Highlights
Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University, commonly referred to as Florida A&M, is located in Tallahassee, Florida. It is one of four historically black colleges in Florida and is part of the Florida State University System. Established in 1887, as the State Normal School for Colored Students, Florida A&M or FAMU (pronounced FAM-you), was cited in the 1990s as the top college for African American students, according to Black Enterprise magazine.
The nearly 13,000 students, most of them undergraduates, can choose from 62 bachelor degrees in 101 majors, 36 master's degree with 56 majors or tracks in 11 schools and colleges. FAMU also offers two professional degrees and 11 Ph.D....
The nearly 13,000 students, most of them undergraduates, can choose from 62 bachelor degrees in 101 majors, 36 master's degree with 56 majors or tracks in 11 schools and colleges. FAMU also offers two professional degrees and 11 Ph.D....
Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University, commonly referred to as Florida A&M, is located in Tallahassee, Florida. It is one of four historically black colleges in Florida and is part of the Florida State University System. Established in 1887, as the State Normal School for Colored Students, Florida A&M or FAMU (pronounced FAM-you), was cited in the 1990s as the top college for African American students, according to Black Enterprise magazine.
The nearly 13,000 students, most of them undergraduates, can choose from 62 bachelor degrees in 101 majors, 36 master's degree with 56 majors or tracks in 11 schools and colleges. FAMU also offers two professional degrees and 11 Ph.D. programs.
The university's School of Business & Industry, College of Pharmacy and the School of Architecture are highly acclaimed, as is its journalism program, which has two endowed seats. FAMU has a College of Law in Orlando, Florida.
Florida A&M has a long and proud tradition, which includes a list of distinguished graduates in several fields. They include the late jazz saxophonist Julian "Cannonball" Adderley and his brother Nat Adderley, the late tennis great Althea Gibson, Detroit Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick, hip-hop artist Common, and Congress members Corrine Brown (D-Jacksonville), Kendrick Meek (D-Miami) and his mother, former Congresswomen Carrie Meek. Graduates also include a long list of athletes who played professional football, baseball and basketball.
The school colors are orange and green and their athletic teams nickname is the Rattlers. According to the schools Web site, there are several theories about the origin of the name. One speculates that when the campus was built in 1891, "there was said to be nothing there but palmetto trees and rattlesnakes." Another theory suggests that the late President J.R.E. "Lee sought a name for the teams which would evoke fear and respect from opponent."
But FAMU is perhaps best know for its band, the Marching 100, which is often cited as the "best band in the land." In 1997, Time Magazine-Princeton Review named FAMU "College of the Year." In 1999, Black Issues in Higher Education cited the university for awarding more Bachelor of Arts degrees to African-Americans than any school in the country.
But a decade later, the university's reputation is tarnished. While the school had four presidents between 1950 and 2001, four presidents including interims have been in charge in the past six years. James H. Ammons, an alumnus, was named president in 2007. Audits conducted since 2003 have uncovered sloppy bookkeeping and mismanagement of nearly $40 million, according to the South Florida Sun-Sentinel. An audit conducted in 2007 uncovered 35 additional instances of accounting errors. The National Collegiate Athletic Association placed its athletic department on probation in 2005 for four years because of an array of rules violations.
The bad news is taking its toll. Alumni donations have plummeted from $10.5 million in 2002 to $3.75 million in 2006. Student enrollment, which climbed over 13,000 three years ago, is declining. In 2007, the Southern Association of Colleges and Universities put FAMU on probation, one step above losing its accreditation. Students at unaccredited schools are not eligible for federally funded financial aid and many schools will not accept the transfer credits.
The nearly 13,000 students, most of them undergraduates, can choose from 62 bachelor degrees in 101 majors, 36 master's degree with 56 majors or tracks in 11 schools and colleges. FAMU also offers two professional degrees and 11 Ph.D. programs.
The university's School of Business & Industry, College of Pharmacy and the School of Architecture are highly acclaimed, as is its journalism program, which has two endowed seats. FAMU has a College of Law in Orlando, Florida.
Florida A&M has a long and proud tradition, which includes a list of distinguished graduates in several fields. They include the late jazz saxophonist Julian "Cannonball" Adderley and his brother Nat Adderley, the late tennis great Althea Gibson, Detroit Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick, hip-hop artist Common, and Congress members Corrine Brown (D-Jacksonville), Kendrick Meek (D-Miami) and his mother, former Congresswomen Carrie Meek. Graduates also include a long list of athletes who played professional football, baseball and basketball.
The school colors are orange and green and their athletic teams nickname is the Rattlers. According to the schools Web site, there are several theories about the origin of the name. One speculates that when the campus was built in 1891, "there was said to be nothing there but palmetto trees and rattlesnakes." Another theory suggests that the late President J.R.E. "Lee sought a name for the teams which would evoke fear and respect from opponent."
But FAMU is perhaps best know for its band, the Marching 100, which is often cited as the "best band in the land." In 1997, Time Magazine-Princeton Review named FAMU "College of the Year." In 1999, Black Issues in Higher Education cited the university for awarding more Bachelor of Arts degrees to African-Americans than any school in the country.
