The Florida A&M University (FAMU) Board of Trustees (BOT) held a two-day virtual retreat from August 7-8 to try and answer questions and give updates on the condition of the school.
The first agenda item pertained to FAMU’s presidential search. The Board of Trustees brought in Interim President Timothy L. Beard, Ph.D., last month.
Chair Kristin Harper said Wednesday that before beginning the search for a new president, trustees first need to establish the selection process.
“We will identify and prioritize what's most important to this board as it relates to what the university needs, and therefore what the requirements are for the president," Harper told trustees.
A fraudulent donation made by a suspicious donor
FAMU’s BOT hopes to have named a new University President by June 30, 2025. Former President Larry Robinson, Ph.D., stepped down July 12 amid a fake donation scandal to the school by Texas hemp farmer Gregory Gerami.
The gift, a $237 million donation, was recently declared "fraudulent" after an independent investigation.
The state hired law firm Buchanan Ingersoll & Rooney to look into the donation. Investigator Michael McLaughlin determined the gift and Gerami to be fraudulent.
The $237M donation came in the form of private shares in the donor’s company, which Gerami alone valued. Furthermore, McLaughlin told the BOT Thursday that those private shares were never "properly transferred" to the university.
“The drivers behind why this gift was accepted were leadership involvement influence, the secrecy and nondisclosure, truncated timeline due to the commencement ceremony, and a lack of due diligence and understanding of private stock," explained McLaughlin.
Who will take Robinson's place?
A 15-member search committee will vet FAMU’s next president. FAMU’s Harper says the search firm will be made up of members from the trustee board, university faculty, and student body.
“The search committee is responsible for submitting more than two qualified applicants to the board, selected by a majority vote," said Harper.
Harper said she’s looking for presidential candidates who possess certain traits: "administrative experience, political capital and a focus on student success."
The search comes as some FAMU students are also underperforming when it comes to passing their licensure exams on the first try. FAMU’s pharmacy, nursing, and law school students have underperformed in recent years, falling below state approved benchmarks.
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“Giving today’s competitive academic environment that we are in with the State University System, the goalpost will keep moving back," said Timothy Beard, FAMU interim president. "We got to be courageous enough and put the resources in pre-collegiate programs.”
Before joining FAMU, Beard led Pasco-Hernando State College’s nursing program to a perfect pass rate on the licensure exam. Beard looks to mimic that success at Florida A&M, by implementing mandatory tutoring sessions, practice exams, and other student support measures to help bolster scores.
What's next for FAMU?
Trustees will hold more discussions on the presidential search and implement checks and balances for those tasked with overseeing donations. These discussions will be held in September at the next board of trustees meeting.