News Summary
Florida A&M University is addressing significant operational and financial concerns highlighted by ongoing audits. Recent updates reveal efforts to resolve outstanding financial discrepancies, including unpaid invoices, while leadership emphasizes commitment to improve FAMU’s financial oversight. Significant personnel changes and external accounting assistance form part of the corrective measures being implemented. Despite challenges, leadership remains hopeful for progress in the upcoming year.
TALLAHASSEE, FLORIDA – The Florida Board of Governors has expressed cautious optimism regarding Florida A&M University (FAMU) amidst ongoing operational and financial audit challenges. During a recent meeting on September 11, FAMU’s Vice President for Audit Credentials, Joseph Maleszewski, provided an update on the university’s audit progress, highlighting efforts to address issues raised by the auditor general’s findings.
FAMU has been grappling with significant financial inconsistencies, including delayed bank reconciliations and vendor payment delays. The university’s new Executive Vice President and Chief Operations Officer, Kelvin Lawson, emphasized that corrective measures are underway. Among these measures is the hiring of an accounting firm selected from a pool of eight potential candidates, with the aim of improving FAMU’s financial oversight.
FAMU President Marva Johnson publicly acknowledged the issues with the university’s financial records, expressing her embarrassment as an auditor and reaffirming her commitment to rectify the situation. The most recent audit report, disseminated in March 2025, revealed a backlog of 190 unpaid invoices totaling over $934,000. However, recent efforts have successfully reduced this number to 41 invoices totaling approximately $81,000 as of late August.
The university has established weekly tracking and escalation protocols for processing invoices, alongside the introduction of monthly scorecards to report progress to the Board of Governors. FAMU is also focused on recruiting and training qualified staff to enhance its financial infrastructure and operational rigor.
Additionally, the FAMU Athletics Department faces scrutiny as it has not undergone an audit since June 30, 2021. To address this concern, the university has initiated biweekly meetings aimed at streamlining audit processes within the department.
Key financial leadership personnel changes continue to affect the university’s operations. Rebecca Brown, the former Chief Financial Officer, has been on personal leave since July, leading to uncertainty about her potential return to her position. To facilitate the audit assistance required, FAMU has engaged accounting firms Cherry Bekaert and Thomas Howell Ferguson. However, the cost implications of these services remain uncertain, raising concerns from Board of Governors member Ken Jones regarding the considerable price variations among the eight firms being considered for additional support.
Lawson confirmed that all accounting firms received the same scope of work while presenting an array of price quotes ranging from $24,000 to $2.6 million. The firm ultimately selected will contribute to assessment, operational support, and the development of best practices over a 12-month period.
Despite the challenges, both Board of Governors Chair Brian Lamb and Vice Chair Alan Levine underscored the importance of continuous updates to ensure the effective resolution of these financial issues. Lamb stated that satisfactory progress is essential and should be communicated regularly until the university achieves operational excellence. Johnson remains optimistic about meeting critical milestones in the upcoming year, confident that the measures being implemented will yield positive outcomes for FAMU.
As the university progresses toward rectifying its financial shortcomings, the commitment of the current leadership to bolster FAMU’s financial infrastructure and operational standards is a focal point of attention for the Board of Governors and the university community alike.
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