By Lynn Jones
TALLAHASSEE, FL —The capitol city was a buzz as the word went out that Florida A&M University President Dr. Larry Robinson was resigning. The night before Robinson conferred with ministers and stakeholders giving them the news before meeting with the university executive staff and vice presidents the next day. Despite elevating the university’s status on so many levels, his departure was triggered by unusual and avoidable missteps.
The administration’s failure to acknowledge obvious red flags tied to the erroneous $237 million university gift and the investigation’s anticipated findings, proved to be Robinson’s undoing. To start, the president’s team made a critical mistake with the surprise May 3 announcement at graduation and then bungled the defense of the donation. It sent shockwaves through the community of stakeholders, alumni, and the university’s governing boards.
To dupe the leadership of the nation’s number one Historically Black University hurt the brand, according to Deveron Gibbons Vice Chairman of the FAMU Board of Trustees, who urged a closer look. “I have a responsibility to safeguard the integrity of the university I cherish, but I have deep concerns that this process is moving too quickly to embrace a gift without proper scrutiny.” Gibbons, a retired senior vice president of Amscot Financial, received a master’s in business administration and a law degree from FAMU. He has been an advocate of transparency and the professional integrity of his alma mater.
In Robinson’s letter of resignation, he says, “As you can imagine, this decision comes with many emotions — some sadness, of course, but at the same time, hope and anticipation. That hope is not just about what lies next for me and my family, but also what is next for the Number 1 Historically Black University in the nation.”
Meanwhile, Gibbons hopes FAMUans will remain focused on the future, “Turning the page is never easy. But we will do this with our eyes open, ready to build the path forward. Rattler resilience never fails.”
The Board of Trustees will meet on July 19 and receive the gift investigation results sometime in August.
