Thursday, September 27, 2007

RW News: FAMU Prepapres for SACS Monitoring Team

The Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (SACS), Commission on Colleges Monitoring Team will visit the campus of Florida A&M University (FAMU) October 3-5, 2007, to see first hand the progress made regarding the issues of concern cited by SACS when FAMU was placed on probation.

The University was placed on probation in June 2007 for six months by SACS for non-compliance with 10 core requirements related to financial-management issues, governance and administration. Some of the SACS concerns are linked to issues outlined in the operational audit that included 35 findings.

For the past three months the university has been implementing its action plan regarding the SACS concerns. In July, the leadership team developed a matrix which outlined the operational audit issues, the audit findings, recommendations of the Auditor General, and corrective actions taken and planned. The matrix identified the units responsible for correcting the issues, and sets timeframes for completion. To ensure that the action plan was comprehensive, the SACS issues were cross-referenced and linked to the pertinent operational audit findings.

In addition, the university submitted its First Monitoring Report on September 7, 2007, responding to the SACS Commission on Colleges notification of probation. This report addresses each of the ten core requirements and outlines what has been done to comply with each requirement.

“We are ready for this visit,” said FAMU President James H. Ammons. “I believe we have presented a compelling reason why FAMU should be removed from probation.”

The SACS team will meet with the president, members of the leadership team, deans, directors, staff and students to gathering data to make a recommendation. A decision regarding FAMU’s probationary status will be made during the SACS meeting December 8-11.

To review the “First Monitoring Report” submitted to SACS by FAMU, log onto www.famu.edu/index.cfm?a=sacs.

No comments: