FLORIDA ASMUNIVERSITY  Board of Trustees Wednesday, June 7, 2023 9:30 a.m. The Grand Ballroom  Special Committee on Athletics Meeting  Committee Members:  Kelvin Lawson, Chair Cliatt  Londe Mondelus, Ann Marie Cavazos, Deveron Gibbons, and Trustee Otis  AGENDA  I. II.  Call to Order Roll Call  Chairman Lawson Marquel Broussard  ACTION ITEMS  HI. Approval of February 15, 2023, Minutes  Chairman Lawson  DISCUSSIONI ITEMS  IV. Thomas Howell Ferguson P.A., Consulting Report  Jeff Barbacci Taylor Harmon VP/AD Tiffani-Dawn Sykes Chairman Lawson  V. Athletic Department Update VI. Adjournment    FLORIDA ASMUNIVERSITY  Board of Trustees ACTION ITEM  Special Committee on Athletics  June 7, 2023 Agenda Item: III  Subject: Minutes  Rationale: Section 5.10 of the Board of Trustees Operating Procedures provides that detailed minutes should be kept for any Board or Committee meeting. Those minutes should include a record of votes cast and  attendance.  Recommendation: Approval of the February 15, 2023 meeting minutes.  Attachments: Yes    FLORIDA, AMUNIVERSITY  Board ofTrustees Athletics Committee Minutes Kelvin Lawson, Chair February 15, 2023  Chair Lawson called the Special Committee on Athletics meeting to order. The Executive Assistant to the VP/AD Marquel Broussard called the roll. The following committee members were present, and a quorum was established: Trustee Ann Marie Cavazos, Trustee Otis Cliatt, and Chair ChairLawson asked for a motion to approve the December 7, 2022, minutes. Trustee Cavazos moved approval oft the minutes, Trustee Cliatt provided the second, and the motion was carried unanimously. Nichole Murray, University Budget Director, deferred the Athletics budget update to Michael Smith, AVP for Athletics Administration and Strategic Initiatives. Mr. Smith shared that the numbers in the athletics budget are still trending in the right direction as athletics continue to move forward with a Chair Lawson made mention that the internal budget review was completed for the month as well as the budget review with BOG. He announced that there is a new audit and compliance chair, Mr. Aubrey Edge out of Jacksonville. He shared that this is year five that athletics has had a balanced budget given Deidre Melton provided an overall update on1 the Athletics. Action Plan. She shared that there has been significant progress since last month. Modifications were made but the plan is still on track to be over 90 % completed by the end oft the fiscal year. She said 5 out 17 strategies are complete, 11 out of17 are on track for completion and 1 out of17i is behind schedule but will be back on track by the end of February. She went through some highlights oft the strategies and things accomplished over the past month. She announced that 6 of the 7 athletics compliance positions have been filled and they are ADSykes! provided department updates. She announced the changes that have occurred oni the athletics staff which include Michael Smith who accepted the role of. Assistant Vice President for Athletics Administration and Strategic Initiatives in addition to adding Marquel Broussard, Executive Assistant to the Vice President and Director of Athletics and Brittney Johnson, Senior Associate Athletics Director for Compliance/Senior Woman Administrator. AD Sykes also shared that two new Head Coaches were hired; Camise Patterson, Softball and Garfield Ellenwood, Cross Country and Track & Field. She stated that her focus within the first 30 days has been visibility and engagement. AD Sykes has hit the ground running on. January 4th and has sincel had the opportunity tol be engaged with student- athletes, alumni and the community. She highlighted many different engagement settings which allowed her to connect with student-athletes, alumni in different states and FAMU Developmental Research School. AD Sykes highlighted Student-Athletes from various sports on earning SWAC honors. She also shared that Track & Field have recorded over 50 Top-3 finishes this season. AD Sykes expressed her appreciation to the committees she currently serve oni for all that they have done In closing, she recognized the late great Ken Riley, FAMU Alumnus who was inducted into the Pro  Kelvin Lawson.  positive fund balance.  all the issues with COVID and ai number of other things.  working to: fill the compliance eligibility position.  and continue to do to support athletics and our student-athletes. at FAMU.  Football Hall ofl Fame Class of2023.  With no further business before the committee, the meeting was adjourned.    FLORIDA, ASMUNIVERSITY  Board of Trustees DISCUSSION ITEM  Special Committee on Athletics  June 7, 2023 Agenda Item: IV  Subject: Thomas Howell Ferguson PA Consulting Report  Rationale: The University engaged Thomas Howell Ferguson, PA on December 9, 2022, to provide professional services regarding the University's Athletics Action Plan. The services were completed and the consulting report was submitted to the University on  April 27,2023. Attachments: Yes    Thomas Howell Ferguson PA. Certified Public Accountants  www.thf.cpa  April 127,2023  Joseph K. Maleszewski FAMU Athletic Department Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University G-71 Foote-Hilyer Administration Center Tallahassee, Florida 32307 Dear Mr. Maleszewski: Athletics Action Plan.  Enclosed is our completed consulting report for Florida A&M University related to the FAMU  We appreciate the opportunity to provide services to. Florida A&M University.  Ifyou have any questions, please do not hesitate to call.  Sincerely, Jff barlai Jeffrey Barbacci  Enclosure  2615 Centennial Boulevard, Suite: 200 Tallahassee, Florida 32308  201 East Kennedy Boulevard, Suite 325 Tampa, Florida: 33602  1022 West: 23rd Street, Suite 590 501 South West Street  Panama City. Florida 32405  Bainbridge, Georgia 39819    Consulting Report Florida A&M University  Thomas Howell Ferguson PA. Certified PublicAccountants    Consulting Report  Florida A&M University  Contents  Executive Summary.  Events Leading up to "Week Zero" oft the 2022 NCAA Football Season.  Root Cause Circumstances Associated with "Week Zero". Summary oft the FAMU Athletics Action Plan.. Implementation Considerations. Recommendations Appendix A - Player Letter Appendix B - The. Athletics Action Plan  13 17 19    Thomas Howell Ferguson PA. Certified Public Accountants Executive Summary  On December 9, 2022 Thomas Howell Ferguson P.A. was engaged by Florida A&M University (FAMU or the University) to provide professional services in connection with the University's plan to address athletic related matters surrounding student athlete academic performance and eligibility. Our engagement was overseen by, and coordinated with, the University's Vice On August 27, 2022, the FAMU football team was scheduled to play the University of North Carolina in what was termed a "Week Zero" matchup. For this matchup, 29 players on the FAMU football team were deemed ineligible for play. This determination led tol FAMU football players penning a letter to the University President dated August 28, 2022, expressing their points of view on why these events occurred and the perceived shortfalls within the University that contributed to the events. In response to the events leading up to and after "Week Zero," the Board of Trustees and the University began to oversee the development and implementation ofa Our engagement required the development of a detailed profile of the athletics-related issues facing the University by obtaining an understanding of the FAMU Athletic Department and University athletic-support functions. Additionally, our engagement required us to gain an understanding oft the root causes contributing to the events that occurred during "Week Zero" of the 2022 NCAA football season. This understanding was developed through inspection of FAMU's organizational structure, interviews with key employees across various departments that have a significant role in the success of student athletes, review and attendance ofl Board and committee meetings relating to the Plan, documentation of the complaints made by student athletes relating to the events of"Week Zero," interviews with student athletes, reading relevant local and national news articles, and inspection of the FAMU Athletic Action Plan created to The Plan is designed to address the issues of "Week Zero" and other academic related issues facing the FAMU Athletics Department and FAMU student-athletes. The most crucial components of the Plan address challenges relating to academic advisement for student-athletes, compliance staffing shortages, improved training related to student-athlete eligibility specific requirements, interdepartmental technology and communication, high levels of"at-risk" student- The Plan, if properly implemented, will result in improved outcomes for the University and will reduce the risk of experiencing future challenges similar to those noted above. The presence of, and adherence to, controls designed to achieve compliance with the Plan will be critical to its success. While a reduction of risk resulting from the Plan's implementation is likely, the  President of Audit.  