The newly appointed interim president of Florida A&M University has called on senior leaders of the state’s only public, historically Black college or university to resign, two weeks before the start of the fall semester.
TimothyBeard, who was confirmed as interim president at the end of July, sent a letter Monday asking for resignations by the end of Tuesday.
The university provided a copy of the letter but did not immediately provide a list of recipients. The Tallahassee Democrat reported the athletics director was among those who were asked to resign. According to FAMU’s website, the president’s leadership team consists of 19 people, including the provost, chief operating officer and chief of staff.
“As you know, our University (FAMU) is at a critical juncture, where we must align our leadership, vision, and strategies to meet the evolving challenges and opportunities ahead,” Beard wrote in his letter. “After careful consideration and in consultation with the Board of Trustees, the past University President, and from my observations, I have concluded that a change in our senior leadership team is necessary to move forward more effectively.”
Beard was appointed after Larry Robinson, who led the university for seven years, stepped down after a $237 million donation to the university was deemed suspect. Last week an investigation deemed the donation to be “fraudulent” and “baseless.”
Beard wrote the “decision was not made lightly and is rooted in a commitment to ensuring that our University is positioned for future success and growth. Please know that this request may not be a reflection of your individual contributions or dedication to our institution.”
Longtime St. Petersburg College trustee Deveron Gibbons, who is also vice chairperson of FAMU’s board of trustees, said he couldn’t comment on why the change was necessary. That, he said, would be a question Beard could answer — but the board trusted his track record for making methodical decisions. Beard formerly served as president of Pasco-Hernando State College.
“I’m sure that he has made a lot of evaluations and considered a lot in this process andis taking every step necessary to make FAMU continue to be the No. 1 public HBCU,” he said.
Alan Levine, a member of the Board of Governors who first became closely involved with FAMU in 2015, when the state sought closer control of the school, said it was not uncommon to see new leaders make internal changes.
Levine, who was critical of FAMU’s professional program licensure pass rates at a recent Board of Governors meeting, said he hoped the new president was given space to make needed changes.
“To me, the university is not about the employees entirely,” he said. “It’s about the students, and it’s about student success. And if the president believes there’s a pathway for success that’s better than the one that’s in place today, then I want to give him that opportunity, particularly given his track record.
“This is not some untested person that’s never been a president before,” he said. “This is a guy who has roots at FAMU, and who has been a president and has been tested. … I think we — we owe it to him to give him the opportunity to execute on what the ultimate goal is, which is student success.”
Spokespeople for the Board of Governors and the governor’s office did not immediately respond to requests for comment.