FAMU's new law school dean was scheduled to start work at the school's Orlando campus next Monday.But after a series of phone calls, LeRoy Pernell altered his plans and showed up last Thursday to meet twice with students who are upset about grading policies, course offerings and accreditation. He plans a third meeting with night students this week.
"It's my intention as dean to really be available," said Pernell, speaking to the more than 100 students who gathered for Thursday's afternoon session.
The meetings were cordial, with organizers asking most of the questions on behalf of their classmates.
"Students want you to know this is a breaking point," said one.
"They want you to come in and make them feel better," said another.
Continue reading: Dean reassures students
No way the ABA gives FAMU accreditation down in Orlando.
ReplyDeleteThe school is a complete mess.
That's why we hired a season pro!
ReplyDeleteHere's another school Castell tried to destroy!
It is easy to blame Castell, but this train wreck has been a long time coming. Just ask any of the faculty at FAMU just how bad it was, and still is, before Castell.
ReplyDeleteToo little to late. The ABA won't take empty promises anymore. The ABA will shut FAMU's doors down.
ReplyDeleteFAMU will be fine. The challenges at FAMU's law school do not even compare to the long-running problems at FSU's. These problems are systemic and run back to former dean and former FSU president Sandy D'Alemberte.
ReplyDeleteSt. Petersburg Times (Florida)
June 11, 1998, Thursday, 0 South Pinellas Edition
FSU survey claims a history of abuse
DIANE RADO
SECTION: CITY & STATE; Pg. 1B
DATELINE: TALLAHASSEE
As early as 1990, Florida State University had ample evidence of serious problems at its law school.
A student survey depicted a sexist, racist atmosphere where professors made vulgar and derogatory comments about women, blacks, Hispanics, Jews and homosexuals.
Today, the university faces some of the same allegations.
The spring 1990 survey was done a year after Sandy D'Alemberte left the dean's job at the law school, and students' comments, in part, relate to the years in which he served.
Now, D'Alemberte is president at FSU, and is accused of mishandling and hiding allegations of sexual harassment and discrimination against a veteran law professor, William McHugh. In addition, FSU refuses to release complaints made prior to July 1995 about the professor, saying they are exempt from public records law.
D'Alemberte said he is following the advice of his general counsel. He also says he always has responded to problems he's known about, and that he wasn't aware of the 1990 survey because he had already left the law school after five years as dean.
"I have some general memory of dealing with a number of professors having problems with people in various ways," he recalled. "I don't think it's right to go back and talk about that now, in part because I understand it's not something I'm supposed to talk about."
But students did plenty of talking in the 1990 survey, when they didn't have to identify themselves or mention faculty members by name.
The survey was commissioned by a faculty committee formed to address whether FSU had an academic climate hospitable to women and minorities, said Donald Weidner, interim law school dean.
Generally, students described an environment so bad that they cried, considered dropping out of law school or tried to hide from faculty members they described as "sleazeballs."
Profanity was common in class.
"The instructor uses the F-word frequently and is generally rude, crude and the epitome of why tenure is dangerous," one student wrote.
One professor "continually spoke of the strip bars he attends. He continually referred to heterosexual activities and how much he enjoyed it, all the time staring at the closest, young female," another student wrote.
During class discussion, one professor told a joke with a punch line referring to a woman's crotch.
One student also recounted when a professor "extolled the virtues of black athletes as opposed to the "incompetence' of black intellectuals. I believe that was the same class in which he commented that Jews have a "genetic propensity' to study law."
Outside the classroom, male professors routinely made advances to female students, according to the survey.
One student said she was told by a male faculty member that "admission to his office required me to take my top off."
At a moot court competition out of state, one professor tried to kiss a student on the lips repeatedly. "He also complained that she was wearing pantyhose, because he likes women to wear stockings, so he can reach up their skirt . . ."
It was clear from the survey that the complaints are made against more than one law school professor.
"The list of professors whom my classmates and I intend to avoid at virtually any cost . . . is not short, at least six or seven out of the total regular academic faculty," a student wrote.
Several students complained of a cavalier attitude by faculty who joked about inappropriate behavior and didn't take complaints seriously.
"The conduct which is tolerated by this institution would be grounds for disciplinary action or even dismissal where I used to work," one student wrote.
D'Alemberte said he was in constant contact with students as law school dean. "I think I handled problems that came to me." Weidner said the survey "created a picture of our law school that not everyone thought was balanced."
