When James Ammons applied for FAMU’s presidency in 2006, he faced a vicious smear campaign coordinated by individuals who tried to deliberately confuse the public about his performance record as a university manager.
Throughout the period that Ammons served as provost to former FAMU President Frederick S. Humphries, FAMU’s financial statement audits were clean, its operational audit findings were small, and all of its accreditation requirements were in order.
As chancellor of North Carolina Central University, Ammons continued to receive high marks from state auditors and the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools.
Still, the anti-Ammons crowd continued to fill internet and campus forums with distortions. They claimed he left a “financial mess” that former Interim President Castell Bryant was working to clean up.
Most Rattlers rejected those insults to their intelligence and rallied behind Ammons’ candidacy. Today, FAMU is getting good audits just like it did for 24 years before 2003. It’s also off SACS probation.
Unfortunately, Ammons and his financial team are still under attack from people who are desperate to depict FAMU in the worst possible light.
As soon as FAMU’s operational audit came out last month, the university was ridiculed for having seven findings. The hecklers ignored the fact that all Florida’s public universities had multiple citations, as well. FAU led with 22 and UF had the second most with 21.
Similarly, Ammons was blasted on the internet when news broke that NCCU had to repay $1,138,228 in financial aid that it distributed to students at an unauthorized satellite campus in Lithonia, Ga.
There was no mention of the fact that UF had to repay $8.6 million to the federal government in 2001 following an investigation into Medicare overbilling on its campus. UF officials said the settlement helped them steer clear of penalties that could have topped $65 million.
Capital Outlook Publisher Roosevelt Wilson recently summed up the problem when he said: “It appears that Florida A&M University in the view of some can do very little that is right without being shot down.”
FAMUans must continue to fight back against the lies and misrepresentations that are spread about the university’s finances, everyday. We know the truth; and so do the state auditors.
The full audit can be viewed here.
Cell phone problems common in SUS audits
Ammons sets record straight on state audit
Opinion: Audit rebuffs Bryant-Maxwell version of financial story
Ammons’ first operational audit shows dramatic turn-around
Much progress has been made. Lets all hope we continue on that track.
ReplyDeleteWhy is it, RN, that other state universities must be mentioned in the same breath whenever we discuss FAMU? We all know that we are seriously scrutinized by the press whenever something, anything happens at FAMU. But we always, always include what some other school is doing, and that seems to me to be saying that we gauge our success and/or missteps by other universities. I wish you/we wouldn't do that. We don't care what the other schools are doing. Let's just concentrate on what we are doing and leave those other folks out of it.
ReplyDeleteThank you RN for keep up aware of the facts. It helps to know that we are in the same ball park with our SUS schools and in many cases doing a better job though improvement is still needed.
ReplyDelete5:30 - In part, it's because we are judged by other universities. Just my $0.02.
ReplyDeleteDid you hear anything about the other schools audits?
I wish we didn't have to do that either, but it is what it is....sigh.
6:42, how does it "help us to know that we are in the same ball park"?
ReplyDeleteIt helps to know what's going on at other universities because people try and pretend that FAMU is the only with problems. In many cases, those critics have even bigger operational issues than we do.
ReplyDelete2/03/2009 2:05 PM
ReplyDeleteExactly
FAMUans just put our business in the street and leak it to the public and media, like Rattler Nation use to. Now Rattler Nation is a cheerleader for the Ammons administration which isn't a bad thing. Propaganda and spin is just that propaganda and spin.
ReplyDeleteOther universities keep their business to themselves. Rattlers need to shut up and be like the universities they compare themselves to.
Silence is Golden!
Other universities keep their business to themselves. Rattlers need to shut up and be like the universities they compare themselves to.
ReplyDeleteThe state auditors put EVERY public university's financial business out there! Any university that receives taxpayer money should be held accountable.
FAMUans should talk about our audit performance in public AND talk about how all the other universities are doing, too.