Incoming FAMU President James Ammons addressed the media yesterday, RattlerNation inculded, to discuss the university's six-month probation recently handed down by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools."We will fix our problem. We will turn this around and FAMU will survive and thrive," Ammons said Thursday during a news conference at the university's school of business.
Ammons formally takes over the reins at FAMU on Monday, nine days after an accrediting agency placed FAMU on a six-month probation, citing 10 counts of financial, administrative and academic failings. The announcement comes on the heels of a report from the state inspector general identifying 35 problems ranging from insufficient cash controls to failing to implement staff salary raises on time.
The threats to FAMU's accreditation is disappointing, he added.
"We must have appropriate controls over all our financial resources," said Ammons, a former commissioner of the accrediting agency. "We must discover the systemic root of the financial problems, implement a permanent fix and institutionalize these procedures."
This will be done in the next 30 days, he said.
Ammons said he will develop an action plan to present to the FAMU Board of Trustees at its meeting July 11. Campus officials, he said, have developed a plan to address many of the issues outlined in the auditor general's report, and he has some strategies of his own in mind.
Ammons said he is "not here to play the blame game." Come Monday, he said, the university's problems are his own problems. The incoming president also vowed to get to the bottom of the school's problems and "hold responsible parties accountable."
State university system Chancellor Mark Rosenberg recently told the Miami Herald that "we are essentially one step away" from putting FA MU's finances under state control.
Ammons said he had not read Rosenberg's statement to the Miami Herald, but said that "Florida A&M is a public institution. But on the other hand, there is a Board of Trustees, there is an administration. We ought to have the opportunity to fix these problems and have their support in getting that done."
Governor Charlie Crist expressed confidence that FAMU and it's new administration will work through its problems.
If this President plans to accomplish his plan within 30 days, then he's got lots of firing to do...and quickly! The "We" that his seems to be depending on for support can't possibly be most of the "We" who's on campus now.
ReplyDeleteI'm optimistic that Ammons' administration can get us over this immediate hurdle if he's transparent and keeps the famu community (board, staff, students) informed of what's going on. Let's give them a chance.
ReplyDeleteHowever, like (9:14am) said some serious firings need to occur with those incompetent people up on the hill. He should start with everyone who submitted an email, fax, or phone call to SACS airing FAMU's dirty laundry. Get those first. Second, all those who are untrainable and resist to change...RESIGN/RETIRE NOW! It is downright laughable that Grace Ali can say staff were not trainable or did not show up to training. They should have been terminated right then. And im still baffled of where she is going to pull the $4.3 million from to pay the EIT contractors. If she has skills like that i need her managing my bank account.
Time out for the excuses and incompetence of some staff. Staff must work more efficiently since there are declining resources with focus on accuracy and customer service.
I hear folks have started packing their belongings as of yesterday in Lee Hall and FHAC.
ReplyDeleteIt seems a high powered meeting of the troops has taken place.
I would not place too much stock in anything Ali said about staff not trainable to perform their tasks.
ReplyDeleteSecondly, SACS and other state agencies have these hot lines for a reason -- to report wrongdoings.
He should start with those implicated in those 35 audit findings and their direct supervisor, but more importantly the leadership team that was responsible for our finances.
We don't know for sure who was responsible for what. But we do know that for the first time the university's financial state has received a qualified opinion and for the first time SACS has placed us on probation.
ReplyDeleteWe should be supportive of Ammons and hold him accountable for getting this straight. However, we must stop trying to coach him from the couch and sidelines and allow him as the CEO to do what must be done.
11:25.....right on point! I agree with you wholeheartedly. We hired Ammons with confidence. Now, we need to allow him to do his job. It will get done.
ReplyDeleteCharlie Reed asked FAMU to this over a decade ago. The then-Board of Regents slapped FAMU on the hand because its employees refused to attend the training. And, of course, the Highly Exalted Pres played the race card. This must be done in 30 days. IT HAS TO BE DONE! Ammons knows where the firings have to happen. I just hope that he doesn't limit himself to the lower ranks. The clean out must start from the top.
ReplyDeleteIf the employees went to training and never gave a clue that they did not understand, or if they failed to go training like Leslie Sabin, then why should PeopleSoft be blamed. Is it PeopleSoft, or just plain people. Garbage in Garbage Out.
ReplyDeleteWhy is it everytime we have a meeting Rufus Little is a no show or shows up late. Furthermore, because he comes from a banking firm, does that mean he can keep bankers hours at FAMU. I hope the new administration is on point to these issues.
ReplyDeleteWhat about Vivian Hobbs. She is incompetent and part of the reason we are in the SACS mess.
ReplyDeleteDr. Hobbs is extremely competent and part of the reason we are not in SACS trouble for the other areas. This probation is about people who cant get the books straight through simple addition and subtraction, not the fault of Dr. Hobbs who has nothing to do with the 35 areas cited.
ReplyDeleteThank you for the clarification, Dr. Hobbs.
ReplyDeleteWhat is Rev Holmes doing in the picture? Isn't he part resposible for the mess we in with his support for Castell!
ReplyDeleteAMEN!
