As Florida and the nation slip into one of the darkest economic periods in years, a light still shines despite the budget cuts in Florida higher education. It just so happens that this beacon of hope and light is emitting from the highest of Tallahassee's seven hills at Florida A&M University.
Many Florida state universities are reducing the number of students being admitted this fall because budget cuts have forced them to take a realistic look at their ability to pay for faculty to accommodate the students.
FAMU has not reached its capacity and is still admitting qualified students. So if you are in Tallahassee and or other parts of the state, remember, our doors are still open to qualified applicants.
continue reading: accepting students
Famu has not reached it's capacity? Hmmm. While that article tried to pu ta nice spin on it; it can't conceal the fact that qualified students don't want to come to FAMU becuase they still think its a mess and its provisionally accredited. Whoever wrote that article needs to get real with themselves.
ReplyDeleteThat was just a desperate attempt to try and re-kindle the days of glory at FAM. FAM ain't there yet.
Hold up now. First off this is a far cry from when Castell was calling up students who were at first rejected to come to the school to fill it up.
ReplyDeleteFAMU has upped the ante on qualifications and so the rest of the Florida and the student body must get used to the fact that FAMU is a school of choice, not everyone's last resort.
The kicker is that white students now have to face the fact that if they want to stay in state, they may have to be a Minority for four years while at FAMU. I think YT would rather go to a CC than FAMU so they won't feel isolated.
The quality of a FAMU education was never question, Castell's horrid administration was.
ReplyDeleteThe low capacity is Castell's doing. She shut down the student recruitment program and wrecked much of the university wherever she could. Dr. Ammons, and his team, is rapidly trying to rebuild was Castell has destroyed.
is "YT" the equivalent of calling someone a nigger?
ReplyDeleteMaybe YT is going to the CC b/c YT doesn't want to be on the receiving end of discrimination.
YT may also feel that TCC is a better educational opportunity than FAMU in its current state.
Plenty of YTs are in architecture because it is a good program.
It would be a step in the right direction if other colleges like SBI (99.999% pure) were a little more diverse. The argument (I have often heard) that FAMU *IS* diverse because we have so many nationalities and so many shades of black is kind of weak. No one thinks that Notre Dame is diverse just because the white catholics descend from so many European countries.
FSU is a historical women's university. FAMU is a historical black university. Tallahassee should be proud of having a history of educating people who did not have access to traditional education.
However, it is time to move forward and remember, but not cling to, the past.
FAMU will return to its glory days when it becomes a place where all people (including YT) feel welcome and accepted.
FAMU has never had any policy to keep whites out. Whites have historically avoided HBCUs and continue to far majority-white institutions.
ReplyDeleteI don't think that the first commentator was calling in to question the education at FAMU. FAMU is a great institution that has been through some rough times due to the corruption at the school -some say.
ReplyDeleteI noticed that FAMU slipped out of the top ten HBCUs where it was for a number of years while schools like Hampton, Howard, Spelman and Morehouse stay on top (in the top four to be exact). This is according to the US News and World report.
If FAMU suffers from lack of enrollment it is the administration's fault and if the students don't return; it is guess who?-the administration and Board of Trustee's fault. Not the employees, not the alumni- it is the adminstration's fault.
Even with the most recent improvements with Ammons return; how likely is it that students will make FAMU their choice to come to when majority institutions and Tier 1 HBCUs offer more options and scholarships?
FAMU's alumni repayment of student loans make the Federal Government less likely to offer broad financial aid support to the school. Ammons could be Jesus' right hand man and could do anything about that.
The more things change the more they stay the same.
If you're future were on the line and you had the choice to go to FAMU vs. U of Miami or even Clark Atlanta- would you choose FAM? i think not.
If you had a choice between someone who is in rehab and someone who has been sober for fifteen years-which one would you date.
Black people let's get real. It's ok to love someone who has done something for you but if that person becomes a crackhead do you invite them into your house and expect a healthy relationship? Be real. See me when you get out of rehab..my son is going to Morehouse.
Oh please...no one really trust rankings anyways cause they are flaw..even when Castell was at the helm FAMU was still achieving great awards academically, so go head and let your son run to MoreHouse...just another institution that's full of corruption living off of its prestigious past like Howard.
