By Rayshell Holmes
There is no greater public asset in my Leon County commission district than Florida A&M University. Florida A&M University is our heart of hearts. As the representative of the people of District 1, in which Florida A&M is located, I am compelled to help secure a leader who is capable of furthering FAMU’s progress and future.
The vice-chairman of Florida’s Board of Governors and the vice-chairman of the FAMU Board of Trustees have endlessly praised the search process as a flawless wonder.
Oddly, there is talk of investigating the 13 other members of the search committee for violating the N.D.A., or non-disclosure agreement as a criminal act. What should be examined, foremost for criminality, is the extreme qualification difference between the top three finalists and the fourth finalist. Amazingly, no other committee member has supported or backed the claims of the two vice chairmen. The Board of Governors should investigate the uneven metrics and scales that weighed a non-qualified applicant fit to advance as a presidential finalist.
There are three top finalists who were obviously evaluated on the strength of their experience and qualifications. Apparently, qualifications were suspended for the expedience of advancing the fourth candidate.
The restlessness of the moment is based in the inability to reconcile an unqualified finalist becoming president of FAMU. Could anyone equally as unqualified make the final three list for president at Florida State University or at the University of Florida?
The Board of Governors and the Board of Trustee seem to lack interest in determining why a flyweight applicant is a finalist among the three well qualified heavyweight contenders for president. This is the concern of FAMU stakeholders!
For weeks it has been stated the fourth finalist would become FAMU’s next president regardless of their absence of relevant experience in, higher education. This recent dog and pony show of a search process was a mirage at best and possibly a hoax from the start.
The FAMU search process is not blameless and altogether beyond suspicion. Notwithstanding the Search Committee and FAMU BOT seem content to rubber stamp a “process” and an “agenda” more deadly than the Project 2025 for Florida A&M University.
Damning acts were committed behind the closed doors of the FAMU presidential search process. History will not applaud those deeds.
The Board of Governors should start the process over and do justice by Florida A&M University.