corrective action plan titled the FAMU Athletic Action Plan (the Plan).  address the University's! perceived root causes.  athletes, and the student-athlete admission and transfer process.  elimination of future risk ini total is not possible.    Thomas Howell FergusonpA. Centified Public Accowntents  Our report is intended to provide an overview of our observations and recommendations resulting from the scope of services described above. In addition, our report includes recommendations associated with the Plan and identification of risks that could impact the overall efficacy of the Plan. Based on our observations and procedures performed, the FAMU Athletics Action Plan is comprehensive and thorough. The seventeen strategies detailed in the Athletics Action Plan adequately address the most crucial issues facing the Athletics Department This report is not intended to and does not contemplate internal control or compliance risks facing the Athletics Department that were not included in the scope identified above. Our engagement occurred while the development and implementation of control activities surrounding the planned corrective actions were ongoing. As such, the focus of our efforts and attention were limited to the plan design and did not include an evaluation of the specific metrics developed by management to achieve success, nor the day-to-day operating controls necessary to A summary of the recommendations resulting from our study that address potential implementation challenges associated with the University's Athletic Action Plan is included below and are discussed in more detail within the body of our report. Those recommendations should be considered prior to finalizing the Plan and as part of the ongoing improvements that Recommendation #1 = Continued monitoring and development of control activities Once implemented, the Plan will take time to achieve the desired outcomes oft the University. We anticipate the process could take several years to fully implement. The Plan needs to be a framework that establishes routine controls and procedures to be implemented and executed over a long-term period. The Plan will need commitment and support from those charged with governance with an overall understanding that the Plan will take ongoing refinement A system of milestones and expected outcomes should be implemented in conjunction with the Plan. This includes establishing benchmarks over a long-term period for the reduction of "at-risk" student athletes, benchmarks for each sport's improved APR, benchmarks for the reduction in special talent admissions, as well as benchmarks the University believes are  and the academic success ofFAMU's various athletic programs.  bei implemented in this plan.  will enhance the FAMU student-athlete experience.  and monitoring for its ultimate success.  important to its student athlete'ss success.  Recommendation #2- Departmental alignment and future considerations.  Certain positions and responsibilities created by the Plan have been spread across various departments within the University to improve coordination and to address certain budgetary challenges for the Athletics Department. This was done partially based on the transition in the Athletics Director position during the Plan's development and to ensure that the Plan  would quickly address the needs ofthe University's: student athletes.  2    Thomas Howell FergusonpA. Certified Public Accountants  Now that the Athletics Director position has been filled, we recommend that she maintain appropriate administrative oversite for the positions created in response to the Plan. Additionally, as revenues increase, the University should start to transition certain positions Recommendation #3. - Transfer athletes and academic major change challenges We noted a number of challenges with the requirement to gather and certify information related to transfer student-athletes and student-athletes that are changing academic majors. While the Plan addresses those items somewhat in the strategies for improved academic advisement, we foresee continued challenges in that area ifleft unaddressed.  and responsibilities for the Plan under the Athletics Department.  Recommendation #4- - Financial. Aid.  The Plan has only limited actions regarding financial aid, which are mostly geared toward summer school and improving the information and communication between student athletes During our study we observed concerns regarding certain aspects of the financial aid system. Those concerns, raised by student athletes and corroborated through our discussions with university personnel, relate to the delay in the student athlete's receipt of financial aid disbursements, caused by limitations of the financial aid IT system. Additionally, we noted communication challenges that involve placing a "hold" on financial aid disbursements due to academic performance or incomplete required administrative documents, and certain transfer student-athletes being deemed ineligible for financial aid. The delay in disbursement lead to financial difficulties for the student-athletes that then lead to academic challenges. We appreciate the opportunity to provide services to FAMU. We appreciate the assistance received from FAMU Athletics personnel, internal auditors, and others throughout the course of our study. We will be glad to consult further with the University as it begins to implement the FAMU Athletics Plan and to improve the overall quality ofi its athletic programs.  and the Office of Financial Aid.  Such challenges are currently beyond the scope oft the Plan.  3    Thomas Howell FergusonpA. Certified Public Accowtants  Events Leading up to "Week Zero" of the 2022 NCAA Football Season.  In response to being placed on a five-year probationary period by the NCAA after being cited in 2018 for a "lack of institutional control" and "failure to monitor," a plan was put into place for proper certification, student-athlete academic advisement, and to help monitor eligibility. This process is handled primarily by the of Athletics Compliance Office and the Athletics Department's Office for Student-Athlete Success and Competitive Excellence. Over time, staff in the Office for Student-Athlete Success and the Athletics Compliance Office turned over and positions were left unfilled or, at times, filled with staff with limited athletics experience. This reduction of experienced staff resulted from budgetary challenges and the COVID 19 pandemic, which impacted both the ability to finance necessary positions and the availability of experienced personnel in the workforce. Despite the challenges faced, the Plan for athletic academic From 2018 through 2022 the University worked to improve its system for tracking and supporting student athletes determined as "at-risk" for athletic ineligibility, which the University defined as those student-athletes with GPAS of 2.0 or lower (recently increased to 2.5). Throughout the year ended June 30, 2022 and continuing into the fiscal year 2023, the University tracked the academic performance of student-athletes and created individual Academic Success Plans for each student-athlete identified as "at-risk." Success Plans were developed as part of individual sport APR Improvement Plans, with input from the student-athlete, their academic advisor, and the applicable coaches. Included within the Success Plans were specific steps to improve the academic performance of the student athlete such as scheduling tutoring sessions, attendance in study hall, development of scheduling and time management techniques, and the development of academic goals. The Success Plans also involved tasks to be performed by the Athletics Department's Office for Student-Athlete Success that included oversight of student progress, weekly meetings with "at-risk" students to review and participation in action plan activities, assistance with scheduling tutoring sessions, review of progress reports from individual professors, and communication with athletic coaches to discuss the progress or Our study suggests that there were a high number of "at-risk" student athletes being tracked and supported through individual action plans in the semesters leading up to "Week Zero." Interviews with various University personnel suggest that these risks were known by coaches and other individuals involved in the certification process. Efforts were made to ensure that the Each year, in early August, the University performs the necessary NCAA certification of student-athletes, known as the Certification Summit. The Summit involves collaboration between the Athletics Compliance Office, the Registrar's Office, the Office of Academic Affairs and Office oft the Provost, and the. Athletics Department for successful certification. The Summit also includes other offices within the University that participate as observers. The process involves an evaluation of each individual student-athlete' 's academic performance to determine if the student has completed the adequate number of course hours, is making sufficient progress towards their degree, has met the GPA requirements, and other key required metrics have been met.  advisement was still in place and continued to be used.  challenges with each "at-risk" student-athlete's plan.  certification process was equipped to handle the increased risks.  