Students Wondering About School's Future - And Their Own
TALLAHASSEE - The run of bad news may have reached a tipping point at troubled Florida A&M University: Some students are talking about leaving.
"If the problems get worse, I am not going to stay," Lucienne Joseph, a junior, said. "If it affected my graduation, I would definitely transfer out..."
Enrollment is dropping, accreditors are concerned, and some legislators are calling for a criminal inquiry after an audit showed more than $50-million in undocumented spending and revenues.
"When you have teachers not getting paid, it builds up aggravation, confusion, and tension," said sophomore Mario Otkins, referring to last winter when some adjunct professors went unpaid.
"It deters a lot of students from coming here in the future," he said. "I thought about leaving a few times when I heard rumors of the money problems that we were having."
Others are focusing on good news, like FAMU's No. 1 2006 ranking in Black Enterprise magazine. "I think that we are being stereotyped because we are a (historically black university)," said junior Ashley Jones. "I will recommend this school to my children. I'm just disappointed... (But) I still have pride..."
Among the most alarming findings: FAMU appears to have spent or taken in more than $39-million (10% of their annual budget) without trustee approval. News of a criminal investigation could also affect the college's accreditation, up for renewal next year with the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools.
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