2013-2014 // FLORIDA A&M UNIVERSITY // 1

The FAMU Foundation Board has appointed six new members to serve for a four year

term. The new members are:

Elaine Armster, special projects chief, Georgia Department of Transportation

Jemal Gibson, corporate executive and author

Clifton Goins IV, finance director, VSA Partners

Laurence Humphries, planning coordinator, Chevron Corporation

Keisha Senter, associate director, office of the president, Rockefeller Foundation

Tirrell D. Whittley, principal and CEO, Liquid Soul Media

As a non-profit organization, Florida A&M University Foundation, Inc. is established

with the specific mandate to serve as a custodian of contributions from the private sector,

alumni, friends, and industry. The Foundation receives, invests and administers funds. In

addition, the Foundation acts as a trustee and exercises in general the powers of a not-for-

profit organization under the laws of Florida.

SOUTHERN ASSOCIATION OF COLLEGES AND SCHOOLS COMMISSION ON COLLEGES REMOVES FLORIDA A&M UNIVERSITY FROM

F L O R I D A A & M U N I V E R S I T Y O F F I C E O F T H E P R E S I D E N T

// VOLUME II: No.2 //

During its annual meeting in Atlanta, Ga., the Southern Association

of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC) lifted the

12-month probation status placed upon Florida A&M University (FAMU)

in December 2012.

“We are extremely pleased with the decision by SACSCOC to remove

the probation sanction, which signifies that Florida A&M University is in

compliance with the standards of the regional accrediting body,” said FAMU

Interim President Larry Robinson. “As a member institution of SACSCOC, we fully

appreciate the peer review process and we are committed to continuing the work

needed to maintain the high standards of the commission.”

Robinson acknowledged that it took a comprehensive university-wide effort led by

teams of dedicated faculty, staff and students that worked tirelessly outside of the limelight to

help the university address the SACSCOC concerns.

“I would like to thank our Board of Trustees for their guidance and support and the

FAMU SACS Leadership Team for their dedication and persistence. I also want to extend a

heartfelt thank you to our students, faculty and staff who made invaluable contributions

that helped bring about this positive outcome.”

FAMU expects to receive a letter from SACSCOC in January 2014 confirming the Dec.

10th announcement.

FAMU FOUNDATION WELCOMES NEW BOARD MEMBERS

FAMU ONLINE DEGREE PROGRAM RECOGNIZED

FAMU has been listed as an

“Online Colleges in Florida That Win

on Affordability” by the website

AffordableCollegesOnline.org (AC

Online). FAMU was ranked No. 16 on

the list of 53 institutions. Affordable

Colleges Online helps students

find affordable college options and

provides information about financial

aid and college rankings. FAMU

offers three online master’s degrees

— MBA, master’s in nursing and the

master’s in public health.

Each program requires

prospective students to have

post-baccalaureate degree

work experience, a 3.0 or higher

cumulative grade point average or

GRE score of 1000 (300 on the new

GRE) or 600 on the GMAT (for the

MBA program).

2 // FLORIDA A&M UNIVERSITY // JUST THE FACTS 2013-2014 // FLORIDA A&M UNIVERSITY // 3

FAMU has been recognized with the Innovation Award and

the Exemplary Alumni Award during the inaugural 1890 Land-

Grant Universities Teaching, Research and Innovation Awards

(1890 Awards) from the Association of Public and Land-Grant

Universities (APLU).

The Innovation Award is presented to the university that

has the largest increase in successfully transferring intellectual

property into new products, processes, applications, materials or

services that have been successfully taken to market from 2011-

2012 through 2012-2013. FAMU was recognized for a 67 percent

increase in its Intellectual Property Transfer between 2012 and

2013.

