On Sunday, the Tallahassee Democrat’s editorial board urged
the FAMU Board of Trustees to change Larry Robinson’s title from interim
president to permanent president.
Even though the editorial board said that board members
should pass “a motion allowing Dr. Robinson to apply for the position,” such a
motion isn’t necessary. The board’s own records show that FAMU trustees never voted to restrict Robinson from being appointed to serve as the university’s 11th
president.
From the editorial: “Robinson should be FAMU's next
president”
Florida A&M University’s board of trustees has set an
ambitious goal of naming the university’s 11th president by Jan. 9, the same
week that classes begin for the spring semester.
It is hard to believe that the search will uncover a more
qualified candidate than Larry Robinson who has served as interim president at
FAMU for the past 18 months.
Trustees should move swiftly in calling an emergency meeting,
approving a motion allowing Dr. Robinson to apply for the position and then
giving their full support in naming him president. Dr. Robinson should say yes.
In doing so, trustees would be acknowledging the work Dr.
Robinson has done in those 18 months, as well as the status he earned in
previous administrative positions. FAMU has been forced to undergo a major
self-examination of its operations and bounced back after having its lifeline
threatened last year, when it was placed on probation by its accreditation
association. The person in charge of leading the turnaround was Dr. Robinson.
To his credit, he accepted the challenges and didn’t allow
himself to be limited to the role of caretaker. He understood that FAMU needed
a strong leader, one who could steer a course toward keeping its accreditation
— which was confirmed last week — and restore faith within the university and
in FAMU’s value to the community.
Read the full editorial here.