4    Thomas Howell Fergusoni r PA. Certified Public Accountants  The NCAA cited issues in the University's certification process from 2010 through 2017, and from 2018 through 2022, the University improved its process for proper and complete certification ini response to those findings. The certification process is a critical component to the The 2022 certification summit process occurred from July 26th through August 12th during which time the certification of athletes was completed, and the coaches were immediately informed of the results. The certification process resulted in 29 student athletes being deemed ineligible for The reasons for the significant number ofi ineligible players varied and included the following:  Univenit/'scompliance with NCAA rules and regulations.  competition.  Student-athlete academic performance matters (15 instances)  Transfer student-athletes whose credits had not been processed by the time of Student-athletes with declared majors/minors not processed before the first day of classes Student-athletes with outstanding tasks required by the individual student athlete in the Student-athletes certified as ineligible based on the information available at the time of the certification. Information received subsequent to the certification led to those student athletes achieving eligibility (i.e., additional hours were cleared through the Registrar's Subsequent to certification, the University began to identify any waivers that could be completed on behalf of the student athletes and performed the necessary tasks that might result in some or all of those athletes being granted eligibility waivers. Waivers are submitted to the NCAA through the NCAA eligibility portal and involve the performance of various tasks by the Athletics Compliance Office which include but are not limited to interviews of the student- athletes to identify if any of the eligible waiver criteria were met, evaluation of progress towards ad degree, evaluation of student-athlete's case history, development of mitigation plans for each student-athlete, the completion and submission of the waiver request, and coordination with the NCAA on the specific additional details and context needed toj process the waiver request. On August 27, 2022, the FAMU football team was scheduled to play the University of North Carolina in what was termed a "Week Zero" matchup. This matchup was a nationally televised event and was an opportunity to showcase Florida A & M University and the FAMU football program. In the days leading up to the game it became a matter of public record that 26 players on the FAMU football team were determined ineligible through the University's certification  certification (3 instances) (5instances)  NCAA Eligibility Center (3 instances)  Office that were degree applicable) (3 instances)  process.  5    Thomas Howell FergusonpA. Certified Public Accountents  This determination led to FAMU football players penning a letter to the University President dated August 28, 2022, expressing their points of view on why these events occurred and their perception of the shortfalls within the University that contributed to the events. See Appendix A for a copy of the letter received. The letter was signed by 88 student-athletes within the football program. Certain points in the letter focused on the issues the student athletes believed contributed to the events of "Week Zero," which included issues in financial aid, academic advising, staffing within the Athletics Compliance Office, and the lack of funding available for housing and meals during summer school. Over the course of several weeks following this communication, all but seven student athletes were certified eligible for play, either through the waiver process or because circumstances determined a waiver was not required.  6    Thomas Howell FergusonpA. Certifed Public Accowntants  Root Cause Circumstances Associated with "Week Zero"  The circumstances leading to the University's 29 ineligible student-athletes, with 22 of those student-athletes ultimately being deemed eligible or receiving waivers, could be attributable to several "root causes". Through inquiries of key university personnel and consideration of relevant documents, the most significant of those root causes are described in the narrative 1. High levels of "at-risk". student athletes, ineffective previously designed. APR improvement plans, and inadequate resources to address the needs ofthe high "al-risk"population. The number of "at-risk" student-athletes and ineligible student-athletes who required waivers was beyond industry norms and historical amounts for the University. High numbers of"at- risk" student athletes has a direct correlation to the high number ofi ineligible student-athletes who require waivers, if the University intends for the student to participate in FAMU The NCAA Division I Manual details all eligibility requirements at the various stages ofa student-athlete's college career. Other than for incoming freshmen, the NCAA minimum GPA requirements range from 1.8 to 2.2, depending on the student's academic semester, for The NCAA requires all student-athletes to maintain progress toward their degree and the fulfilment of various credit hour requirements to be eligible for competition. Eligibility rules require a minimum GPA of 2.3, among other core-course requirements, for incoming freshmen student-athletes to be eligible to practice, compete, and receive athletic scholarships. Transfer student-athletes are required to have successfully completed six hours of academic credit during the previous term. Based on the various metrics described, the  below.  Athletics.  astudent-athlete to be eligible for competition.  number of"at-risk" student-athletes remained high.  7    Thomas Howell Ferguson PA. Certified Public Accoutents  The graphs below details the number of "At-Risk" sludent-athletes and the number of  eligbillywalversfled) for FAMUsince. 2018.  20 10 0  2018  2019  2020 FAMU Eligibility waivers  2021  2022  120 100 80 60 40 20 0  2018  2019  2020  2021  2021  FAMU" "At-Risk" Student Athletes  *The FAMU Football Program opted out oft the 2020 season.  The Academic Progress Rate (APR) was implemented by the NCAA in 2003 as an effort to hold Division I institutions accountable for the academic progress of their student-athletes through a team-based metric that accounts for eligibility and retention ofeach student-athlete for each academic term. Data is compiled annually, and results are announced in the spring. In order to remain eligible for post-season play each sport must maintain an average 4-year APR score of 930 or higher. An APR of 950 means that the student-athletes on the team earned 95% of the eligibility and retention points that could have been earned. The APR Improvement Plans developed for the 2021-2022 athletic program year were still being Our research found that FAMU student-athlete academic performance has been an issue for several sports programs as far back as the 2017-2018 academic year. In 2019, continuing through the current year, sub-par APR scores placed FAMU's football team on probation, making them ineligible for postseason competition. Exceptions to the post-season rule have been granted to FAMU football program recently based on the COVID 19 pandemic, but these exceptions are expected to end in the near: future. The men's track team was also placed on probation in 2022 due to its APR score falling below the minimum requirements. The NCAA requires institutions with teams falling below the 930 multiyear APR benchmark to submit academic improvement plans to address lost eligibility and retention points. In response to this requirement, FAMU Athletics developed Academic Improvement and Sustainability Plan's (the APR improvement plans) for the football program in each year the  developed and implemented leading up to the "Week Zero" matter.  