good. That's our historical mission. Blacks teaching blacks. Let's not muck it up by becoming a "melting pot" of some sort. This is not a "minority" institution, it is a BLACK institution. Historically BLACK College or University. Lets keep it that way. Thank you.
Anonymous said...
ReplyDeleteThat really doesn't answer the question of what is going on at the law school
3/21/2007 10:49 AM
1. No qualified person to work in financial aid.
2. Lack of good folks workng in admissions.
3. Lack of a director for IT..
4. Lack of a director for Career Services.
5. Lack of a PERMANENT DEAN.
6. Building problems.
7. Low morale.
etc. etc. etc. etc.
"Out of sight out of mind". As a employee on the main campus I'm sure a lot of us (including the students) hear very little about the law school. So most of what being said now is news to me. I thought they had a fully staffed IT department and a Dean. But I'm not surprised at all to many departments on main campus running on a skeleton crew as is. FAMU needs a lot of QUALIFIED personnel quick.
ReplyDeleteALLOCATIONS GOV.- That is what we need. And a big stick for T.K. and the locals who scheme on the FAMU community in their sleep. Trust that they REALLY exist. Tell 'em you went to State and they'll spill their guts.
ReplyDeleteanon 10:48 "segregation is good in education" interesting comment. segregation is not good, it promotes misunderstandings and racism. remember we ended segregation back in the 60's, but famu seems to want to have it both ways. thankfully those days are numbered and famu will find that survival will have to be one of accountability and change in mission. famu mission is a relic. we live in the 21 first century and i find your comments backwards just like the confederate flag which the black community abhors.
ReplyDeletealert alert! the janitors did not throw out the missing records for 1.8 million in ticket sales. t.k. dressed up as a black man and did it. i got proof, it was the white man all along......he also took some computers too! ha ha ha!
ReplyDeletean institution of higher ed. giving a kindergarden excuse. not even man enough to assume responsiblity. what COWARDS! famu deserves no respect!
3/21/2007 12:48 PM wrote:
ReplyDelete"What does HBCU mean? ... Segregation in education is good. That's our historical mission. Blacks teaching blacks. Let's not muck it up by becoming a "melting pot" of some sort. This is not a "minority" institution, it is a BLACK institution. Historically BLACK College or University. Lets keep it that way. Thank you."
Don't forget the "H" -- that has Historically been the situation, but segregation is how history, and there just can't be any viable black public universities any more, and certainly not in Florida, given the political climate here.
FAMU USED to be a black university. But it still a state university, in the Florida system. It needs to function as a state university, responsibly and (get over it) multiculturally.
There is already a simple change in the wings that makes sense to a lot of people. If FAMU continues to have troubles, it might be put into place:
Stop admitting underqualified students; send them to community colleges instead. Those who earn AAs can transfer as juniors.
FAMU can then compete for qualified enrollment with everybody else, till it finds it natural enrollment -- which might be somewhat smaller than today's figures, which are inflated by the admission of 30%, 40% of freshmen who do not meet the minimum requirements, who are underqualified and undermotivated and who are not yet college material.
FAMU could, in other words, bite the bullet and become a real university, build its quality and its enrollment on that quality, and make something of itself in five to ten years.
Or, it could keep admitting underqualified students, keep failing to provide them with the remedial high school courses they need, and keep flunking them out after sophomore year (see the enrollment statistics).
It would be such a shame not to change this distressing pattern now, when we still have the chance.
3/21/2007 12:48 PM wrote:
ReplyDelete"What does HBCU mean? ..
We need to start focusing on the U rather than the H and the B. Our history is important, but its just that - history, the past, old news. For this university to improve, our focus must be on the future, not the past.
Have you noticed that FAMU continues to be the best this or the best that in various competitions? However, when you read the fine print you find out that it is the best of the HBCUs.>
We need to quit patting ourselves on the back for being the best in category (HBCU). What does that really mean anyway? In basketball, being the best HBCU means that we are the 65th seed. What does it mean in academics?
We need to STOP comparing ourselves to HBCUs and start comparing ourselves to our REAL competition, the other 10 state universities in Florida.
History is not old news. History is the foundation of every institution in the world. FAMU is not only ranked the best in the HBCU category, it is the best in the country with it's pharmacy program and Business School. The Princeton Review didn't name it the best HBCU, it was the Number 1 College in the country. I agree, we must look forward to make our university better, but please tell me what nationally known programs do the other state universities have besides their athletic programs?
ReplyDeleteWe have problems, but we must work on them together and not continue to make denigrating statements about each other and continue to segregate. Let's focus on a more important issue, the survival of our great university.
FAMU will survive if it faces reality and adapts.
