Student Government President Monique Gillum yesterday issued a statement condeming the remarks of former interim president Castell Bryant.
Gillum said she, "was truly appalled but not surprised by Bryant's comments in the St. Petersburg Times. After two years of “service Bryant continues to function on fiction. Her actions send a terrible message to the University community, the state of Florida, and more importantly to the hardworking, intelligent and committed students of FAMU."
"Bryant lacked the appropriate skills and abilities to lead a four-year university. No where else in the state would the Board of Governors have allowed such an under skilled and underdeveloped academician to take the reigns of a university like Florida A&M, unless the ultimate goal was certain destruction," said Gillum.
"Her opinion of the student body is not rooted in fact, but rather in her lack of knowledge of and lack of communication with the student body of FAMU," Gillum added.
Gillum called on the St. Petersburg Times to "stop glorifying Castell Bryant." Her days have come and gone. "In order to be considered a credible news source, the Times must begin reporting the facts about FAMU and not its own version of sensationalized fiction."
Also see: FAMU not taking Bryant's comments lightly
Castell just won't go away
The SGA President does not want to get into a "war"
ReplyDeletewith the St. Pete Times. Remember Senators and Legislators, oh and SACs read the papers.
But, me personally, I love all this entertainment!
Is the Marching 100 going to play inbetween articles.
Bring on the band!
Excellent retort!!!
ReplyDeleteLast I checked, the SGA president is the voice of the FAMU student body. She has a right to defend her class and school. Ain't no wars going on except for the one in Iraq. Castell should of thought about who reads the paper. I hope she doesn't need a job because I sure as hell wouldn't hire her as a president of any college.
ReplyDelete7/25/2007 8:28 AM
^^^
While the band plays "Backstabbers" between your dumb comment.
The whole article Statement from Student Government Association
ReplyDeletePresident Monique Y. Gillum
regarding former interim president’s remarks
“I wish you the worst kind of criticism for everything you do, because that makes you fight to achieve beyond what you normally would.”
I was truly appalled but not surprised by the comments made by former Florida A&M University Interim President Dr. Castell Vaughn Bryant in a recent St. Petersburg Times article. After two years of “service to Florida A&M”, she continues to function on fiction. Her actions send a terrible message to the University community, the state of Florida, and more importantly to the hardworking, intelligent and committed students of FAMU.
FAMU experienced its greatest fall from grace while under the perceived leadership of Castell Bryant. At times Dr. Bryant was a perceived visionary, with a plan, but more often than not Dr. Bryant lacked the appropriate skills and abilities to lead a four-year university. No where else in the state would the Board of Governors have allowed such an under skilled and underdeveloped academician to take the reigns of an accredited and leading university like Florida A&M, unless the ultimate goal was certain destruction. Dr. Bryant’s opinion of the student body is not rooted in fact, but rather in her lack of knowledge of and lack of communication with the student body of FAMU. The belief that one could lead an institution and never interact with students is a direct symptom of her unfit placement at the university. The caliber of student being educated at FAMU has been well documented:
* Misha Granado, a Spring 2007 graduate was selected as a Fulbright Fellow;
* Cymeia Hill, a Spring 2007 graduate, was recognized by the Florida Health Information Management Association as the Outstanding Health Information Management student in the state;
* Darius Graham, a 2006 FAMU graduate, was named by USA Today to the 2006 All-USA College Academic First Team;
* The FAMU School of Nursing achieved a 94 percent pass rate on the national licensing exam that all of its graduates take to become registered nurses. The national mean score for the exam is 88 percent;
* The Department of physics produced approximately 40 percent of the entire national production of African American Physics Ph.D.s this academic year; and
* Universities Department of Psychology has just been recognized as the number one producer of African Americans with baccalaureates degrees in psychology in comparison to other HBCU’s and among the top ten of all universities across the country.