ReplyDeleteThere's no evidence that Morehouse or Howard is full of corruption. We should not be making such statements against other HBCUs.
ReplyDeleteI am sure that we all hope that FAMU will have a prestigious future, not just a prestigious past.
ReplyDeleteTo have a prestigious future, we (as faculty, admin, and staff) have to find a way to make FAMU a place where people want to go.
We have to build a product that has a high value in the market. Some colleges are doing this better than others. For example, I think Arch and Pharm are still very valuable degrees. Perhaps we need to cut colleges like.. well... I'm not going to say... but it may be time to focus on our best products and let the other product lines (colleges) die. Our best products (colleges) should get the majority of the university's resources so that we can survive and thrive into the next generation.
Excellence breeds excellence. I say keep what is excellent and discard the rest.
I live in Atlanta and Morehouse would not be an option for my son. They have some very serious issues over there. It is not my intent to trash Morehouse or any other HBCU, but "The House" does not develop real men like FAMU. My son will graduate from FAMU this Sunday. FAMU has been a great experience for us. He was recruited by Morehouse, but chose "The Number 1 College In America For Black Students" (FAMU). Good luck to your Morehouse son. In a year, you and your son will wished he had chosen FAMU.
ReplyDeleteOh boy here we go with the my pee is bigger than your pee adolescent crap. In reading all the comments posted (and with particular reference to the Black Ivies vs. the rest of the HBCUs commentaries), I don't think that there was any intention on saying that Morehouse was better or any other school for that matter. It seems to me that what that poster was saying is that he/she preferred to send their son to a school that did not appear to have such visible controversies like FAMU has had in the past few years.
ReplyDeleteSo don't get your wittle feeelwings hurt Elmer. And by the way, that dubious distinction of being the Number one school for Blacks was about as valueable as the paper it was written on, 2) It was awarded to the school when that winch Castell was there and you can rest assured that she had NADA thing to do with that and 3) Morehouse students and Alunmi grew tired of being nominated for that kindergarten title because they had been selected for that award no less than ten times. You want to talk about grasping for straws and a bruised Rattler ego.
Where you send you children to school is their (or should be their choice) and you can hardly judge a book by its cover. Morehouse, Hampton, Howard, and Spelman are at where they are at because of solid fiscal responsibility and alumni support. No one said they were any better than FAM and all the schools produce well prepared Alums.
So if you are referring to what time of men come from Morehouse vs. the men that come from FAMU...I don't even know how to address a childish insecure comment like that. For that matter, i can name a few folks that I personally know that have transferred from HBCUs to majority institutions including many who transferred from FAMU to Morehouse or Howard to the Universtity of Maryland. I don't think that that could be said about FAMU unless that transferee couldn't get into any other school and HAD to go to FAM. It is not that FAM is a bad school but PERCEPTION is EVERYTHING.
All HBCUs have an illustrious history for producing the Black Elite and just plain good people. This could be said about any school majority or otherwise. So get overself because in the next fifty years there won't be many HBCUs left to attend. There are quite a few people who feel that HBCUs have served and out lived their purpose and quite a few of those people happen to be Black.
Black people need to stop attacking each other period. This is why the effect of self internalized racism are on auto pilot. It's self destruction not unlike FAMU destroying itself from the inside out.
FAMU is not destroying itself from the inside. We've purged Castell and most of her gang of cronies from the the senior administration. The healing has begun and FAMU is already back on solid ground in financial record-keeping.
ReplyDeleteHuh? What?
ReplyDeleteI live in Atlanta and Morehouse would not be an option for my son. They have some very serious issues over there. It is not my intent to trash Morehouse or any other HBCU, but "The House" does not develop real men like FAMU.-anonymous
I suppose this person knows everyone whoever went or who iwll ever go to Morehouse.
As for FAMU, everyone has a right to their observations as to where FAMU is currently at. That doesn't make FAMU a bad school in and of itself but, you just have to be logical and come to the conclusion that no one wants to go to a school that is on probation.