ReplyDeleteIf FAMU insists on trying to continue to act like a private black university until it needs a public bail-out, its bound for trouble.
There are not enough qualified black applicants graduating in Florida to fill the FAMU freshman class -- and every other university is competing for the best of those. These figures come from our own BOT.
Face it. FAMU needs white and Hispanic students and faculty, and large numbers of them, if it hopes to survive.
This retrenchment into being a black institution is suicidal. Its time for FAMU to become a university, not a black university, and a damn good one at that.
Most of FAMU's original "special mission" for serving underserved black high school graduates has been taken over and is being done better by community colleges -- where undermotivated students can continue to live at home, attend community college, and not waste two years neglecting their coursework in favor of college's many distractions.
Don't you think our provost understands this, with her community college experience?
Let community colleges do the remedial work. Join up with them by transferring large numbers of qualified students into FAMU in the junior year. Grow a great university on this opportunity.
It was posted previously that the College of Law lacked certain areas of expertise. The person submitting that comment is definitely out of the loop of information. I am a second-year law student and I am upset at the wild criticisms launched at my law school by people pretending to be FAMUANS.
ReplyDelete1. A Director if IT has been hired and will be starting soon. Based on her resume, she knows her stuff.
2. Note that The Admissions Department is only a staff of two persons. The Assistant Director (There is no Assistant Dean or Director in place- the Assistant Director is the only administrator in the department) is a FAMU Law graduate who has been running the Admissions department since his third year in law school. Nobody else wanted the job for the low pay, high travel (the employees must front the cash for travel and hope to be reimbursed four to six weeks later), and high work volume ( loads of applications are still pouring in). This Rattler worked Admissions by himself from February to May of last year. The minority enrollment increased and the number of FAMU grads at the law school doubled. He is still there working. The only other staff person in that department is a program assistant. This cat goes above and beyond his job description. He makes himself available to students. He has given students money for books when their financial aid is jacked up. He tells them to keep the faith when they want to quit. Mr. Bonney tells students to have faith and stick it out becuase the profession needs people who a competent, capable, and Black. He literally exudes "Excellence with Caring."
I know because he has repeatedly helped me and several of my fellow students to stay in school. He personally worked with the Director of Financial Aid and Associate Director of Financial Aid on the main campus and they fixed our financial aid situation when nobody else would listen. He tutors students who need help for no charge (He graduated with Honors from the law school in 2006) He cares a lot and he gets no thanks from anyone. I can't let people hate on this man. If there are qualified people out there who can do what he does, APPLY. Oops, the job was posted for six weeks and only a couple of people applied (State job applications are public record).
3. Dean Witherspoon was given a thankless job and a daunting task. She is charged with convincing a skeptical ABA to allow us to get fully accredited. She works unbelievable hours and she is quite intelligent. Don't underestimate her abilities because she wears the title "Interim." Understaffed, underfunded, and overworked: That is the staff and administration at the College of Law.
4. Instead of identifying more problems, come up with constructive solutions. My degree and my job prospects depend on full ABA accreditation. Help me and the other 649 students at the College of Law by doing whatever it takes to get the law school in a position to receive the nod from the ABA in October.
5. Put your FULL and UNYIELDING support behind the law school.
If FAMU wants alumni and other FAMU supporters to help the law school, then FAMU administration should step up and state their facts. When the administration fails to provide any information that would conteract erroneous information about the law school the public is left with nothing but what is put out by the general media and other outlets. So far, none of it is good. When the legislature is asking for a criminal investigation and FAMU is providing no alternate good information, what is the general public to do?
ReplyDeleteanon at 10:28
ReplyDeleteI am a potential student at FAMU COL, and read your comments. I will more than likely be moving to the Orlando area for personal reasons and FAMU COL is probably my only option. I have been visiting RN for quite sometime and have read the numerous comments about the law school troubles. I noticed you said that the college is up for ABA approval again in October, is this the last chance the school has to be fully accredited? And is there any truth to the rumors of a UCF takeover? Please help!
3/22/2007 12:41 AM says
ReplyDelete"FAMU is not only ranked the best in the HBCU category, it is the best in the country with it's pharmacy program and Business School. The Princeton Review didn't name it the best HBCU, it was the Number 1 College in the country."
Read the fine print. Princeton named us the best school for BLACKS.
