Florida A&M University officials say the controversial firing of eight instructors from the School of Business and Industry was done as part of a restructuring of the internationally renowned program in order to gain separate accreditation.
Some faculty members say the dismissals in late May were wrong and lacked the appropriate protocol.
The firings were rescinded at a FAMU board of trustees meeting in late June, but some speculate it is only a matter of time before the staffers disappear again.
“While we don’t object with the university wanting to get accreditation, [for SBI] to take this Draconian move … wasn’t necessary,” says Dr. Bill Tucker, a physics professor and president of the FAMU chapter of the United Faculty of Florida.
The firing and rehiring of the instructors is just the latest flap to garner FAMU unwanted headlines in the local press. A recent state audit said the school was unable to adequately account for how it handles its $398 million budget. An internal auditor was placed on leave when he launched an investigation of administration officials. The board on Friday authorized an investigation into whether top administrators have been misrepresenting the university’s financial standing.
The board has delayed the hiring of a permanent president until next year, despite the fact that an interim president, Dr. Castell Bryant, has been in place 18 months. The head of the national alumni association has called for the timely hiring of a permanent president and the resignation of board of trustees chairwoman Challis Lowe, saying concerns about leadership are harming the school’s image.
The business school employees are an integral part of SBI’s acclaimed Professional Development program. The program stood out as a unique tool when founded by former Dean Sybil Mobley to give her students more hands-on experience and make them more marketable throughout the industry.
