August 6, 2025
The Board did not sugarcoat any of its issues it needs to work on for next year.
Florida A&M University’s Board of Trustees has released a new statement as part of its self-evaluation, revealing trouble within the group.
The Board of Trustees shared the self-evaluation with the public, which detailed its concerns regarding leadership, communication, and its former interim president. According to WCTV, the board scored itself lower in almost every category as compared to last year.
The document detailed how the Board has lowered its approval of how it operates. One category, on governance and leadership, dropped significantly to an average score of 2.1 out of 5: “The Board operates as a cohesive unit and strives toward a shared vision.” The majority of board members marked their responses toward the statement as “below average.”
Out of five statements regarding their effectiveness and actions in the best interest of FAMU, only one category, regarding participation in the decision-making process, held a higher performance average. The others, which included effectively working with clear responsibilities, remaining independent from outside stakeholders, and even the chair’s leadership, received lower average ratings.
The Board also acknowledges that FAMU faculty have been “systematically excluded” from key decision-making, with the issue reportedly worsened by the chair’s leadership. With calls for better leadership, they deemed their current model “not reflective” of what the university deserves.
“The leadership model currently in place is not reflective of the inclusive, transparent, and principled governance that our University deserves,” detailed the evaluation. “Faculty remain committed to advocating for fairness, shared governance, and the betterment of our institution, and we call upon the Board to do the same.”
The document added, “Due to a lack of proper leadership, the board functions at a low level and cannot move the university forward in a positive manner.”
However, the Board continued to “drag” itself during its self-evaluation, with members giving low scores in policy implementation and approach, as well as institutional sustainability. They further criticized the board chair for failing to improve relations between members, as well as a “troubling absence of accountability” among administrators, which they also attribute to the chair.
While the Board noted some positives about its work, including the selection of a new president and a successful budgetary process, members had mixed reviews regarding the past year’s interim president, Timothy J. Beard.
“President Beard created a culture of trust, mutual respect, and accountability, especially among [the] senior leadership team,” wrote Trustee Kristin Harper.
However, another trustee, Vice Chair Deveron Gibbons, sharply disagreed. Gibbons called Beard “a complete embarrassment and “the most ineffective leader I have seen in a long time.”
They also subtly referenced how the controversial presidential search led to rumors surrounding how the Board lets “external political pressures” influence its decisions. The University’s appointment of Marva Johnson, who also has the support of Florida’s MAGA-affiliated leadership, sparked backlash among the HBCU community.
“There has been ongoing concern and hearsay regarding the influence of external political pressures on how certain Board members cast their votes. If these claims are unfounded, it’s important that we remain transparent and unified to dispel any misconceptions.”
Now dealing with bouts of mistrust, the Board of Trustees says it must course-correct to assure stakeholders, faculty, and students that it serves in the best interest of FAMU.
It added, “However, if there is truth to them, we must address it directly and take steps to ensure that our decision-making remains rooted solely in what is best for the university and those we are here to serve. We need to address the issue of trust, with each other, and with key stakeholders.”
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