Maybe in a few years FAMU would be a feasible place to attend school BUT FOR NOW, I wouldn't send my worst enemy to my Alma Mater. My daughter and son crossed out FAMU on the list and are glad that they did so. One is at Hampton and the other is at Howard. If these schools are corrupt it certainly hasn't made it to the papers so, forgive me and my wife (a FAM Alumnae) , we'd rather bank on what's certain for the future of our children and they'd rather do the same.
And please don't talk about Morehouse both my father-in-law and brother went to that school and they BOTH are HIGH CALIBER men.
The healing has begun and FAMU is already back on solid ground in financial record-keeping.
ReplyDeleteanonymous
Good for FAMU...
But the truth still remains that FAM not unlike other HBCUs are losing the battle to other sources of higher education..online degrees, majority institutions, the other "top" HBCUs.
I told my daughter that FAMU is not an option for her and I too went to FAMU. Her uncles, aunts, cousins, and Grandparents went to FAMU too.
I sent her elsewhere where is flourishing and not worrying about her schools accreditation and where a President is not trying to make a name for himself. Her future is just too important.
My son is a National Merit Scholar and has a scholarship offer from most colleges around the country. We chose FAMU because we feel it is a perfect fit for our child. What other schools have placed FORTY internships on Wall Street in one year? Who else has a better Pharmacy, Journalism, and SBI than FAMU? A FAMU on probation is still a much better option than any other HBCU or HWCU in our opinion. We believe in FAMU and know that we are making the right choice. To those of you who sent your kids to those other schools; why do you spend so much time on a FAMU Blog? Hmmmm. We know where your hearts are.
ReplyDeleteFAMU here we come. WE BELIEVE!!!!
We come back to the Blog because we love the school and want to keep up with current events at our school. Sending our children there is another issue. Good for your merit scholarship child. Do you want a lollipop? Or do you want a golden star?
ReplyDeleteYou can send your children anywhere you want. My merit scholar child is coming to FAMU...ON SCHOLARSHIP.
ReplyDeleteWe Believe In FAMU!!!!!!!!
Everyone wants FAMU to return to its pristine glory so, you all need to be adults and respect the difference of opinions that other posters are taking the time to write on this blog.
ReplyDeleteOn that note, what ever happen to letting our children choose the school that they want to go to without the overbearing influence of their parents?
I have family members who went to all different HBCUs and some majority institutions and everyone respects everyone's decision where to earn their degree from.
FAMU is as good a school as the next but, no one on this blog can deny that it has certainly had its problems over the past few years and that is what the folks who are sending their kids to other schools are saying. Not that FAMU is a bad or less than school.
We need to be happy that our African American sons and daughters are thinking about college or anything beyond highschool since the dropout rate among African American teens is supposedly 50%. Can we just agree on that point folks?! My Lord!!
My child and money are coming to FAMU.
ReplyDeleteGO FAMU!!! Still No. 1.
FAMU no. 1 I don't think so. Not according to US News and World Report. We got Castell and Jeb Bush to thank for that!
ReplyDeleteU.S. News & World Report WHO??? Who cares what they think?
ReplyDeleteFAMU is STILL No. 1!!!
Jeb...lol. What did Jeb do?
ReplyDeleteWho cares about the US News and World Report rankings? Let's see. Emory, Stanford, Harvard, UPenn, Duke, university of Miami, the US Federal Government, State governments, blah blah blah...students contemplating going to college...shall we go on? I think that we need to get real and realize that the few highlights or brightspots at HBCUs are great but they barely make them competitive with majority institutions.
ReplyDeleteThat's not to saw that if your child goes to FAMU that that eill someone jeopardize their futures BUT can you honestly saw that in a contest between a Harvard graduate and a FAMu graduate that the FAMU graduate would shine? The Harvard graudate could be dumb as hell but still get the job a thousand times before a FAMU grad. If you think otherwise you are deluded.
Celebrate the good things about FAMu but don't be fooled that it is the only option for kids to go to. Merit scholars attend hundreds of schools other than HBCUs and FAMU is not the first choice on many of those. If this were the case, way many more Merit scholars would go to FAMu than attend now regardless of who the president is. Way many more Natioanl Merit scholars attend the top four HBCUs than FAMU per capita and that is a fact. For instance, Howard had well over 250 National merit Scholars attend last year. Morehouse had about 212 and a Phi Beta Kappa chapter.