APR scores fell below 930 and included the 2021-2022 academic year.  8    Thomas Howell FergusonpA. Certified Public Accountants  The implementation of efforts to increase academic resources available to student-athletes and improve academic performance from the APR plans from 2019-2021 were not fully implemented and were ineffective in improving APR scores for the football program. The 2019 and 2020 APR plans suffered from a lack of staffing resources and priority given to the Plan, leading to a lack of interdepartmental communication and coordination. Additionally, the previous APR plans were hampered by the Covid 19 pandemic and an inability for those responsible for the plan's implementation to make changes to the department's strategies for Prior to the 2021-2022 APR Improvement Plan implementation, student-athletes were limited to the academic resources within the Athletics Department. Most of the University's support services were not available during hours that aligned with student-athlete schedules. APR Improvement Plan directed implementation to take place during the 2022 Spring The 2021-2022 APR Improvement Plan included steps to increase academic resources available to student-athletes, develop procedures to timely identify "at-risk" student-athletes, create individual Academic Success Plans for "at-risk" student-athletes, develop limits to the number of "at-risk" student-athletes allowable on a given roster, and improve the lines of communication between the Athletics Department and student-athletes. The 2021-2022 APR Improvement Plan successfully identified many of the issues facing the program but major components oft the plan were either not started or remained inj process as of October 2022.. As such, the 2021-2022 APR Improvement Plan implementation began too late for the plan to The graph below details the single year. APR score for all sports and for football individually  recruiting.  semester and led to the availability of more resources for student-athletes.  have any significant impact on the 2022 Certification Summit.  since 2018. 980 960 940 920 900 880 860 840 820 800  2018  2019  2020 FAMUFootball APR  2021 APR Requirement  2022  FAMU AlIS Sports APR  9    Thomas Howell Ferguson IPA. Certified Pwblic Accowntents  As shown by the table above, the academic success of the football program is lagging behind those of other sports. Our study suggests that this is the result of 1) decreased funding for athletic specific academic advising and support available to address the needs of the team (these issues are detailed further in root cause #2 below), and 2) a recruiting and admissions Throughout our study, a theme of an imbalance of priorities between academic and athletic ability was discussed. We noted instances of transfer student-athletes: being recruited that were academically ineligible from their previous institution and large numbers of "special talent" admissions with weak systems of controls for limitations within the system. While we recognize that some student-athletes may be necessarily admitted based on athletic prowess, an overuse of such policies without an abundance of academic related resources leads to The lack of student-athlete recruitment policies and the overall department philosophy concerning "special talent" admissions made it difficult to reduce the number of "at-risk" students. Programs were already struggling to meet APR benchmarks with current students not earning eligibility points. Additional "special talent" admissions increased the number of student-athletes on rosters not earning eligibility points. Although the 2021-2022 Plan called for improvements to this process, no changes were made, and ineligible transfer students were added to already strained programs. The number of players deemed ineligible for competition in the 2022 Certification Summit was a product of increased numbers of "at- Overall, we conclude that strong leadership is needed to balance these priorities and to design an overarching recruiting policy that aligns the values and resources of the University with 2. Budgetary shortfalls in the athletics department and staffing shortages in athletics FAMU Athletics has had various financial risks and challenges over the last 10 years. Most recently being subjected to both legislative and Board of Governor oversight and monitoring stemming from the use of auxiliary funds to support athletics. The outcome of that violation is a potential loss of working capital for the Athletics Department as the auxiliary funds previously used are required to be repaid from the Athletics Department and the Foundation over 29 years. Additionally, the Athletics Department faced further budgetary challenges due tol NCAA violations and lost revenue resulting from the Covid 19 pandemic. The financial pressures described above contributed to budgetary cuts and the postponement of filling much needed compliance and other academic support positions. Additionally, turnover and changes in positions, including the Associate AD for Compliance during the period from May 2022 to January 2023 (an interim Associate AD served during this time) contributed to shortages in staff support for the completion of academic and compliance  system that did not properly balance academic and athletic ability.  lower sport-wide APR scores and higher levels of"at-risk" populations.  risk" student-athletes.  the goals for strong athletic results. academics and compliance offices.  related tasks.  10    Thomas Howell Ferguson PA. Certified PublicA Accowitents  Budgetary challenges and turnover in key compliance positions led to staffing shortages within the departments. These shortages coupled with the reduced timeline for the completion of waivers based on the "Week Zero" timing, created additional challenges for 3. Ineffective academic success plans and deficient systems of information and The 2021-2022 APR Plan provided for individual Academic Success Plans for all "at-risk" student-athletes. Success Plans included study hall requirements, weekly check-ins with an academic advisor, and the involvement of head coaches and sports supervisors. Advisors were to also communicate with academic faculty and monitor grades throughout the Our study suggests that the Academic Success Plans developed for "at-risk" student-athletes failed to achieve the desired outcomes, leading to a high number ofi ineligible players. While the plans did have a positive impact on some student athletes, the plans were ineffective for others. These shortcomings were caused by several factors including, staffing shortages, weak systems of information and communication, leadership challenges, and a The organizational structure for the Athletics Department's Office for Student-Athlete Success and Competitive Excellence was not properly designed and included too few support staff to address the needs and to properly monitor outcomes of the large "at-risk" student- athlete population. Our study identified that one person was responsible for developing, coordinating, and monitoring the success plans for over 60: student-athletes. The workload for this one individual included the entire "at-risk" population, all freshmen, and all transfer Conditions associated with the information and communication systems within the University had several shortcomings that also contributed to the "Week Zero" event. The individual Academic Success Plans were developed, initiated and monitored almost exclusively in the Athletics Department. While communication was occurring between coaches, the Athletics Compliance Office, and the Office for Student-Athlete Success; limited understanding of the individual plans and efforts were known by other departments prior to the 2022 Certification Summit. This resulted in breakdowns in understanding and coordination across other departments within the University.  the University. communication.  semester.  lack ofindividual accountability and ownership.  student-athletes for the football and basketball programs.  