FAMU intellectual property transferred to processes, products,

applications, materials, systems or services in 2012-2013 includes:

• Dr. Karam Soliman and Dr. Elizabeth Mazzio;

Nutraceutical Agent for Parkinson’s Disease (License);

• Dr. Elizabeth Mazzio and Dr. Karam Soliman;

Effective Topical Treatment for Dyshidrosis and Dry

Skin Disorders (License);

• Dr. Jiang Lu; “Majesty Muscadine Grape” (New

much larger grape variety with trademarked name

(License);

• Moeub Lanh; Finger Flag and Flag Assembly

(Market);

• Dr. Jennifer Cherrier and Mr. Alex Bolques; Water

Retention and Reuse System (Market);

• Dr. Violeta Tsolova; Cosmetics Products/

Cosmeceutical (Muscadine Grapes for Use as a

Source of Flavonoid Compounds) (Market);

• Malcolm Kelly, Nordian Brown and Leitoya

Snelling; Collapsible, Sanitized Straw Assembly

(License); and

• Dr. Hermanth Vasanthaiah and Mehboob Sheik;

A Variety of Healthy, Naturally Low Sugar Snacks

From Grape Products (License).

FAMU also tied with North Carolina A&T State University to

receive the Exemplary Alumni Award, which honors the university

that has the single largest donation (monetary or in-kind) to the

university from an alumnus of the university during the 2012-

2013 academic year. The anonymous planned gift in the amount

of $500,000 will be used to establish an endowed scholarship in

the amount of $400,000 for students majoring in chemistry. The

remaining $100,000 will provide funding for the Florida A&M

University Black Archives and Research Museum.

FAMU RECEIVES INAUGURAL AWARDS FROM THE ASSOCIATION OF PUBLIC AND LAND-GRANT UNIVERSITIES

FAMU STUDENTS CAN COMPLETE ONE YEAR OF LAW SCHOOL DURING UNDERGRADUATE

FAYE WATKINS APPOINTED NEW DEAN OF FAMU LIBRARIES

This academic year, there were more

than 14,000 students at historically black

colleges who did not qualify for financial

aid because of new stricter requirements

for the Parent PLUS loans. Florida A&M

University had about 600 who did not

qualify. The university wants parents to be

aware of the challenges families are facing

as student prepare for the next academic

year.

The U.S. Department of Education

Department tightened its underwriting

criteria for PLUS loans to parents in 2011.

According to the Chronicle of Higher

Education, the change was made two

years after an analysis by the financial-

aid expert Mark Kantrowitz showed

that the denial rate on such loans

was twice as high in the bank-based

guaranteed-student-loan program as in

the government’s direct-loan program,

due largely to the banks’ stricter credit

standards. The Chronicle noted that as a

result of the stricter requirements for PLUS

loans, denials shot up by 50 percent for

parents of students at historically black

colleges and universities.

After lobbying efforts by HBCU’s,

including FAMU, the U.S Department

reviewed its process and granted appeals.

The U.S. Department of Education also

simplified the appeals process, but has

resisted calls to completely reverse

the change, arguing that the stricter

standards protected families and

taxpayers from the consequences of

default.

Parents need to be prepared to set

aside dollars to cover college costs, as

fewer federal dollars may be available in

the future. At FAMU, we are doing what

we can to assist students through the

FAMU Foundation and Office of Financial

Aid.

NEW US DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION LOAN REQUIREMENTS

Faye Watkins is the new dean of libraries. In this position, Watkins will continue the

mission of transforming the delivery of library resources and services and expanding

access to the extensive knowledge base offered by the global academic community.

Since October of 2007, Watkins served as director of the library at Hampton

University, in Hampton, Va., where she worked to ensure that the library had the

necessary resources to support the university’s academic programs. Her responsibilities

included strategic leadership for the library, supervising a staff of 34 librarians and

support staff, coordinating budget planning and expenditures for a total budget of

$2.1 million. Watkins earned a bachelor’s degree in English from the University of Texas

at Austin in 1990. In 1998, she earned a dual master’s degree in English and library and

information science from the University of South Carolina.

Florida A&M University (FAMU) has created a 3+3 Program, wherein undergraduates

can complete three years (90 credits) of education at FAMU and then complete their

fourth year as a first year law student at the FAMU College of Law in Orlando, Fla.