Xavier has more Doctors and Pharmacists coming out of the school than any other HBCU.
No one is denying that FAMU is a food school, with smart kids, with bright futures. But it is just an option among many others that God willing will be around for many years to come. It's not the only option.
Send your children where they want to go that best suits their needs and not the need for you to feel that FAMu is superior to other schools when it is NOT.
Hey Idiot 7:21 AM,
ReplyDeleteYou can make the same argument that a dumb Harvard graduate will be selected over any school's graduates...not just FAMU's, dummy. That's your opinion, but it doesn't hold water. And if you really believe that, then you're bigger fool than your writings indicate. FAMU graduates are in demand. My son graduates Sunday and has 15, FIFTEEN job offers. Recruiters are literally tripping over each other trying to get to FAMU's graduates. So you just hold on to that Uncle Remus mentality and we'll keep sending our bright students to FAMU.
FAMU...Still No. 1!!!!!
Oh boy, here we go with the childish antics. Adults acting like children. I don't think that that person who posted their opinion was dumb at all. They told the truth as unfortunate as it is employers do look at Harvard graduates before they would like at some who went to say University of Florida.
ReplyDeleteI am a FAMU graduate. My son went to SBI and my daughter went to Wharton UPenn. My daughter had a lower GPA and she and my son applied for the same position. Guess who got the job?
It hurt me in particular because I was a FAM grad and a corporate recruiter for over twenty years. I have seen FAM, Southern, Morehouse, Hampton, and graduates with spectacular GPAs be turned down when a "dummy" from Harvard or Yale has gotten the job hands down.
It's good that you son got fifteen job offers (if that is indeed true) but, I don't think that a company would have taken a second look at his resume if he would have
conducted himself the way that you did on this posting- I am certain that he would not have job offer the first.
Grown up and if you want to call people names don't line yourself up with our beloved institution with FAMU is no. 1 at the end of your juvenile tirades. It's embarassing and just plain ghetto. IF you had any real courage you wouldn't call another adult a dummy without signing your name to it. Coward.
Despite some fools that have past through our beloved school FAMU is no. 1 where it should be -in the hearts of its alums, family and friends.
P. Harvey SBI 83'
Amen Harvey that person is a fool who needs both prayer and medication. You don't need to put anyone down to lift yourself up. Satan impes are always busy.
ReplyDeleteB. Cloud 98'
That fool whose son supposedly got fifteen job offers does not represent all of FAMU. I am embarassed that someone who claims to love FAMU so much would be so crazy and out of order to post FAMU is no. 1 at the end of that Liberty City Project. I seriously doubt his son supposedly got fifteen job offers with parent like that......FAMU graduates are in demand but fools like his mom or dad come a dime a dozen. Y'all pray for them.
ReplyDeleteFAMU still no. 1? Not with fools like that! Proof positive that there is a dire need for Black folks to seek out mental health professionals.
ReplyDeleteI graduated from FAMU 30 years ago and I have managed to persuade ten kids not to go until Ammons cleans up that mess that Bryant left. I love my school but, I will not jeopardize someone else's future due to some blind love for FAM.
GROW UP, get real and smell the coffee!!!
R. Griffin 78'
Don't y'all respond to a fool like that..please. Florida A & M University will return to its greatest give it time y'all. A watched pot don't boil.
ReplyDeleteAnd who cares about US News and WOrld Report? TRy SACS!!!!
If 10:42 is a lawyer - he'd probably get you forty years on a parking ticket! you wanna talk about flawed logic. did he go to morris brown 'cause he shoal dient go to my school!!! Who is that idiot?
ReplyDeleteGeorge W. Bush is the president of the United States. He is a drunk, a loser, a war mongerer, liar, murderer, and completely incompetent. He went to Yale and did I forget to mention that he is the President of the most powerful country in the world? How in the world does that happen?
If he would have been a graduate of any non-Ivy league school -he would not be where he is in the Oval office.