11    Thomas Howell FergusonpA. Certified! Public Accountents  The various internal platforms used to track academic performance, benchmarking and performance metrics associated with the various plans were not integrated and were not properly used or updated by all parties responsible for ensuring proper monitoring and Communication and training from the University for student-athletes regarding financial aid, summer school, major change requirements, certification requirements (progress towards degree and course requirements), APR scores, and other material eligibility matters needed improvement and led to avoidable certification challenges. In addition to structure and communication, the effectiveness of the Athletics Department's leadership in the years leading up to the "Week Zero" incident was impacted by a variety of factors. Strong leadership and a culture of accountability could have prevented many of the certification issues. Conditions that contribute to an environment of accountability would include proper budgeting with a focus on compliance and academic support, established benchmarks and the availability of data to monitor the success of the various APR improvement plans, improved communication and coordination, assurance that APR improvement plans are fully implemented and operating as intended, and the design of strategies for recruitment, training, and support that align with the various APR Improvement Finally, student athletes themselves must be individually accountable for their academic success. While the University needs to improve the resources and advisement provided to the student-athletes, some of the issues for "Week Zero" come down to personal accountability for achieving the required certification metrics and fulfilling the goals and strategies laid out in the individual Academic Success Plans. Because individual accountability is a core component of the academic success of the team, efforts should be made to ensure that the athletes recruited have the academic ability to meet the minimum standards oft the NCAA.  action.  Plan goals and University values.  Summary of Root Causes  The three root causes identified above worked together to create an overall system weakness that resulted ini the "Week Zero" incident. High "at-risk" populations stem from an imbalance in recruiting methodology and an inability to effectively implement previous corrective actions. The inability to effectively implement previous corrective actions resulted from staffing shortages and inconsistency in athletics leadership since 2018. Shortages in academic support staff stemmed from budgetary challenges and decisions. Imbalanced recruiting policies resulted from a decentralized process, deficient systems of information and communication, and inconsistency in athletics leadership necessary to create balance. These incidents can be mitigated by implementing systems that result in increased staffing and training, improved leadership and coordination, and developing a culture of accountability. All of which are addressed in the FAMU Athletics Action Plan developed to  address the Athletics Departments academic related challenges.  12    Thomas Howell FergusonpA. Certified Public Accownterfs  Summary of the FAMU Athletics Action Plan.  In response to the events leading up to and after "Week Zero," the Board of Trustees and the University began to oversee the development and implementation of a corrective action plan The Plan has seventeen unique strategies, each designed to improve a weakness identified by the University's Special Athletic Committee and to improve the overall student-athlete experience. The most crucial components of the Plan address enhancements needed to academic advisement for student-athletes, staffing shortages within the of Athletics Compliance Office, improved training related to student-athlete specific eligibility requirements, interdepartmental technology and communication, high levels of "at- risk" student-athletes, and the "special talent" student- athlete admission and transfer process. See Appendix B for the complete FAMU Athletic Action In regard to the University's objective to enhance communication, accountability, monitoring, and staffing, the FAMU Athletics Action Plan is comprehensive and thorough. The seventeen strategies detailed in the Athletics Action Plan adequately address the most crucial issues facing the Athletics Department and the academic success of the various athletic programs ofFAMU. While the collective implementation of each of the Plan's seventeen strategies will be important,  titled the FAMU Athletic Action Plan (thel Plan).  Plan.  we consider the following seven strategies to be critical toi its success. Strategy 1: Academic advisement, for student athletes  This strategy is focused on improving the quantity of academic advisors that are specifically dedicated to addressing the needs of the FAMU student-athlete population. Additionally, this strategy is focused on improving the quality of academic advising by ensuring that advisors have more training and knowledge on specific NCAA rules and regulations, are equipped to handle the specific challenges facing student-athletes, and are This is a critical component of the success of the Plan, as student-athletes often face various academic challenges beyond those faced by a non-athletic student. Challenges such as meeting various NCAA requirements, balancing a more burdened schedule that includes athletic practices, workouts, and long-distance travel, and can often include other academic challenges that stem from "special talent" admissions that require more advisement and Advisers with the specific knowledge and training of these challenges is necessary to result  routinely evaluated based on specific performance metrics.  support.  ini improved academic outcomes.  13    Thomas Howell FergusonpA. Certified! PublicA Accountents  Strategy 2: At-risk. student monitoring & support  This strategy is focused on providing real time monitoring of student-athlete academic performance by leveraging technology and improving the interface and visibility of data This real-time system for monitoring student academic performance willl help to ensure that corrective actions are occurring as needed and more timely. Additionally, this system should improve coordination between academic related and athletic related staff toi identify potential "at-risk" populations faster, provide additional resources to mitigate the risks, and reduce weekly Countable Athletics Related Activities (CARA) for student-athletes, if This is a critical component of the Plan as improved communication and coordination is  across the various departments.  needed.  necessary to result inj improved academic outcomes. Strategy 4: Enhance communication & engagement  This strategy is focused on improving the information and communication between student-athletes, the Associate AD of Compliance for Financial Aid and Benefits, and the Having access to timely and reliable financial aid is critical to resulting in better academic outcomes. Better communication of how financial aid works, how to stay eligible for financial aid, knowing what amounts of financial aid student athletes should expect each semester, and understanding the timing of disbursements is necessary for student-athletes and academic advisors to properly plan for academic success and NCAA compliance.  Financial Aid Office.  Strategy 6: Special talent & transfer goal alignment  The focus of this strategy is on establishing thresholds for the number of "special talent" and transfer student-athletes for each sport. Additionally, it focuses on the controls over admissions to improve compliance with thel NCAA rules and the University's core values. This strategy is critical because the admission of transfer student-athletes and "special talent" students creates additional burdens on the academic support and compliance divisions of the University. Transfer students have unique challenges and compliance requirements. In order to ensure that the University is meeting the needs of this population, itn needs to balance the admission of these types of students with the available resources of the University. Without a proper balance and strict adherence to the established University processes, the support divisions will not be able to properly serve the student-athlete The establishment of thresholds for the number of "special talent" and transfer student- athletes for each sport and the proper alignment of those thresholds, with the support capacity of the University is critical to resulting in better academic outcomes.  population as a whole.  14    Thomas Howell FergusonpA. Certified! Public Accountants  Strategy 9: Enhance compliance tracking & reporting  This strategy is focused on providing enhanced real-time monitoring of student academic compliance by leveraging technology and improving the interface and visibility of data Real-time system monitoring of student-athlete academic compliance will help to improve the timeliness and accuracy of the student-athlete certification. Additionally, it will create improved communication and coordination between divisions sO process bottlenecks in the certification process can be identified and resolved more timely. Such system improvements will create transparency between compliance and athletic coaches to ensure that coaches are well informed and can assist in implementing corrective actions to ensure This is a critical component of the Plan as improved communication and coordination is  across the various departments.  compliance and student athlete availability. necessary to result in better compliance outcomes. Strategy 11: Student & staffcompliance awareness.  