President Dr. Hugine reported that SACS removed AAMU from probation

AAMU SACS statement

State Cited Oversights in AAMU Audit

State auditors cited Alabama A&M University this week for $171,316 shown on its books but not found in its bank acount at the end of the 2008 fiscal year.

Auditors also cited the university for bypassing a certified low bidder and buying goods from another vendor and for eight other unresolved issues from previous audits.

The audits were conducted by the State Examiners of Public Accounts. The latest, for the fiscal year 2008, was posted on the examiners' Web site Friday.

The audit found that "the university's General Fund cash account on the general ledger balance did not reconcile with the bank statements at year-end. The reconciliation incorporated adjustments not made to the general ledger at year-end resulting in a difference of $171,316.00."

Auditors recommended A&M "post all adjustments at year-end to ensure that general ledger balances and bank statement balances have been reconciled and are in agreement."

Still unresolved from previous years, auditors reported that A&M:
• Improperly adjusted its general ledger student receivables control account at the end of FY 2008.
• Had not completed a physical inventory of capital assets in recent years.
• Did not support its bank reconciliation with an accurate list of outstanding checks.
• Did not make necessary adjustments to its accounting records in a timely manner.
• Allowed students to register and attend class while still owing unpaid balances from prior semesters.
• Had fixed asset subsidiary account balances that did not support amounts presented in the financial statements.
• Did not keep records of revenue collected for athletic events or deposit them in a timely matter.
• Did not obtain required vendor disclosure statements for all bids and contracts exceeding $5,000.
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Source: HBCU blog

US Department of the Army Partners with Alabama A & M University On Center of Excellence in Integrated Sensor Systems (CEISS)

The US Army Aviation and Missile Research, Development and Engineering Center (AMRDEC), an entity of the US Army Materiel Command, has joined forces with the Alabama A&M Research Institute (AAMURI) to carry out a portion of the Army’s mission, and the mission of Alabama A&M University (AAMU). U.S. Representative Parker Griffith; Dr. William C. McCorkle, AMRDEC Director; Dr. Beverly Edmond, AAMU Interim President; and other government/AAMU officials kicked off the new center on June 8, 2009. According to Dr. Kaveh Heidary, AAMU principal investigator for the project, “the $700,000 center will advance the state of knowledge in areas of sensor and data fusion, contextual detection and classification, future sensor systems and architectures for missile defense, and other homeland security applications.”

The CEISS is just one example of the outstanding achievements of the University. Alabama A&M University, a Historically Black College and University, was founded in 1875, and has served to educate a diverse population of students. Dr. Beverly C. Edmond hails as the Interim President and is pictured above. The University offers an excellent curriculum and degree program ranging from Bachelor of Science through Doctor of Philosophy. This has attracted the Department of the Army, other DoD/Federal agencies, and private industry to seek them out for collaboration on research and other projects. Development of the AAMURI in 1999 came about as a result of the University’s continuous evolution, forward thinking, and strategically positioning itself for greatness.
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Source: The Office of Small Business Programs, Department of the Army

AAMU Selects 11th President Andrew Hugines, Jr.

Andrew Hugine, Jr., former president of South Carolina State University, will become the 11th president of Alabama A&M University.

The seasoned administrator successfully fielded board questions pertaining to his leadership philosophy, politics in higher education, athletics and several other concerns prior to the Board of Trustee’s shift to executive session following an already six-hour meeting.

In order to deal with AAMU challenges and traditions, Hugine said he would practice shared governance by pulling together the school’s stakeholders “to conduct a critical review of where the University is strategically.” He also expressed confidence that AAMU will soundly deal with the issues that led to its placement on probation by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (SACS).

“We must have priorities,” he said. “We cannot be everything to everybody.”

While at SCSU, Hugine made huge gains in enrollment, fundraising, and construction. Many SCSU supporters believe he was fired in retaliation for fighting back against micromanaging Board of Trustees members.

The AAMU community rallied behind Hugine despite rampant rumors that an influential trustee wanted Lawrence Davenport. During an interview, Davenport told AAMU’s search committee that he was willing to sign a lifetime contract with AAMU. But shortly after that statement, he took a job as head (principal) of a Rhode Island charter school.

Faculty members circulated a petition against Davenport’s candidacy and openly expressed their anger to the media.
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Source: HBCU blog

Retirement Payment Shortfall due Board of Trustees Not Approving Budget

Alabama A&M University has fallen two months - nearly $2 million - behind in payments to the state retirement system on behalf of its 1,100 employees, retirement officials say.

Slight payment lags of a week or two are common, but no other public institution has missed two straight months, according to Donald Yancey, director of benefits for the Retirement Systems of Alabama.

A&M officials blamed the state, a statement from Vice President for Business and Finance Charlie Rucker on Thursday said that "the state is about two months behind in payments (warrants) to Alabama A&M University."

If state education payments are the problem , Gov. Bob Riley asked, "Why is every other university and school system in Alabama up to date?"

