Florida A&M’s Board of Trustees approved President James Ammons restructuring plan, cutting 24 programs and severing $18.7 million from the university’s budget, but that’s not all. Along with the various cuts, a 15 percent increase in tuition has been added.
The plan, as announced at the meeting, will reduce the university’s operating budget more than 15 percent and will increase tuition 15 percent as officials plan to match current and future reductions.
But with all the various cuts and increases, students may be relieved to know that summer school will still be in session, according to Provost Cynthia Hughes Harris.
Trustee Solomon Badger reported on Thursday morning that Hughes Harris informed the board that the university will have summer school, but it will not offer as many courses as it normally does.
“Summer session B, which starts at the end of June, will primarily focus on incoming freshman,” Badger said. “The university will offer graduate courses, internships and thesis courses to insure timely graduation. Because of the limited course offerings for the summer, the last 30-hour rule will be waived so that student’s projected graduation dates are not negativity impacted.”
Badger said that students are also allowed to attend another institutions as transits for summer courses and that the university will primarily use 12 month-faculty to teach during the summer.
Other changes include:
* Eliminating 242 positions.
* Renaming the College of Arts and Sciences to the College of Behavioral Sciences, Arts and Humanities.
* CESTA’s Engineering and Technology program will be added to the School of Architecture and there will be a stand-alone College of Agriculture.
* Three deans to head the Schools of Nursing, Public Heath and Allied Health Sciences.