Reorganizing the FAMU-FSU College of Engineering so that the bills will be paid through Florida State University for the next year is the best thing for the college for the time being.This one-year business-office shift will ensure stability for the students and faculty and the general administration of the college. In addition, it will give Florida A&M time to work through financial and accreditation issues that incoming President James Ammons and the university's trustees are determined to resolve.
The Democrat wrote in it editorial today, "It's important to keep in mind that this week's decision by legislative leaders to shift $10.4 million from the A&M accounts to FSU's will be, if approved by the full Legislature, a one-year appropriation only.
By next year's budget cycle, we are hopeful that FAMU's financial house will be in order. Mr. Ammons has already said he looks forward to working with FSU to strengthen the engineering program."
It's not that we don't believe the Democrat. But their suggestion that the fix is only temporary is a kind of like your broke cousin who never pays you back asking you to "let me hold a $100", once its gone, you know you'll never get it back.
Continue reading: E-School fix will give FAMU "breathing room"
They are literally stealing our E-School, and money away from our institution. Why in the hell do these state legislatures keep mentioning saying that fsu have such great financial health. BULL!! I know for a fact that early last year it was reported in a fsu blog that a reported in early 2006 they was at a deficit and had to make budget cuts. Not to mention staff layoff at their mediocre medical school. fsu is a mess they pay off the democrat and other sources not to report the truth about them. It seems to me that this is a slick way for TKto steal our school and cut state money from us right infront of our face. I feel like next year they'll come up with another clever way to steal the school permately.
ReplyDeleteSought of like the fix with the Law School in the 60's.
ReplyDeleteI hope they give Dr. Ammons a chance to rectify this mess Castell has not helped.
ReplyDeleteCan someone confirm was SGA president Phillip Agnew stands on this issue. I would think that he and the students would have a whole lot to talk about. This is damn near the ugliest move Castell has played to date.
ReplyDeleteWhat's up with Trustee Agnew? Is he down with this move or what?
Phillip and Castell are down like two flat tires.
ReplyDeleteHe ain't on the side of the students, he's too worried about getting a letter of recommendation from this crew.
There are plenty of other outstanding individuals that he can seek a letter from that have a recognized reputation in academia.
He needs to think again about Castell recommending him for anything and that includes a job to become the "dog catcher."
This is how Dr. Fred Humphries handled FSU's demands to control the joint E-School.
ReplyDelete=================================
Florida Universities Argue Over Possible Split in Engineering School
Tallahassee Democrat
June 3, 2001, Sunday
By Melanie Yeager
If Florida State University wants its own engineering school, it should ask the Legislature to create one, Florida A&M University President Frederick Humphries said Saturday.
Because, he said, FAMU isn't budging.
"It is a line-in-the-dust issue for me and Florida A&M University, and we will fight," Humphries said of a possible split in the FAMU/FSU College of Engineering. "I don't think FSU can impose on us to make two schools out of the college. ... They may have the power to do that, but the world will know because we won't take it lying down."
FSU President Sandy D'Alemberte said his university would like to keep the college intact, but FSU needs more cooperation from FAMU. He said they need to reach consensus on issues like the engineering faculty tenure process, entering student qualifications and managing the budget.
"If there is no will to solve these fundamental issues, then it's my vote to separate," D'Alemberte said.
Humphries and D'Alemberte aired their differences Saturday morning at a mechanical engineering advisory council meeting. The council, which makes recommendations to the college on issues like curriculum, had asked the presidents to present their views on the college's future so the group would be prepared. The council has no authority to decide how the college should proceed.
During the heated, but always civil, discussion, the presidents mostly disagreed. They started out taking jabs at each other over who last canceled a meeting with whom, but they progressed to the larger issue of whether to split the college.
Their arguing came down to one sticking point: D'Alemberte wants to discuss specifics about the future of the engineering school now; Humphries does not, especially if an option to split is on the table.
"I don't want to talk about that option," Humphries said.