Florida A&M is the stomping ground for African-American intellectuals, entrepreneurs, politicians, journalists, entertainers, legal scholars and the like. Despite the baseless claims of Dr. Bryant, FAMU never had a qualified audit before her arrival nor had it ever received probation from the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (SACS). Since the arrival of Dr. Bryant, FAMU has gone from surplus to deficit, an unqualified audit to a qualified audit, enrollment increases to enrollment decreases, from unconditional accreditation status to probation. The record is clear that Dr. Bryant deserves exclusive credit for everything that she now criticizes about the university.
In my opinion, the St. Petersburg Times must stop glorifying Castell Vaughn Bryant. Her days as this institution’s “leader” have come and gone. In order to be considered a credible news source, the Times must begin reporting the facts about FAMU and not its own version of sensationalized fiction. While I have nothing personal against Bill Maxwell, I believe his opinion columns on FAMU have been textbook examples of poor journalism. By accepting Bryant’s distortions and half-treading in an uncritical fashion, he makes a mockery of the news profession. I charge the St. Petersburg Times to write a story on what is really occurring at the University.
Dr. James H. Ammons is FAMU’s leader and is committed to FAMU remaining among the premier colleges in the state of Florida. For 28 months, we were in the dark, we are beginning to now step into the light. More than ever the students, faculty, staff, and administration are committed to “Excellence with Caring.”
Monique Y. Gillum
Student Body President/University Trustee
Florida A&M University
As I say, FAMU will when no popularity contest in the papers. It seems everyone knows what time it is at FAMU except "blind" supporters.
ReplyDeleteRemember, the criminal investigation has not even started!
how does catell rate the students when she had very limited contact with the students during her reign. Personally I have been here the entire time and I never saw the woman in person. How many student can actually say they saw her walking through campus.
ReplyDeleteThis woman is a mad republican who has been charged with the duty to destroy the one thing that most african americans in the state of florida are most proud of.
She is the modern day uppedy a** negro who thinks that her people are beneath her. She has been hanging out with Jeb too long; the nerve of someone to crticize the institution that gave her about 300,000 during her time here and many of the issues are still yet to be resolved.
Now that is a real negro if I ever saw one. Castell get a life; we don't want your uppedy ass friends or family at our institution anyway.
Castell is no better than idi amin; she is killing her own people who has supported her carzy ass......
Monique, your statement is on the money! Clear, precise and to the point. I think you are a great representative of the FAMU Student Body. Never mind those who will have something negative to say. And who cares about the SP Times? Or Bill Maxwell? Monique, you go girl!!!!!
ReplyDelete"Backstabbers" playing loudly!!!
Damn, Castell. Have you no shame?
ReplyDeletePlease let the criminal investigation begin. We want them to start because we already know who the criminals are. The same folks people like you keep defending *cough* Castell *cough*. All the suspects have either left or are on the chopping block now. We'll be the first folks there to cheer the investigators on. If anything such a investigation will show exactly what we been saying for so long about that crew
ReplyDeleteThe SGA statement was one long ass rambling piece.
ReplyDeleteHey but it's good that Monique stood up for the students. I doubt if Agnew would have done the same.
9:00 am YOU ARE AN IDIOT! PLEASE LET IT BE KNOWN WHO YOU ARE! Then we can meet over lunch and discuss your "BLIND" FAITH IN THE NEGATIVE! I have been blessed to be able to see unlike you, because you can only see what you are told to see. Where is the criminal investigation at UF for over 1million dollars in cash stolen from the Athletic Department? Where is the SACS probation for the University of North Florida for its school of nursing having the worst passing of the state nursing exam in the state (including community colleges). I see you only have negative eyes for FAMU! GO TO HELL!
ReplyDeleteWhat about an investigation of the man employed by UF who stole millions of dollars from the university who they recently hired as an consulting, again paying him millions.
ReplyDeleteconsultant
ReplyDeleteThanks Monique. Cast-Hell is a reflection of her own lackluster leadership and quite frankly "old news." Time to move on!
