The BOG office expressed concern about governance and fiscal problems that maybe problematic for FAMU during its upcoming SACS visit. Their concern is that areas which are not showing improvement may draw red flags.
Vivian Hobbs, who is heading FAMU's SACS review team, walked the commiittee through a document she prepared on the reaffirmation process. Included in her handouts was a blank form and the latest reaffirmation letter received in 1998, FAMU's vision statement, a revised strategic plan 2004-2012, institutional effectiveness plan, presentations to the BOT, and a list of SACS planning committee members. Hobbs said she had been working with Rufus Little, VP for Compliance and Audit,and Provost Deborah Austin.
Hobbs said, the University still has some issues from the 1998 SACS visit that had not yet been addressed. The problem with Ms. Hobbs' statement is that the SACS letter doesn't support her claim: (1998 Letter).
"SACS is aware of our 35 audit findings. They knew about it before I went home that evening," said Hobbs.
"Dr. Bryant having a qualified opinion will not cause FAMU to become sanctioned?", asked Merkel. Dr. Bryant responded, "No."
What issues are they speaking about from 1998? I guess I am lost.
ReplyDeleteI think are talking about FAMU not being fully accredited. This issue was a problem during the search process but became a none issue when the letter was presented from SACS. It is a link in this post.The letter does not discuss the issues or concerns that Hobbs raised. Also, it is funny that she all but disappeared during Ammons' interview when this was brought up the Allen and Tyson.
ReplyDeleteIsn't part of the problem the 35% of students who fail to meet the state's academic standards? SACS will not reaccredit FAMU if it does not havew a plan for meeting statewide standards, which are now tied to funding. If this is true, we are in serious trouble, folks. Either we have to downsize by 35%, or somehow get better students.
ReplyDeleteThe quickest way for FAMU to get better students is to stop limiting its recruitment to black students only (except for a few department and for special activities like the women's volleyball team, which seem to recruit whites if they are tall enough).
ReplyDeleteThe BOT published a report (on the FAMU website)last year or so stating that there are not enough black high school graduates in Florida who meet the minimum admission standards to fill the FAMU freshman class.
And every other university is competing for the best of them!
FAMU cannot both remain virtually all black AND raise its academic standards without reducing its enrollment, faculty, staff, and budget. Add up the numbers.
FAMU has reached the point that, to get big enough to develop into a real research university, it has to have thousands more applications from well-qualified students.
Those will have to come, increasingly, from non-black students.
FAMU cannot be everything. We cannot be a black community college (admitting underqualified students and remediating them), a black college (which is most of what we are now), and a black research university (which is what so many want us to become).
There just aren't enough high-achieving black applicants to make that possible. Add up the numbers!
FAMU needs 10,000 or more of the kind of students who make a research university possible.
Those are NOT the ones who fail to meet admissions standards, but are students who are motivated and have the learning skills.
We just can't keep teaching students the 10th, 11th, and 12th grades again. They have GOT to arrive as freshmen, equipped to learn.
Otherwise, FAMU is just a big community college with a smaller four-year degree program grafted onto it. (Like TCC.)
And if we follow that path, the place may as well be renamed FAMCC.
Vivian Hobbs keeps focusing on 1998 because she is not doing anything about the current situation. Come on. If 1998 issues are still outstanding, why is FAMU still operating?
ReplyDelete