Just two days before Marva Johnson is set to begin her tenure as FAMU’s 13th president, a Rattler Nation poll reveals overwhelming disapproval from the university community.
Johnson, a telecommunications executive with no prior higher education leadership experience, is likely the most unpopular and polarizing permanent president in FAMU's 138 year history.
She was selected in May by an 8-4 vote following a contentious meeting of the FAMU Board of Trustees which saw a new trustee appointed just hours before the final vote. She was selected over Donald Palm, FAMU's current COO and Executive Vice President,who had garnered wide support from faculty, students, and alumni.
Her selection followed weeks of protests, a student petition with over 12,000 signatures opposing her candidacy, and an earlier alumni poll rejecting her by 81.75%.
Critics cited her political ties and lack of academic credentials as primary concerns, with dissenting trustees calling the process “tone-deaf.”
Ninety days after her appointment, the new poll indicates little reconciliation. Only 5.4% of respondents expressed support, saying they were ready to “bury the hatchet,” while 20.2% adopted a wait-and-see approach, saying they’d wait to “hear her vision first.” Nearly three-quarters, however, remain firmly opposed.
“New university presidents typically start with goodwill, even after tough selections,” noted Jeffery Wilson, an education leadership professor at Virginia Commonwealth University. “Beginning with such low approval invites heightened scrutiny, distrust, and resistance to change—all major hurdles for Johnson.”
Wilson emphasized that rebuilding trust will require Johnson to “demonstrate empathy and address concerns with care,” acknowledging the community’s frustrations. Challenges loom as she prepares to navigate a divided campus, where skepticism of her agenda and leadership persists.
Fredrick C. Ingram, secretary-treasurer of the American Federation of Teachers, "The hiring of Marva Johnson by FAMU is a calculated political strategy to control Black institutions and influence how future generations think."
“I think we all need to be concerned about the politics that is being inserted directly into not only our K-12 classroom, but our colleges and university systems, and now specifically to our HBCUs."
Johnson's presidency officially begins August 1.
Poll Methodology: The Rattler Nation survey gathered responses via email and online platforms, with a margin of error of ±5%.