Both presidents face the installation of a board of trustees appointed by Gov. Jeb Bush for each university by July 1. The presidents will answer to these local boards instead of the state's Board of Regents, which is being eliminated. These boards will approve any future college plans and take it to a higher authority, namely the State Board of Education and Legislature, when necessary.
D'Alemberte believes FSU and FAMU administrators need to discuss some issues concerning the engineering school's future so he can be ready to brief trustees on how a joint engineering college can move ahead under the new higher education system. The two universities need to decide soon what money to request from the Legislature next year for the college, he said.
But Humphries, who steps down as FAMU president at the end of August, said a routine administrative meeting with Engineering Dean Ching-Jen Chen should suffice.
Humphries and D'Alemberte have been haggling over the college's priorities and procedures for years.
"I've argued and fussed with Sandy; he's argued and fussed with me," Humphries said. "But in large, I think there's a great satisfaction in what we've done." Since the school's creation by the Legislature in 1982, it has grown to nearly 2,000 students -- about 65 percent of whom are minorities, primarily black.
One constant argument centers on the fiscal management of the college. D'Alemberte doesn't like the way FAMU handles the money. He wants the responsibility alternated between FSU and FAMU.
"He has badgered me about allowing FSU to have the budget," Humphries said, noting the topic comes up each time the presidents discuss the college.
Humphries sees FAMU's budget control as part of the initial deal he struck with former FSU President Bernie Sliger. Humphries agreed to place the school in Innovation Park and let FSU choose its dean, as long as FAMU could control the budget.
But D'Alemberte doesn't see that agreement as forever binding.
"I'm not going to give up any more than you are," he told Humphries Saturday.
D'Alemberte's position to alternate budget control is supported by a study done by an outside commission studying the college in 1995. That report said the budget responsibility should alternate "in order to enhance closer cooperation and communication."
It also said the college was underfunded, its facilities and faculty were overextended and that the two universities' different administrative procedures leads to "gross inefficiencies, frustrations and undue burdens for the faculty and students."
The system of each employee reporting to one school or the other instead of a single entity -- a system still in place today -- leads to "divisiveness and inter-school rivalries, racial tensions and student unrest," the report said.
Humphries acknowledged Saturday he had a "very harsh reaction" to the report when it surfaced, but he thinks the relationship between the two universities has improved since then. Maybe they could work together on these things now, he said.
"We need to have an examination of these issues raised five years ago," D'Alemberte said. "If we can't resolve them, we'll end up splitting the school."
3:56, what do you mean that fsu "pays off the Tallahassee Democrat and other sources not to report the truth about them"? I'm certainly no fan of FSU's, but I'm just wondering about the evidence of such a statement. BTW, I'm a FAMU graduate (undergrad & grad), and I dearly and truly love our school, but I'm wondering about some of the generalized statements that I read here. Are you aware of the existing agreement (of twenty-five years) that has been in place for two and one-half decades? No one is stealing anything. Evidence, please on your statement.
ReplyDeleteThis is a copy of an email that SGA President Phillip Agnew sent yesterday. It speaks for itself...he is standing up. You all should calm down a tad...
ReplyDelete> Greetings Chair Lowe and Board,
>
> I must tell you all that the past few weeks have been my hardest as Student
> Body President. My last meeting was some time ago, and I was overjoyed that we
> were able to end on a positive note. I am writing to follow up on my request
> for an Emergency Board meeting within the next ten days. This meeting will be
> to discuss issues regarding the audit, the Engineering School and the lack of
> communication regarding the issues facing our institution. It is especially
> trying for board members residing in Tallahassee for, everyday, we are faced
> with the faces of confused and concerned Rattlers. I would like your support
> and suggestions on how we can ease the tension and avoid further confusion.
How do we know that e-mail is authentic?
ReplyDeleteRe:
ReplyDeleteThis is how Dr. Fred Humphries handled FSU's demands to control the joint E-School.
June 3, 2001,
Well ... It is now 2007!
Don't you think it's about time to quit reminiscing about what "used to work" back in the day, and come up with some 21st Century strategies involving the people that are curently in place, and that CAN help us rectify this matter TODAY?
