Bethune-Cookman University has not publicly commented on how large a salary it’s giving to newly-hired Interim Vice-President for Academic Affairs Castell Bryant. However, the “incidental” and “employment hazard” costs of Bryant’s tenure could be much more than the six-figure number that B-CU likely budgeted.
FAMU’s still paying a high price for the damage left by the former interim president. And, the total continues to go up almost every month.
The latest bill is a $1.5 million settlement that FAMU owes to Booth Properties for a housing contract that Castell asked the Board of Trustees to break in 2005.
And don’t forget the other items on her tab:
A $10.4 million deficit for the FYE 2005.
$4.7 million paid to KPMG for financial bookkeeping that landed FAMU’s first qualified state audits.
$4.3 million to pay four consulting companies that had worked without contracts.
Millions lost as a result the enrollment decline that followed Castell’s decision to stop recruiting students.
Looks like B-CU might be in for a very bumpy, financial ride.
Tis the season, and I guess you are going to beat this horse until it won"t run anymore. Get out of that womans business and pay attention to yours, like getting you facts correct. There are still alot of problems at FAMU, like students that will not accept their responsibility and want professors to just give them and A, Like Professors that play and hang with students, Like no displine for doing wrong, it's not all Joy to the World.
ReplyDelete^^^^^Hater^^^^^
ReplyDeleteThe fact is this, that everything taht Rattlernation has posted in this artcle is true and all of it happened unders Bryant's administration. The question is why would anyone, including BCU give someone with such incompentance a chance to screw up their school the same way she did her alma mater. If you haven't noticed, Fred Ganious still hasn't found another gig!
ReplyDelete8:46 AM, you can say that about students and professors at any school. FAMU is not perfect, but their are many FAMU students (including mine)& professors that do accept responsibility and are doing an outstanding job.
ReplyDeleteI'm also wondering what in the world is BCC thinking. Castell Bryant is very risky.
Why do we care who Bethune Cookman hires? It is none of our business. The president of BCU is no dummy and was not born yesterday. I am also sure, like you, she is fully aware of what transpired at FAMU. You know people do run together and within the same profession know the ends and outs much better than lay people These two women have a long standing relationship. I am sure the BCU president knows exactly what she is getting with the hiring of Castell Bryant. Obviously, she believes that Dr. Bryant has some skill or knowledge that will be helpful to BCU at this time.
ReplyDeleteWe need to get over Castell and continue the building process at FAMU. We still have a very long way to go on the hill
12/18/2008 2:31 PM
ReplyDelete^^^^^^^^^^
I agree. Let's be thankful this woman is not FAMU's problem anymore.
You know people do run together and within the same profession know the ends and outs much better than lay people
ReplyDeleteOkay. You believe that we should trust the opinion of the professionals.
The state auditors are professionals. According to their professional review, Castell's books were managed so badly that FAMU couldn't get an unqualified audit for the first time, ever.
SACS is also a professional organization. It placed FAMU on probation because of the mismanagement on Castell's watch. That never happened to any other FAMU president.
The state auditors and SACS are not groups of lay persons. Their bad assessments of Castell are proof of her incompetence.
On a brighter note......Let's here it for the FAMU Marching "100" and that FABULOUS commercial they have on the front page of the FAMU website. It's GREAT! Let's all focus on helping FAMU better by ensuring that the band goes to the Inaugural Parade. Log on the the front page and click on the commercial and donate today.
ReplyDeleteIt's easy to complain about something negative (Castell), how easy is it to support something positive???
RattlerNation, im shocked you don't have that commercial playing on here. The more support the better!!!!!!
11:19, Fred Gainous is not even trying to find another gig. At a salary of, I believe, of $275K, where is he going and enjoy the comfort zone that he is now in? He retained part of his salary when he moved into the classroom as a tenured professor. Believe me, the man ain' doing much teaching, but he is heading the so-called "institute" that he created as part of his ouster package. I teach at FAMU, and much of this stuff is well-documented. If you had that kind of cool, stress-free "gig," would you give it up?
ReplyDeleteCan we all just move away from the business of Castell Bryant. I mean, dang! The woman muckety-mucked up while at FAMU, but now she is history. I agree with 2:31. Kibbe-Reed obviously knows what transpired at FAMU, and obviously it didn't make an iota bit of difference in her decision to bring CVB aboard. CVB is no longer FAMU's problem. Let's move and forget. What's it to us that she is at BCU? Good grief, we can beat a dead horse.
