Post by aggiejazz on Mar 21, 2007 8:04:35 GMT -5
We do not want to go down this path.
Published - March, 19, 2007
Lawmakers call for FAMU probe
Bill Cotterell
News Journal capital bureau political editor
TALLAHASSEE -- Angry state legislators called for a criminal investigation of Florida A&M University's continuing financial woes today, as the head of the State University System said the survival of the state's historically black university is at stake.
In response to a preliminary audit of FAMU operations, which cited widespread accounting discrepancies and unaccounted-for spending, university system Chancellor Mark Rosenberg said the board of governors will create a special task force to find out what is wrong. He said he consulted interim FAMU President Castell Bryant and Challis Lowe, who heads the FAMU board of trustees, as well as incoming FAMU President James Ammons in setting up the task force.
That was not enough for Sens. Ronda Storms, R-Brandon, and Jeremy Ring, D-Margate, who said FAMU has had auditors and consultants before. They said it's time to turn the books over to the attorney general's office of Florida Department of Law Enforcement.
But Sen. Gwen Margolis, D-North Miami Beach, chairwoman of the Joint Legislative Auditing Committee, said the preliminary findings released Friday are not final and that FAMU has 30 days to respond. She said the committee and the auditor general's office are not set up for the kind of "forensic audit" criminal action would require.
"I'm getting the sense that this is over our heads and needs to go to the attorney general's office," said Ring. "This is beginning to sound like Enron to me."
Storms said FAMU is a vitally important part of Florida's higher-education system and that students, faculty and alumni suffer from administrative and operation errors that have plagued the school. But she added, "I'm not for giving one more 'second chance.'"
Rep. William Snyder, D-Stuart, asked Rosenberg "what is the worst that could happen" if FAMU does not get its finances in order.
"There could be a decision by the Legislature not to fund it," said Rosenberg. "The university would cease to exist."
Sen. Al Lawson, D-Tallahassee, a FAMU alumnus whose district includes the university, said "it's been very embarrassing to me" to see the school go through constant turmoil. But he said no one has taken full accountability for past financial and operational scandals.
"It's been a four-year void in leadership," Lawson said.
The auditor general's report last week made 35 findings regarding financial problems at Florida A&M. Long-standing payroll discrepancies had already caused a walkout by some employees and students working for the campus newspaper, who had not been paid for weeks.
But the audit also said accounting records did not accurately reflect the budget approved by the FAMU trustees, and that budget amendments were not properly approved by the president and trustees. FAMU didn't have records for $1.8 million in athletics department collections and university property that went missing sometimes was not reported to police agencies, the audit said.
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Black Enterprise’s Flawed College Rating Formula
www.jbhe.com/latest/index.html
Published - March, 19, 2007
Lawmakers call for FAMU probe
Bill Cotterell
News Journal capital bureau political editor
TALLAHASSEE -- Angry state legislators called for a criminal investigation of Florida A&M University's continuing financial woes today, as the head of the State University System said the survival of the state's historically black university is at stake.
In response to a preliminary audit of FAMU operations, which cited widespread accounting discrepancies and unaccounted-for spending, university system Chancellor Mark Rosenberg said the board of governors will create a special task force to find out what is wrong. He said he consulted interim FAMU President Castell Bryant and Challis Lowe, who heads the FAMU board of trustees, as well as incoming FAMU President James Ammons in setting up the task force.
That was not enough for Sens. Ronda Storms, R-Brandon, and Jeremy Ring, D-Margate, who said FAMU has had auditors and consultants before. They said it's time to turn the books over to the attorney general's office of Florida Department of Law Enforcement.
But Sen. Gwen Margolis, D-North Miami Beach, chairwoman of the Joint Legislative Auditing Committee, said the preliminary findings released Friday are not final and that FAMU has 30 days to respond. She said the committee and the auditor general's office are not set up for the kind of "forensic audit" criminal action would require.
"I'm getting the sense that this is over our heads and needs to go to the attorney general's office," said Ring. "This is beginning to sound like Enron to me."
Storms said FAMU is a vitally important part of Florida's higher-education system and that students, faculty and alumni suffer from administrative and operation errors that have plagued the school. But she added, "I'm not for giving one more 'second chance.'"
Rep. William Snyder, D-Stuart, asked Rosenberg "what is the worst that could happen" if FAMU does not get its finances in order.
"There could be a decision by the Legislature not to fund it," said Rosenberg. "The university would cease to exist."
Sen. Al Lawson, D-Tallahassee, a FAMU alumnus whose district includes the university, said "it's been very embarrassing to me" to see the school go through constant turmoil. But he said no one has taken full accountability for past financial and operational scandals.
"It's been a four-year void in leadership," Lawson said.
The auditor general's report last week made 35 findings regarding financial problems at Florida A&M. Long-standing payroll discrepancies had already caused a walkout by some employees and students working for the campus newspaper, who had not been paid for weeks.
But the audit also said accounting records did not accurately reflect the budget approved by the FAMU trustees, and that budget amendments were not properly approved by the president and trustees. FAMU didn't have records for $1.8 million in athletics department collections and university property that went missing sometimes was not reported to police agencies, the audit said.
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
Black Enterprise’s Flawed College Rating Formula
www.jbhe.com/latest/index.html