This strategy is focused on providing targeted ongoing compliance training for coaches, student-athletes, academic advisors, and athletics administrators; to include compliance specific topics, such as recruiting, NIL, and APR scoring and requirements. Our study concluded that improved compliance awareness at various levels of the University was necessary to result in better compliance outcomes. Specifically, we noted that student-athletes and advisors need more compliance related training in order to make This is a critical component oft the Plan as improved coordination and training is necessary for individuals to take more accountability for their individual academic and compliance  well informed decisions that would result in improved compliance.  success.  Strategy 14: Culture ofaccountabilily  This strategy is focused on identifying a comprehensive set of compliance/student success metrics for each head coach and annually reporting those outcomes to the President and BOT Special Committee on Athletics. Additionally, the strategy focuses on creating accountability measures for athletic administrators and coaches in accordance with their employment contracts, as part ofthe annual performance evaluation process.  15    Thomas Howell FergusonpA. Cerifed! Public Accowntents  During our study we noted various plans and corrective actions have been developed since 2018 to resolve matters of non-compliance and less than optimal academic pertormance. Many oft these plans did not achieve the intended results and the issues they were intended toa address remain to this day. We believe that those previously adopted improvement plans and corrective actions did not achieve their intended results based on a culture that did not hold individuals accountable for the full and complete implementation of the various APR The success of the current FAMU Athletic Action Plan will be directly impacted by a strong control environment, directed by a leadership team committed to the process, adherence to the Plan, and ongoing efforts to monitor actual results against intended  improvement plans and their outcomes.  outcomes SO that timely and appropriate modifications can be made.  16    Thomas Howell FergusonpA. Certified PublicA Accowitents  Implementation Considerations  The Athletics Improvement Plan strategies, along with strong and consistent leadership, are critical to ensure that results for improvement in academic outcomes and compliance will be linked to accountability and to ensure the Plan is completed, maintained, and followed. Without strong accountability measures the Plan risks being less than fully implemented, and history may Itisi important that the University successfully implement all 17 strategies oft the Plan. The items listed above are those we find most criticçal and, ifn not prioritized and properly implemented, may result in an ineffective plan with less than desired outcomes. Many of the strategies are dependent upon one another to reduce the risk of non-compliance and should be closely While the Plan has been successfully developed, the Plan still requires successful implementation. Implementation can often be more challenging than the initial plan design. The University has made preparations for successful implementation which include the creation ofan implementation team who is responsible for understanding the interconnectivity of various Plan components across university departments, for communicating the Plan within their departments, for overseeing the performance of specific action items, for communicating challenges, and for providing recommendations to the Implementation Team. Equally important and critical to the success of the Plan, is the responsibility of the Implementation Team for monitoring thej progress ofthe unique strategies to ensure that the activities and outcomes achieve the desired results. Although the University's implementation plan is well designed, challenges may still exist throughout the implementation phase. The following items should be considered to optimize  be more likely to repeat itself.  monitored and adjusted based on the outcomes achieved.  implementation success.  Long-Term Plan Monitoring and Development  The Plan and its implementation are currently high priority items for the University based on the public nature of the events of "Week Zero." However, the events of"Week Zero" were merely symptoms oft the weaknesses in the University's system ofinternal controls over compliance. We believe that the Plan will result in better outcomes, reducing the number of players deemed ineligible for play, in the short term. However, those short-term results should not result in a conclusion that the Plan has been successfully and completely implemented and that further resources for the Plan are no longer required. The successful and complete implementation oft the Plan will likely take several years and will require on-going monitoring, development and  resources.  17    Thomas Howell FergusonpA. CertifiedPublic: Accowntents  Community Pressure and. Support) for the Incoming Athletics Director  The successful implementation of the Plan and the achievement of the metrics it has designed will involve making difficult decisions that should place the long-term success of the Athletics Program and the University above the short-term successes ofa any one individual sport. Once the Athletics Director's vision and strategies for the department have been adopted and determined to bei in alignment with the University's objectives, the Athletics Director must have the power to make key strategic decisions in response to the Plan or other challenges as they arise. Strong leadership and commitment is necessary ift the University is going to improve outcomes. Respectful and professional internal debates should continue and is a natural characteristic ofa healthy internal control environment, but every effort should be made to keep these matters internal and to provide a unified front to the public on key decisions. The public is generally unaware of the underlying root causes of the events leading up to "Week Zero" and the issues concerning APR. Certain decisions made ini response toi improve the underlying issues may result inc community pressure to change course. The University President and the Board of Trustees should support the Athletic Director in making decisions that are in the best interest of the  University and in response to the implementation oft the Plan.  18    Thomas Howell FergusonpA. Certified Public Accountants Recommendations  Based on our observations, inquiries, document review and other procedures performed, the FAMU Athletics Action Plan (the Plan) is sufficiently designed to mitigate the risks of future noncompliance. The seventeen strategies detailed in the Plan adequately address the most critical issues facing the. Athletics Department and the academic success oft the various athletic programs ofF FAMU. However, as noted in previous sections of our report, to achieve success of the Plan and its desired outcomes, will require a disciplined commitment to its implementation, a dedication of resources, the establishment of a strong control environment, and the expectation The Plan is designed to address the issues of "Week Zero" and other academic related issues facing the FAMU Athletics Department and FAMU student-athletes. However, it is also designed to prevent such conditions from occurring in the future, by addressing the root causes The Plan, if properly implemented, will result in improved outcomes for the University and will reduce the risk of experiencing future challenges similar to those noted above. The presence of, and adherence to, controls designed to achieve compliance with the plan will be critical to its The Plan continues to be monitored and adjusted by the Implementation Team as implementation iss still ongoing. This ongoing evaluation process should continue well after implementation is considered complete to ensure that the Plan is operating as intended and achieving the desired This report is not intended to and does not contemplate internal control or compliance risks facing the Athletics Department that were not included in the original scope of work. Our study occurred while the development and implementation of control activities surrounding the planned corrective actions were ongoing. As such, the focus of our efforts and attention were limited to the plan design and did not include an evaluation oft the specific metrics developed by management to achieve success, nor the day-to-day operating controls necessary to be The recommendations resulting from our study in regard to the University's Athletic Action Plan isi included below. These recommendations should be considered prior to finalizing the Plan and as part of the ongoing improvements and enhancements contributing to the FAMU student-  that all parties to thel Plan will be accountable for its results.  