ReplyDeleteDr. Ammons MUST get rid of the FACULTY that do not know what they are doing. It is a SHAME before GOD that these people act like army sergant's--giving orders and can't to the job themselves. Maybe, Dr. Ammons should test them and see if they can do the work that the staff do and see how long it will take them. Also, I don't know Dr. Hobbs, but if she is over SACS?? Shouldn't she or somebody have warned the univeristy before the REAL SACS came? Better yet someone should have been responsible for making sure the university's departments were doing what they suppose to have been doing. All of them are scared and they should be. They need to pack their belongings and leave everything they DID NOT at FAMU.
ReplyDelete7:23, are you confusing faculty with administrative, fiscal and managerial people? The faculty at FAMU do a great job in all areas. And, as one poster commented, Dr. Hobbs was in charge of academic areas and faculty credentials. SACS did not find fault with the credentials of faculty who were credentialed to teach what they were teaching. SACS found 35 faults in other areas. And also, as far as the Commission "warning" folks at the university, what do you think probation is? Cotton candy at the danggone fair? We have been "warned." Only an idiot would think that an accrediting agency would NOT find serious fault with all of the thirty-five findings that we are being accused of commiting and NOT assign penalty. The next "warning," if we don't show improvement in the time outlined by the agency, is what matters most. This probationary status should not be a surprise to anyone. How much more information does anyone need to see that the handwriting was on the wall? A billboard?? A flashing marquee??
ReplyDelete10:50 Amen! The Florida Board of Regents (yep the one that dissolved almost 10 years ago) gave fair warning time & time again, only to be told about FAMU's "special mission". Well I wonder how "special" the mission could be now that FSU is on FAMUs heels in the number of African Americans graduating. If the DOE statistics were further researched to show how FSU compares to FAMU w/regard to attrition graduation within 5 years, athlete gradution rates, etc. FSU will put FAMU to shame. We better wake up. Time are a' changin'. The train has left the station.
ReplyDeleteWhy do some of us continue to compare FAMU with FSU? We are two totally different universities with different missions, resources, and success stories. Historically, we have done more with less and our success stories will GREATLY overshadow FSU's. FSU is not a threat to us and is going on about its business. We need to do the same thing and stop criticizing Dr. Hobbs and others just because we know how to use a computer. Thank God for Dr. Hobbs. Her contributions to FAMU are splendid.
ReplyDeleteThe previous poster is right. FSU is an HFCU (female) and FAMU is a HBCU. Two different minorities, two different missions.
ReplyDeleteYes, but FSU has become somewhat more diversified in its student body as it has deviated from its historic mission. FAMU would do well, in my humble opinion, to also deviate some (not abandon) its historical mission. The diversity of the Architecture school, for example, should spill over to the other schools in the University - if we are to survive.
ReplyDeleteSpeculation by someone experience at FAMU has taught to be be skeptical:
ReplyDelete(1) The SACS probation does not require FAMU to solve its problems in six months, just to demonstrate progress. Well, that will be easy to do, because things are as bad now as anyone wants to imagine them. It's up from here.
(2) The SACS probation (correct me if I am wrong) postpones FAMU's SACS visit for a year.
(3) Ammons will enter with the public perception that FAMU has hit bottom, tanked. Any improvement will look grand, and improvement is surely inevitable.
(4) Around three years from now, FAMU will be sitting pretty. It will be telling the story of how the university sank under the bad guys, then resurrected under the good guys, and, with a whole extra year to prepare for the SACS visit, FAMU will ace it.
Ta-daah! Victory. A great story. Everybody loves redemption stories.
Now, who made those phone calls to SACS that precipitated probation?
Well, who stood to benefit most? Who is going to look better because of them?
If you're offended by the inference, maybe I've just been listening to too much national news.
Anonymous said...
ReplyDeleteI hear folks have started packing their belongings as of yesterday in Lee Hall and FHAC.
It seems a high powered meeting of the troops has taken place.
6/29/2007 10:52 AM
Like who? Do tell.....
Anonymous said...
ReplyDeleteDr. Hobbs is extremely competent and part of the reason we are not in SACS trouble for the other areas. This probation is about people who cant get the books straight through simple addition and subtraction, not the fault of Dr. Hobbs who has nothing to do with the 35 areas cited.
6/29/2007 2:38 PM
Anonymous said...
Thank you for the clarification, Dr. Hobbs.
6/29/2007 5:31 PM
haaaaaaaa hahahahahaha....ya'll crazy. If it's not Vivi then it's one of Cast-hell's cronies.
ok...carry on!
Y'all know that Dr. Hobbs doesn't even have time to "be coming here" writing on this blog. Girlfriend's too busy trying to kiss up to James Ammons so she can stay on board before she retires. Sometimes you all can be so silly. But you know she's not the only one kissing up; she's got plenty company. Right about now, Dr. Ammons has more "friends" than he can shake a stick at.
ReplyDeleteWhen you hit rock bottom, the only way to go is up. Which way is UP?
ReplyDeleteWhat is all this talk about employee training and computers and processes, etc., even 5th grader can be trained to do complex tasks.
ReplyDeleteThe real problem in any institution with such widespread, long existing problems is a lack of ethics in the people who have a title but no substance.