As exected, a straight answer was not to be had from Castell Bryant who today addressed student concerns presented to her after Monday's "We want Answers Rally". Students presented the FAMU administration 378 questions ranging from housing, financial aid, the deficit, and the College of Engineering. What students got in return was a poorly crafted document in which she failed to provide a direct answer to a single question. Castell's response
Students march for answers to FAMU woes
Students seek answers
After reviewing the questions and answers that CVB's team "answered" it makes me wonder the over all state of FAMU. Don't get me wrong, some of the questions were on point, and those students did an outstanding job of taking CVB to task, but to use this great opportunity to ask questions like," why can't FAMU be on BET's College Hill, is irrelevant especially when we are in the term oil that we are in. Nevertheless, some great questions but some very strange ones as well. Although everyone needs to have the opportunity to voice their concerns, some of those questions should not have made the list that was fowarded to the administration. Anyway, just my thoughts.
ReplyDeleteturmoil not term oil
ReplyDeletethanks
ReplyDeleteAnon at 9:28PM. No problem. Great post. I agree that being on a reality show on BET is not at the top of our priorities. Isn't it sad that none of our leaders has been willing to be held accountable for the current state of affairs?
ReplyDeleteannon 11:29, I do agree. I think that CVB needs to address these issues straight on without the political side stepping that she usually does. I would love to see her call a town hall meeting to address these issues. I read on the wctv.tv website that "her schedule did not allow her to meet personally." It is sad that the president-elect (Ammons) went out to discuss these issues with the students but the current IP did not (have time) show her face at this event. IMO, I think that either she was afraid of the same type of "attack" that the SGA president took on Monday, or she really doesn’t value the students that this institution serves. Lastly, before she leaves, CVB needs to respond personally to the "current" state of FAMU (she surely has an opinion, just look at the St. Petersburg Times) while not looking back at issues that "date back to Dr. Humphries administration."
ReplyDeleteI agree that she doesn't value the students or anything relating to FAMU. What people don't realize is if there were no students, there would be no jobs....
ReplyDeleteProud Alumna 2002
Castell and Corbin don't give a damn about anything Orange and Green and as soon as people realize that, they can get over her doing anything "right" or in support of moving FAMU forward.
ReplyDeleteShe has done what she has been charged to do. Like it or not, she and only she and Corbin are responsible for the current state of affairs.
Corbin the puppet-master behind the scences and Castell the great liar and manipulator out front, but behind a smoke screen.
I am not at all surprised at CVB's lack of response to the students' concerns, I simply hope that the students follow through on their threat of sitins at her office and the office's of other administrators on campus.
ReplyDelete8:47 AM -- I am feeling everything you are saying, but I would beg to differ that she (CVB) and Corbin are the only ones responsible for the current state of affairs at FAMU, I would have to include all the members of the BOT, the current staff and faculty, SGA, the current students, and alumni.
ReplyDeleteAll the members of BOT are included because they have allowed this b**** to rein out of control as though they are not her bosses. Why are they quoted as not knowing what is going on at FAMU, that she is making decisions that "they are unaware of," I have a problem with them not knowing or claiming to not know.
The current staff and faculty because they sit up at FAMU and act as though their future livelihoods are not being placed in jeopardy by the actions of this b****. With student enrollment steadily decreasing there soon will be no need for all of those staff members and professors, so layoffs will come and pay decreases will also come and these people are not bothered by that notion. Then the thought that some of the staff and faculty members were allowing the university to go months without paying them is baffling. If I recall correctly I only saw two adjuncts speak out on the news and the same two just happen to be the ones speaking out in the newspaper. Our ancestors (and I am speaking to my BLACK PEOPLE) worked in this country for 400 years and I personally will be damned if I in the year 2007 will work for free. I do not care if I have $1 million in the bank; you are going to pay me my $200 check because it is the principle of the matter.
The reason that I have to include SGA, the current students, and alumni is because none of these groups with the exception of a few have been willing to call CVB or Corbin for that matter out. Furthermore, I do not see the alumni caravanning down to Tallahassee like they did in 2004 for Gainous and this b**** is far more ruthless than he could have ever been.
So I ask you to please not limit your blame because individuals are only able to get away with what the masses allow them to get away with.
To: 8:47 a.m.
ReplyDeleteI agree with you about FAMU's faculty.
They are always talking about "shared governance" and "collective bargaining" and all other terms that suggest that they are a "group" or "force" to be reckoned with, yet they are a collective bunch of political wimps.
