December 11, 2007
FAMU administrators to receive SACS decision this morning
By Angeline J. Taylor
Democrat Staff Writer Print Email to a friend Subscribe

NEW ORLEANS -- Florida A&M University President James Ammons and a few of his administrative team have arrived in New Orleans for their accrediting organization's conference.

The conference started on Saturday. However, this morning, the team will find out if the work they have done for the past five months has paid off. Ammons and his team will learn whether the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (SACS) will change FAMU's accreditation status.

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FAMU was placed on probation in June for being out of compliance with 10 SACS standards including misuse of school dollars and lack of qualified administrative and academic officers.

The accreditation status for FAMU is especially important when considering that financial aid is only doled out to institutions that are accredited. More than 90 percent of FAMU students are on some sort of financial aid.

One of three things will happen to FAMU today as a result of the SACS decision. FAMU will either be placed off of probation. The probation will continue or the university will lose membership to SACS which means a loss of accreditation.

Return to tallahassee.com at 11 a.m. for an update on FAMU's accreditation status.


http://www.tallahassee.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/2...REAKINGNEWS/71210051

This message has been edited. Last edited by: THE DREAMER,

Thanks ol' buddy. Hoping for the best.

LeMoyne-Owen keeps accreditation
School's fund-raising efforts influenced SACS
By Jody Callahan (Contact)
Tuesday, December 11, 2007

Continuing its recovery from serious financial problems, LeMoyne-Owen College has had its accreditation re-affirmed.

The Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (SACS), the area's accrediting body, will announce that decision today at its annual meeting, held in New Orleans this year.



School officials learned of the decision Monday night, though, to much applause.

"We worked so hard on this the last year and a half, under great stress," LeMoyne-Owen board president Robert Lipscomb said. "I feel really good about this. I think the whole community should feel good about it."

For now, this ends an ongoing saga that saw SACS place the school on probation each of the last two years as officials grew increasingly concerned over LeMoyne's worsening financial situation.

In the last decade, the college's debt nearly doubled -- from about $5.3 million in 1997 to about $9.75 million in 2005 -- while its enrollment dropped by more than 40 percent.

In 1999, LeMoyne-Owen also suffered through an accounting fiasco that reduced the school's net assets by $3.3 million.

After two straight years of probation, SACS officials had one of two choices this year: re-affirm the school or yank its accreditation, SACS head Dr. Belle Wheelan said.

If the accreditation had been pulled, the school would have been crippled because students could no longer qualify for federal funds.

Instead, the school won't have to endure the lengthy accreditation process until the next cycle, which comes around every 10 years.

Wheelan declined to comment on Monday's decision, but SACS was clearly influenced by the school's recent fund-raising efforts.

Contributions from the state, county and city will total $4 million over the next three years. Private donations have also been pledged to help the school erase its debt and rebuild its endowment.

"I think the dollars from the state, county and city, that did it. It was that broad-based support," Lipscomb said.

Lipscomb also said the decision should help increase student enrollment, which stands at less than 600 now.

"I think it means that people will now believe that the cloud is gone," he said. "For a lot of students, it hurt our efforts to recruit. They didn't know if we would be accredited."

Interim school president Johnnie Watson, who traveled to New Orleans with Lipscomb to attend the SACS meeting, could not be reached for comment Monday night.

-- Jody Callahan: 529-6531

Comments
Posted by Skelllum on December 11, 2007 at 7:07 a.m. (Suggest removal)

In eight years the enrollment dropped by more than 40%. This was due to what? Is throwing my tax money at a college that enrolls less than 600 and is in declining enrollment supposed to give me hope that somehow this accreditation actually means something beyond qualifing for federal funds? What will be the determining factor that this college financially is no longer a place where "blacks only" can attend to get their education? I do not bring race up in this post to stir the pot, only to point out that a blacks only college does not enhance the character of this city but rather continues to add another layer of division among those who pay the tax's necessary (both black and white) to keep this sinking ship afloat. The vote of the city counsel to extend the gift of 1 million dollars a year for three years was not supported by the majority of the citizens, but like most things here in Memphis, was approved along racial lines for the pure sake of race. That's how I see it, and no, I ain't move'n from my town.

Posted by sforman on December 11, 2007 at 7:49 a.m. (Suggest removal)

The UofM educates more than TEN TIMES as many black students each year as LeMoyne Owen. Time has simply passed LO by.

Posted by MemphisChick on December 11, 2007 at 8:48 a.m. (Suggest removal)

Skellum said: That's how I see it, and no, I ain't move'n from my town.

LOL! I hear ya...and neither am I!

I'm in favor of HBCU (Historically Black Colleges & Universities)for many reasons that many people who post here would not even understand. But LO has had its moment in time and it's time to shut 'em down and move on...and simply bow out now and leave a historic legacy.
Turn it into a historic museum for the advancement of college educated blacks.

Posted by mtigerdiehard on December 11, 2007 at 8:50 a.m. (Suggest removal)

Skellum, Lemoyne-Owen is struggling due to a lack of academic buildings, enrollment, campus life, and huge financial donors. Maybe LOC should team with the COGIC to help increase donations nationally. This is an institution of higher learning not a polical or racial issue. It seems that you are upset that your taxpayer dollars went to help 600 students.

Posted by chairgal on December 11, 2007 at 8:52 a.m. (Suggest removal)

Skellum - LO is a HISTORICALLY Black College, not a Blacks ONLY college like you put it. Anyone is welcome to attend LO and any other HBCU.

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My couz is on that board and Ammons is the man and they have faith in him.

FAMU probation may be extended
Posted Dec. 11, 2007
Capital Outlook

The Executive Committee of the Southern Association Of Colleges and Schools, voted this morning to recommend to the full committee that Florida A&M University’s probation period be extended through June 2008.

FAMU had submitted documentation, including the latest report from Florida’s Auditor General, to show the school had made significant improvements in its financial accounting practices. In fact, in his executive summary, Auditor General David W. Martin noted, "The results of our test disclosed no instances of noncompliance or other matters that are required to be reported under Government Auditing Standards."

According to a release last week, FAMU moved from an inauditable financial report with 13 significant financial findings, to an auditable financial statement with seven internal control findings. The Auditor General's report notes that these findings have either already been corrected or have been partially corrected.

But the Executive Committee said it needed more time to evaluate the information and verify that the corrections had been made or are being made.

The full committee will vote later today on the recommendation.

Though the probation may be extended, FAMU remains a fully accredited institution.

Watch this space for further updates.

Probation extended??????????!!! That stinks!!
Cholly,send help,please!!

What's the latest scoop,Rattler Nation?