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IN GOD WE TRUST ...item 3..FAMU seeking more funds to fight hazing (11:53 PM, Jun 6, 2012) ...item 4a / 4b.. FAMU events director facing fraud charges (August 28, 2012 10:20 AM) ...
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The 45-year-old woman is facing eight misdemeanor counts. She is accused of defrauding ,821.41 from the university.
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Toward the end of the eight-hour day, Trustee Karl White quipped: "Hazing is dead, the question is how much the funeral is going to cost."
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---- We Have The Answers: Form Committees, Subcommittees and Task Forces to study the Problem.
--- Lunch Time, Lets Eat !!!
--- How much does it cost to say, "You haze, you are OUT !!" ?
--- Hyperbolic -- extravagant .. exaggeration
--- Friedrich Nietzsche (a German philosopher .. 1844–1900) .. paraphrasing ... All things are subject to interpretation and that who ever has the POWER determines the TRUTH !!
--- Sen. Daniel Patrick Moynihan (March 16, 1927 – March 26, 2003) - "Every man is entitled to his own opinion, but not to his own facts."
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.....item 1).... Sunshine State News ... www.sunshinestatenews.com ... North
FAMU seeking more funds to fight hazing
Tallahassee Democrat | Posted: June 7, 2012 3:00 AM
TAGS: North
www.sunshinestatenews.com/feeditem/famu-seeking-more-fund...
FAMU plans to spend in excess of a million dollars more next year to hire new staff devoted to eradicate hazing and repair the university's image in the wake of drum major's Robert Champion's November death.
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img code photo ... Dr. Larry Robinson
cmsimg.tallahassee.com/apps/pbcsi.dll/bilde?Avis=CD&D...
Photos by Mike Ewen/Democrat
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Full story: www.tallahassee.com/article/20120607/NEWS01/ 206070327/1001/RSS
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.....item 2).... FSU News ... www.fsunews.com ...
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img code photo .... President James Ammons .. Florida A&M University
cmsimg.tallahassee.com/apps/pbcsi.dll/bilde?Site=CD&D...
Photos by Mike Ewen/Democrat Florida A&M University President James Ammons vowed Thursday to fix the problems at FAMU despite getting a vote of no-confidence from the board of trustees as they met to talk about the president's goals. During the afternoon session, members voted 8-4 to give Ammons a vote of no-confidence. Ammons vowed to make serious changes for FAMU's future growth. / Mike Ewen/Democrat
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Written by
Jennifer Portman
Democrat senior writer
FILED UNDER
Policy And Politics
Florida A&M Policy And Politics
Despite no-confidence vote, Ammons vows to stay at FAMU helm
11:19 PM, Jun. 7, 2012
www.fsunews.com/article/20120608/POLITICSPOLICY06/2060803...
Despite a second public rebuke by his own board, FAMU President James H. Ammons pledged Thursday to stay on and address the problems plaguing the university.
"I hear you loudly and clearly," Ammons told the board. "I understand there are some measures that I have to take as president of this university to fix things and I am going to fix them."
A majority of FAMU's board of trustees supported a no-confidence vote against Ammons at its Thursday meeting. Eight of the 12 sitting board members voted in favor of the motion offered by Trustee Bill Jennings.
The move marked the second time in about six months board members expressed their displeasure with the president's performance. At a December board meeting following the hazing death of drum major Robert Champion, a majority of trustees voted to publicly reprimand Ammons. The votes, however, were lacking to place him on administrative leave as desired by a few members.
Jennings, who has served on the board for a dozen years and is a former chairman, said it was his stewardship and fiduciary responsibility to call Ammons to task for a variety of problems plaguing the institution under his command. Specifically, Jennings cited Ammons' lack of knowledge that 101 members of the Marching 100 last fall were not enrolled in FAMU's required band class and had "absolutely no relation" to the university, yet received per diem cash payments of university money. He said the board lacked the required vote of two-thirds to remove Ammons, but a message needed to be sent.