They sit it their offices, homes and other public places and whine and complain about FAMU. Some of them even come to this site and post their true feelings under the guise of anonymity. Others of them probably read this site but are too scared to post a comment because they think "big brother" or "big sister" will link the comment back to them and/or their computer.
Many of them are even scared to become a part of the union, yet they want the union to secretly fight for them when they feel they have been wronged. To top it off, lot of these folks are tenured, full professors.
What I am getting at is that this faculty sits back and let other people fight for them. They let a few vocal people like Diallo, Tucker, & Thompson (all of whom have my respect for at least being willing to speak out)
It is a shame that the students have more gumption than many of the faculty.
I just don't get it. A lot of FAMU's faculty came of age during the 60's and 70's, yet they are so reticent now. They have taken the approach now that "if it doesn't affect me, then I do not care. I'll go to Rattler Nation and read about it, and I'll gossip about it, but I am not taking a public position."
This is a University (regardless of Pappas and others wanting something else). If you can not take a position at a university, then where can you do so? I mean, universities are the most fertile grounds for academic and political exchange.
Faculties at other HBCUs and universities around the country exercise their rights to be seen as a voice. At FAMU, the faculty waits for students and a few bold ones to speak up for them.
It makes me wander what or how they can teach FAMU students about taking a position in a discussion or on a paper, yet they will not take a position on issues that impact their own lives.
Deepbluesea
FROM deepbluesea:
ReplyDeleteWhat I am getting at is that this faculty sits back and let other people fight for them. They let a few vocal people like Diallo, Tucker, & Thompson (all of whom have my respect for at least being willing to speak out) fight for them.
deepbluesea,
ReplyDeleteIf you are making a plea for increased union membership, here's how to do it.
Instead of keeping dues so high and thus restricting membership only to those faculty who have special drive toward unions, cut the dues in half and work to double the membership by reaching out to faculty who have a professional, not a union, interest in shared governance.
High dues tend to tilt the union toward a few devoted activists. Lower the cost and democratize the union.
^^^^^^
ReplyDeleteFaculty don't need to be in a union to speak out. Faculty ought to feel confident in airing their disgust with the state of FAMU on their own, without the protection and anonymity provided by a union. The individualism and lack of courage, so pervasive among faculty, permits them to be willful participants in their own subjugation and oppression. When adjuncts, OPS employees, TA's and graduate assistants were being shafted on their pay, the faculty sat by unconcerned because it wasn't their problem. Injustice anywhere is an injustice to everybody. The fact that many faculty don't recognize that their destiny is intertwined with the destiny of the university, its students and alumni is distrubing to say the least. And the ones who are indignant over what's happening at FAMU are too chicken shit to speak out. They sit in their offices paying the issues lip service, afraid that if they challenge these wicked bastards that are running FAMU into the ground they'll lose their little car, buy more suits and coach bags, and won't be able to pay their mortgages or the car note on their little mercedes benz.
Of course, none of this is surprising. The young students are so idealistic, which, of course, they should be. Those of us who are of a different generation--and may be a bit cynical--knew beforehand that CVB wouldn't respond with any kind significance. She only responded to--not answered, mond you--to those questions which are already in the public domain. Nothing new was said. She gifted at avoiding issues, ducking, dodging and, generally, talking loud and not saying a thing.
ReplyDelete9:58---you are probably a faculty member yourself--hiding behind all of your rhetoric. You seem to know so much about posting anonymously. Why don't you include your name on your post and not whine and hide and write with a mask on? Take me up on this, if you dare, faculty member.
ReplyDeleteI'm a faculty member. I don't speak out more because of an atmosphere of retribution at FAMU. If you don't follow the party line, you do so at your own risk.
ReplyDeleteIt sure would be good if more leaders at FAMU welcomed constructive criticism, instead of seeking yes-men (and women).
You can say all you like that faculty members out to speak out more. Who ever says that probably doesn't know the atmosphere of intimidation that can storm up here in an instant.
Oughts are one thing. The reality is another.
Is there any way that Castell can be sued for the salary that she was paid? I remember her words its not about the money, I love FAMU!! Her and her administration have done nothing but recieved huge salaries and made incompetent decisions that have flushed FAMU down the toilet. I don't know about yall but I am sick of hearing her trying to place fault anywhere other than upon herself.
ReplyDeleteIt's always funny to see people make excuses for out-right cowardice.
ReplyDeleteSure s*** ... "Nat Turner Lite!"
ReplyDeleteYou'd be doing the same thing if you were in that person's position too ... So quit with this psuedo militarism BS!
Being on BET would be like a death nail, in my opinion. C'mon, BET!? We KNOW beter now.
ReplyDelete