FAMU applicants include 3 ex-HBCU presidents who received “no confidence” votes from their faculties

The 11th president of FAMU will be responsible for leading the process of getting the university off its current probationary status with the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (SACS). It isn’t possible for the administration to do that alone. The president must be a team-player who can work with faculty members in order to accomplish this goal.

But FAMU’s presidential applicant list has three ex-leaders of historically black colleges and universities (HBCUs) who have troubled records when it comes to faculty relations. They all received “no confidence” votes from HBCU faculty senates.

One of the three applicants actually received “no confidence” votes from the faculty senates at two different HBCUs.

George Cooper, a FAMU alumnus, served as president of South Carolina State University from 2008 until 2012. He received a “no confidence” vote from the SCSU Faculty Senate in 2011.

Allen Sessoms received a “no confidence” vote from the Faculty Senate of the University of the District of Columbia back in 2009. He was UDC’s president from 2008 to 2012. Sessoms previously received a “no confidence” vote from the alumni association of Delaware State University in 2005. He led DSU from 2003 to 2008.

Kofi Lomotey (pictured) received “no confidence” votes from the Faculty Senates of two separate HBCUs.  The Faculty Senate of Southern University in Baton Rouge voted “no confidence” in him back in 2010. He was that school’s president from 2008 until 2010. Lomotey also received a “no confidence” vote from the executive committee of the Faculty Senate of Fort Valley State University in 2005. He was FVSU’s president from 2001 until 2005.

Cooper, Sessoms, and Lomotey, are all currently serving as senior fellows at the American Association of State Colleges and Universities.