"There has been a breakdown in the leadership structure of the university as well as the internal controls," Jennings said. "I have lost confidence in his ability to lead us through this crisis."
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img code photo ... Spurgeon McWilliams
cmsimg.tallahassee.com/apps/pbcsi.dll/bilde?Site=CD&D...
Spurgeon McWilliams makes a point Thursday with fellow trustee Narayan Persaud. / Mike Ewen/Democrat
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Added Jennings, who said Thursday that scheduling conflicts could mean Thursday was his last meeting before going off the board in January: "I cannot hold the people who report to Dr. Ammons accountable, but I can hold Dr. Ammons accountable."
Most of the board agreed. Only Chairman Solomon Badger and trustees Dr. Spurgeon McWilliams, Kelvin Lawson and Marjorie Turnbull declined to support the no-confidence vote.
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Despite no-confidence vote, Ammons vows to stay at FAMU helm
11:19 PM, Jun. 7, 2012
(Page 2 of 2)
"I don't think the reasons are there for a vote of no confidence," McWilliams said after the meeting. "I think there is a group of trustees who have an agenda that might be coming from downtown with the governor's office or the chancellor or some of these people but I think that's wrong."
Trustee Belinda Shannon — who did not support Ammons' December reprimand — said she is now "deeply troubled" by serious gaps in university oversight and communication.
"Leadership at the top requires a unique set of attributes," Shannon said. "I do question ... whether or not you possess those attributes."
Trustee Rufus Montgomery said he supported the no-confidence vote for many of the same reasons, including concerns expressed in a letter this week from Board of Governors Chairman Dean Colson. Among Colson's concerns were the administration's response to improprieties by top staffers, fraudulent internal audits and a lack of university control over the Marching 100.
Student Trustee Marissa West said there exists "a certain level of disconnect" between students and Lee Hall.
"There has been some concern that the university isn't as transparent or available to them," West said.
Faculty Trustee Narayan Persaud said FAMU's leadership is "lost in a wilderness of errors," and that the administration's frequent refrain that it was unaware of festering problems is "an indication of poor management."
Before casting his vote against Ammons, Trustee Corey Alston cautioned: "I hope the administration would get the message this time."
In a statement following the board meeting, the BOG's Colson applauded trustees for their action.
"I recognize how difficult it must be for the FAMU Board of Trustees to take aggressive steps to reverse the trend of the past year," Colson wrote. "The FAMU Board of Trustees' leadership has never been more needed, so I sincerely appreciate their direct engagement that continues to identify, research and resolve every issue that needs their collective attention."
Others, however, including the FAMU National Alumni President Tommy Mitchell and state Rep. Alan Williams, decried the board's no-confidence vote.
"Dr. Ammons is well respected ... as a community, we are fortunate to have him at the helm," said Williams, a Democrat from Tallahassee and FAMU graduate, who drove to campus to speak at the meeting when he learned of the no-confidence vote. "I stand with Dr. Ammons and I have confidence in the future of Florida A&M University."
Ammons would not say after the meeting what he talked about in one-on-one sidebar conversations with board members before the vote. Instead, he stressed he has no intention to step down voluntarily.
"I am committed to FAMU," he said. "This is my university and until the final bell rings, I am going to serve as president of Florida A&M University."
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.....item 3).... Tallahassee Democrat ... www.tallahassee.com/article ...
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img code photo ... Dr. Larry Robinson
cmsimg.tallahassee.com/apps/pbcsi.dll/bilde?Site=CD&D...
Photos by Mike Ewen/Democrat Dr. Larry Robinson makes a point Wednesday during opening discussions. "We already feel we have an overbloated administrative bureaucracy. Adding layers of bureaucracy doesn't really address institutional problems," said Persaud. FAMU Board of trustees met to talk about an anti-hazing plan on the college campus. / Mike Ewen/Democrat
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FAMU seeking more funds to fight hazing
Ammons: Important to send message that FAMU 'will not tolerate hazing'
Written by
Jennifer Portman
Democrat senior writer
FILED UNDER
News
Local
11:53 PM, Jun 6, 2012
www.tallahassee.com/article/20120607/NEWS01/206070327/100...