SO Mr 1042 am- I think Mr or Ms 7 am proved their point. Either you are too dumb or ignorant not to see it. God help you. ANd God help FAMU if any of the graduates coming out of the school are like you.
Some of you people are filled with self hate. What is wrong with believing FAMU is No. 1? In that person's mind perhaps FAMU is No. 1.
ReplyDeleteBesides, this is a blog. Acting the fool seems to be the norm here.
My child is coming to FAMU. Some of you graduates are a disgrace to your university. Especially that P. Harvey. You criticize a person for calling names, yet you call that person a coward and a fool. What's up with that?
ReplyDeleteMaybe your son didn't get the job because he's too much like you.
My child is also coming to FAMU this fall. We're looking forward to the experience.
ReplyDeleteGO FAMU!!!
Some of you graduates are a disgrace to your university. Especially that P. Harvey. You criticize a person for calling names, yet you call that person a coward and a fool. What's up with that?
ReplyDeleteAt least P. Harvey left their name. That more than we can say about you and that disgruntled individual who has to justify sending their child to a school that is on probation. There are still a lot of nuts in this world. For that matter- there are still students going to Morris Brown and that school has been closed for years. It lost its accreditation. Fam is on probation.
Yes, FAMU can be no. 1 but its go a ways to go for right now its jus there and SACS DOES CARE ABOUT THOSE RATINGS. FAMU STILL HAS ONE OF THE WORST PAYBACK FINANICAL AID PAY BACK RATES OF ALL HBCUS. The Alumni do give back either.
My child is going to Spelman and its worth every penny. I can't in good conscience send her to My Alma Mater in its present condition. THAT HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH SELF HATE ITS ABOUT TELLIGN THE TRUTH AND THE TRUTH IS THAT FAMU'S ACCCREDITATION COULD OR COULD NOT BE RESTORED. That is at the discretion of SACS and not rather we think or believe FAMU is no. 1 or not.
I love you FAMU but SORRY!!!! I also love myself and children too.
Maybe your son didn't get the job because he's too much like you.
ReplyDeleteNot that's just plain crazy. I guess you can't read. P. harvey's daughter got the job. If you weren't so busy actin like a N*gga you would have ...why am I even trying to explain. No pearls before swine. "ye shall know the truth and the truth shall set you free"
This is why FAMU can't fill its roster.
I teach at FAMU, and the academics have never been questioned. Most of the negative publicity had to do with Castell Bryant's bad politics and poor administrative decisions. The school has excellent professors in each of its colleges and schools. My daughter graduated FAMU (2002), and she's doing very well in her chosen profession. She had great professors and enjoyed a healthy environment during her tenure there. While there are still problems, as there are at universities across the nation, that plague the university, I would not hesitate to encourage parents to send their child to FAMU. It has a nuturing atmosphere, a well-round and diverse study population, and a spirit that is like no other. We can all contribute to the uplift of the university by not bashing each other on this blog by declaring what school is "better" than another. Our children deserve the best that we have to offer. FAMU is a wonderful place to learn. When a student leaves the university, they will be ready to take on any obstacle that comes their way.
ReplyDeleteI have a misplace comma somewhere in my above post. I see it, so please don't call me on it. As long as you understand the post, that's all that matters.
ReplyDelete. . . student population.
ReplyDelete. . . misplaced (past tense).
ReplyDeleteI've taught at FAMU, FSU, TCC, and KEISER.
ReplyDeleteMy observation is that the FSU, TCC, and KEISER students are more homogeneous in their abilities. In other words, you can give an exam at those schools and get a normal distribution (a standard bell curve) in the performance.
FAMU is unique in that the students are widely diverse in their abilities. A double humped curve is very common when measuring performance. If you teach to the smart kids, you wind up failing about half the class. If you teach to the less diligent (perhaps less abled) you lose the smart kids. For that reason, teaching at FAMU poses an interesting challenge.
Raising admission standards would make the problem go away, but then if the standards are TOO high, there will not be enough students and *I* will have to go away.
I hope that we can have a gradual improvement in the quality of student that we attract. Some of the students (quiet honestly) would be better served at the community college or trade school.
We are a major university. I hope that we will attract more and more university-ready students in the future.