leading up to "Week Zero".  success.  results.  implemented in this plan.  athlete experience.  19    Thomas Howell FergusonpA. Certified Public Accowtents  Recommendation #1 - Continued monitoring and development of control activities Once implemented, the Plan will take time to achieve the long-term desired outcomes oft the University. We anticipate that the Plan will result in short-term results that improve the academic and compliance environment of the University's student athlete population. However, those short-term results should not be considered as overall Plan success and completion. We anticipate the Plan could take several years to fully implement. The Plan needs to be a considered a framework that establishes routine controls and procedures that will be implemented and executed over a long-term period. The Plan will need long term commitment and support from those charged with governance with an overall understanding that the Plan will take ongoing refinement and monitoring for its ultimate success. The control environment and related compliance controls must evolve as the risks associated with Ifthe University does not develop a comprehensive framework of controls to facilitate the successful implementation, monitoring, and continued enhancement of the Plan, it faces a A system ofr milestones and expected outcomes needs to be implemented in conjunction with the Plan. This includes establishing benchmarks over a long-term period for the reduction of "at-risk" student athletes, benchmarks for each sport's improved APR, benchmarks for the reduction in special talent admissions, as well as benchmarks the University believes are The Plan should not be considered fully implemented until, at a minimum, the following  student-athletic success evolves.  high risk off future noncompliance.  important to its student-athlete'ss success.  three goals are met.  1. Academic Progress Rates (APRs) for all sports earn at least a four-year score of 2. All new positions highlighted in the Plan's organizational charts are fully 3. The control procedures including routine monitoring developed in response to the Plan become adopted and followed across the various departments. We recommend that management and those charged with governance maintain an expectation of long-term activities and tasks associated with the Plan to achieve desired results and consider the Plan a framework for continuous controls over compliance. Further we recommend the Plan be routinely evaluated for implementation successes and challenges and revisited on ai routine basis for necessary adjustment to plan activities and controls.  930.  budgeted, hired, trained, and integrated.  20    Thomas Howell FergusonpA. Certified Public Accountents  Recommendation #2 - Departmental alignment and future considerations.  Certain positions and responsibilities created by the Plan have been spread across various departments within the University to improve coordination and to address certain budgetary challenges for the Athletics Department. This was done partially based on the transition in the Athletics Director position during the Plan's development and to ensure that the Plan Since the Plan's initial development, the Athletics Director position has been filled. A large part of the overall success of the Plan will rely on the leadership and vision of the Athletics Director moving forward. We recommend that the new Athletics Director be highly involved int the Plan's implementation and strategy. Further, we recommend that she maintain appropriate administrative oversite for the positions created in response to the Plan. Specifically, our review oft the planned organizational structure included the hiring of various positions outside of the Athletics Department. While these changes are considered reasonable, the Athletics Director will need to be able to direct the efforts oft these positions in order to promote the culture of accountability necessary for better academic and Furthermore, as revenues increase, the University should start to transition certain positions and responsibilities for the Plan under the Athletics Department. The transition of certain positions under the Athletics Department should result in several improvements and efficiencies for the Plan, including the alignment of resources and their availability with the  would quickly address the needs oft the nneniv/studem-alnetes:  compliance results.  needs, vision, and ultimate accountability oft the Athletics Department. Recommendation #3 - Transfer athletes and academic major change challenges  We noted a number of challenges attributable to timing issues associated with the requirements to gather and certify information related to transfer athletes and student-athletes that are changing academic majors. During our study of the "Week Zero" issues and the student-athletes deemed ineligible, we noted that 8 of the 29 cases related to the timing required to gather and certify information related to transfer athletes and student-athletes that are changing majors. We consider these items avoidable for reoccurrence if proper policies are established, but do not believe that the Plan is designed to fully address these issues. We recommend that improved processes and controls for the timing of transfer athletes' enrollment into the University be developed to ensure adequate time to perform the required certification procedures. Additionally, improved communication and coordination on the recruitment and admission of student-athletes is necessary. Finally, improved procedures should be developed to assist the student-athletes in ensuring the information/ranseripts are  properly gathered from the applicable transfer school.  21    Thomas Howell FergusonpA. Certified Public Accountants  We also recommend that improved processes be developed for the timing of changes of academic majors. Academic major changes within the University require administrative tasks by several departments and faculty. Ensuring that the major changes happen in a timely manner and that oversite of the administrative tasks is properly managed and coordinated  within the University is crucial to successful outcomes.  Recommendation #4- Financial Aid.  The Plan has only limited actions regarding financial aid, which are mostly geared toward summer school and improving the information and communication between student athletes During our study we noted that concerns regarding certain aspects oft the financial aid system were voiced. These conçerns were mentioned by student athletes and corroborated through our discussions with university personnel. Concerns related primarily to the financial aid IT system and the delayed receipt of financial aid by the University, which in turn resulted in a delay of financial aid disbursements to student-athletes. Additionally, we noted communication challenges regarding "holds" on financial aid disbursements based on academic performance or incomplete required administrative tasks or documents, and certain transfer athletes being deemed ineligible for financial aid. These conditions led to additional difficulties for the student-athletes that lead to academic challenges. We do not believe that the Plan is currently designed to address such challenges, although those challenges may be We recommend that management look closely at these issues and develop additional plans to  and the Financial Aid Office.  beyond the scope of the Plan.  mitigate future issues regarding financial aid disbursements.  