Ammons Up for Review in February

      Florida A&M president, James H. Ammons, will himself face a task force for his annual review on Feb.8 conducted by the FAMU Board of Trustees and several outside consultants.

      The review will look into his role as president and how he has handled himself and events that surrounded FAMU in the last year, both good and bad.

Faculty Senate President and board member, Narayan Persaud said although he was unsure exactly what would be under review in February it would be an overall look at “his performance with regard to the administration.”

      The end of 2011 was a tumultuous time at FAMU and for Ammons.

      His evergreen contract agreement was called into question and revised by an Ad-hoc committee of members of the BOT, and his handling of the matter involving Chief Financial Officer Teresa Hardee who was investigated due to alleged misuse of paid leave time. She was docked nearly a week of vacation time. FAMU vice president of Audit and Compliance Charles O’Duor resigned abruptly failing to submit thorough audit reports that complied with the offices goals and the issue of hazing following the death of Robert Champion has hit the university very hard with the image of the administration and the university at the center of controversy.

      Board member, Rufus Montgomery, said although this review will be his first Board member, the board’s process in reviewing Ammons has been followed in the past and should be followed in this instance, always looking forward.

      Things were not all bad for Ammons in 2011. Enrollment at FAMU was on the rise again, he was named by HBCU Digest as one of the five most visible presidents in America in July.

      Students organized a march in Dec. 15 in mostly in reaction to Florida Governor Rick Scott’s recommendation to the BOT that Ammons be suspended. They rallied around the endangered president and showed Scott and anyone else critical of FAMU’s support system that in fact, the students do care.

      FAMU alumni president, Tommy Mitchell, said, “There are some things that will come up that will probably not give him the review that he would want. I do think some of those things will make it difficult for him.”

      Mitchell said that communication between the administration and others at FAMU has been and would be a topic that is sure to be addressed.

      Vallery Agen, a senior computer and information sciences student from Ft. Lauderdale said, “they need to seek the opinion of the students. They need to seek the students’ advice. I feel like before a review even occurs, a student survey should occur so that there can be a direction.”

        One outside consultant, Edward Penson, a nationally known education consultant for higher learning and a lead faculty member for the President’s Academy for the American Association for State Colleges and Universities, will be returning as member of the review board.

      T.J. Legacy-Cole, a FAMU activist and 25-year-old political science major said, “going forward they need to look at the full body work…the state of the schools and colleges that we have here at FAMU as well as the state of the campus. We cannot afford to have someone in that position who is going to be detrimental or a distraction to the educational and academic progress of students.”

      With the BOT divided when deciding in December to publicly reprimand Ammons for his handling of the Champion case, they voted eight to five, it is unclear how each will feel or what will come under the scope of the review.

      Mitchell said the Alumni Association was in full support of FAMU, regardless of who the president is. “If you look at where FAMU was prior to Ammons’ tenure and where FAMU is now, obviously it has improved,” said Mitchell, “I don’t know what the tone will be considering the board has been divided.”

Editor’s Note: An incorrect version of this story was previously published online. Corrections have been made: CFO Teresa Hardee was docked nearly a weeks vacation time for her misuse of leave time. She was not involved in mismanagement nor was she reprimanded. We regret the error.

His evergreen contract agreement was called into question and revised by an Ad-hoc committee of members of the BOT, and his handling of the matter involving Chief Financial Officer Teresa Hardee who was investigated due to alleged misuse of paid leave time. She was docked nearly a week of vacation time. FAMU vice president of Audit and Compliance Charles O’Duor resigned abruptly failing to submit thorough audit reports that complied with the offices goals and the issue of hazing following the death of Robert Champion has hit the university very hard with the image of the administration and the university at the center of controversy.Board member Rufus Montgomery said although this review will be his first as a board member, the board’s process in reviewing Ammons has been followed in the past and should be followed in this instance, always looking forward.

Things were not all bad for Ammons in 2011. Enrollment at FAMU was on the rise again; he was named by HBCU

Digest as one of the five most visible presidents in America in July.

Students organized a march in Dec. 15 in mostly in reaction to Gov. Rick Scott’s recommendation to the BOT that Ammons be suspended. They rallied around the endangered president and showed Scott and anyone else critical of FAMU’s support system that in fact, the students do care.

FAMU alumni president Tommy Mitchell said, “There are some things that will come up that will probably not give him the review that he would want. I do think some of those things will make it difficult for him.”

Mitchell said that communication between the administration and others at FAMU has been and would be a topic that is sure to be addressed.

Vallery Agen, a senior computer and information sciences student from Ft. Lauderdale said, “they need to seek the opinion of the students. They need to seek the students’ advice. I feel like before a review even occurs, a student survey should occur so that there can be a direction.”

One outside consultant, Edward Penson, a nationally known education consultant for higher learning and a lead faculty member for the President’s Academy for the American Association for State Colleges and Universities, will be returning as member of the review board.

T.J. Legacy-Cole, a FAMU activist and 25-year-old political science major said, “going forward they need to look at the full body work…the state of the schools and colleges that we have here at FAMU as well as the state of the campus. We cannot afford to have someone in that position who is going to be detrimental or a distraction to the educational and academic progress of students.”

With the BOT divided when deciding in December to publicly reprimand Ammons for his handling of the Champion case, they voted eight to five, it is unclear how each will feel or what will come under the scope of the review.

Mitchell said the Alumni Association was in full support of FAMU, regardless of who the president is. “If you look at where FAMU was prior to Ammons’ tenure and where FAMU is now, obviously it has improved,” said Mitchell, “I don’t know what the tone will be considering the board has been divided.”