FAMU plans to spend in excess of a million dollars more next year to hire new staff devoted to eradicate hazing and repair the university's image in the wake of drum major's Robert Champion's November death.
During the first day of a two-day FAMU board of trustees retreat Wednesday, administrators outlined budget requests for the next fiscal year, including an estimated 7,000 to pay for a new special anti-hazing assistant to the president and a compliance officer to police the Marching 100 and other university bands. Administrators also asked for about 0,000 for a "rebranding campaign" and 9,000 to beef up staffing in the university's Judicial Affairs office, which deals with violations of student conduct codes.
Toward the end of the eight-hour day, Trustee Karl White quipped: "Hazing is dead, the question is how much the funeral is going to cost."
Trustees are considering the additional spending requests as they decide at their formal meeting today whether to approve a 15-percent tuition increase proposed by the administration. That increase would help make up for rising costs and decreasing state funding. Administrators recommend dipping into the university's reserves to cover a .8 million shortfall, FAMU's portion of a 0 million cut the Legislature imposed this year on the State University System.
FAMU also faces a projected 18 percent enrollment drop for the fall semester. Chief Financial Officer Teresa Hardee said the anticipated decrease of about 450 students would result in an additional revenue loss of .5 million.
If trustees approve the 15 percent tuition increase and use of reserves, FAMU's base overall budget for the next fiscal year would be about 0 million — most of that is million from tuition and fee payments and million from the state general revenue. Five years ago, FAMU received 6 million from state general-revenue support.
Board member Rufus Montgomery pushed administrators to justify their requests for additional money. The school's various divisions submitted budget requests for ongoing and additional needs totaling about 9 million.
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FAMU seeking more funds to fight hazing
Ammons: Important to send message that FAMU 'will not tolerate hazing'
11:53 PM, Jun 6, 2012
(Page 2 of 3)
"If you can request money I would like you to be able to explain to us, for budget proposes, what you would do if we took money away?" Montgomery said.
The budget request contains an additional 0,000 for Ammons' office, which includes the two new anti-hazing positions and up to 0,000 for the hiring of a chief operating officer.
Board members said they supported paying for the anti-hazing assistant and band compliance officer — a position officials said appears to be unique in higher education — but were cool to the idea of adding a new COO.
"We already feel we have an overbloated administrative bureaucracy," said faculty Trustee Narayan Persaud. "Adding layers of bureaucracy doesn't really address institutional problems."
Ammons told the board he could live without the COO position and a 5,000 renovation of his conference room — an idea, he added, pushed by his staff. But he said adding the two hazing positions "is a must."
"I think it is important we send the right message around campus that we will not tolerate hazing," Ammons said. "If we didn't have those two positions there may be a question as to whether or not we are serious."
FAMU officials want to spend about 0,000 on a "rebranding campaign" of the university. If approved by the board, the campaign would lay the ground work for a five-year million fundraising effort. In addition to the 0,000, which in part would pay for a new executive director of communications and an outside marketing firm, administrators are seeking 0,000 to hire three new people to work on the fundraising campaign.
Current FAMU spokeswoman Sharon Saunders would move from her role to become a new associate vice president of advancement. A new director of communications would be hired.
Trustee Belinda Shannon said the rebranding campaign must include a comprehensive communication strategy as the university works to reinvent its image in the wake of Champion's death, endemic hazing on campus and other persistent institutional problems.
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...pag 3 of 3
FAMU seeking more funds to fight hazing
Ammons: Important to send message that FAMU 'will not tolerate hazing'
11:53 PM, Jun 6, 2012
(Page 3 of 3)
"We are facing a crisis of historical proportion," she said.
Trustee White warned that the amount requested for the campaign may not be enough.
"I am confident we have more than an 0,000 problem," he said.
