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BOG Task Force gives FAMU high marks

Published 7/3/08

By Stephanie Lambert
Associate Editor

Hours before Florida A&M University received the news that the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools had taken the historically black university off of probation, President James H. Ammons was meeting with the Board of Governors’ appointed Task Force on FAMU Finance and Operational Control Issues for the final time.

After sixteen meetings, the task force concluded of the 72 items submitted, 92 percent are now satisfactory level, and corrective actions are in place to address the remaining issues, additional time is needed for these processes to mature and become institutionalized.

“We conclude that Florida A&M University has implemented adequate and effective controls that address the vast majority of issues raised by several previous audits conducted by the auditor general of the state of Florida,” the final report read.

Chancellor Mark Rosenberg said he recognizes that it has been difficult for the university with the “whole world watching” FAMU.

“It’s been a heavy load for FAMU and we’ve tried our best not to make it heavier,” Rosenberg said. “It’s been a pleasure working with Dr. Ammons and his staff.”

The task force was appointed by the BOG on March 30, 2007 following the release of the university’s damaging operational audit. Subsequently, the task force, university administrators and consulting firm Accretive Solutions have worked diligently to repair FAMU’s financial and operational woes.

“You all have asked tough questions to make sure that all of this work has been authentic,” Ammons said to the task force at the June 25 meeting. “The work has been scrutinized by almost everyone and we have passed each test that has been thrown at us.”

Ammons attended the meeting with members of his administrative team and commended them for their dedication.

“I want to thank them for their dedication, commitment and pride they take in the work that they have done,” Ammons said. “If anyone had doubts about our sustainability of these corrective actions, this team should put those doubts to rest because they bring that same work ethic to the job each day.”

The task force recommended:

• The FAMU Board of Trustees to receive quarterly reports on FAMU’s progress on the remaining issues from the university’s Division of Audit and Compliance;
  
• The FAMU Board of Trustees to require, in the 2008-09 fiscal year, that the university’s Division of Audit and Compliance conduct formal audits of the university’s PeopleSoft upgrade and of the status of contracts and grants accounting and compliance;
  
• The Board of Governors to establish formal procedures to monitor the audit plans, risk assessments and audit reports of all 11 institutions of the State University System to identify common high-risk issues and to facilitate a system-wide approach to addressing such risks.

Lynn Pappas, chairwoman of the task force, thanked her fellow task force members for their months of service and congratulated Ammons and his team for their success in addressing the university’s financial and accounting problems.

“FAMU has laid the foundation to restore finanåcial operational integrity and public trust,” said Pappas, who is also a member of the BOG. “Our efforts focused on verification of internal control processes implemented by FAMU at a level sufficient to avoid the financial and operational deficiencies documented in previous audits. President Ammons and his administration have been persistent and aggressive in putting corrective measures in place.”

The FAMU Task Force’s final report was to be released June 30 to Gov. Charlie Crist, Senate President Ken Pruitt, House Speaker Marco Rubio and to the BOG.

“I think FAMU is stronger and with the publics restored trust,” Ammons said, “I know we are going to even greater heights.”

Stephanie Lambert can be reached at slambert@capitaloutlook.com

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