Gabordi: Thrasher needs to stop singing the old separate-but-equal song

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Tallahassee Democrat Executive Editor Bob Gabordi had some sharp words for state Sen. John Thrasher, who is attempting to split the FAMU-FSU College of Engineering. Thrasher’s proposal, which doesn’t include any money to help FAMU secure enough faculty members to run an independent engineering school, could destroy FAMU’s engineering programs.

From Gabordi’s blog:

Separate, but equal: We’ve heard that song before.

Now we’re hearing that same old refrain from St. Augustine Republican Sen. John Thrasher, who is pushing to separate the combined Florida A&M University-Florida State University College of Engineering that has existed for more than three decades.

FSU says it didn’t ask for it but supports Thrasher’s budget amendment that would provide $13 million for FSU to pursue its own engineering school.

FAMU says it opposes the move and says Thrasher is – at best –  mischaracterizing things when he suggests talks had been under way between interim President Larry Robinson and former FSU President Eric Barron, with the implication of support.

If Thrasher is right about this, why is he being less than truthful?

The damage Thrasher would inflict is not simply to FAMU, and despite his protestations to the contrary, his amendment would damage FAMU, which says it might not be able to support an engineering college on its own.

“We cannot sustain an engineering program at the level we currently have it if we separate the two schools, for a host of reasons that are both academic and financial,” [FAMU President Elmira Mangum] said.

Why does Thrasher think it could? Thrasher said more black students would be admitted to the engineering program if FAMU had its own school, but where are the research and joint findings to support that?

Thrasher’s proposal turns back the clock in other ways, too, besides providing a painful reminder of when the Legislature closed FAMU’s law school before FSU was granted its own law school.

Read the entire blog post here.

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