Today, he said, the law school is a different and far more diverse place.
The full-time law faculty is 29 percent female and 13 percent minority, higher than some comparable universities, he said. The University of Florida's law school faculty is 24 percent female and 15 percent minority, he said.
But not everyone thinks times have changed.
Candace Kollas, now an Atlanta lawyer, complained in 1996 that professor McHugh made sexist comments in class, questioned whether someone "so articulate" could be black and repeatedly belittled her in front of classmates. While a university investigator concluded that the incidents "had the effect of illegal discriminatory harassment," and recommended disciplinary action, D'Alemberte gave McHugh a warning letter.
"Obviously, my complaint was not handled properly. If that's indicative of how the law school acts in general, it's not gotten any better," Kollas said.
The old and new allegations against FSU have moved into cyberspace. FSU law student Mark Holten created a Web site and posted Kollas' complaint, as well as the 1990 student survey.
"They (FSU) have absolutely failed to do anything to protect students," Holten said.
FAMU will be fine? Wishful thinking no longer works anymore. During times of tight budgets, programs that lack accountability will be the ones cut first by the state. I can assure you that if the ABA yanks accreditation, then the state will give the school to UCF.
ReplyDeleteFAMU Law is a complete quagmire. Throw mud at FSU, but in the schools defense, they do not have to worry about the ABA shutting their doors like FAMU.
Just another typical response and a ridiculous claim.
FSU has the highest Bar passage rate in the state, and if my memory serves me correctly, FAMU is DEAD, no pun intended, last.
What a waste of cash!!!!!
FSU has no room to talk about FAMU with the long-running problems concerning sexual harassment and discrimination in the FSU law school. No matter how much FSU supporters try and cover up the truth, they can't.
ReplyDeleteFAMU Law School has the worse Bar passage rate in the State University System. FACT.
ReplyDeleteA former FAMU law student is suing the school for not following ABA procedures and alleged grade changing. FACT.
FAMU is on provisional accreditation. FACT
FAMU is the poorest run Law School and University in the state. FACT
You can't play the race card when the ABA shuts you down. But it will be funny to watch when you do.
It looks like the Knights are about to have a College of Law.
FAMU kept FSU from taking over the College of Engineering. FACT.
ReplyDeleteFAMU has the best passage for pharmacy students in Florida (FSU doesn't even have a pharmacy school). FACT.
FAMU has an award-winning School of Journalism (FSU doesn't even have a journalism school). FACT.
FAMU has an award-winning School of Architecture (FSU doesn't even a have an architecture school). FACT.
Let's not forget about the FSU staffers accused of grand theft.
ReplyDelete. Petersburg Times (Florida)
June 3, 1992, Wednesday, State Edition
FSU staffers accused of grand theft
SECTION: TAMPA BAY AND STATE; STATE DIGEST; Pg. 5B
DATELINE: TALLAHASSEE; DELRAY BEACH; SATELLITE BEACH
Three staff members at a Florida State University multimedia center are accused of running an unauthorized private company in competition with the school.
Dennis Thorp, Jon Cramer and Sandra Calhoun each posted $ 10,000bail on grand theft charges, university Vice President Robert Johnson said Monday. They all worked for the Center for Instructional Development and Services, which produces educational videos. The school's investigation showed the three formed a private company in 1990 and tried to market products that had been developed by the center. Cramer resigned in November; Calhoun and Thorp were placed on leave in March. Their contracts will not be renewed, Johnson said.
The charges are the latest in a series of problems, including mismanagement and bookkeeping errors, that will cost $2-million and result in the closing of the center June 30.
A former employee of UF's foundation stole $1M. So much for accountability over there.
ReplyDeleteTo ANON at 1/14/2008 10:18 PM:
ReplyDeleteThat might be all great news, but what does it have to do with the college of law?
I'd like to know more info on the student suing the school.
COL needs a clean sweep out of some top administrators and faculty. Hopefully the new Dean won't allow the "good ole boy" and "kissing up" system to continue there.
ReplyDelete1/17/2008 11:56 AM
ReplyDeleteAmen! The dean needs to make a clean sweep beginning with the dynamic bobblehead duo of Witherspoon and her sidekick Langston. It is too sad that they would rather see the school fail in some kind of odd sense of scorn. Never mind that their vengeful behavior will have a negative impact on all of the 100 or so FAMU attorneys who are barred in the state of Florida and practicing.
Feb 2009 famu-col 52.3% the lowest in school HISTORY
ReplyDelete