There is good news and there is bad news coming out of yesterday's Board of Governors Task Force on FAMU Finances meeting yesterday.The good news is, FAMU Board of Trustees Chairman Bill Jennings of Orlando told the task force he has discussed management reforms with incoming FAMU President James Ammons and top FAMU staff members and seems confident that reform will soon take place. Further, Chief Operating Officer Larry Robinson, who is running FAMU until Ammons takes over on July 2, said 24 of the 35 critical findings made in the operational audit have been resolved. He said six more will be fixed by Sept. 30 and five others are on track for resolution by the end of the year.
That's the good news.
The bad news is that Mr. Robinson is relying largely on information he was told by FAMU Vice President of Finance Grace Ali and Vice President of (non)Compliance and Audit Rufus Little.
State Auditors suggested that the university's chronic mismanagement and loss of property might be "something more than sloppiness."
FAMU's persistent financial problems over the past 28 months has resulted in the resignation of interim president Castell Bryant and the chair of the FAMU trustees audit committee.
Continue reading: Criminal investigation may be needed
Also see: Trustee Allen quits!
FAMU's books un-auditable
FAMU responds to audit
State Auditors slap FAMU with 35 audit exceptions
Castell overspent budget by more than $22 M
The criminal investigation needs to take place. This is the closest thing FAMU will get to pressing the "reset" button on all these issues. Ammons will then have all the information to start off clean.
ReplyDeleteCAN'T start clean when the weak links are still in the chain. ALL the old BOT has to go along with everyone else who has been ineffective for years. FAMU is not a welfare state for those who feel the need to live above their means.
ReplyDeleteHow long before Grace Ali and Rufus are sent packing? How long?
ReplyDeleteThe reset button needs to be pushed at FAMU. All the players are "crooks" and one won't dare tell on the other for fear of being told on.
ReplyDeleteThere are people at FAMU who swear they can do ANYTHING and never lose their jobs because of their "history" with FAMU. They use it to threaten students (COL students know this) and manipulate their offices and titles. How do you progress when people who are only at FAMU because mom or dad or some other person was at FAMU 20 years ago insist that they are above law and accountability?
ReplyDeleteAGAIN, ANY Trustee that was on the Board when cassie was prez and allowed this to happen HAS GOT TO GO!!!
ReplyDeleteGet to steppin, Duncan, Holmes, and Branker! YOU ARE EQUALLY AS RESPONSIBLE AS cassie!
Mr. Robinson is foolish to rely on information from Ali & Little. They're the ones that help put us in this mess.
ReplyDeleteHe needs some real help he can trust.
Larry Robinson has no guts or glory. Thank God his term is up. Anymore time in that chair will only get worst under his leadership.
ReplyDeleteThis man has not administrative "Balls".
July 2 can't get here fast enough.
Mr. Robinson is foolish to rely on information from Ali & Little. They're the ones that help put us in this mess.
ReplyDeleteThe BOT placed a moratorium on hiring and firing so Dr. Robinson can't get rid of Ali or Little without the BOT's permission. He was able to get BOT approval to fire Larry Henderson.
We should be demanding that the BOT give him clearance to remove Castell's inept hires and start bringing in permanent officers with Dr. Ammons' approval.
Robinson probably has trouble getting rid of Ali and Little because on the way out the door Castell gave all her folks NEW 2 year contracts that run until 2009 !!!!!
ReplyDeleteOh, hell naw!
ReplyDeleteCastell gave all her folks NEW 2 year contracts that run until 2009 !!!!!
ReplyDelete2-year contracts notwithstanding, it should be an easy task to fire Ali and Little for cause considering the blistering audits FAMU just received.
Anon @ 11:26 It's a new day. Change is here. No "old ties" will keep incompetent people in place. These people will be replaced and of course there will be some eye rolling in the pews at the two Bethels (AME & Baptist) but this is much bigger than the COL mess. Believe it. Incompetence will cease at every level at FAMU. There are some heavy hitters demanding accountability and they will get it. Read the Palm Beach Post article.
ReplyDeleteThese same "heavy hitters" have been "demanding" accountability for the last two years and VOILA....we're still on SACS probation. As long as we don't have a TOTALLY RESTRUCTURED board (with all new members) the implosion at FAM will continue. The fact that Castell was not fired by the board but allowed to sneak out the back door shows the spinelessness of the board. How could you let a president deflect blame of overspending on subordinates and not demand that she be at the board!!!!! If she was so busy, then why did she show up at the board meeting RIGHT AFTER it was over! But alas, she was allowed (they could have denied it) to take leave for a month to keep collecting that nice check, all the while FAM was left to pick up the pieces.
ReplyDeleteHell, they might has well gave her another BONUS!