Article published Mar 30, 2007
Lawmakers: FSU will get sole financial oversight of College of Engineering
By Aaron Deslatte

and Bill Cotterell
FLORIDA CAPITAL BUREAU

Infuriated over revelations about missing computers, unpaid employees and lax fiscal management, state lawmakers are stripping Florida A&M University of financial oversight for the engineering college it jointly runs with Florida State University.

House and Senate leadership OK'd the shift of $10.4 million to run the school from FAMU's budget to FSU in spending plans released this week. The move is the latest legislative rebuke for the historically black university after a state audit uncovered sloppy accounting and management procedures at FAMU.

''It's one less thing for them to worry about while they focus on other issues,'' said Rep. Joe Pickens, R-Palatka, the House's education appropriations chief.

The move won't affect the FAMU-FSU College of Engineering's 2,300 students, the physical location of the college, or its 90 professors, most of whom are FSU faculty, lawmakers said.
''We owe it to the students to make sure the engineering school is protected in every way possible,'' said Sen. Evelyn Lynn, an Ormond Beach Republican who oversees the Senate's higher-education budget.

Lynn has also earmarked $100,000 in the Senate's spending plan to launch an outside audit of the university.

The effort raised concerns among engineering students.

''I don't feel like we are in control in the first place,'' said Ludrick Joseph, an industrial-engineering student from Miami.
''It's time for FAMU to get their stuff together,'' said Claudel Louis-Paul, a senior industrial and manufacturing engineering student from Haiti.

Earlier this month, lawmakers called for a criminal investigation into FAMU's finances, and one lawmaker even suggested the university should be abolished.

The State University System Board of Governors created a special task force to examine FAMU's finances after a scathing preliminary audit that said transactions of more than $39 million - about one-tenth of FAMU's budget - were handled without approval by the university board of trustees.

Not all lawmakers are pleased with the move.
''It seems to me that FAMU is being taken advantage of now that she's at her weakest point,'' said Rep. Curtis Richardson, D-Tallahassee, whose district includes FAMU.
''I've said all along decisions like this should be made after the university has a permanent president in place.''

The Board of Governors approved James Ammons as FAMU's new president Thursday, but he won't officially start until July 2.

The FAMU-FSU College of Engineering oversees five departments and six research centers from chemical and biomedical to industrial and manufacturing research and is housed in two buildings on its own campus near the Seminole Golf Course.

FAMU has been the fiscal agent for the engineering school for the past decade, overseeing payments and operations of its campus. But FSU President T.K. Wetherell said the school's current students wouldn't notice the difference.
''We're just going to manage the money. The rest of it stays right where it is,'' he said at a Board of Governors meeting in Gainesville.
Asked why lawmakers were making the change if it wouldn't be noticed, Wetherell hesitated, then said: ''Who would you rather have manage your money?''
Bryant, reached at the Board of Governors meeting, was unaware any such movement was afoot early Thursday. After discussing it with Wetherell, she said she was fine with the change.
''It was OK with them for FAMU to be the fiscal agent for 10 years, so why wouldn't it be OK with me for FSU to be fiscal agent for a while?'' she said. ''Nothing changes except who the Legislature sends the money to.''

Tallahassee Democrat reporter Jennifer Jefferson contributed to this story.

http://www.tallahassee.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/2...LNEWS/703300326/1010

WHO DO WE BLAME FOR THIS MESS

This makes me wonder how the hospital and Law school were lost years ago.

FAMU needs to get it right and get it tight.

Somebody's head needs to be served up on a platter.

FAMU has been jacked up from the inside out....by Bryant....IMHO....I hope Ammons can come in a stop the bleeding....

I've never been a real big fan of joint programs like the FSU/FAMU Engineering program anyway.
With FAMU's leadership being called into question of late, this gives the state legislators who didn't have FAMU's best interest at heart from the beginning, a chance to squawk.

Wonder if the Law School is next? Maybe UCF will end up getting control of that?