Florida A&M University‘s Board of Trustees has approved a $650,000 salary for its incoming president, Marva Johnson, who was named FAMU’s 13th president last month.
WCTV reported that the deal is “is worth significantly more than what any previous FAMU president has ever received. But, it’s still less than most presidential contracts at Florida universities.”
WFSU previously reported that Johnson’s then-proposed salary was $150,000 more than her predecessor’s and includes a 3% yearly raise, as well as housing and car allowances, and a faculty position post-presidency at the FAMU College of Law, with some exceptions.
According to the outlet, the salary is $100,000 less than Johnson requested, as FAMU’s Board of Trustees initially approved a salary range of $450,000 to $750,000. Florida law stipulates that the state will only cover salaries for state university presidents up to $200,000, and any amount exceeding that must be funded privately. WFSU stated that the Florida A&M University Foundation Board approved funding of approximately $388,000 toward a presidential salary and postponed approval of a bigger budget for Johnson amid criticism of her selection.
Why don’t people want Marva Johnson as FAMU’s president?
Critics refer to Johnson as “MAGA Marva” due to her ties to the Republican Party, particularly her connections to Sen. Rick Scott and Gov. Ron DeSantis. Over 18,000 have signed a Change.org petition opposing Johnson’s selection, which cites her lack of experience in leading a university.
WFSU wrote that when a reporter asked him about FAMU, House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries said, “This particular individual appears deeply unqualified…to carry out the mission of Florida A&M University. And it is my suspicion that she will not last long at the institution. She will be a failure.”
Will FAMU align with its new president?
As the Florida Board of Governors prepares to vote on Johnson’s confirmation on June 18, resistance to Johnson’s presidency continues.
According to WFSU, Lawrence Humphries, a member of FAMU’s Foundation Board, expressed concerns about the challenges Johnson may face on a divided campus, stating, “When I say she won’t survive, I think that it’s difficult to go into an environment where it’s hostile towards you. The hostility is in the air, even if people aren’t outwardly hostile, but you feel it, you sense it, the stress that comes along with that. You’ve got to go home, you don’t feel good about what you’re doing. Next thing you know, you’re arguing with your family, you’re kicking the dog, and that is draining. And at some point, or someone who has been as successful as she has in the private sector, you have to ask yourself, is it worth it?”
The Tallahassee Democrat reported that the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges, FAMU’s accrediting agency, submitted an “Unsolicited Information Request” to interim President Timothy Beard, Ph.D., about an unnamed Florida A&M University trustee interfering with “faculty employment” on April 14. However, the letter wasn’t specific about what happened or whether it was connected to the institution’s recent presidential search.
