Just as the afternoon sun begun to fade into a deep orange, two, large buses adorned in orange and green with the FAMU logo and an enormous Rattler, drove onto the FAMU Set.“I had an opportunity to get on one of the buses when they arrived on campus and I was just in awe,” said Brandon Hill, a junior philosophy student from Lake City, Fla. “I think they will be a wonderful addition. The buses stand out when they are parked, so I know that while traveling on the interstate, they will have a great impact.”
The new 56-seat charter buses were leased by the FAMU Student Government Association (SGA) for recruitment trips and other SGA activities.
The lease of these buses will alleviate FAMU-SGA from having to rent buses when traveling with students. According to Henry Kirby, associate vice president of student affairs and dean of students, the buses will also promote the FAMU Rattler brand as they ride into cities across the United States.
“FAMU is a brand, and to have these bright buses pulling into cities in North Carolina, Alabama and even across Florida will increase the visibility of the university as we continue to recruit the best and brightest students,” said Kirby.
The recruitment team is comprised of SGA officials, the FAMU Connection, Presidential Ambassadors, the FAMU Royal Court and representatives from the FAMU Office of Student Affairs.
The lease of the buses was funded by 2008 Activities and Service Carry Forward Funds, which were approved by the FAMU Board of Trustees. The multi-year lease cost a total of $450,000.
The new buses made their inaugural trip to Tampa, Fla. for a recruitment fair and then to Orlando, Fla. for other recruitment activities during this weekend’s 30th Annual Florida Classic.
Really, I am compelled to make a comment. One would never know from the profligate spending, the administrative raises, and the high-life enjoyed by the FAMU administration, the student government, and really all of FAMU except Arts and Sciences, that FAMU is in the middle of a "budget crisis." Arts and Sciences is where the vast bulk of the academic instruction occurs and it is treated like a ghetto. Arts and Sciences is pathetic--the faculty is grossly underpaid and overworked, the facilities are miserable, and the FAMU Administration apparently could care less. If there is any FAMU Administrator who truly has a real interest in education, will you please raise your hand?
ReplyDeleteWhat part of this is what student government decided to do with THERE money don't you understand???
ReplyDeleteAlso, the pathetic Arts & Science faculty might be better served by getting off their duffs and writing some grants!!!!
@ 10:21 Are you aware that they are currently renovating Tucker Hall and they are in the process of moving out of Jones Hall to start renovating in December?
ReplyDelete10:53--who are you and what are you? Arts and Sciences faculty teach four and five classes a semester. They do not have time to write grants. In any event, research funds can not be used to support instruction. You ask: "What part of this is what student government decided to do with THERE money don't you understand???" Yahoo--that is my point. SGA has way too much money. "THERE money"--give me a break ding dong. Take a few English classes so that you can read your diploma if you get one.
ReplyDeleteState law gives SGA the power to spend the Activity & Service paid by students as it deems appropriate. These buses are being leased for the purpose of recruitment, which is absolutely critical to FAMU's long-term financial health.
ReplyDeleteWe've got to keep increasing our enrollment in order to offset these painful budget cuts. Can you imagine what would happen to our budget if we had an enrollment decrease on top of the legislative cuts?
We need to recruit, recruit, recruit!
DITTO
ReplyDeleteAll the Arts & Sciences staff need to do is get their heads stuck from up their butts and pick up and newspaper and they'll know we are in the midst of a recession !!!
ReplyDeleteWriting grants and seeking private dollars is part of everybody's jobs, not for those with "free time".
Federal and state grants and contracts are used to fund additional scholarly work and research. There is an expectation and legal requirement that fund so specified be used to complete those tasks defined in the grant proposal or contract. As a general rule academic year faculty salaries cannot be funded out of grants and contracts. In general only summer salaries can be funded directly out of grants and contracts. Even so summer salaries can only be funded for 2 to 3 months at the same monthly rate. Therefore if you are making 72K for 9 months you can only receive an additional 16 to 24K for the summer.
ReplyDeleteFor every grant and contract the university receives about 26% of the total amount sometimes more and sometime less the use of which is up to the president. The remaining funds are to be used to purchase equipment, supplies materials, travel to conferences, and OPS salaries. Use of these funds for direct instruction is prohibited! Because that is what state E and G funds are paying for.
So for those who have yet to obtain their first degree and those who have not sought direct support from either the state of florida or the federal government these are the rules of the road. There is little direct treasure for the faculty performing the research work associated with research awards. The main advantage is is using the visibility gained at conferences to get a job with better working conditions.
The treatment that the A&S faculty receive from the FAMU Administration is deserved from one particular point of view--that is, they tolerate the abuse they receive. They will continue to be overworked and underpaid, while the rest of FAMU wallows and carouses in the money A&S faculty generates from the student FTEs, until the A&S faculty get some backbone and stand up and demand their share of FAMU E&G funding which they generate. They are like an old worn out mule that keeps pulling the plow under the master's whip, until they completely collapse and die.
ReplyDeleteWell, if SGA doesn't get out and recruit students to come to FAMU, when what will be the purpose of any of your comments opposing this purchase?
ReplyDeleteLest some of ya'll forget not too long ago when Castell Bryant was in Lee Hall and the enrollment was unspeakable low.
Has anyone asked if the cost of thse buses is less that the cost of renting buses on an as needed basis?
ReplyDeleteThis does not make sense from a financial stand point.
Maybe we should stop showboatin' and get real.
The buses will pay for themselves over the long-term as they help FAMU continue to build up its enrollment.
ReplyDeleteThe buses were leased for five years !!! Purchasing one new bus is about $400,000.
ReplyDelete