ReplyDeleteFirst of all, I think that we need to, never mind, if Castel is bitter, and acknwledge if any of what she said is true, and if so, FAMU needs to get busy doing something about it. I have heard FACULTY make statements like (Regarding the Students)"If you could go any place else you would", on many occasions. This type of statement would, often times be directed at, perhaps, students that were finacially and academically challenged, therefore hendering them from attending some other university.
ReplyDeleteI know we accept students that are both finacially and academically challenged in an effort to give them a chance at a better life, and this is good and very good.
But, I think we need to stop harping on it evey chance we get in the media; they have heard us. We don't need to continue to point out the fact that we serve underpriveledged students.
(These are the words I think I see in the paper all the time "Unique clientele")So just what are you saying, what does that mean? Am I correct in saying, "let us stop labeling our students over and over again) Don't some of them have enough to deal with, without continually dealing with the labels that we as Faculty and the FAMU Instution put on them. We should encourage them and challenge them past old tapes and labels.
We have said it now let us move to aggressively deal with the students' needs.
Additionally, we need to look at the whole picture. And, that would be Support Staff, grounds keeper, technitions, Faculy, and Senior Administrators. I put them in that order on purpose; sometimes, I wonder if we even acknowledge little and middle persons and their importance to FAMU. It takes eveybody to effectively operate FAMU. For Example, someone has to keep the grouds manicured and the bathrooms clean or faculty like myself would not feel comfortable on the property or utilizing the bathroom facilities.
I know I seem to have gotten of track, and maybe so,but don't be so sure.
Now let me bring this all together because of the lack of training, (Support Staff has not had any training " Updated" until recently).And, really they need much more and it needs to be seriously manadatory, manadatory or there could be serious consequences to the person/persons who do not go to training. Because after all this is an Institution of higher learning. Serious, People Soft, Terminology (For example, Windows, Monitor, Computer, Hard drive, share drive, Drop Down Menues, Minimize,and maximize windows, etc) amagine someone teaching a class in People Soft and may from time to time refer to basic computer terms, and the student can not understand what the instructor is tring to teach because the student gets lost just tring to understand terminolgy. Therefore, training is hendered, knowledge is lost and there has been no tranference of information sustanded/comprehended. Employees go back to their work enviornment and have trouble with the application of the software because of lack of basic computer terminology and skills. Now we got a mess.
Another Point
We don't need no big "I's and little You's, we are all working for a common purpose, the "University, students, and our jobs. We need to stop tring to heart each other's jobs. Because, this is serious; people have responisibilities, and this is not funny nor is it a game. We need to pray for the continued success of the university, students, and the employees' individual success. And remember that the Lord does not need us; We need Him. He can raise anybody up to serve his purpose in this earth, but he choose us, so let us stewart this precious opportunity that God has put in our hands with kindness and courtesy.
We all need each other, so let us act like it.
I could say more but I will end for now.
The SGA President does not want to get into a "war" with the St. Pete Times. Remember Senators and Legislators, oh and SACs read the papers.
ReplyDeleteSPT has been trashing FAMU for decades, including the Humphries era. Still, during the Humphries years, the university sailed through its SACS reaffirmation cycles because our state audits and self-studies were in good shape. Getting clean, unqualified audits again will practically ensure that we get out of probation, no matter what SPT says.
FAMU shouldn't let anti-FAMU people like Bill Maxwell and Castell have the last word. We have got to stand up for our school. Monique is doing a damn good job of striking back!
An excellent response Monique! Castell Bryant knew or should have known that there was no $8M surplus, yet she received a $30,000 bonus and a $50,000 salary increase on the basis a false claim. If she were an honorable woman, she would have returned the money after it was clear that the claim was false.
ReplyDeleteGood job, Monique! You represent FAMU's student body well. I'm proud that my son serves on the SGA with you and he has nothing but good things to say about you and his FAMU experiences. Please continue to stand up for your university and don't let losers and failures like Castell Bryant & the St. Pete "Mullet Wrapping Paper" still your joy. We appreciate you. Keep up the good work.
ReplyDeleteI see Castell is still taking PR advice from her former staffers. Geeeez! Give it a rest.