I also don't believe that this is some ONE year sabatical like the Hypo-crat is touting either. If it IS, then let's get that IN WRITING from TK - "No Handshake Deals" anymore!
I don't - and wouldn't - trust anything TK would "say" as far as any of you could throw it. Get that promise in writing ... And maybe it will be more believable.
Can we get some proof-of-evdence-commentary on this site, rather than what folks heard and didn't hear, saw and didn't see, and all of this innuendo madness and mayhem? People from all over the nation read this board and some of the writing is just plain atrocious, not to mention (although I am doing so at this moment), the writing skills of so many are, well...much to be desired. Can we all just step it up a notch in terms of the proofreading game?
ReplyDelete"evidence"... (on my above comment). My bad...
ReplyDeleteCastell is a liar and complete sell-out to FAMU. How the hell can she claim she loves the university and then give up the E-School?
ReplyDeleteShe's nothing but a cardboard cut-out from a minstrel show!
Don't you think it's about time to quit reminiscing about what "used to work" back in the day, and come up with some 21st Century strategies involving the people that are curently in place, and that CAN help us rectify this matter TODAY?
ReplyDeleteTODAY, FAMU needs a leader with enough backbone to stand up to FSU like the Humph did. That's the lesson that should be taken from the article.
Being an institution of Higher Education is a privilege earned and not given. Just because an institution is historically black does not give it right to educate our youth. FAMU does not deserve an engineering school. UCF will take the law school next. Why? Because for too long FAMU has got away with playing the race card in the face of every deficiency. In the 21st century this will no longer suffice. With our rapidly changing and growing state FAMU will have to integrate to help the whole and not just educate a one race need. Education is for all, and one institution should not cater to just black students. FAMU is falling too far behind. This is just the beginning of bigger and more drastic changes.
ReplyDeleteFAMU does not have the leverage in the Legislature to stand up for anybody, let alone itself. The race card does not work anymore. In addition when the University is plagued with bad management and recent possible criminal acts, you make no friends amongst politicians and their constituents.
ReplyDeleteFAMU is the little kid on the block now!
Both universities deserve to have their own E school. If the state is willing to spend $1B on med schools at FIU and UCF, they can fork out a couple hundred mill to build FAM an E school. The only thing stopping this is FAM's leaders (the horrible mismanagement of money and the fact that FAM's administration doesn't want their own E school, they'd rather share it).
ReplyDeleteFSU is moving forward without FAMU. FAM has not earned the right to stay in the school or to continue with another E School. The legislature would be a fool to give money to FAMU to go start it's own school. The university continues to waste, mismanage, steal, and under educate. I for one support a full criminal investigation and will be demanding from my representatives accountability.
ReplyDeleteFAMU must earn it's place in education, and not be suprised or play the victim when that right is not given.
At the COE: 80% of the students are FSU students; 20% are FSU students. Most of the faculty are FSU faculty. I favor having FSU give the building to FAMU and walking, taking 80% of the budget. Leave the building and the remainder of the budget for FAMU and let Ammons hunt to build a real engineering college for african americans and let FSU try to build its own engineering college as well. FAMU gets nothing from its affiliation with FSU and would be better off without a "joint" COE, in my opinion.
ReplyDeleteThe legislature is not going to fund an E-school for FAMU. Why should they? Look how we have mismanaged the basic administrative task of simply paying folks on time. Hello? I love my institution, but we MUST be accountable. What perhaps "worked" during the administration of Dr. Humphries' era does not, obviously, work now. We must learn to let go of that which did not work, look at new alternatives and initiatives and move forward. While FAMU is an HBCU, it does not, as one poster has said, "cater to blacks." Students come to the university for all sorts of reasons, but "catering" to African American students is not a label I readily embrace. As an institution we simply have to step up to the 21st century and be mindful of our mission: to offer the best possible education to the students who are enrolled, to be (and become) a major player in the higher echelons of academic institutions and, if we are able to, maintain autonomy. We have to be willing, sometimes, to step back in order to move forward. The transfer of the E-school for one year is not the end of the world. What it will allow us to do is direct our focus and re-direct our focus on the myriad of other problems, concerns and issues that are facing our school.