22    August 28, 2022 Dr. Robinson,  Appendix A  We, ther members ofthe 2022 RattlerFootbal Team, would) like toa address severali issues that arel having ana adverse effect ond ourl lives, ourt future. and thes student athlete experienceat FAMU. Tor date, wel havel keptt thesei issues within the university structure, buts since they have not beena adequately resalved, wes will release this statement tot the FAMUE Boardo ofT Trustees Financial Aid: Eachs semester, wel havei issues with our Anancial awardsbeing posted Ina timely manner. We: arer repeatediy told, 'sar news system, andl le'st taking longer top post than normal". Thist responsel Is completely unacceptablo. This delay inf funds hasr repeatediy left us unable top pay forc our basic dally needs. Therea arez also casest of players havinge evictions fled against us whichr reflects on our creditr reports. We'res Surei thaty you are keenlyz awarec oft the damage thati ap poor crediti file can have onl Individuals beginning their professional careers. Additionally, unpaldbalances from our financlal aid processes prevent us from buying textbooks ora access codes for classes andi from utillzing the priority registration process afforded toa athletes. This, int turn, causes delays Inc our registration, often causing us to enrollin classes days orv weeks after theyl have alreadys started. Profossors often dor not allow ust tor make up! the work that wet have already missed, whichy places usina ap posture ofp playingo catch-upf for thee entires semester, Dr. Robinson, whens wes signed ourl letters ofl Intentt to become student athletes at FAMU, wea agreedt to performaz ato ourp peak Int the classroom, ont the field, andi in the communlty, How cany wet fealistically! beE expectedt top perform atal highl level when we're  andF FloridaBoardo of Governors,    concerned with! havinga adequate academic resources: andy whether ar not wev will havearoof Academic Suppert/Compllance itv was very damagingi tot the marale ofc ourt footballteam to read ony various mediaoutiets, 26 FAMUT Football Players Ruledi Ineligible." This narrative impliest that WE are not performing int the classroom. In fact, that couldn't bef further from the truth. The issuc ath bandi is notz academic performance, but procedurall issues withint the registrar's office, compliance department and academic: advisement. Far Instance, Isaiahl Land, ourA All-American defensive end, who wass singled out ast thel highest-profile pfc our teammates unablet toc competei in our firste game, wasr mis- advised. Hev wasi instructed tot taket three, two- credit hour courses this summer, inc arderi tor meet: satisfactory progress towards his degree. He did: so and passeda allt three courses. Itwas determined last week att thel beginningo oft the fall semester, that Isalaha actually neededt three additional hours duringt the summer, whichy would not have been ani issue hadH her receivedp proper advisement. This situatlon left Isaiaht three credit hours shy ofs satisfactory progresst towards his degree, deeming hm academically Ineligible. Att the root oft thisi Issuel ist thet fact that our Academic Advisement. and Compliance Offices ares understaffed. The compliance office consists ofo one person, whol hasnos subject matter expertise In athletic compliance. How can this person! be expected toc certify over three hundred athietes! Inatimely manner? You: stated iny your address on yesterday that, "Wel have shareda commitment tos a culture ofa accountabiity and compliance". Are the: actions and staffings plans ofthes current university and athletic administrations! ina alignment withi this  over our heads andi nourishment for ourt bodies?  statement?    Ourcampus partners also sharer responsibility Int this fiasco. During thei admissions process, severalofush had tos submita academic transcripts, letters ofrecommendations. and immunizationi records multiple times because priors submissions were either misplacedorn never forwardedt tot thep proper departments. Currently, we! haver multipleg players that have! been deemed unable toj participate inc competition! becauses simple tasks such as changingofn majors, conferring ofd degrees and the submission ofe grades have not been completed promptly. One such player submitted: achange ofr major form on August 10" andi it has yet tobe completedb by his advisor or departmenL Ist this the! fulfiliment of our university motto, "Excellence with Summer School: Dr. Robinsan, because afo our athletic obligations int thet fall ands spring semesters, summer. school is vitaltot thea academic success ofc our team. Rtisi imperative that our scholarships cover ati least part-time enrollment for thes summer tetm. Additionally, football games arer nat wond duringf football scason. They: ares wont ini the gruelingw workouts and team activities during winter, springa and: summer months. Int thes summer ofz 2021, wes were provided tuition oft up! tos six credit hoursy plusr room andi board. We were able tot transform our bodies ande developed intoar championship calibert team. This summer, your administration: decided not top provide housing or mealsi for us durings summer school. This decision has hade detrimental effects ond our preparation for the: 2022: season. Many of us werer not ablet tor maintain or increase bodyweights! because ofa lack ofnutrition. Most ofusf found minimum wage employment but because ofe educational and athletic ohligations, we were unablet tor work enough! hourst to fully provide for ourr needs, Doy youi think that the sames canditions arep placed ont the players atl Thel University of North Carolina ar) Jackson! State?" Your claim tos suppart usb but  Caring"?    supportisi much moret than cheering for us durings gamest or offeringaf few kind words aftera Underrepresentation: Wez arei int ther midst oft the: search fori thu next athletic Director: at FAMU. Itv was very disheartening thatt there isn nos studenta athlete representation ont the eighteen-member: search committee, nor weret there any discussions held with usregarding the characteristics or quallfications oft purr nextl leader. Inc contrast, every elected Student Government Association président iss seatedo on the University's Board ofT Trustees. Itis important that students' voices are consideredins shaping the! future oft this Institution. Concerning ther next athletic director, RIS our belieft thatt thel indvidual selected should have extensive administrative experience from successful NCAAI member Institutions, an efficient organizational: structure model toa address current existing personnel deficits, and aproven track record ofs successfult fund raising- The idea of placingapersoni int the position because of tiestoFAMUIS not appealing tous ata all. Wer needi fresh Ideas andi innovatlon: to achievet the Underapgrediation: Dr. Robinsun, the NCAA allows playurs kor reccive four tickets fur allgames iny whichy we participate. Tnat has been the standards since wea arrived at FAMU. Last week, we werei informed that thes current athletic administration had reduced ther aumber oft tickets that wev wouldr receive from four tot two. This decision leit ouri family and friends, whol had already made afrangements tot travei to Chapei Hill, scrambling top purchase expensive ticketst tos sces us play. Our familya and support: systems shouid not bet burdened int thisr manner. The vast majority ofthemi incur hotel and travel expenses, and thet facilitation ofg game tickets shouldr require  bigy victory-  level ofe excellence that FAMU Athletics Isc capablec of.  minimale effort from our athletic administration.    On Friday, afler much dialogue withind our team, wer dedided top play atl UNC. We delurmined that we wouldi noty plavl lor this Institution, buL lor aur famifles, teamnates, classmates, our rabid lanbase, ande ours coaches who had p'epared usa and tove us. We played our Ruts out, ant i! thep process, twu ofu uur leammatus Suffureds suasoli-enchng Hijuris After thes gane. w decided top protestt thel Marching 100's playinge of tha Florida Song. ande FAMUA Alma Mater by kneejiag: duriua both songs. Wus will contine le do: sUu until sRisificante changes thst fatillatea positive: student-athlete: experlence arel Inade. We willl not singa song thatk begins' "College of Dr. Robinson, this letteri is not a persanni attapk. huts as demand for positive change anda cuitural shift int thec current direction inF FAMU Athletics. Wet bame tn FAMUT rab belfer Our ives and wea are expressing concerns abouti Impadiments ta that goal Wor arer not mterested! kn further empty dialogues wihy your or vour stff Was went tos see changes mader nowi Wat have glvcn our bodies and shedl blood, sweat, au tearss tin behaifc ofr rhis Instilition. It's lime for  Love and Charity.-" wheny we feell Te ther frum this utlvarslty  FAMLS to reriprocate thel lqve.    1.7 PA FA K  3. mirsad Muratovic 32. Jacovy Jovdan   25.  75. Cbesel Chnskpers Wng 9G.Meraaskus Cunningham 27. Jurmah Hawkins 28- joniaw. Moo. 29. Cees 30." forsorl 3. BAWu Ce 32 Margutz Phillpi 33.Donaid HeM 34 Beryonin Onwzo 3: Alonbass 36, 37Gasb  3.Konc Glark, 37, Mogan Mpwe Yo, hhamani SiGprhy Vlain Rua 2.Mypon warl 45 Sheldn Wkr wy. Bnon Pcck 45. Duju HAl) W. Derric H1  644 G. Gneme liv 7. Che Bk 8.7 Richabe Jipor 9,Slanicy Mentor lo. Ritmsrel Shmpurt 1L. Chrskiwn 3-s RAA 13hors Demas E SA (6. Jelun Giey 17. ERn IA 1-HeZak I. SA 3o.Bay    42,  76. Rant Smitk 7Darian Oxendine mhcwlliions 79.Casuun Shellun &o. Kafetm burk SLKos 83.Jack e2, oryes Brks Tuns S.Tyler kiley 65, Chcis Faddoul ATavammprzan $7,TSoioh Mosor 68Chfietapher baplere  Kyanwkp 48. Jahmmn Shen-l W. Wnsome Fotiergr Loitmil Jnniss S1-Pnv.d Marigo $2-. DeArdr fronch S3.Larant 54 laf aky 53. TentoMesner 5C Com 59. SPlaicad s8T-wkasp 5A Khn-PCapenhd 6oTavis MOSS G. Iglin 62.blen Br Tpbn AE 61. Dosi Romo Gs. 8.3 Bebkr E 68- Nlriy Mudl Teiank'Davis 70. Jaylen MeCloud 11 Dcuin Smith 72. Fenley Gilom 73. Dre Jonery0 74.1 Deondri Clark 75. Michasl Marshall    Appendix B  a) e    8 0  S S I  I  a 5  le   aU 8  0 f  - 8 e S  U  S I  A  S 5  -  e  E  -  I  8 -  I  5 I  5  > - f    m