ReplyDeleteAs a FAMU faculty that has taught at several other colleges, I would have to concur with Cast-hell in that our students (as a whole) are not as motivated as students at other universities. Based on my limited experience, I think that the 2 out of 4 is about right. I cannot even get my students to read the textbook. Of course there are 5 exceptions (this semester).
ReplyDelete"Based on my limited experience, I think that the 2 out of 4 is about right. I cannot even get my students to read the textbook."
ReplyDelete3:03 PM Poster,
If your experience is so limited, how can you rate FAMU's students? If you can't get your students to read the textbook, then perhaps you are an incompetent educator. What are you doing teaching our students? You need to be gone as well.
I am an instructor at a PWC in West Tennessee and I can't get my students to read the text book either. Does that mean that the students are a poor quality, or that the school is a poor quality; or does that signify the times in which we live? Lets think about it, when many of us were in undergrad, most of our lectures were read by the professor, in which the students had to take detailed notes, now-a-days students "demand" some form of PowerPoint presentation in which all they have to do is copy the notes. Therefore, the current student, nation wide has become more reliant on technology rather than basic academics, ie, going to the library, reading books, or engaging in “antedated” research methods. What happens now is PowerPoint presentations and online research tools such as wekepida have become the rule of the day for college students. Nonetheless, that doesn’t mean that the current student is below average, it just means that times have changed.
ReplyDeleteWith that being said, survey any number of college professor’s nationwide and I am sure they concur that the “quality” of students have changed. The “issues” that FAMU is having with their students are the same that other institutions have, particularly when it relates to incoming freshman. So lets not make this a FAMU or an HBCU issue, its an education issue that goes back to primary education.
7/25/2007 3:03 PM
ReplyDeleteMaybe its your teaching methods, as in, BORING!!! Must be you, if only 5 of your students read the book.
Thank you 3:45PM,
ReplyDeleteI just finished my first year of teaching at FAMU. It has been the most rewarding experience of my life.
The fact that a member of the faculty would concur with Cast-hell in a blog is ridiculous.
I never once had somebody hold a gun to my back to make me stay here- I'm sure that the same is true for all of the faculty.
We've all got Ph.D's and options.
Anyone on the faculty who is not committed to our students and to FAMU should VOLUNTEER their resignation!
"Castell should have thought about who reads the papers..."
ReplyDeleteNEWSFLASH: Castell DOES think about "who reads the papers." That was the point. She wanted to get maximum publicity and she has does just that. The St. Pete Times is an award-winning institution. Think Pulitizer-Prize for investigative journalism. It's no slacker. And Castell knows this. Thus her reason for agreeing to an interview. GirlF knew exactly what she was doing.
7/25/2007 3:58 PM
ReplyDeleteKudos to you.
3:03--Your "limited experience" is proof-positive that you don't have the experience to make such a statement about the caliber of students at FAMU. Because a handful of your students are perhaps "unmotivated" allows you to cast a negative line to all? The fact that your students "do not purchase books" may be more a statement against you than it is a commentary on them. How interesting do you make your class that students have a desire to learn beyond what you lecture about? What are you doing to ensure that the work is applicable to today's culture? There are a number of things that you can do as a professor to enhance your own presentation in the classroom. You are not only there to teach, you are there is encourage, motivate and direct. Look in the mirror, sister. I'm sure it reflects the culprit. I, too, am a FAMU faculty member, but I don't shoot from the hip. I speak from "experience."
ReplyDeleteI have sat in your class. You just can not teach. You are probably bitter because you can not get another position on campus or another job at another institution.
ReplyDeletewho are you addressing this comment to, anon. 9:50? who is this person that cannot teach?
ReplyDeletewe need to get pass cast-hell, because she is really a misable confused old lady. she need's some serious pray's
ReplyDeleteAs a FAMU faculty that has taught at several other colleges, I would have to concur with Cast-hell in that our students (as a whole) are not as motivated as students at other universities. Based on my limited experience, I think that the 2 out of 4 is about right. I cannot even get my students to read the textbook. Of course there are 5 exceptions (this semester).
