FLAG ON THE PLAY: FAMU's legislative funding figures face scrutiny

Yesterday, FAMU’s PR team a reported windfall from the recent legislative session, boasting of securing over $50 million in state funding. However, a closer look at the figures has raised questions about the transparency and accuracy of the university's claims.

A closer examination of the numbers reveals that a significant portion of this sum, $15 million, is actually performance-based funding. This is money that is part of the annual $645 million performance-based funding pool distributed by the Florida Board of Governors to the state's 12 public universities if they meet specific performance goals. 

 

This revelation suggests that the funding is not new money but part of an ongoing allocation.

 

Moreover, FAMU's claim of securing $1.1 million in new funding for nursing pipeline initiatives is also under scrutiny. This funding is a slice of a larger $40 million appropriation to the state university system, that is split among ten of the state's 12 universities with nursing programs.

 

The university's presentation of these figures could mislead the public into believing that FAMU has received a substantial increase in funding, when in reality, the amounts are part of regular allocations.

 

"While it's important to celebrate successes, it's equally important to be clear and transparent about what those successes are," said a local education analyst. "A charitable observer may attribute the confusion to unclear wording or presentation, but a keen observer would see this for what it is—clearly misleading and a shadowy attempt to tout something that's not quite true." 

 

Just last month, FAMU PR team faced criticism for doubling down on the legitimacy of a purported gift that is currently the subject of a state investigation. This latest claim raises additional concerns about the transparency and accuracy of FAMU's public statements.