After a vote by the board, FAMU's budget recommendation will be forwarded to the Board of Governors for approval at its meeting later this month.
In addition to the general operating budget, trustees also will vote today on a new, short-term anti-hazing plan. That plan, which was presented to the board Wednesday, would establish new eligibility rules for the university's bands, including the Marching 100.
"I know that we have ahead of us a big task of restoring the trust and the confidence in this university to provide a safe environment for our students, faculty, staff and anyone who is associated with Florida A&M University," Ammons said.
The proposed changes to "NCAA-like" rules call for all band members to be full-time FAMU students making adequate progress toward their degrees with at least a 2.5 grade-point average. Band practice could not exceed 20 hours a week and membership in the band would be limited to four years. Ammons said the changes would result in a "smaller, but higher quality" Marching 100. The band remains suspended at least through next spring.
"I have looked at the current academic record of the band, and many of them would not be in the band," Ammons said.
He added he may revisit allowing students from other schools, such as Tallahassee Community College, to join the band. Ammons, when he was named president in 2007, reversed the controversial decision by Interim President Castell Bryant to exclude outside students from the band, but acknowledged, "It didn't work the way it was laid out to work."
University officials discovered that last fall, 101 band members were not enrolled in FAMU's required band course.
The structure of the music department also would be different under the new plan. Unlike in the past under retired band director and music department chairman Julian White, the head of the music department will not be allowed to also serve as a director of any of FAMU's ensembles, including the Marching 100.
"We thought it was not appropriate to have the director of marching and prep bands be the department chair at the same time," said Provost Larry Robinson, who laid out the anti-hazing plan to trustees. "You have limited checks and balances there ... That was too much authority, too much power."
Despite the steps being taken to root out hazing, administrators and trustees agreed ending the practice may take years. Robinson said some institutions continue to grapple with the problem a decade after a student hazing death.
"You've always got to be concerned about reoccurrence," said Trustee Dr. Spurgeon McWilliams, whose own son was hazed when he was in the band. "With a significant disease like this is, it could take five to 10 years."
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.....item 4a).... The Daytona Beach News-Journal ... www.news-journalonline.com ...
FAMU events director facing fraud charges
ASSOCIATED PRESS
August 28, 2012 10:20 AM
Posted in: News Tagged: FAMU
www.news-journalonline.com/breakingnews/2012/08/famu-even...
TALLAHASSEE -- Florida A&M University's events director is facing travel expense and per diem fraud charges.
A Florida Department of Law Enforcement spokeswoman said today that Tammy Hamlet turned herself in to authorities Monday night. She was freed on her own recognizance.
The 45-year-old woman is facing eight misdemeanor counts. She is accused of defrauding ,821.41 from the university.
FLDE spokesman Gretl Plessinger said the investigation was continuing and there may be other arrests.
A university spokeswoman did not immediately return a call seeking comment.
Hamlet was not in her office today and did not immediately respond to an email..
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.....item 4b).... South Florida Times ... www.sfltimes.com ... "Elevating the Dialogue"
HOME HOME FAMU EVENTS DIRECTOR ARRESTED
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img code photo ... Tammy Hamlet, 45
www.sfltimes.com/images/stories/photos/tammy_hamlet.jpg
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FAMU EVENTS DIRECTOR ARRESTED
Written by Elgin Jones
www.sfltimes.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=vi...
Tammy Hamlet, Florida A&M University’s director of university events, has been charged with eight misdemeanor counts of fraudulently claiming per diem and travel expenses.
Hamlet, 45, surrendered at the Leon County Jail on Monday night.
An investigation coinducted by the Florida Department of Law Enforcement found she falsely claimed ,821 in school-related travel expenses.
The issue was discovered during an ongoing investigation into the finances related to FAMU’s Marching 100 band, but the charges against her are not related to the band.
The expenses are related to trips taken in 2010 and 2011.
Hamlet has been released on bail and her arraignment is scheduled for Oct. 18.
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