ReplyDelete7/25/2007 3:03 PM
Let me clarify....my "limited experience" is several years of teaching in only one college at FAMU. My teaching reviews have averaged in the mid-4's (out of 5).
I teach at FSU or TCC occasionally and I find a much higher quality (more motivated...more eager to learn) student on the other campuses. I love FAMU, but I am just being real. We do not attract the best students, but we do attract better students than Keiser or Barry (I have also taught there).
The first step in solving our problems is to get our collective head out of the sand (or where ever it may be), face reality, and work towards being a higher quality institution.
The FACT, based on any rubric you desire (IQ, SAT, High school grades, etc.) is that we are not attracting the best students.
After we admit and face that FACT, only then can we work together to move this University in the right direction.
A large percentage of our students should be a community colleges taking remedial courses. If we are going to be a world class UNIVERSITY, we need to stop accepting community college students.
Perhaps we should auto admit comm college grads as juniors, but a doctoral granting university should not be in the business of accepting students in need of remedial courses.
Most of the students that we admit do not graduate. Do we stop admitting "low quality" students? NO.
ReplyDeleteWe admit everyone. We give everyone an equal chance to make it. College is hard and many will quit. Many of these kids come from awful backgrounds, but with a little encouragement and instruction, one or two kids that would have never had the opportunity to go to college will rise up to the challenge, overcome their obstacles, and taste a success unknown in their family history. That is why we are here.
With all respects to you Prof but perhaps you and your reading material is just plain ole boring. Perhaps you need to conuslt with Dr. David Jackson of the History Department or Dr. Dana Dennard, former professor of Psychology on how to deliver information.
ReplyDeleteBest wishes to you,
Proud Alumna '02
Way to go President Gillum. I hope she finds a friend at the Times to publish her piece.
ReplyDelete7/25/2007 11:33 PM
ReplyDeleteI think its just you. Maybe you need to look at your teaching methods.
No.. I am getting good teaching reviews. Most of my students enjoy my class and they like me...I FIND a way to connect with the students - even the ones that refuse to read a book.
ReplyDeleteI am just asking for a reality check and a call to action in recruiting standards.
If we are going to improve the university (and make the degree more valuable to the alum), we must do a better job of recruiting and retaining students that have the ability to read and comprehend material outside of class - students that do not need to be spoon fed every little morsel.
Good reply, Monique!
ReplyDeleteYour list of high-achieving FAMU students was inspiring.
Yet remember that what FAMU does best is, year after year, produce solid graduates who are well-educated and who take a place in society as contributing members.
It is those thousands that we need to keep celebrating, as well as the few stars. Few grads win Fulbright awards or walk draped with honors. But those many make a better world. And FAMU helps prepare them to do so.
Day by day, person by person, the world is changed. Not just by the occasional high achiever.
So let's don't forget all the other good folks who EARNED that degree and went on to live good lives with real skills and open hearts.
Anonymously, I salute the many largely anonymous graduates of FAMU whose unheralded contributions to family and work and church and community do us all proud.
12:31, you are quite condescending. That might be ONE reason, among several, that your students respond to you the way they do. Also, you cannot compare Barry Univ and Keiser students to FAMU. Those programs are mostly centered around returning students who have specific career paths they wish to take and curriculums geared to the returning, adult student. I, too, have taught at Barry University and Keiser College. And the caliber of students at each of those schools don't compare to the students at FAMU.
ReplyDeleteProf, let me weigh in. I wholeheartedly agree that admission to FAMU cannot be the reward for years of slacking off in high school. I believe that admission to FAMU should be a reward for diligent preparation for university life.
ReplyDeleteI am not in favor of the "FAMU as opportunity for those who refused to work hard in high school" school of thought. In fact I wonder if this approach disincentifies high school students from serious study.
What needs to happen is this, FAMU is the reward for diligent effort and demonstrated success at the high school level. Slackers need not apply.