The payment gap won't prevent someone from retiring from A&M with full benefits, Yancey said, because RSA routinely starts retirement payments while waiting for the last payroll deductions to catch up.

But until the shortfall is made up, Yancey said the system will not cash out any departing employee's retirement account. That means an employee leaving for another job this summer will find his or her account frozen until A&M catches up.

The shortfall includes both the 5 percent retirement contribution withheld from A&M salaries each month, plus the 11 percent matching contribution the school makes, Rucker said.

Rucker said both contributions are held in university bank accounts, "and both amounts are submitted to RSA when sufficient funds are accumulated."

A&M has an average monthly payroll of about $6 million, Rucker said. Sixteen percent of $6 million means an approximate $960,000 monthly contribution. That puts A&M nearly $2 million behind.

A&M has been dealing with the same budget woes affecting public schools, colleges and universities across the state. The university's state appropriation this year was about $45 million, down from a first proposal of almost $50 million. For next year, Riley estimates that mandated budget cuts will limit A&M to about $40 million from the state. It gets millions more from other sources, including the federal government.

Interim A&M President Dr. Beverly Edmond and A&M officials have implemented steps to deal with the budget, including monthly unpaid furloughs of 12 hours for administrators and eight hours for staff earning $30,000 a year, and a 5 percent cut in pay for summer faculty, Rucker said.

A&M is currently operating without a permanent president or an approved budget.

It has no budget because the board of trustees has not met to pass one, and the board hasn't met because of two ongoing disputes, one between Riley and legislators over new appointees to the board, and one between remaining members over A&M's next president.

Riley's spokesman said Thursday that the governor hasn't decided whether to continue to push his four nominees.

The four have failed to win Senate confirmation for two years.

"The governor is reviewing his options," said Todd Stacy, Riley's press secretary.
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Source: HUBC blog

THE 52nd ANNUAL ASFC REGIONAL FORESTRY CONCLAVE WILL BE HOSTED BY ALABAMA A&M UNIVERSITY

Huntsville , Ala. ---- Alabama A&M University will host the 52nd annual conference and competition held among members of the Association of Southern Forestry Clubs ( ASFC ) March 12-15. The 2009 event will mark AAMU’s first time hosting the activity.

The 52nd annual ASFC forestry conclave at Alabama A&M promotes cooperation and friendly competition among forestry schools throughout the Southeast. It also aims to instill high ethical standards among students and professional foresters. Since its inception at the University of Georgia in 1957, the regional conclave now attracts 16 southern forestry institutions and more than 250 contestants.

AAMU joined the ASFC in 2003 and competed for the first time at Mississippi State University in 2004. By 2007, two AAMU students had become award winners in the women’s bow saw physical event (gold) and technical event of timber estimation (silver).

Faculty advisor William Stone notes that hosting the ASFC forestry conclave at AAMU brings recognition to “the quality of our accredited forestry program among the large land-grant institutions and showcases the facilities our University has to support its agricultural programs.”

Most of the activities will be held at the Winfred Thomas Agricultural Farm in Hazel Green, Ala. , and the Agribition Center on Moore ’s Mill Road . ASFC member schools scheduled to participate are Auburn University, Arkansas University at Monticello, Clemson University, University of Florida, University of Georgia, University of Kentucky, Louisiana State University, Louisiana Tech University, Mississippi State University, North Carolina State University, Stephen F. Austin University, Texas A&M University, University of Tennessee and Virginia Tech University..

For additional information about the AAMU Forestry Club or the upcoming four-day forestry conclave, contact Dr. William E. Stone at (256) 372-4248 ; Dr. Kozma Naka at (256) 372-4235 ; or visit http://saes.aamu.edu/conc2009.htm.
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Source: AAMUFamily yahoo group, written by Jerome Saintjones

AAMU Honda Team Advances to the National Tournament in Orlando

Huntsville, Ala. ---- The 2009 Alabama A&M University Honda Campus All Star Challenge Team has been selected to participate in the 20th Anniversary National Competition Tournament March 26-30 in Orlando , Fla. The tournament will feature teams from 64 historically black colleges and universities (HBCUs) across the United States.

The AAMU team, led by Kevin Render, senior biology major from Buffalo , N.Y. , will answer20questions about literature, history, science, social sciences, the fine arts, pop culture, current events, mathematics and trivia from other areas. Other members of the team are Kyle D av is, senior, Urban Planning, Birmingham, Ala.; Mary Lynn Hayes, junior, chemistry, Woodberry, Ga.; Steven Sanders, senior, sociology, Trottwood, Ohio; and DeVonna Freeman, junior, management, Russellville, Ala. The team was selected from among the 80 students who participated in the November 2 campus tournament that was open to all unde rgr aduate AAMU students. The HCASC Coach, Dr. Barbara A.P. Jones, School of Business , and the AAMU Campus Coordinator, Carla Draper Holloway, interim director, Honors Center , thank supporters of this year's students and program.

The 2008 AAMU HCASC team advanced to the Elite Eight. This year’s team expects to do even better.
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Source: AAMUFamily yahooogroup, writen by Jerome Saintjones