The recent decision by Florida A & M University (FAMU) to abruptly halt its search for a new president could delay selection of a permanent top administrator for almost another year, raising the prospect the institution could lose some of its top candidates as a result of the shift in plans, say academic veterans involved in the talent recruitment business.
By the same token, the university may have done minimum damage to the seemingly embarrassing shift of gears, since it never publicly identified the final candidates set for campus interviews this week and was clear about why it announced the halt in the process.
FAMU, which last June severed ties with its embattled president Dr. James Ammons, proudly announced March 14 it was ready to bring in a roster of presidential candidates this week. “FAMU ON SCHEDULE TO SELECT NEW PRESIDENT,” beamed a press release from the university.
A day later, March 15, the university issued a public statement saying the chairman of its board of trustees, Solomon Badger III, had suspended the search effectively immediately, citing ongoing accreditation issues with the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (SACS), the principal higher education accrediting agency for colleges and universities across the South.
“This is neither a commentary on the quality of candidates, nor a questioning of the search process,” Badger said in announcing and explaining his decision. He said FAMU had been placed on probation by SACS, its (FAMU’s) “accreditation is at risk” and putting a president in place now would not be a wise move.
“It would be eminently unfair to bring in a new president as FAMU’s accreditation hangs in the balance,” Badger said. “I have full faith that interim President Robinson and his team will succeed in their effort and want to make sure they face no distractions or disruptions.”
Badger’s announcement promptly put on hold the full two-day schedule the university had issued the day before outlining this week’s visits by the presidential prospects.