2:26, you're probably a slacker yourself. that's how and why you know so much about slackers.
ReplyDeleteI was an underachieving slacker when I hit FAMU and for the first two years there...now I am a Ph.D.
ReplyDeleteFAMU allowed me to grow, no, it forced me to grow and it had to do with the folk that inspired me, nutured me, kicked me in the butt when I needed it.
Henry Finley, Edwina Martin, Thelma Gorham, Rudy Daniels, Leo Upchurch,
Sybil Mobley...the list goes on.
They saw the potential in me when I didn't see it or care to see it in myself.
I am not the only one that has benefitted from FAMU by any means.
But FAMU gave me the opportunity and I am forced if not mandated to return the blessing.
2:46, Congrats.....you are the BOMB! This is what I'm talking about. FAMU has some outstanding graduates. The black college experience is like no other. I am an FSU grad, but I got my motivation from being on the FAMU campus. No other school can compare to FAMU in my book.
ReplyDelete7/25/2007, 11:33 PM
ReplyDeleteWhy are you teaching at FAMU?
Maybe working at another university would serve you better. This kind of attitude coming from a professor will communicate to the students that you do not think they are capable of learning. It sounds like you are unhappy teaching at FAMU.
4:41, we don't need or want your patronizing attitude about "being motivated" from being "on the campus." What the hell does that mean anyway? Were you on the campus as a student or were you there hanging out, trying to get your chill on before heading back across the tracks? Whatever you were, we don't want any of it. We don't care who or what you got form FAMU unless you were a student there and not some nickel & dime, part-time visitor who visited when they needed to hang out in blackness before heading wherever.
ReplyDelete1:50, You are such a bitter person and I KNOW you must NOT be a true Rattler from your attitude. You see, Rattler spirit runs in my blood and I LOVE FAMU. As a matter of fact, I GIVE to FAMU. Do you? No. 1, I came to FAMU to take classes on several occasions when I could not get the classes at FSU; No. 2. yes, I did hang out at FAMU on the Set and there's absolutely nothing wrong with it; No. 3, I was a graduate student at FAMU. And yes, I got a whole lot of motivation from FAMU's professors and administrators, as well as the student leaders. Just because I attended FSU does not make me less of a Rattler. Baby, I bleed orange and green and am proud of it. As a first generation college student, I went where the scholarship dollars were. I did not receive a scholarship to FAMU, but did receive one from FSU and you're damn right, I used it! So, you obviously have a problem, but it is all yours. And dammit, I'm so glad to be a RATTLER! So 1:50, get a life.
ReplyDeleteI must have hit a nerve, my friend. A hit dog will hollar. WOOF! Woof! (I see one thing you've learned at school is how to use foul language.) Woof! Woof! GRRR-R-R-R! gr-rr-r-r!
ReplyDelete7:05, I'm not bitter. But I am a realist, and I simply call it as I see it. Your need to respond in such a poor fashion says more about your bitterness than it does about your accusation of me as being bitter. Bitter? Quite the contrary. I have no need to defend myself as a TRUE Rattler, but truth be told, I must go there: I was born in the old FAMU Hospital, during its last year of medical operation, so I was a RATTLER before I even went home with my parents. I have two degrees from the university, my sister and brother are graduates, my son and daughter are graduates, my parents were employees of the university, and next year a neice and nephew will attend. My best friend's daughter and son from Atlanta attend the school and are both in the band. I am employed there as well (and wanted to be even as an undergraduate student when I was a student worker). I also support the alumni association with $$, and have unofficially recruited students to attend. What, other than hang out for "motivational purposes" have you done lately? ___________________. Just what I thought: nothing. I rest my case.
ReplyDelete8:08, ????
ReplyDelete8:19, Hope your son, daughter, niece, nephew, sister and brother have a better attitude than you do. Once again, I proudly support FAMU and am proud of Monique's response to Castell's remarks. And yes, I have always received my motivation from the strong-minded individuals on campus. GO FAMU!!!!!