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FAMU Back On Track, New President Says

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By GEORGE WILKENS, The Tampa Tribune

Published: September 23, 2007

TAMPA - In town for a scholarship gala, Florida A&M University's new president assured supporters that 'policies and procedures are in place to ensure financial stability' at the Tallahassee university.

'We are fixing the problems at Florida A&M,' said James Ammons, who took over as president in July, nine days after an accrediting agency placed FAMU on probation, citing financial and administrative problems.

'The six months' probation we're under now has nothing to do with the quality of educational programs at our institution,' Ammons said Saturday at a news conference attended by about 60 FAMU alumni and supporters.

The Southern Association of Colleges and Schools placed the historically black university on probation after a state inspector general's report identified 35 problems, ranging from insufficient cash controls to failing to implement staff salary raises on time.

FAMU has been accredited by the association since 1935, remains so today and will emerge from probation, Ammons said.

'Programs are as strong as they've ever been. The university is strong,' and improvements have been made in the past 2 1/2 months, Ammons said. 'I am very optimistic about the future of Florida A&M.'

Urging alumni not be alarmed about the probation, Ammons said a team from the accrediting agency is scheduled to visit the campus Oct. 2-5 to observe improvements and in December to attend full board meetings.

Loss of accreditation would mean FAMU students would be denied federal financial aid and have difficulty transferring credits to accredited schools or gaining admission to graduate schools.

FAMU is working to meet the standards of every other school in the state university system, Ammons said.

Addressing concerns the school has run out of money, he said the university is not broke and has an annual budget of $435 million.

One of the keys to 'sustaining the legacy' of FAMU is increasing its enrollment of 11,535, a goal that brought Ammons to a scholarship gala that drew 550 people to the Doubletree Hotel at 4500 W. Cypress St.

Tampa Bay area high school students recruited to attend the event were eligible for on-the-spot scholarships if they met specific criteria, including a 3.5 or better grade-point average and 1,900 or better SAT score.

Of the 100 who applied, six qualified for a full-ride scholarship.

'This provides me with an opportunity I've worked hard for since ninth grade,' 17-year-old Okeefe Simmons said after learning he was one of the six who qualified for a four-year scholarship worth $40,000.

The Tampa Bay Tech senior who lives in Riverview said he plans to major in athletic training and then enter pharmacy school.

Reporter George Wilkens can be reached at gwilkens@tampatrib.com or (813) 865-4847.

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