State Auditors chastised the University's deal with the Hollins Group. You may recall, FAMU awarded the Hollins Group a $180,820 non-competitive contract to conduct executive searches for five academic deans.
Auditors noted that payments to Hollins were made pursuant to a written agreement signed and dated Feburary 18, 2006. The problem is the Board of Governors regulations clearly state that all contracts over $25,000 must be competitively bid. As previously reported on RN, the University did not seek an emergency exeption from this rule until three days after the Hollins Group contract has been executed --February 21.
Further, FAMU maintained that the emergency action was necessary because the five deans' positions had been vacant for an extended length of time (5-31 months). Auditors, correctly, raised the question why wasn't a competitive selection process initiated sooner. They also noted that the contract with Hollins did not indicate when the searches had to be completed, further indicating to auditors that no emergency exsisted.
FAMU officials represented to auditors that they selected the Hollins Group based on an "internet search".
Meanwhile, the Hollins Group has yet to locate Deans for the FAMU College of Law or the College of Arts and Sciences, thought they've already been paid for such searches.
Did Hollins get favorable treatment?
Hollins Group invoice
Emergency certification
Hollins Group pockets $50k to find five local candidates
Cover up needs explaining
I think the saddest part about this finding is that we paid Hollins all that money, and the candidates were all from FAMU or FSU. I could have done that for a mere $15,000.
ReplyDelete*SMH*
ReplyDeleteWe've been robbed yall, and this is just one of the contracts that we know about.
Is there a pharmacy Dean?
ReplyDeleteRemember the board agreed to this and remember that auditors are like home inspectors. Some things are noted, and others things are serious. I'm not sure how that this is a serious this finding.
ReplyDeleteLATE IS BETTER THAN NEVER
All-be-it late, at least we went through the emergency request process. Regarding the cost, $180K is no chump change, but if this included advertising the positions, conducting the background and reference checks, and all the other expense activities, then this 180k maybe justified.
DID WE REALLY FAIL
The question is not rather the University failed, maybe the Hollins Group failed. If they were paid market rates for service they provided then that's that. It happens every day. I went to McDonalds yesterday and order a fish combo, the bread was a little stiff. I did not claim that McDonalds rob me.
IS THIS REALLY A BIG DEAL?
Business deals yield unexpected results all the time. All institutions have "just make it happen" and get it done now transactions. This is normal. Not necessarily right, but indeed normal and happens frequently throughout our society and through out the world.
BATHWATER NOT THE BABY
We need to stop pulling ourselves down over petty issues. CVB and the crew was and is a trip (I'm the biggest critic of these arrogant idiots) but when we as Alumns, second guess key decisions and pull them down we, we risk pulling down the integrity of the "FAMU president" and FAMU as an institution. So we should always be careful what we trip about so as not to damage the credibility of FAMU, yet still hold our leaders accountable.
NEW HABITS OF SELF PRESERVATION
I proposed that before we go off, do a little research to find out the related questionable dealings of other institutions.
THEN stand behind FAMU's right to be as ass-backwards as everyone else.
THEN check the President for not acting in accordance with excellence with caring.
BLOOD IS THICKER THAN WATER
BUT stop letting the people take cheap shots while we are vulnerable, ie that idiot legislator that suggestion closing down FAMU.
Cobin created Compainies and the Hollins group just may be FAMU's very own Hallenburton. Is it wrong? No. But what's right about it?
ReplyDeleteSo the Hollins Groups was created by Corbin?
ReplyDelete4/26/2007 6:10 AM
ReplyDeleteI hear ya, but we can't turn a blind eye to these 35 findings; Castell wrongdoings; Lowes' lack of professional oversight because of her personal friendship with Castell; the devious plans Corbin conspired to implement; or the fact that this board has basically given Castell almost three years to run FAMU into the ground uncheck.
The facts are the facts and the Auditor Generals Office has drawn a line in the sand and the people who care about FAMU will not sit by if an outsider was trying to destroy us externally and we damn sure can't sit by one these people try to do it internal.
Root out the evil destroyers.
Is it simply that most of the posters here really don't understand that the former governor place Castell, Corbin and Lowe in the positions to create the kind of chaos they have created? Surely we cannot be this blind. Jeb Bush is sitting back somewhere taking all of this stuff in, not, however, that he has the inclination to even remember FAMU in the first place, but I do imagine that his primary goal of assisting in the destruction of the state's only HBCU has/had almost come to fruition.
ReplyDeleteTO THE WRITER WHO SAID, "Jeb Bush is sitting back somewhere taking all of this stuff in, not, however, that he has the inclination to even remember FAMU in the first place..."
ReplyDeleteBUSH is probably somewhere either trying to find a job (laughing) or trying to figure out when and how to get into the next Presidential election.
Surely, no one believes that a past governor is even thinking about all of the headaches he had.
He probably thought Dr. Bryant would do a great job, just like those who wanted to get rid of Dr. Gainous before the BOT and "people" gave him a chance. And, you must admit, Dr. Bryant did a pretty good job when she was on the BOT and the BOG. Like Dr. Gainous though, she was out of her league as President (Interim or permanent).
BUT!!!!! Her tenure here gave Dr. Ammons ample time to hone his skills at NCCU.
You all know that God orders your footsteps... things happened for a reason, and now God has ordered Dr. Ammons feet toward FAMU.
"Z"
10:33, jeb bush is hardly anywhere "trying to find a job." "Trying to find a job" is not what a Bush does. "Trying to find a job" is what the common man and woman does when they are unemployed. Jeb Bush will never, ever be on the lookout for employment. Surely you know this.
ReplyDeleteTO: 4/27/2007 6:31 PM
ReplyDeleteI meant that figuratively, not literally. Didn't mean to "strike a nerve" with you (don't mean that literally either). Chill out. My comments were not that serious.
I have since dashed myself with a huge bucket of ice-cold water, taking your advice to chill. And I went outside to do it. Sometimes I make myself sick, with the smarty pants comments. I know this is just a general commentary site, and sometimes folks (present company, specifically) just go overboard with the simplest things. I'm guilty.
ReplyDelete