When it comes to vouching for the character of individuals, we must be mindful that the ABA and The Florida Bar (for example) has a higher standard of character and ethics. Those who have applied to the Bar know what I am referring to. They will unearth bankruptcies, divorce records, sealed court/juvenile records, military records, fraud or other improprieties with other state agencies, parking tickets, and the list goes on. One student went all the way through school and passed the bar only to have an older murder brought to light by The Florida Bar. Someone can indeed graduate with honors and be the sweetest, most helpful person in the world and still not meet the rigorous standards for the ABA or a state bar association. Some of the nicest people have the most skeletons...the type the ABA and state Bar associations have access to. NEVER VOUCH FOR ANYONE IN THESE MATTERS, NOT EVEN YOUR MAMA.
ReplyDeleteAlso, the fact the someone works 24 hours a day will be looked on as an understaffed institution (very unfavorable with the ABA). The ABA does not care about personalities or our song and dance. We must understand how state bars work. You can pass the bar exam and not be admitted to practice because of other character issues. The students who are at the law school now must keep their focus on their goals beyond law school. Advocating for one person or another will not help with those who have the ultimate say on the existence of the law school (the ABA) and those who decide whether you are admitted to the bar (The Florida Bar/Florida Supreme Court).
Keep your eyes on the prize.
Response to Anon 6:36 p.m.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the jaded advice and the veiled threat, Law Professor! I stand by my earlier statement concerning the law school, the Dean, and the Asst. Dir. in Admissions. I am sure that you have some skeletons of your own. We all have them, including me. The existence of skeletons does not evict one from society. I learned from my elders that one must get to know a person and look at their actions to understand their heart. Those who throw rocks and hide their hands afterwards are the lowest form of cowards. Nobody is perfect but I'd rather have an imperfect person lending me a helping hand than a seemingly perfect person stabbing me in the back. Your Bible teaches that have all sinned and it teaches that no one is perfect.
Lastly, lawyers are supposed to be advocates. Advocating for persons worthy of merit is not a crime. Needlessly exposing the infirmities of others is.
There is no threat intended, veiled or otherwise. The fact is that the state bar associations and the ABA have their set standards. They are not looking at personalities, they are looking for performance based on their set criteria. No one is or has to expose anything. The bar examiners and the ABA handles their own confidential investigations, leaving no stone unturned. All I was trying to say is that the collective leadership of FAMU in Tallahassee has to show the ABA that all the critical requirements for the Law School are met so that the students can focus on their educational and professional goals beyond law school.
ReplyDeleteI understand and agree. I hope that the Rattler community bands together to support our law school as our University goes through this period of change.
ReplyDeleteAt the intersection of Gamble Street and Wahnish Way (at the light), there is a brand, spakning newly-erected sign that proclaims: "FAMU: the number one school in the nation for blacks," as declared by Black Enterprise magazine. If some other majority school had such a sign anywhere on their campus, as in "...the number one school for whites," or "the number one school for Latinos..." folks would be up in arms hollering and screaming about racism this and racism that. FAMU needs to take down that stupid and insulting sign, not only because of its segregationish inference but also because of all of the madness, mayhem and public scrutiny that the school is currently undergoing because of its legacy of finnancial and administrative mismanagement. The key words on the sign are: "for blacks." How distinctive is that?
ReplyDeletespelling correction on my above commentary: "segregationist..."
ReplyDeleteAnonymous said...
ReplyDeleteanon 10:48 "segregation is good in education" interesting comment. segregation is not good, it promotes misunderstandings and racism. remember we ended segregation back in the 60's, but famu seems to want to have it both ways. thankfully those days are numbered and famu will find that survival will have to be one of accountability and change in mission. famu mission is a relic. we live in the 21 first century and i find your comments backwards just like the confederate flag which the black community abhors.
3/21/2007 9:34 PM
With all respects to you, whether you find the comments backwards, racial disparities still exist in the educational today. We need schools life FAMU, Southern, NCCU, Tex So who's mission is to educate African Americans who desire a career in law where most mainstream schools will give you the finger once they've admitted enough of us. If we start admitting too many of "them" then that's a seat that an African American has been denied.
Don't be a Negro!
3/22/2007 10:28 AM
ReplyDeleteThank you for your post. I hope to be a student at the COL next year. I am an alumna of Florida A & M. It's easy for people to jump ship when the chips are down but I faith in our incoming administration that many of the issues at the COL will be rectified.
I will have the pleasure of meeting Mr. Bonney soon.
Read the fine print. FAMU best for Blacks!
ReplyDeleteIf you are a law student, the first lesson that you learn in law school is to get the facts. The article that you are referring to when FAMU was listed as best university for Blacks was in Black Enterprise Magazine. Time Magazine's Priceton Review named FAMU College of the Year- not HBCU College of the Year or College of the Year for Blacks. Your mind is a terrible thing to waste. Get off the blog and go do the research, something that you obviously haven't done. I hope you read the large print.