Sen. Lawson seeks to disband FAMU task force

Sen. Al Lawson, a FAMU graduate and one of the historically black college's most ardent legislative supporters, is asking Chancellor Mark Rosenberg to disband the Board of Governors task force created this spring in response to FAMU's financial troubles.

Lawson, in a letter sent this week to Rosenberg, maintains that a just-drafted state financial audit is proof FAMU has "turned the corner and is stronger than ever."

The audit, as reported in today's Times, found FAMU has corrected or is on its way to fixing most of the 13 financial and management lapses outlined in an audit covering the 2005-06 budget year. The latest audit covers the 2006-07 year, and that found seven problem areas but noted FAMU administrators have made significant improvements.

"This work is a testament to the competence of the FAMU staff to discover the root of the problems, implement corrections, hire other competent staff, and document their work persuasively for the State Auditors," Lawson wrote. And for their improvements, he believes Ammons and his team should be rewarded.

"The greatest reward that the staff could receive now is the disband the task force that was established to ensure that this work occurred," he writes. "The presence of the Task Force, its constant inquiry about the campus' corrective activities, and its high profile members, certainly aided in keeping the campus on track; however, their mission has been accomplished."

We'll find out soon what the Board of Governors thinks of Lawson's proposal. They meet today and tomorrow in Orlando. Check out the Times and Gradebook for coverage.

UPDATE: Board of Governors chairwoman Carolyn Roberts told the Times she believes it would be "premature" to disband the task force. She pointed out it will sunset this spring anyway, when the task force must present its findings to the Legislative Auditing committee.

Comments

We (feds) haven't even gotten started on UF yet. But, you all carry on.

Look at these blind UF supporters trying to sweep their financial problems under the rug. Your university's data system, myUFL, cannot properly report hundreds of millions in federal money. Your financial management is mess. Own up to it!

Look at the rattler "blind" faithful now threatening the BOG. This is better than a soap opera....bring it on rattlers show those fangs!!!!

Boy these rattlers sure our poor losers. Keep up the insults it reflects on FAMU rather humorously.

Strike rattler strike!!!!!!!

Hey Carolyn, will your findings include how you and Mark spent taxpayers dollars to fund/pay consultants.

Old Hag Carolyn is missing the message! This is a new day. Do you really think this is about FAMU? Pay attention Roberts/Rosenberg/BOG. I believe Sen Lawson (AKA- you know who) just shot you a blank and you went for it.

Seems like Lawson does not want to air FAMU's dirty laundry.
Posted by: | December 05, 2007 at 05:39 PM
^^^^^^^
Seems like you don't want to air UF's dirty laundry. What's up with that?

4:57, they are real at FAMU and they have been going on for many many years. Why do FAMU supporters drag other institutions through the mud when they have been cold busted?
A bit childish, but what do you expect from Rattlers?
Posted by: | December 05, 2007 at 05:28 PM
^^^^^^^^^^^^^

AND, why can't you face the FACT that there are some serious problems in GatorLand, as well?

It's a fact that the College of Liberal Arts has been running a REAL deficit and overspending its budget since last CENTURY, while faculty members can't get the needed support in this area and the students smaller class sizes.

Send the damn TASK-FORCE down there. While the TASK-FORCE is down there maybe they can get a handle on all of that NSF, NIH, Dept of Ag and DOD spending. It's spending "GONE WILD."

It's clear that the Florida Board of Governors is using FAMU as bait to lure more state appropriations for its own operations.

The Florida Legislature has never been eager to give the BOG any serious funding. However, the BOG has tried to use FAMU to justify hiring more consultants and getting a bigger budget.

They wouldn't even give Dr. Ammons one dollar from the $1M budget of the FAMU Finance and Operational Control Issues task force to help him clean up Castell's financial mess.

The BOG is clearly using FAMU as a justification to squeeze more money from the legislature that they can put in their own coffers. Roberts and Rosenberg need to stop their dirty, exploitive, money-grabbing tactics.

If they want more legislative money, then they need to get off their tuffs and lobby for it on their own. Stop trying to get more funding off of FAMU's back!

UF's failure to properly report how it spends $580M in federal taxpayer money is no child's play. UF sets the statewide standard in mismanaging public money.

But that's normal at UF.

Seems like Lawson does not want to air FAMU's dirty laundry.

4:57, they are real at FAMU and they have been going on for many many years. Why do FAMU supporters drag other institutions through the mud when they have been cold busted?

A bit childish, but what do you expect from Rattlers?

The real financial problems aren't at FAMU. They're at UF.

UF received $580,426,350 in federal money in 2005.

http://www.fedspending.org/faads/faads.php?recip_id=901167&sortby=u&detail=-1&datype=T&reptype=r&database=faads&fiscal_year=2005&submit=GO

On UF's 2005 operational audit, the state auditors said UF "had not developed and tested a methodology to extract data from the myUFL systems required to produce a schedule of expenditures of Federal awards."

The audit also said: "The University did not timely establish written procedures or processes for reconciling its main operating bank accounts, and as of April 30, 2005, reconciliations of such accounts were not current."

http://www.myflorida.com/audgen/pages/summaries/2006-040.htm

The questions are: Why can't myUFL produce a proper report on how UF spends $580,426,350? Why aren't the banking reconciliations being done?

Hello St. Pete Times. Keep up the excellent reporting especially with regard to education. Question, what news do we have on ForwardByDesign? Is the BOG moving forward with a tiered system clearly defining roles of our 11 SUS institutions? When will we see change?

Thanks

is far from out....typo

Slow those horses down Senator Lawson, FAMU is far ought of the woods yet. The Federal Government is still in town investigating, and the FDLE could still bring charges for what it characterized as more than "sloppy" accounting practices.