This program, funded by Title III, Part B grant from the U.S. Department of Education,

allows students to complete an undergraduate degree and attain their juris doctor

(JD) degree in six years (3+3) instead of the customary seven years. This saves on

tuition and allows focused and motivated students to start their legal careers a

year earlier than normal.

While the College of Law already offers the most reasonable tuition in the

state of Florida, subtracting one year of undergraduate costs certainly enhances

the College of Law’s value. Currently, the 3+3 program has partnered with the

departments of history and political science, criminal justice, sociology, and African

American studies departments.

For initial selection into the program, a student must have a minimum SAT score

of 1000 or a comparable ACT score; minimum of 15 credit hours of completed FAMU

course work, with a 3.2 FAMU grade point average; completion of a minimum of one

semester in residence at FAMU, and an application during the second semester of the

freshman year or during the sophomore year. To be admitted to the College of Law,

the 3+3 applicant must still take and attain a qualifying LSAT score and be otherwise

approved for admission by the College of Law.

FAMU recently welcomed Joyce A. Ingram as its new assistant vice president for human resources (HR).

Ingram, whose appointment began Nov. 22, comes to FAMU after serving as an assistant vice president and

chief HR and diversity officer at Florida State University (FSU) for more than 10 years.

During her post at FAMU, Ingram will serve as the chief HR officer and be responsible for directing effective

university-wide planning and administration for all human resources activities. She will play a vital role in

guiding and developing programs and strategies that support the growing needs, trends and issues of higher

education in relation to HR.

FAMU NAMES JOYCE INGRAM NEW VP OF HUMAN RESOURCES

4 // FLORIDA A&M UNIVERSITY // JUST THE FACTS

Florida A&M University and The

Chicago School of Professional Psychology

(TCSPP) signed a Memorandum of

Understanding (MOU) that will provide

for the development of an articulation

agreement between the university and the

Chicago School to bridge students into the

community psychology master’s program

and the counseling psychology doctorate

program.

This MOU will further enhance

the outstanding legacy of the FAMU

Department of Psychology. More than 80

students receiving the bachelor’s degree

and/or master’s degree in psychology at

FAMU have gone on to receive doctorates

in psychology and related fields since

the mid-1980s. The Chicago School of

Professional Psychology is a graduate

university that offers more than 20 degree

programs related exclusively to psychology

and related behavioral sciences.

FAMU AND THE CHICAGO SCHOOL OF PROFESSIONAL PSYCHOLOGY SIGN MEMORANDUM OF UNDERSTANDING

LATEST EDITION OF THE A&M MAGAZINEFAMU SCHOOL OF BUSINESS HOSTS BOOT CAMP FOR RETIRED NBA PLAYERS

Florida A&M University’s (FAMU)

School of Business and Industry (SBI) has

partnered with the National Basketball

Retirement Players Association (NBRPA) to

host a boot-camp style certificate program

for ex-NBA players called, Life After

Retirement: Growing Successful Business

Ventures.

The inaugural class of nine participants

will spend four weekends starting in

December developing a business plan.

The certificate program will provide tools and

frameworks for starting and enhancing business ventures

in the areas of franchising, financial services, real estate,

and insurance by engaging in interactive team-based cases

studies, reviewing balance sheets, and performing cash flow

analyses. Former players that are successful entrepreneurs

will serve as guest lecturers during the weekend boot camps.

If participants complete all in-camp and between-camp

assignments, at the conclusion of the series, they will leave

with a sound, vetted business plan.

The fall edition of

the A&M Magazine

is currently available

online. This issue includes

information on Rattlers

from across the university

on all levels who have

helped continue the

legacy of excellence that

has made FAMU one of

the best institutions of

higher learning in America. A&M highlights FAMU graduates

who have gone on to obtain their doctoral degrees, thus

emphasizing that FAMU serves as a rich training ground

for minority Ph.D holders. The magazine also takes a look

at the newly formed College of Social Sciences, Arts and

Humanities and chronicles the return of the Marching “100”

under the leadership of Dr. Sylvester Young, director of

marching and pep bands. Please enjoy!

www.famu.edu/officeofcommunications/ammag/fall2013