Dr. Fred S. Humphries, president emeritus of Florida A&M University, said that FAMU’s officials should “fight with every fiber of [their] being to put things back the way they were” in regards to fiduciary control of the Joint College of Engineering recently going to Florida State University.
“I’m very displeased with the developments at the Joint College of Engineering,” said Humphries, who was instrumental in the initial negotiations that put control in FAMU’s hands. “I believe this to be a significant blow to FAMU, in particular, and HBCUs in general.”
FAMU had controlled the joint college’s budget since 1987.
“Alumni are extremely concerned,” said Tommy Mitchell, Sr., president of FAMU’s National Alumni Association. “It appears as though FAMU did not fight this. I think it’s important for FAMU to always be a strong advocate for FAMU and to make sure that whatever decisions are made [are] in the best interest of FAMU.”
But FAMU Vice President of Communications Jimmy Miller said the institution was “fine with letting [FSU] have the budget” in exchange for housing the deanship with Florida A&M.
“One of [FSU’s] main concerns was that bills were not being paid on time,” said Miller, who acquiesced that handling fiscal affairs is “one of their strengths, so we let them have that.”
Dr. Sally McRorie, Florida State’s interim provost, did not deny Miller’s claims.