ReplyDeleteDr. Frederick S. Humphries is not to blame for FAMU's current financial problems.
ReplyDeleteHumphries left FAMU with:
-16 years of clean operational audit opinions from the State Auditor General's office;
-An Athletic Budget Surplus of $3M;
-An Operating Budget that was $3M cash positive;
-A Composite Cash Balance of $22M;
-A Foundation of more than $65M (after inheriting a foundation that had less than $6M);
-Nearly $90M in approved capital construction dollars;
-Over 12,000 students (after inheriting a student body that had less than 3,500).
Those are the facts. Dr. Humphries did not leave FAMU in a financial crisis.
FAMU's current financial issues go back to former board Chairman James Corbin. He pressured former President Fred Gainous to fire all the senior officers in the controller's office who had experience in preparing the financial statement and securing clean operational audit opinions.
Gainous and Castell Bryant gave big bucks to KPMG, which has turned out to be completely inept in managing the university's money.
Plus, Bryant cut the recruitment program: FAMU's largest revenue-generating unit.
It's time to stop blaming Humphries for problems he didn't create and start looking at the facts!
Anon @ 5:33, you can preach those facts to these clown ass morons 'til the cows come back to the FAMU dairy, and it'll never sink in. The ignorant believe innuendo and hearsay. You're not preaching to the brightest bulbs in the box here.
ReplyDeleteThe ignorant believe innuendo and hearsay. You're not preaching to the brightest bulbs in the box here.
ReplyDeleteYou're right. But I just think that FAMUans have let this go for too long. Newspapers like the St. Pete Times, state legislators, and many others have been trying to make it look like FAMU has been a financial disaster zone for years. Too often, FAMUans don't strike back with facts and take these people to task for the distortions they spread about our university.
I'm glad the students are getting up and starting to make some noise about these issues. We can't let Castell and T.K. use lame arguments about "inherited FAMU financial problems" to justify taking the E-School.
4:08--what is a "real engineering school for African Americans"? "Real" as opposed to "unreal"? And how on earth do you suppose that such a proposal as that will be done? I realize that people oftentimes want to vent their anger at what is happening now with the FAMU/FSU engineering school, but offering such asine "solutions"--not that they do ANY doggone good--shows why many of us are so left behind in the first place. Offer a sound, sensible, logical resolution and/or commentary, or simply keep your mouths shut. Good gracious. "Build a real angineering school for African Americans." Yeah, right.
ReplyDeleteSegregation is over. We don't need a Negro Engineering School (NES).
ReplyDeleteThere are plenty of opportunities for aspiring Negro Engineers at Florida, Auburn, Georgia Tech, MIT, Clemson, etc.
Go to a real engineering school if you want to be a real engineer. There is no ready market for Negro Engineers but there is a great market for great engineers.
AMEN....Jim Crow is over, segregation is through. Consequently, HBCUs face a slow death if they do not adapt. Diversity is the key to higher education. A multi ethnic student body is what all the universities are striving for except for FAMU and other HBCUs.
ReplyDeleteI love it when you racist people come on this blog and hide behind anonymity to show your true colors.
ReplyDeleteYou just support the fact that FAMU still needs to exist because ignorant racists like you are still calling us "Negroes."
What is even more interesting is that you have public jobs that will not allow you to say what you want to publicly so you come to these blogs and rear your racist heads here.
Accept the fact that you love FAMU. Don't you?
Go ahead. Say it. "Hi, I am Jim M. Crow, and I love FAMU." And you other colleagues will say "Hi Jim M., Welcome." And then there will be applause from the rest of your FAMU Lovers Anonymous group.
The first step of accepting this reality is admitting it.
FAM needs to exist because people use the word negroes? That is a very solid reason for FAMU to continue especially when blacks call each other "niggas" night and day.
ReplyDeleteFAMU must integrate and recognize what other universities are doing with regard to recruitment. What is that you ask? Recruiting the best and brightest of all color.
The demand put on our SUS will force FAMU to enroll people of all color.