Sun-Sentinel clings to outdated info on FAMU

The “Florida A&M University” profile on the South Florida Sun-Sentinel’s website seems to have missed almost every major FAMU story from the 2007-2008 school year.

In the online overview, the Sun-Sentinel states that “Audits conducted since 2003 have uncovered sloppy bookkeeping and mismanagement of nearly $40 million, according to the South Florida Sun-Sentinel. An audit conducted in 2007 uncovered 35 additional instances of accounting errors.”

The profile makes no mention of the fact that President James Ammons and his fiscal team cleaned up the poorly managed financial books they inherited well enough to get the first unqualified state audit since 2006.

The profile then makes the completely outdated claim that: “Student enrollment, which climbed over 13,000 three years ago, is declining.”

As every reasonably informed newspaper in Florida understands, FAMU’s enrollment is actually increasing.

Upon entering office, Ammons restored the time-tested recruitment program that was shut down by his predecessor, Interim President Castell Bryant. Since then, enrollment has climbed back to 12,792 – up from the low of 10,987 during the Bryant years.

Additionally, the Sun-Sentinel’s profile gives the impression that FAMU is still on probation with the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools, saying:

“In 2007, the Southern Association of Colleges and Universities put FAMU on probation, one step above losing its accreditation. Students at unaccredited schools are not eligible for federally funded financial aid and many schools will not accept the transfer credits.”

The page fails to mention that SACS lifted the probation six months ago.

While every news organization makes mistakes and oversights from time to time, the Sun-Sentinel’s failure to update this profile is inexcusable.