Florida A&M University President Elmira Mangum is grasping for some way to change the subject in the wake of a failed ouster and a shake up on the board of trustees. Mangum announced a criminal justice forum focused on efforts to ban the box.
When job seekers apply for a job, the application often asks them to check a box if they’ve been convicted of a felony. Removing that from the initial application process is what banning the box is all about. And Mangum says taking the lead on the issue is part of boosting the school’s profile.
“We want to be a premiere university, and we’re working to be premiere in our academics, in our research, and in our community service, premiere in social empowerment—the ban the box initiative,” Mangum says.
But here’s the rub—FAMU still has the box on its employment applications. According to school officials the university is currently examining its hiring practices. FAMU employs a number of employees with criminal histories.