ReplyDeleteWhat's with this "Castell at FAMU anymore so we shouldn't care" attitude?
ReplyDeleteMary McLeod Bethune fought for ALL of us. We should care about what happens at the institution that carries her legacy.
And, we should be especially vocal if we have first-hand experience with the danger that B-CU now faces.
9:38, I don't think anyone here is saying that "no one cares." The point, I believe, is that obviously Trudie Kibbe-Reed knows CVB's background, she decided to hire the woman to do whatever, and it's a done deal. Whatever we say on this board isn't a reflection of anyone not caring. Obviously, we do, or we wouldn't be so doggone vocal. But CVB is not at FAMU, and if TKR is okay with the history of CVB's tenure and misbehaving at other institutions, then that is now her problem, not ours. And we should leave this alone. There are more important issues to converse about other than what CVB is now doing. I mean, when, oh, when do we just give this thing a rest? I can probably guarantee folks that CVB ain' thinking about our dark arses right about now. GirlF has made that $$, and now she's going to make some more. Sure, Mary McCleod Bethune is twisting & turning in her grave, but that hasn't stopped CVB from prospering one iota. What we shouldn't do is let the woman think she still has the kind of power and control -- that she obviously still has on us -- by continually discussing what she is and/or is not doing. My goodness.
ReplyDeleteI believe we all do our wrong and make mistakes. But we must grow up and stop putting the blame on people who came into office at FAMU with a mess waiting. Do anyone remember when President Gainous was in office, he messed alot of things up and was eventually fired by the BOT. Yes Dr. Bryant did do her part in the mess but she did do some good. Such as people on the pay roll that were still getting checks who were no longer employed with the University.
ReplyDeleteTo: ANON 11:10 a.m.
ReplyDeleteCVB: one or two good deeds vs one-thousand misdeeds = a really bad comparison.
I am not privy to all conversations (thus I acknowledge this is an opinion that is subject to error), but to my knowledge:
ReplyDeleteYes, Gainous and Bryant had some BIG missteps, IMO, but...
I have not heard Gainous make any malevolent statements regarding the University to the height (or depth, as the case may be) of Bryant. IMO, Gainous made errors to trust the evil out there, but Bryant was a machine to do evil.
Think about it...
Yes, I think Bryant is still getting her jollies on the bantering about her from FAMU. There are folks out there who believe her, because of the banter. There are folks giving her the benefit of the doubt. But trust, the nanosecond things go awry, the Wildcat Nation will be sounding like us, and Kibbe-Reed will be doing what she does...
I wonder what her trusty and loyal newspaper buddies will write next?
At least Castell knows now not to thumb her nose at SACS! Never a good move!!!
Catell Bryant can go to hell for all I care. That's my Holiday Wish!
ReplyDeleteAs for BCU hiring her, they will regret the day they ever laid eyes on her. But that's their problem. FAMU has better things to do than to think about "old, spoiled, wrinkled,ugly and tainted meat left in the refrigerator" such as Castell from Hell.
It matters not the performance of Castell Bryant as President of the Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University. With its new president, it continues to decline in enrollment and its endowment continues to suffer. Once a spot for top African American scholars, this has become an institution of higher learning that has African American scholars choosing other institutions -- especially PWIs such as the University of Florida, Florida State University, etc. When will the 'black' people stop stealing from our black students. Everyday, staff, at every level, are robbing our children and our institution every day. Put an end to the stealing. Put an end to nepotism. Put an end to hiring non-highly qualified individuals and we are likely to see some progress.
ReplyDeleteWhoever wrote the comment posted above mine has the right focus. Why are we allowing a continuum of "I hate Castell' to continue among the Rattler Nation? Dr. Bryant is no longer the President of our institution. The focus should be on employing highly qualified individuals, recruiting more higher performing students, and increasing the endowment.
ReplyDeleteEvery person teaching a course at FAMU should have their doctorate degrees. Don't we want the best in their respective fields working with our students?
Students, ultimately, have a big hand in determining the school's direction. We should seek to register more academically-proven students with higher grade point averages and higher test scores. Their performance in FAMU's classrooms and labs will put us on the map, academically.
How do we expect alumni and the business community and varying entities of government to make investments in our institution of higher learning without quality faculty and students?