Florida A&M University’s School of Nursing and the College of Agriculture and Food Sciences have new permanent deans.
Shannon B. Smith, DNP, Ph.D., the former associate dean of Claflin University’s Department of Nursing, will oversee FAMU’s School of Nursing. She succeeds former dean Shelley Johnson, who retired last July.
Smith’s hire comes at a time when FAMU is at risk of losing its nursing program due to low licensure exam scores.
“What we see is an increase in all of them, but we’re still not at the level that would change this from red to yellow or green," FAMU President Larry Robinson said at last month’s Board of Governors meeting.
“What we see is an increase in all of them, but we’re still not at the level that would change this from red to yellow or green.”
To improve scores, FAMU hired Smith, who last year saw almost 100 percent of her registered nursing students at Claflin pass their certification tests to become nurse practitioners.
According to Claflin's nursing department, students who took the exam were already RN's and some were part of the school's pilot master's program.
“My colleagues at FAMU have made great strides in academic nursing, and I am excited to build on their excellent work,” said Smith.
FAMU also made changes to the College of Agriculture and Food Sciences. Garlen Dale Wesson, Ph.D., was promoted to dean after serving as former interim CAFS dean, associate vice president of research, and director of Land Grant Programs at FAMU.
“It is a profound honor and responsibility being appointed as the new dean,” said Wesson. “I aim to enhance our academic programs, encourage interdisciplinary research, and strengthen our community partnerships to ensure our institution remains at the forefront of education and societal impact.”
Both Wesson and Smith started their roles July 1st.