On his first day in office, Florida A&M University President Dr. James Ammons graciously asked the FAMU family of alumni, students, faculty and staff for 500 days to resolve the university’s nagging fiscal matters, pending accreditation probation and a flurry of personnel problems.
Ahead of schedule, Ammons has overcome his greatest challenge yet, regaining full accreditation to the largest historically Black university in the nation. Thursday morning, the accrediting board, the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (SACS), lifted probation after a final vote.
FAMU’s accreditation woes surfaced last summer when recent state audits cited university financial records that could not be verified, questionable contracting and the university’s inability to account for millions of dollars. By placing the already unstable institution on accreditation probation, SACS issued FAMU a stern warning.
This summer, however, SACS is singing a different tune.
“We are very proud of and excited for FAMU for all of their hard work to come into compliance with the commission’s standards; and therefore, get off of probation,” said SACS president, Dr. Belle S. Wheelan.
There were shouts of joy from more than 300 rattlers (university mascot), trustees, administrators, faculty, staff, students and alumni, as Ammons, the university’s 10th president, made the announcement.
“This is a great day for FAMU and the state of Florida,” said Ammons. “We have been able to solve and address the critical issues that threatened the very existence of this university. Through our success, we have preserved this institution’s legacy for generations to come. Our intent was to restore the public’s trust in the university’s ability to handle its finances and I believe this entire process has sent a strong and clear message to the state and our stakeholders that FAMU is in good hands.”