But a decade later, the university's reputation is tarnished. While the school had four presidents between 1950 and 2001, four presidents including interims have been in charge in the past six years. James H. Ammons, an alumnus, was named president in 2007. Audits conducted since 2003 have uncovered sloppy bookkeeping and mismanagement of nearly $40 million, according to the South Florida Sun-Sentinel. An audit conducted in 2007 uncovered 35 additional instances of accounting errors. The National Collegiate Athletic Association placed its athletic department on probation in 2005 for four years because of an array of rules violations.
The bad news is taking its toll. Alumni donations have plummeted from $10.5 million in 2002 to $3.75 million in 2006. Student enrollment, which climbed over 13,000 three years ago, is declining. In 2007, the Southern Association of Colleges and Universities put FAMU on probation, one step above losing its accreditation. Students at unaccredited schools are not eligible for federally funded financial aid and many schools will not accept the transfer credits.
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Theodore Douglas Taylor, first black administrator at Broward Community College, dies
South Florida Sun-SentinelTheodore Douglas Taylor was a man of many firsts, including the first black administrator at Broward Community College. Dr. Taylor died Dec. 24 at home in his sleep. He was 79. He grew up in segregated Ocala, during which he helped to break down...Tags: Broward County School Board, Baptist, Broward Community College, Fort Lauderdale, Nova Southeastern University
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Burma's Stilwell Road: A backbreaking WWII project is revived
It was a road some said couldn't be built. Most of the men ordered to make it happen were African American soldiers sorted into Army units by the color of their skin.
As World War II raged, they labored day and night in the jungles of Burma, sometimes...Tags: Minority Groups, World War II, Winston Leonard Spencer Churchill, Colleges and Universities, Natural Resources
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Citrus Bowl in sad state of disrepair
This is the best bowl trip in America. Best attractions. Best weather. Best hotels. One of the best payouts. Some of the best TV ratings. And then you show up at the stadium for the actual game. "This place is a dump," says Tim Butera, a Michigan...Tags: Florida State University, Capital One Bowl, Football, SEC, Colleges and Universities
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College basketball box scores
Yesterday State men St. Mary's 90… Alfred 76 Navy 81…Longwood 80 Maryland 76…Elon 50 Frostburg State 87…Lebanon Valley 81 Coppin State 59… George Wash. 53 St. Louis 81…UMBC 60 Morgan State at...Tags: Towson, Coppin State University, Morgan State University, San Diego (San Diego, California), Robert Morris
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Arkansas knocks off No. 4 Sooners
Michael Washington had 24 points and 11 rebounds, holding his own against Oklahoma's Blake Griffin, and Arkansas handed the fourth-ranked Sooners their first loss of the season, 96-88 on Tuesday night. The Razorbacks (10-1) led by 25 points in the second...Tags: Gainesville, Bethune-Cookman University, James Johnson, Miami (Miami-Dade, Florida)
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Taravella band strikes the right note
++++++++++++++++++++ || Taravella High School Band during a rehearsal in Coral Springs. FPG || ++++++++++++++++++++ Congratulations to the J.P. Taravella High School Marching Trojans — not only for earning a spot in next month's inauguration...Tags: 2009 U.S. Presidential Inauguration, Schools, Music, Coral Springs, Barack Obama
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Debose's outstanding catch will be hard to forget
Have you ever noticed how Andre Debose catches kickoffs and punts? Probably not. But the Sanford Seminole football star always has his hands out and away from his body, catching the ball much like a center fielder in baseball. That's the way he took the...Tags: Schools, Florida State University, Football, Hospitals and Clinics, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
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It's party time for London, Spiders
It was bearing down on 1 a.m., but the celebration in the ballroom next door to the Richmond Spiders' team hotel showed no signs of slowing down.
The easiest person to spot among several hundred joyous members of Spider Nation: head coach Mike London. He...Tags: Metal and Mineral, Football, National Collegiate Athletic Association, College of William and Mary, Baseball
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Devendorf Out 2 Games
Syracuse guard Eric Devendorf must perform 40 hours of community service and be reinstated by the university before he can play after being accused of hitting a female student. Devendorf can petition to be readmitted for the spring semester that starts...Tags: National Collegiate Athletic Association, Basketball, Injuries, SEC, Colleges and Universities
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No. 1 UConn women do a little Cancun cruising
From Sun news servicesFaced with the unenviable task of facing top-ranked Connecticut, Northern Colorado coach Jaime White relied on a battled-tested methodology to motivate her team. "We talked about how they are the same age as you are," White said. "You know, they have...Tags: Chicago Bears, MySpace, University of Connecticut Women's Basketball Program, Geno Auriemma, Basketball
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College basketball scores, schedule
Yesterday TOP 25 MEN No. 10 Wake Forest 86… Richmond 79 No. 24 Marquette 94… W. Carolina 77 EAST Clarion 92 … Penn St.-DuBois 59 Monmouth, N.J. 65 … St. Peter's 47 SOUTH Alabama St. 73 … Auburn-...Tags: United Center, George Mason, Florida State University, Wine, Beer, and Spirits, Conseco Incorporated
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Deacons survive at Richmond
Chas McFarland had 20 points and 14 rebounds Friday night, and No. 10 Wake Forest overcame a lackluster performance in a 86-79 victory at Richmond. The Demon Deacons (10-0) also got 21 points from Jeff Teague, including eight in a 17-6 run that allowed...Tags: George Mason, George Fox, Virginia Tech, Basketball, College of William and Mary
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