The semester has been in session for three and a half weeks and some Florida A&M students within the social work department have yet to meet their professors, or even start classes.
The FAMU social work department has a total of 127 students who were enrolled in classes, but because the adjunct professors have not shown up for classes, many students have not been going. There have also been reports that the history and biology department did not have professors for classes that students have paid for.
“They’re not giving us the opportunity we need as students,” said Amber Raymond, 20, a junior social work student who is taking four social work courses this semester. “It’s been three weeks already and three weeks of class cannot be made up.”
The reason for the adjunct professors not attending is unknown but faculty members are curious if it is because of budget cuts.
“It seems to be a budget issue,” said Laura L. Myers, an associate professor for FAMU’s department of social work. “Classes have to be taught. Students have paid their money for the classes.”
Social work classes that did not have professors and the number of students enrolled are:
Social work practice with communication organization:18 students
Introduction to social work: 51 students
Social work research methods with 26 students
Human behavior across the life cycle with 32 students.
According to the administrative staff in the social work department, students and parents have been constantly complaining about not having classes yet.
“It is frustrating and kind of confusing because you do not know what is going on,” said Raymond.
The administrative staff in the department of social work does not clearly understand the problem or have any answers for enrolled students. They could only ensure students that the issues would be resolved.
“You have students that are getting discouraged from continuing school,” said Eric Wright, a FAMU graduate student studying history. Wright is also having enrollment problems. “There needs to be a serious reevaluation of administration from the top down because this happens every semester.”
Wright said that schools with higher enrollment don’t have this kind of problem and that it needs to be
resolved quickly.
“You have schools where enrollment is over 50,000 and 60,000 students with multiple campuses and they don’t have these problems. We have 14,000 students and one campus and we have problems,” said Wright. “It perpetuates a larger negative stereotype, nationwide.”
It is apparent to many FAMU students that there is a communication failure between them and the FAMU administration.
“I had been coming into class and signing the roll like everyone else, and I would stay a while to talk with the teacher assistant to try and get information on what was going on,” said Breana Harvey, 20, a senior history student. “I called the history department and basically got the same answer that everyone has been telling me.”
Harvey said she was first told that the professor was coming to class but as class days passed, she was told that the professor wants to be there, but he can’t and it’s not his fault.
“I have not gotten any clear answer as of yet and it’s frustrating mainly because I am having other problems with FAMU,” said Harvey. “If you’re holding me accountable I should hold FAMU accountable as well.”